(SOLD) Orville by Gibson Thunderbird Vintage Sunburst 1991
Orville Thunderbird, sunburst, made in Japan 1991. Orville was the first name Mr. Gibson himself. In the eighties, Fender was commissioning Squier out of Japan, Gretsch was getting a re-boot made in Japan, and brands like Yamaha and Ibanez were making real progress in terms of marketshare. Gibson was on the receiving end of the 'lawsuit guitars' conundrum, and after a while they did the smart thing and decided to get their own licensed instruments made by the always-excellent Terada factory under the Orville brand, kicking off in 1987. The higher end offerings were badged 'Orville by Gibson' and kitted out with American pickups and hardware. This is a lovely bass: it feels terrific and sounds enormous. The body is slim and fairly lightweight, but still balances pretty well against the slim quick neck. The neck pickup is super fat and juicy, with a rounded weighty low end and a punchy attack. The bridge pickup adds some snappy detail and grind to the mix, it works a treat. There's plenty of bruises around the edges, but it's in good order for a thirty plus year old bass. Tremendous.
Model: Orville by Gibson Thunderbird
Made: Japan, 1991 (serial G111757)
Finish: vintage sunburst, black back, gloss poly
Body: mahogany
Neck: maple with rosewood board, 12" radius, 34" scale
Weight: 3.975kg
Mods: strap pins replaced
Pickups: Gibson USA soapbar single coil x2
Case: none
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some scuffs and bald patches on the end and both edges, as well as a few dimples on the front and back. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, there's a number of minor dimples on the back. The back has an extra screw hole near the neck joint, a couple of dents in th6e middle of the body and the elbow area, as well as widespread dimples and scuffs around the whole body. The sides have dimples and scuffs around the whole body, as well as some bald patches along the edges in the elbow area, near the jack and along the bottom horn. The front has some scuffs near the knobs and around the bridge, dimples in the elbow area, a dent on the top horn and some standard play wear on the guard and horns. Overall: good condition (7/10)
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. Electronics all tested and working properly. The frets have some normal wear, but they're pretty even with no major buzz issues, 7/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 45/105 strings.