McGrath Thunderhorse J 4-String Bass Guitar - Vice City - 34" - Handmade

This is an example of our flagship Thunderhorse, featuring our new 12-way pickup selector and McGrath Tilt EQ.

The J-Style body shape is a new chapter in the McGrath range. Designed as a functional art piece, it features deep, ergonomic contours and a perfectly balanced profile that eliminates neck dive. The sculpted heel allows for effortless access to the higher register.

While the J-Style offers the same customization found in our Rebel and P-Style models, the Thunderhorse name denotes our signature three-pickup configuration developed in collaboration with The Bass Channel. This specific build features a vibrant Vice City finish inspired by the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI.

Triple Threat Tone

This instrument features a trio of DiMarzio Billy Sheehan Signature Relentless pickups. The neck pickup offers a warm, wooly punch, the middle pickup delivers a signature growl, and the bridge pickup provides a glassy snap from its 70s positioning.

The bass features our new 12-way Rotary Selector for massive tonal versatility. The settings are:

All 3 Parallel

Bridge Only

Middle Only

Neck Only

Bridge & Middle Parallel

Middle & Neck Parallel

Bridge & Neck Parallel

Bridge & Middle Series

Middle & Neck Series

Bridge & Neck Series

Neck & Middle Series + Bridge Parallel

All Three Series.

The rotary also functions as a button:

Save: Long-press to save your current setting.

Recall: Push to jump to your saved favorite, then push again to return to your previous setting.

Reset: Triple-tap to return to position 1.

Failsafe: If power is lost, the switch defaults to position 1 (All 3 pickups in parallel).

Next comes our latest innovation, the McGrath Tilt EQ—a single-pot preamp featuring a tilt EQ and buffer. Turning the center-detented knob one way delivers beautiful, glassy highs, while turning it the other way yields rich, powerful low end. You can easily bypass the active preamp using the push-pull function on the Master Volume. We have also squeezed in a passive tone control for ultimate versatility.

The 18V active electronics have a built-in failsafe. If power runs low during a live set, simply pull the volume knob to bypass the preamp, and the 12-way selector automatically defaults to running all three pickups in parallel passive mode.

Control Layout

Master Volume (with Push-Pull Preamp Bypass), 12-Way Pickup Selector, Tilt EQ, and Passive Tone Control.

Performance & Build

We moved the neck pickup back 3/8 of an inch to create a dedicated landing zone for slap players without sacrificing deep low-end.

The body is resonant, lightweight solid mahogany paired with a roasted flame maple neck. The neck is reinforced with carbon fiber rods and utilizes a two-way spoke nut truss rod for on-the-fly adjustments.

This bass also features our new premium High Gloss Finish.

The bass shown in these photos is the exact instrument you will receive. We are a two person team based in San Diego, California, we put our heart and soul into every one off build.

Model: J-Style Thunderhorse

Finish: Vice City

Body: Solid Mahogany

Neck: Roasted Flame Maple with Carbon Fiber Reinforcement

Fingerboard: Ebony with a 12-inch Radius

Frets: Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel

Nut Width: 1.5-inch J-Style

Scale Length: 34 inches Standard Scale

Weight: 8.5 lbs

Pickups: DiMarzio Billy Sheehan Signature Relentless Neck and Relentless J Pair

Electronics: McGrath Guitars 12-way Rotary Selector, McGrath Tilt EQ

Bridge: Badass II High Mass

Tuners: Badass Lightweights

Hardware: Black

Pickguard: Simulated Anodized Gold

Strings: D'Addario 45 to 100

Case: McGrath Protech Hybrid Case

Batteries: No batteries are included or shipped with this bass. The active preamp uses two customer-supplied 9V batteries, and the bass plays in passive mode without them.