Thunderbird Neck-Dive Prob: SOLVED

Airsick Pilot · #1 03-27-2003, 09:49 PM

I don't know if you guys have stumbled upon this before. I was surfing around and I saw this site.

Thunderbird Neck Dive Problem Solved

Jontom · #2 03-27-2003, 10:19 PM

Thanks! But I wish I knew about that mod last week when I was putting my new bass together! Its a Warmoth T-bird body(swamp ash w/black poly paint job) and a wenge J-bass neck w/ebony fingerboard. I've nicknamed it the "Vader Bass" due to the total darkness it exudes

. The pickups are Barts set up like a Lakland(MM in bridge, single J in neck). I put the strap holder in the traditional position, and use a PlanetWaves strap. It has a built in straplok in both ends, so it doesn't slip off but I still have the "dive" real bad due to the neck weight(Fender tuners/heavy neck woods). I will probably just use it for recording, on my knee!

Airsick Pilot · #3 03-27-2003, 10:23 PM

Sounds like a very cool bass. Do you have pictures of it?

Airsick Pilot · #4 03-27-2003, 10:26 PM

Upon reading the stuff the guy wrote on the site, Dude helped him out. Completely missed that one out.

Brendan · #5 03-27-2003, 11:02 PM

Cool. I really dig the T-Bird body shape, and even the headstock, but neck dive and the whole electronics/hardware thing keeps me from ever really going after a T-bird style bass. Though, armed with that info, some day, I might get a Warmoth/USA Custom T-bird.

Mmmm....T-Bird....

Airsick Pilot · #6 03-28-2003, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brendan
Cool. I really dig the T-Bird body shape, and even the headstock, but neck dive and the whole electronics/hardware thing keeps me from ever really going after a T-bird style bass. Though, armed with that info, some day, I might get a Warmoth/USA Custom T-bird.

Mmmm....T-Bird....

Same here, bro! Except I'd get the Gibson TBird any day. Problem is I don't have enough $ for one. The Epiphones Thunderbirds get alot of mixed review. The ratio of good reviews to bad reviews are about 1:1...

Turlu · #7 03-28-2003, 05:45 AM

I own a Gibson Thunderbird Bicentennial 1976.

It`s an incredible Bass, and, to my opinion, probably the best design of all Gibson Basses.

I looked at that solution from cone41 for his Epiphone. I am happy this works for an Epiphone T-Bird but I doubt this would would for a Gibson T-Bird. This is because it`s easy to put a strap button on the bolt-on neck version ( Epiphone T-Bird ) compared to the neck-through body (Gibson T-Bird ). The angle of the neck where it meets with the body on the Gibson is "round" and therefore, I doubt installing a strap button there would be of any help and also it would put down the value of the Bass.

But, for the Epiphone version, I find it it an excellent solution.

I use a Neotech guitar strap (with neophren product I believe), and so far it has been the best solution for the neck dive problem. The strap simply grips to the shoulder and prevents the Bass from neck diving that way. Give it a try.

Airsick Pilot · #8 03-28-2003, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Turlu

I looked at that solution from cone41 for his Epiphone.

Actually, bro. Thats not my bass. That site is done by some dude from Sweden. I'm actually considering getting it after reading that site about qwelling the neck-dive problem.

So my QUESTION is. I have a budget of around $650 USD to spend. My plan is to get the Yamaha BB1000MA.

Okay, to make things simpler. What do you guys think. Spend about...say $350(safe side) on an Epiphone Tbird and change the pickups. Or get the Yamaha BB1000MA which I can get for around $550?

If its option 1. What pickups can I install on the Epi Tbird? And how would YOU rate an Epi with new quality pickups.

Any inputs and suggestions will be greatly appreciated. It'll be only a few more days before I get my pay.

