Gibson Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird // GIBSON A GO GO

Gibson's Rex Brown Thunderbird bass features a classic mahogany body and a Drop D Xtender for quick drop tunings.
A pair of powerful Rexbucker T-Bird pickups provide plenty of output and low-end punch. The master tone control is equipped with a push/pull switch that puts the pickups into passive mode when it is pulled out. Rex's signature is reproduced on the truss rod cover, and the backplate is embellished with a Rex Brown doodle. A Modern Series hardshell case is also included.
#GibsonAGoGo
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0:00 Intro
0:09 Evoko Serpentum (Darkglass B7K)
0:27 Big Thanks to zZounds
1:13 Longview (Multiple Preamps)
2:00 No Pantera Riffs Here
2:59 Disapyramid (Hartke LH500)
3:24 D Standard and Drop C Tunings
4:28 Blood Unto Blood (Darkglass B7K)
8:51 Bass Specs
10:51 Pickups and Electronics (B7K)
12:44 Internal Trimpot
13:34 Rubber Ball (Multiple Preamps)
14:15 Set Neck Construction
14:53 Heartbreaker (Hartke LH500)
15:14 La Bella Stainless Steel Strings
18:17 Mirage (Hartke LH500)
18:53 Minor QC Issues

[@GravyDaveNewson]

knockin' 'em cold in black and gold. Love this bass and your playing and tone. keep up the great work :)

[@6minus3minus2]

I can say, a fellow string destroyer, that the Music Nomad string cleaner helps A LOT. You just rub it on after playing and I'd say strings last twice as long for me.

[@hombretostadasenpolvo]

I know is a t-bird for "heavier" stuff, but it would be great If you show us how it sounds with fingers

[@starthislez143]

I love what you said that “you buy signature basses should be used to create your own music and fit you” I own the Gene Simmons one but I play with fingers, I didn’t totally copy gene Simmons. And the bass sounds very good

[@prith7900]

Absolutely punching bass! It looks phenomenal! Hope Rex gets well soon, I got new pantera tickets and this bass looks cool

[@darrylcovinsky6932]

Great tunes and nice playing.

[@bubblyproduction9809]

Absolutely GORGEOUS looking bass, glad to see you rock with it!!

[@stevenvalenti3722]

I had years ago A Rex Brown Spector bass in the holoflash color. Bought it brand new and then I sold it a few years later. The holoflash color paint was awesome! And the body style looked cool. The thing was to me the bass was uncomfortable to play and the sound didn't sound good personally. Looking back now I probably should have just kept it in my collection because it is pretty rare to find that same bass now days.😔🤘

[@jamescoderre9595]

Good video & demo, thanks Chris, this is one incredible Thunderbird bass, it retails for $3799. 💰💰💰😳 after the currency exchange here in Canada 🇨🇦 I am seriously considering getting the Rex Thunderbird bass I love the active / passive pickups, & Hipshot gold hardware & in my opinion I prefer the Rex Thunderbird bass over the Gene $immon$ G2 Thunderbird bass though the G2 Thunderbird is also very striking . I wonder if both of these basses are a limited run for Gibson, anyway Happy belated Birthday Chris , enjoy your new Thunderbird for years to come ( what a great way to celebrate a birthday) 🎂

[@SteveV74]

I loved blood unto blood, excellent clicky-Grindy bass riff!

[@michaelmacisco2566]

Id love to try one of these. Nice rev.

[@scottm7720]

Damn that thing looks as cool as it sounds.

[@markbass354]

WOW AWESOME NOW I WANT ONE

[@spacedoutastronut]

Glad to hear another bass player that kills normal uncoated strings as fast as I do! Forced to use Elixir was also a good statement :-) There needs to be more like them!!

[@Jett-Litt]

DR strings has a few. Bootzillas - Dragons Skins - Black Beauties.

[@dwightdawson3578]

I bellied up to the bar during the break between the second and third set. I smiled at the kind little old lady who was new to the bar where I had been playing for years and lived within crawling distance. She suggested, nay, she insisted that I wash my hands first and added that it’s rude to walk in with hands THAT dirty. I was ready for inspection when I arrived but I was playing nickel strings. I have only purchased stainless steel since then. The nice lady smiled and handed me a fresh off the tap IPA just before the next set started. Life is beautiful!

