S-200 Thunderbird

The S-200 Thunderbird was unveiled in 1963, Rory probably was attracted to this odd bird because Muddy Waters played one when he had an endorsement deal with them in 1966.

The Thunderbird had both lead and rhythm circuits.  In lead mode you got a volume and tone control with a lower value capacitor that gave you more treble, plus access to a phase switch for the funky tones.  In rhythm mode the tone control had a higher value for more bass, of course, bypassing the phase switch.  The two smaller knobs are then master volumes for each pickup, to “preset” the balance.  The sliding switches chose lead or rhythm mode and activated the phasing.

The guitar has a built-in guitar stand. The kickstand is a pretty clever design in that it’s completely unobtrusive when not in use. The guitar forms a tripod when the stand is pulled out and the metal leg is secured flush into the body through the use of a magnet embedded under the stand.