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Fenderbird Project - With Polls

What color for a Fenderbird Bass?

  • Black

    Votes: 12 11.2%

  • White - Oly or Aged

    Votes: 22 20.6%

  • Fiesta Red

    Votes: 10 9.3%

  • Lake Placid Blue

    Votes: 8 7.5%

  • Pelham Blue

    Votes: 24 22.4%

  • Other - Mention in comments

    Votes: 10 9.3%

  • Heritage Cherry Red Transparent

    Votes: 21 19.6%
  • Total voters
    107
  • Poll closed .
#21
Me thinks you might want to consider following the Ox.

B7105568-3F6F-4FE6-8CEC-36E57CE683E0.jpeg
 
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#30
kbakerde said:
I am not a luthier, even an amateur one. I am not capable, nor do I have the machinery to make my own bodies. However, I do love to paint my own bodies when I have a chance. I've done this a few times to date:

Took my Oly White MIM Jazz and turned it into Surf Green
Bought a cheap knock off P Bass body and made it into Sonic Blue
Bought a guitar body off Warmoth and painted it Fiesta Red

But it has been many a year since I have done such a project, but circumstances have brought be back. For a long time I have been wanting a Fendebird bass, even pulling the trigger on a Bluesman Vintage Super Bird build, before getting cold feet and turning it into a Deville 2T. But ran across a good deal on a TBird body here in the classifieds and thought why not. So this body is totally raw, and here are the specs as I understand them:

  • Thunderbird-ish Shape
  • Swamp Ash
  • Standard Fender Neck pocket
  • Standard 5-Screw bridge mount
  • EMG35 size pickup routes
  • Rear rout for 3 controls
  • Side Route for output jack
  • No tummy cut, might just make the tummy part more round of a route similar to a Rickenbacker 4003
  • Flat back, slightly raised center front
In my imagination, this bass will take a year plus to come together, so I'm not in any rush. Lots to do, and some choices to make. My first detail is what color to paint the guitar. In the old days, I always went with Guitar Re-Ranch, thought it seems to no longer be in business. Looks like Gracey's, maybe Stew-Mac is the way to go for Lacquer, but I'll also research non-lacquer ways of finishing the guitar. Here are my thoughts on what color to make the bass:
  • Fiesta Red - I have half an old can from Re-Ranch, need to see if it's still good
  • Black - Classic
  • White - Olympic or Aged, not sure. Really getting into white with mint guards
  • LPB Metallic - I had a Jazz bass in this color I loved, but never shot a metallic before
  • Pelham Blue - More accurate to the Gibson shape, for what that is worth
  • Other - What do you think would be a cool color for this guitar? Sound off in the thread.
View attachment 5049799
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You have a beautiful piece of wood there, the grain is very nice and I would lean towards letting that show through. Perhaps stain it and sand it to highlight the grain and then clearcoat it.
 
#35
Basvarken said:
I'd push the body through a thicknessing machine a few times to get rid of the raised center piece.
And paint it Fiesta Red. To make it a true Fenderbird tribute.

fenderbird_rsg-2-jpg.2738556
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First off, I do not have said machine. As I said not a luthier. I can and have assembled, even painted my own guitars. But anything beyond drilling and sanding (maybe some minor routing) is outside my wheelhouse.

Second, my worry is the neck angle would be bad by lowering the center where the bridge is compared to the neck pocket depth.
 
#37
kbakerde said:
Yeah I really like the Alpine White Thunderbirds. What is the make of your neck?
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Warmoth. I ordered a lefty with the nut cut righty, When I got it I had to inlay the side dot markers because they were on the left side. The body is an Epiphone that i needed to route the neck pocket for fit and proper intonation. Sounds really nice.
 
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#38
kbakerde said:
First off, I do not have said machine. As I said not a luthier. I can and have assembled, even painted my own guitars. But anything beyond drilling and sanding (maybe some minor routing) is outside my wheelhouse.

Second, my worry is the neck angle would be bad by lowering the center where the bridge is compared to the neck pocket depth.
Click to expand...
You can build a router planing sled and plane that centre piece down instead. :thumbsup: Lots of ideas here: Router Planing Fixtures

Since it's a one off, you can also plane down the neck heel, or make a pocket template and lower the pocket a touch to help ensure good fitment.

Another alternative would be to put the bridge on a block to bring it to the correct height if you don't want to mess with a pocket. :thumbsup:
 
#39
kbakerde said:
First off, I do not have said machine. As I said not a luthier. I can and have assembled, even painted my own guitars. But anything beyond drilling and sanding (maybe some minor routing) is outside my wheelhouse.

Second, my worry is the neck angle would be bad by lowering the center where the bridge is compared to the neck pocket depth.
Click to expand...

You don't have to do it yourself. Just go to a furniture maker in your neighborhood and ask them to push it through the thicknesser a few times.

You need not worry about the neck angle. Because the entire two point bridge can be raised with the two bridge posts.
Thunderbird Bass Bridge And Tailpiece Set - 1963-1969
 

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