[@boomerbassmeme]

Have a Rex5 Holoflash Spector. That Thunderbird is sweet! That Hipshot is awesome! Always hated the Gibson 3 point bridges 🤪

[@travisstafford397]

I have two Gibson Tbirds and really want the Simmons one due to the cosmetics ( I love the binding) but the more I learn about this one the more I want it over the Simmons model. Both my birds have hipshot extenders and bridges like this one. The electronics on this are really what make it stand out. I’m not into Pantera at all but I think I’m going to have to get this bird.

[@groovydjs]

Probably not new news to anyone, the Nickel VS Stainless strings run into the same problem...gunk and sweat between the windings, making BOTH go dead. The coated Elixirs are still probably the way to go because of that protection. I personally use the Elixir Stainless and get away with zingy strings for such a long time compared to the super short life that you encounter.

[@CHACON182]

Love the Green day sound

[@D14V0R05]

If you are paying premium, you should be receiving a flawless product, ready to be used straight out of the box without needing any adjustment to be done to it, but at that price tag you are just paying for the brand name on the headstock. However, a $1000 LTD Phoenix 1004, now that's a good thunderbird bass.

[@scootermcgavin2188]

Have yet to see great finish quality on a Gibson…I see wood sanding imperfections before painted…body and the headstock ridge. Anyway….this is prob the best sounding one I’ve heard. Thanks for the content and great playing

[@davedixon2167]

I just noticed, Chris is starting to look like "West Marc Najjar" here when he's playing =0)

[@richardsmith7322]

That is the best bass Gibson ever came out with and also Rex is one of the best bass players in the game it only makes sense to make the best bass for him I will be moshing to them one week from this very time and it’s been a life long wait I still can’t believe this and what the Panthers camp made happen God Bless 🇺🇸

[@TheBassChannel]

Saw them in LA and Phoenix. Rex didn’t pull the black one out for Phoenix, just the natural finished one. This one was in LA for the first 3 songs

[@COU51N.Kyle.]

I wouldn't return a bass for a loose pot or input jack, but it would be a little insulting to receive at this price point. It's like they just slapped the bass together. For $2700, I would hope they value my time enough to not expect me to have to fix what should already be working flawlessly. Another commenter said that this can happen during shipping, but I'd still say it should have been more carefully packaged for $2700. I sure like the look and sound though!

[@charlesdigennaro4981]

Absolutely I agree. No wonder why people don’t buy American ! Shame because I’m pro american

[@ricktuttle5393]

Huge Thunderbird fan. I love it.

[@klaymeister]

So the pickups aren't active at all. They must be passive to allow a passive mode. The internal preamp is the active part.

[@TheBassChannel]

Yeah, I don’t know why I worded it the way I did. I was trying to convey that there was no onboard EQ. But you’re right.

[@phipschi4255]

Im surprised how good the bird sounds. Am i able to get similar results if a mod a thunderbird with pickups like the emg tbhz for example?

[@nj1255]

I love Thunderbirds, but I'm not sure if I would like actives in one. I would probably replace them with some Lollar TB pickups, but that's just my personal preference.

[@charlesdigennaro4981]

So I own 14 basses. One of them is a 78 T bird that I purchased new. You have to remember that this bass is very limited as far as tone is concerned. It has neck dive badly. QC has always been bad especially where paint puddles up on the front ridge. Also the old ones are neck through so in my experience the neck is really stable. Finally I just ordered a Rex model on the hope the thicker body will help the neck dive. Hence I really still love the body style. Everything has a purpose

[@benburnett8109]

None of the Pantera albums were recorded using a Gibson Bass. This is a cash grab by Gibson using Rex Browns name. This is a cash grab by Rex Brown using Gibson's name. In other words: This is a cash grab.

