Sale
1964 Gibson Thunderbird IV Bass, RARE! + HSC One Owner!
Regular price
£17,495.00
£14,995.00
- Unit price
- / per
Summary
Model: Thunderbird
Year: 1964
Finish: Sunburst
Modifications: Overspray
Repairs: Neck break, changed wiring
Case: Hardshell
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Body Wood: Mahogany
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Tuners: Correct Kluson
Pickups: 2 x Correct Thunderbird
Hardware: Correct Nickel
Neck Profile: Medium C
Nut Width: 38.4
Neck Depth 1: 20.3
Neck Depth 12: 25.7
Pots: 3 x Correct 500k CTS
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.
Sale
1964 Gibson Thunderbird IV Bass, RARE! + HSC One Owner!
Regular price
£17,495.00
£14,995.00
- Unit price
- / per
Ask a Question:
1964 Gibson Thunderbird IV Bass, RARE! + HSC One Owner!
Quantity selected exceeds current stock
Description
Introduced in 1963, the Thunderbird IV was Gibson’s latest four string offering featuring the ground breaking stylings of Raymond H. Dietrich and through neck construction. Alongside the Firebird they were ahead of their time. This is the not so common Thunderbird IV and is rare to see anywhere...
This example belonged to Bill Kinsley of The Merseybeats and Liverpool Express (to name but a few) and has been his main instrument ever since it was bought from Selmers in 1964. His companion through countless tours and stages all over the world, its this bass that sent John Entwhistle on his Thunderbird journey, the two having shared a stage in the 70s.
If you scroll down you will see a link to a YouTube video of Bill playing this with Chuck Berry..
The bass is in great shape considering the miles it’s traveled. It's been oversprayed as you can see by the fact the screw holes on the top are filled in. There is a little chip to the wood near the control cavity but otherwise it hasn’t not been beaten up.
The neck is in good shape with what look to be the original frets. It looks to have been broken at some stage and well repaired. The fretboard is in good shape.
Plastics are as you'd expect with some fade evident. The gold of the Gibson logo has been repainted on the trussrod cover. The hardware is quite corroded and might need some attention to work properly.
Electrically the pickups are correct as are two of the pots date at week 46 of 1963. The tone control is missing its capacitor and wiring has been changed.
It comes with a hardshell case.
Unlike most Gibson basses, the Thunderbird has a 34” scale length. Plugged in there's a growl and definition to the sound that is uniquely the Thunderbird’s.
If this bass could talk… A piece of British Pop and Rock history, there's surely a Thunderbird shaped hole in your collection?
Adding product to your cart
Summary
Model: Thunderbird
Year: 1964
Finish: Sunburst
Modifications: Overspray
Repairs: Neck break, changed wiring
Case: Hardshell
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Body Wood: Mahogany
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Tuners: Correct Kluson
Pickups: 2 x Correct Thunderbird
Hardware: Correct Nickel
Neck Profile: Medium C
Nut Width: 38.4
Neck Depth 1: 20.3
Neck Depth 12: 25.7
Pots: 3 x Correct 500k CTS
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.
Recommended products
Recently viewed
Why Buy from ATB Guitars?
ATB Guitars has been trading since the '90s and we've sold thousands of guitars to date. We pride ourselves on our in-depth descriptions, detailed photography, honesty and transparency. We also accept no questions returns within 14 days so you can buy with confidence! Read more about our history below...
ATB Guitars Cheltenham
Visit our Showroom
Two Floors and over 250 guitars in stock!