Cheers guys

Jontom · #9 03-28-2003, 08:45 PM

cone41...When I get a camera, I'll be a picture postin' fiend!

bman · #10 03-29-2003, 08:08 AM

Now that I look at it, I think I saw Allen Woody do that to his T-Bird. I was watching "Rising Low" and I thought I saw that.
Nice fix.

otomak · #11 03-29-2003, 01:58 PM

epiphone has a new line called the "elite" or recently changed to "elitist"

they have two basses in their lineup, an EB3 and a Thunderbird.

The Thunderbird is much like the original Gibson, with a neck thru body and mahogany wings and neck, etc. Some who played it say its much better than the Gibson (the current tbirds) quality-wise and tone-wise. It goes for $1100 or so at mf.com. Maybe it could be had lower, since it doesnt seem like the whole "elite" line is getting any popular. altho their les pauls and dots look really really good, and considering the price...

personally, I'm gassing for that EB3

Mak

Airsick Pilot · #12 03-29-2003, 02:15 PM

The Epiphone Elite series is pretty much similar to the Gibson Thunderbird. Only difference is that it's made in Korea instead of the U.S. I kinda forgot how the Epiphone Elite looks like but if Im not mistaken there are 1 or 2 differences cosmetically. Anyways, a local guitar store here has a Gibson Tbird for around $1250 and the Epi Elite for $1100. I'd rather pay the extra $150 on the Gibson.

Killdar · #13 03-29-2003, 02:19 PM

theres actually another way to do this, told on Bunnybass, just says to attatch the strap on the upper uh....horn, then the other end of the strap on the same button, right over the first end. The way the strap is pulling on the button prevents the other end from slipping. The example is on an Alembic, but it might work on the T-bird, although the angle of the button might be odd.

I tried it on my fender to see if it works, and it held it almost upright, and was quite secure.

heres the link:
http://www.bunnybass.com/tips.shtml

Airsick Pilot · #14 03-29-2003, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Killdar
theres actually another way to do this, told on Bunnybass, just says to attatch the strap on the upper uh....horn, then the other end of the strap on the same button, right over the first end. The way the strap is pulling on the button prevents the other end from slipping. The example is on an Alembic, but it might work on the T-bird, although the angle of the button might be odd.

I tried it on my fender to see if it works, and it held it almost upright, and was quite secure.

heres the link:
http://www.bunnybass.com/tips.shtml

Hey thanks for the link. Never been to that section of bunnybass. Didn't even know it exists. Maybe what they say is true...you can really go blind(*hint hint*: look at sig)

Kraig99 · #15 03-29-2003, 02:54 PM

Moving the strap button on my Rex pretty much completly fixed the neck dive. I can't believe the companies themselves don't make the simple changes that fixes these glaring weaknesses.
Jontom, I'd love to seea pic of your bass!!

otomak · #16 03-30-2003, 12:42 AM

actually, the "elite" line is made in japan with usa electronics (pickups and pots, not the wires). If you search for reviews of the elite version of the tbird, I think you'll come across one that says its made more like the original Gibson (ie, more like the one that came out in the 60s) and that it feels better made than the current Gibson (ie, better QC). But I haven't seen the bass in person yet, so this is just my 2 cents.

For gibson style tbirds with the neck-thru design, I believe they have extended strap buttons to alleviate the neck dive. but again, I could be wrong

Mak

Airsick Pilot · #17 03-30-2003, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by otomak
actually, the "elite" line is made in japan with usa electronics (pickups and pots, not the wires). If you search for reviews of the elite version of the tbird, I think you'll come across one that says its made more like the original Gibson (ie, more like the one that came out in the 60s) and that it feels better made than the current Gibson (ie, better QC). But I haven't seen the bass in person yet, so this is just my 2 cents.

For gibson style tbirds with the neck-thru design, I believe they have extended strap buttons to alleviate the neck dive. but again, I could be wrong

Mak

Oh it's made in Japan. If thats the case then I might have a different opinion on which one to get. Japanese Fenders are commonly said to have better QC than American ones so I guess this applies to other Japanese made instruments as well.