[@poltergeist3194]

I agree, but Rex is not unfamiliar with a T-Bird style bass. He had a signature through Spector that was a T-Bird style body (although with some dimensional differences). He could’ve just went back to endorsing Spector Basses but Gibson probably gave him shit tons of money. Maybe Spector was worried about a “lawsuit” from Gibson.

[@gazzy_burns]

Agreed. Doesn’t sound right for Pantera. Too wooly.

[@davedixon2167]

I feel like all Gibson sigs are cash grabs. But it appears this one is at least better than the Gene Simmons.

[@Facu_Roldan]

My thoughts exactly. I'd much rather get a spector for that kinda money.

[@daveshort7371]

Anything that's for sale, ever, is a cash grab.

[@lummond]

I mean, between ergonomics, balance, and headstock stability, what's a couple of loose washers between friends?

[@50beowulf]

Killer sounding bass. Modern with enough Thunderbird vibe to make me want one. So if the two switches are coil splitters I am assuming the pickups are four conductor. If so then I would love to hear these pickups wired for series parallel switching. Does the preamp add any EQ shaping or is it just a gain boost?

[@andyr5579]

What’s going on with the surface on that bass. Is it new? There’s a really bad depression (where the selector switch on a les Paul would be) it’s really apparent in the reflections.

[@shaunmatthews4601]

Like you said, those qc issues(loose pots/jack) are very minor even at that price. The time it would take to fix them wouldn’t be a dealbreaker for me.

[@michaelblaney4461]

Maybe they should make a 5 string version.$2700 kind alot for a non neck through thunderbird. I think I like this better then the Gene Simmons model.

[@dougiemuir413]

I've got both. There's not much between them. The Rex has the D-tuner but shitty pickup covers; the black and gold looks good. The G2 is a Thunderbird custom. Black with white binding and is really Rock'n'Roll!!

[@mowhoudin]

Hi! Is It usable without the pickguard?

[@sidthebassist89]

What's that song you played all the way through in this video? That was a jam

[@TheBassChannel]

Lunar Satan - Blood Unto Blood

[@jacksonshelburne2747]

What’s the best general eq for a muddy thunderbird?

[@Big_Abomination]

Now what is the exact difference to the standard Thunderbird, other than the look?

[@BillBowers132]

Does it have the option for a drop D hipshot for the E string??

[@jasonhendon2022]

I really wanted to like this bass. I even used the affiliate link to order it from zzounds. They're an amazing company, by the way. The 1st one had a huge finish flaw at the neck heal. There was some glue overflow from the neck joint that the finish didn't even cover, plus it had a grounding issue. I just couldn't accept these from a 3,100 after-tax instrument. 2nd one, the neck pickup has really low output, and if you try to blend both, it kills the output. Playability was great on both, but for the price, everything should be right. Until Gibson decides to fix their QC I won't even be looking at them again.

[@TheBassChannel]

That’s a bummer you had those issues. Thank you for supporting our affiliate link at least!

[@deathpigguitars]

I'm interested to know if Mr Gibson a Gogo has taken out the pickups from his Rex Brown bass? Mine were microphonic so I took them out to see what was occurring and the pickups are just floating in the plastic cases. Even worse, they're not some special pick-up at all, they are the EB active Humbuckers from that range released in approx 2012 - the pickups that are very reminiscent of music man pickups with the big wide pole pieces. It's easy to tell that's what they are as they still have the labels on the back. If they weren't also microphonic I might not mind as they could/should sound good - but I'll be contacting Gibson to ask WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?

[@luisfilipedeftones]

Aria pro black and gold Cliff Burton

[@sonamdorjee6607]

1:14 which song is this?

[@stevenvalenti3722]

That first song you played sounded similar to a Stabbing Westward style of song. Do you like that group or that genre of Metal?🤔🤘

[@ronaldwilson9525]

Great bass but price, price, price.

[@kotik_lit]

Does it dive?

[@Telephant9]

"la vela", dice este bro 😜

[@57precision]

Good call on not playing any Pantera riffs. Rex didn't play any Pantera riffs on a Thunderbird either. Great review though I appreciate the hard work. Gibson has been totally asleep at the wheel lately, giving Thunderbirds paint jobs and calling them signature models and charging an astronomical amount. Would rather see some Grabber/Ripper reissues instead.

