The first Epiphone signature guitar from the legendary bassist is available now
Epiphone is proud to unveil the latest addition to its collection of bass guitars and its first collaboration with Rex Brown, the Epiphone Rex Brown Thunderbird Bass. The acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, solo artist, and member of Pantera and Down, Rex worked closely with Epiphone luthiers to create the Thunderbird bass that can fulfill any level of a player’s ability. A striking new bass model in ebony with gold accents, the Epiphone Rex Brown Thunderbird Bass is available now at select global dealers and online.
“Sometimes, it’s not about the price, but the quality and Epiphone has some of the coolest bass designs ever made, in my opinion,” says Brown. “I’ve had Thunderbirds as long as I can remember! There is nothing cooler looking than a TBird… All my favorite bass players growing up have played them!! From Tom Hamilton to Pete Way, these fckr’s Rule, you fool… I worked really hard with the Epiphone guys, to design something that has never been done before! The pick-ups were made by Richard Aker, who has been with Gibson for 40+ years. We put the same thumpers that were in the ‘76 Anniversary T-Birds, passive & deadly!”
Brown is famous for his work with legendary metal bands Pantera and Down and his hard-rocking solo album, Smoke on This… Epiphone is proud to release the first Epiphone Rex Brown signature guitar in partnership with the legendary musician. The Epiphone Rex Brown Thunderbird Bass features a nine ply neck-through-body mahogany and walnut neck with a C-shape profile, mahogany body wings, and a standard 34-inch scale length. It is powered by a pair of Epiphone ProBucker 760 bass pickups, which feature nickel covers that complement the otherwise all-gold hardware. The passive electronics have two volume controls and a master tone control that feature smooth CTS® potentiometers. The gold pickguard bears the famous Thunderbird logo with Rex’s signature reproduced on the back of the headstock and a Rex Brown logo doodle on the rear control cover. A hardshell guitar case is also included.
Plenty of folks who’ve accomplished a lot less are content to rest on past achievements, but Rex Brown is forever charging forward. Renowned worldwide, Brown and his Texas brethren forged a blueprint with Pantera that’s been studied by nearly every metal act that followed. Late lead guitar player Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott is rightly immortalized as a good-natured, guitar-shredding legend. The rhythmic punch forged by Rex and Pantera’s drummer, the late Vinnie Paul Abbott, has yet to be outdone. Along with singer Philip H. Anselmo, hailed as one of the greatest frontmen of all time, the self-described Cowboys from Hell, Pantera, sparked a movement that reinvigorated heavy metal, inspired countless bands, and is memorialized in tattooed skin around the world, representing the band’s five groundbreaking multi-platinum albums unleashed between 1990 to 2000 with billions of music streams annually. Rex and singer Philip H. Anselmo partnered once again in the group Down, crafting their doomy, smoke-enhanced Southern dirges that helped shine a light on a whole other subculture in heavy music.
With the addition of Zakk Wylde on guitars and Charlie Benante on drums, Pantera began touring worldwide in late 2022 and will return to the stage in February 2024 on the second leg of their North American headlining tour. The journey follows the band’s massively successful twenty-city run this past summer, a tour which stood as one of the most anticipated tours of 2023, as well as their dates supporting Metallica. The 2024 trek will commence on February 3rd in Sunrise, FL, and the band will be joined by special guest, acclaimed metal powerhouse Lamb Of God, with additional support acts to be announced in the weeks to come.
For an intimate look into his music legacy, Rex Brown’s episode of Gibson TV’s Icons takes a deep dive into his influences from John Paul Jones to Pino Palladino, Jaco Pastorius, Tom Hamilton, Pete Way, and Geddy Lee. Rex shares personal stories about his childhood, through his entire career, and lets viewers in to explore rare photos, stories, and footage from his legendary life, the enduring legacy of Pantera, and more.
