Recent content by AustinBike

Yes, and I am probably the only guy on this thread to have bought his dream bass twice. It started back in the early 80's. I was obsessed with Thunderbirds and bought one in Chicago. But not just any Thunderbird. This one was a custom handmade model (lots of the details are sketchy but it was a...

This is a very timely question for me. I ended up with a totally destroyed 71 P-bass back in the mid 80's. They tried to make it fretless, amongst other things. I did a crappy re-sanding and staining of the body and took it to my local shop to get a new neck put on. They put on a Chandler neck...

The Inflatable Dates (Chicago, early 90’s) we’re done here, right?

Someone mentioned the truss rod, here's a pic with the cover removed:

I do think the nut was replaced at one point.

Some more data from the facebooks (Wooden Music Company page): it very well could be. the part about Jim acquiring the parts himself might be suspect but could have been before my time. there was a guy from Kalamazoo that was a friend of Jim's that would periodically bring gibson components...

Based on the fact that it did not come out of the Gibson factory proper, I would not expect a serial #.

Reposting here on a recommandation from someone on the main forum saying that there may be some people including @godofthunder59 that can help me decode this thing: So, here we go. This is a late 70's, Gibson Thunderbird. It does not have a serial number. Bought back in the early 80's when I...

Thanks for you input! This basically aligns with my understanding of events at the time. I never really assumed that this was a "100% legit" Gibson, instead, I thought of it primarily as a Gibson base (purposeful word there) that someone built into a final product. I also have a 71 P-bass...

Honestly, my P-bass is more comfortable on the upper edge. I would prefer a beveled/rounded edge over a straight edge with binding, but it is what it is. Looks great, but there are more comfortable configurations.

Here's a shot of the non-beveled headstock:

Yeah, I had not owned it in 20 years and probably had not played it seriously since the late 90's. Plugged it in this morning after playing a P-bass for years and it is amazing how much better this thing is. Heavy as crap and big, but that sound can't be beat.

Trying to find any info on this (posted in another thread). Mid to late 70's custom, never seen another with binding. Supposedly built by a luthier in Chicago who bought the Gibson bodies / necks and turned them into custom finished guitars and basses. Got it in the early 80's and the story...

So, here we go. This is a late 70's, Gibson Thunderbird. It does not have a serial number. Bought back in the early 80's when I was in high school in Chicago, sold to someone 20 years ago, and just bought back this weekend. The legend, when I bought it, was that a very famous luthier in...

I had a friend give me a 71 p bass back in the 80’s. Someone had made it fretless with a pair of pliers and a belt sander. Yeah, you get it. Then they sanded the body to go natural. Equally as horrific. When I got it I restrained it black to try to hide the mess, changed to a fretted Chandler...