[@dougiemuir413]

I probably got the 1st Rex Thunderbird in the UK. It's nearly the best Thunderbird. BUT! The pickup covers are cheap shitty plastic; have to be removed! Apart from that it's pretty good, especially the D-Tuner!! ps I've got 11 Thunderbirds and the best are the Blackbirds! No controls, just pure bass guitar!!

[@JEG69]

I could never get a good sound on a thunderbird

[@williamshepley3923]

Labella Strings were a big part of Rex's sound. I can hear their not on this bass

[@davedixon2167]

What? the labella steels are indeed on this bass in the Chris clips, but not on the Lenny clips

[@Kevin.odonnell]

The wood in the upper bout has depressions in it where someone crash landed the sander several times. No one QC’d it. The finish sanding is also poor. I think your standards for QC should probably include the basic woodwork being correct. I would recommend you have your friend replace that bass and send that back to the factory as a reject.

[@thecappy]

I might actually pick this one up. I really liked the Gene Simmons one but can’t stand him. I wish Gibson payed more attention their bass line. A new ripper or grabber that wasn’t a boat anchor would be cool.

[@johnsilver8059]

I’m a visual artist so I get aesthetics, but the ridge to mimic the through-body neck bothers me. It adds no functionality and adds a slight bit to the labor, and thus the cost, of the bass.

[@57precision]

I would disagree. The ridge is functional in that it raises the pickups away from the body, thus decreasing the angle of your plucking arm relative to the bass. I think this makes it more comfortable considering you can't normally rest your arm on rhomboid-shaped bass. The Dingwall D-Roc does the same thing, even though it is a bolt-on neck.

[@jw112mail]

There is a minimum depth needed for the pickups. The “wings” being thinner allows for weight relief as well

[@johnsilver8059]

@@jw112mail and what is that minimum width? There are are other solutions: Mustang bodies are a single width while still being thinner than a Jazz or P bass. The EB 0 is mostly one width, thinner than a J or P, and tapered at the edges. The ridge is there strictly to make it appear similar to the neck through models.

[@jarrenvrekk8758]

Even the cheapest epiphone bolt on thunderbirds have the ridge. I doubt it adds to the cost as they already have the processes set up to produce thunderbird bodies like this. If anything, the Gene Simmons t bird being a slab body would add to the cost as it would require a new production method.

[@armignac]

ESP Phoenix flies way higher.

[@DEADMEDIC]

bro you couldnt do even 1 pantera riff?

[@erikpeterson778]

Loose nuts can happen in shipping even if the damn thing is not a Gibson and somehow still costs 12 000 dollars. Not a QC issue. A life issue.

[@Peppeblackmetal]

dead bass

[@Norman-Bates]

Playing greenday on a Rex Brown bass is like shitting in a coffin. You can do it, but god dam it you should not do it.

[@ileutur6863]

okay

[@marineforces3214]

… the bass must be designed by a fool , it seems to me it’s a left hand bass made for a right hand guy , if u know what I mean 🥳 I’ve seen that with a guitar before

[@4fit816]

Doesn't sound good at all.

[@czipendejs]

I;ve got only an Epiphone but this one is a monster

[@nelsonporter8387]

I’m sorry but Rex Brown is a mediocre bass player. Gibson must be desperate

[@pattonPwr]

🤏🏻

[@robertnunn497]

apparently, you have no clue what a good bass player is then.

[@nelsonporter8387]

@@robertnunn497 yeah I do. And it ain’t Rex!! 😂

[@daveshort7371]

​@@nelsonporter8387 Super stupid comment.

[@ronnie186]

My Thunderbird I have I brought it back in 1978..for 600 dollats...

[@ginge5018]

[@robsantorobass]

Love the channel but honestly hate Thunderbirds. They don’t have much tonal variety (granted the styles it does fit it sounds fine but really just a one trick pony) and honestly can’t stand the body. Just looks like a small scale coffee table.