Fundabirds - What should I build?

[reverendrally]

OK, so Weemac swapped me some T-bird parts for a cab and of course I got some crazy ideas. :hmm



I'm gonna build a "mating pair" of non-reverse T-birds. One fretless, one fretted. The question being; "what sort of birds should I build?"

Help me choose from... :help
A. 30, 32, 34" scale
B. 1, 2 or 3 pickups
C. Jarrah or Vic Ash for fingerboard
D. Chambered or Solid body
E. Silky oak, Vic ash or both laminated together
F. Tune-o-matic, fender or floating bridge (with tailpiece)
G. Vol, Vol/Tone, Straight to jack wired.
H. Regular or reverse headstock.
I. Bolt on or set neck
J. 17, 19 or 21 frets

So, tell me your dream setup out of these. I will choose two and build them Who know's I may just choose your setup.

[Gabeja15]

I would avoid chambering the body, thunderbirds tend to neck dive enough as it is

Also, do a 1-pickup fretless and a three-pickup fretted with a two-piece hipshot bridge

[ctmullins]

Fretless:

A. 32
B. 1 (in the sweet spot)
C. no idea
D. solid, but thin and beveled
E. whatever is prettier
F. floating wooden bridge
G. vol/tone
H. regular
I. set neck
J. frets?

Fretted:

A. 34
B. 3 (Lemmy style)
C. no idea
D. solid, but thin and beveled
E. whatever is prettier
F. tune-o-matic
G. rotary pickup selector/kill switch wired straight to jack
H. reverse
I. whatever's easier
J. 21

[NKBassman]

Do one (preferrably the fretted one) in 32" scale with Rickenbacker style electronics.

[reverendrally]

What do you mean by Ric electronics? Controls or pickups. Coz I already have 4 t-bird pickups.

[fjadams]

Help me choose from... :help
A. 30, 32, 34" scale: Anything over 30" is just wasting wood.
B. 1, 2 or 3 pickups: Fretted with pickups at middle and bridge, unfretted with pickups at neck and middle.
C. Jarrah or Vic Ash for fingerboard: I prefer maple, but that's just me.
D. Chambered or Solid body: With a 30" neck it could be chambered.
E. Silky oak, Vic ash or both laminated together:
F. Tune-o-matic, fender or floating bridge (with tailpiece): Floating with tailpiece.
G. Vol, Vol/Tone, Straight to jack wired.: Volume / Blend / Stellartone DuoTone. it's not a ToneStyler, just a dual tone pot that you can get the caps in whatever range you want.
H. Regular or reverse headstock.: Reverse, with the 30" neck it gives the "E" string a longer stretch.
I. Bolt on or set neck: With a bolt on you can always change things at a later time.
J. 17, 19 or 21 frets: 21, those necks just feel right.

[NKBassman]

Originally Posted by reverendrally

What do you mean by Ric electronics? Controls or pickups. Coz I already have 4 t-bird pickups.

Oh yeah, I meant 2 pickups in Ric locations. Stereo output jack optional

[reverendrally]

Thanks for all your input guys. Of all the ideas, CT's came closest to the sort of things I was thinking...

Originally Posted by ctmullins

Fretless:

A. 32
B. 1 (in the sweet spot)
C. no idea
D. solid, but thin and beveled
E. whatever is prettier
F. floating wooden bridge
G. vol/tone
H. regular
I. set neck
J. frets?

Fretted:

A. 34
B. 3 (Lemmy style)
C. no idea
D. solid, but thin and beveled
E. whatever is prettier
F. tune-o-matic
G. rotary pickup selector/kill switch wired straight to jack
H. reverse
I. whatever's easier
J. 21

The difference being, I'm gonna build both with 32" scale. I wanted to go shorter scale, but I'm thinking I want some of the long-scale sustain still. The flowerbass taught me I could have both with 32" scale on it. I don't want 34" to make it a little more playable and to reduce neckdive.

Other thing being, I'm gonna go with a bolt-on on the fretted. I'm also going to trying use some pine from an old church pew for at least one of the basses. For the fretless, I'm going to try and put the PU in the MM position rather than the P position.

I'd also like to run with the contrasting colours thing that was suggested.

Anyhow, waiting on a body trace from JIO (thanks man) and then a little money for some parts and off we go! Expect pics and a build diary.

[ctmullins]

Woohoo! What do I win? First dibs on deflowering them perhaps?

[reverendrally]

Originally Posted by ctmullins

Woohoo! What do I win? First dibs on deflowering them perhaps?

um, so much wrongness in that sentence... but I think the answer is yes. I'll let you know when to buy your airline ticket.