To see and hear this bass being played - scroll to the end of the pictures for a video.

1966 Gibson Thunderbird II in very good condition. Made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 553134, sunburst top, natural back and sides finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard. No headstock break or repair. Aside from the pickguard and tone pot, this bass is all original. The case is from a '70s T-Bird. It's been fully set up in our workshop and is strung with an old set of flats. It has a big thumping sound and an iconic rock n roll look. It's nice and light weighing: 8 lbs 8.5 oz / 3.87 kg. Nut width: 38.5 mm. Depth at 1st fret: 21.2 mm. Pickup DC resistance 8.9k. Supplied with a 3-month warranty and 14-approval period.

The non-reverse Thunderbird IV bass has a Honduras mahogany neck and body with set-neck construction and a reverse body shape. 20-fret Rosewood fretboard, laminated pickguard, 1 humbucking pickup, 34 & 3-8 inch scale length. 

Typical for 1966 this bass has a mix of chrome and nickel-plated hardware; the older stock was intermixed with newer parts and installed with no consistency. The tailpiece, bridge cover and pickup are chrome, while the bridge is nickel. The copper mute mounting is still attached to the bridge; the felt mute pads are gone. The pot codes are not legible but the serial number and features indicate 1966, one of only 361 shipped out that year. 

The bass has fairly minor wear and remains mostly original; the pickguard is a very nicely done repro complete with the correct bird logo and the tone pot looks to have been replaced long ago. There is no centre handrest, and no holes in the pickguard for it. Most importantly, there is no structural damage or repair; a large proportion of surviving Thunderbirds have suffered broken headstocks and/or body cracks in the thin control area; this bass has none of these issues.

The finish has lacquer checking, dings, scratches and dents with plenty of belt-buckle scuffing on the lower back but no heavy wear. There is one noticeable chip in the upper neck heel, a shallow scratch above it and a couple of "hanger marks' at the base of the headstock. It also has some scuffs around the edge of the headstock. The frets are in good shape with plenty of life left in them. All-round superb bass.