Gibson Thunderbird Bass with New Neck and Headstock
3,6 / 5,0 | 
The Gibson Thunderbird Bass dates back to 1963, but now there’s a lot more to offer from this timeless design. Has Gibson brought this classic into the 21st century?
All About the Thunderbird Bass
Gibson Thunderbird Basses for 2026
These radically designed bass guitars from Gibson shocked the world back in 1963. Designed by an automotive designer, nobody had ever seen anything quite like it before.
What’s new for 2026? These reworked models still feature the timeless reverse body shape, however, with a solid mahogany body, plus some cool, sophisticated finishes. Moreover, we’ve also got a matching mahogany set in a slim taper neck for fast, thunderous bass lines.
Additional modern touches continue with the non-reverse headstock, making tuning up easy and convenient. Also new for modern players are the Hipshot® Ultralite® Mini Clover tuning machines, allowing for vintage looks without the vintage reliability.
Tobacco Burst Perimeter & Ebony Black
As far as visuals are concerned, we still retain the classic look that we all know and love. I can just see Leon Wilkeson playing some awesome Lynyrd Skynyrd riffs on these. We get the choice of the rather tasty and traditional Tobacco Burst Perimeter, and also the no-nonsense Ebony finish too.
Both examples feature chrome hardware and a Hipshot Supertone bridge which allows for percice intonation and action adjustment. Furthermore, there’s the traditional 3-ply white pickguard with the legendary Thunderbird logo. Not forgetting the gold Gibsion script on that new headstock.
Humbucking Pickups
Also new for 2026 are these twin EB Bass humbucker pickups. Each features its own volume control. Allowing players to use them independently, but you’ve still got the option to blend them together if you wish.
There’s also a single master tone control for when you need even more bass!
Pricing and Availability
Both the Ebony and Tobacco Gibson Thunderbird Bass models are avaliable right now over at Thomann. Aside from loving the new slim necks, I also love that both examples are the same price of *£2,190 / €2,499 regardless of which finish you go for.
Further Information
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