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FenderBird
- Thread starter redstrand
- Start date
Here is one I just completed. I picked up a used Epi T-Bird for $159 and thought "what the heck". I installed a Lefty Warmouth Jazz neck with a right handed nut. Hipshot lic. Ultralight tuners.
I finished it in Shellac and has a nice satiny vibe. I made a jig for and routed the neck pocket. I also had to route the pocket 5/8" further towards the bridge to achieve proper intonation. Because the truss-rod adjusts at the heel, I routed a trough to accommodate the hex wrench without needing to remove the neck.
I also inlaid side markers because I'm playing it right-handed.
The finish isn't what I had planned on. My original thought was to strip the poly and do a white pickle finish. Poly can be removed with a heatgun but I didn't count on the mahogany being a 1/32" veneer. This was a total NOOB mistake. Not only did the poly start to pop off but I started getting blister like bumps which was the glue softening and the veneer starting to lift. I ended up cutting out the defects with a utility knife and filling the divots with bondo. Like I mentioned I had planned to do a white pickle finish. I built my wife a nightstand once and primed it with pigmented shellac when I asked my wife to decide on a color, she said that she liked it the way its was, a white pickled look . On the bass I ended up roughing up the poly and priming it with pigmented shellac and using crystal clear shellac for a top-coat. Clear shellac has a slight tint to it and as I built up the clear coats, the bass started to pickup a mellow yellow glow, like a vintage Olympic White.
I am very happy with this bass and right now it is my #1 player.
Here are some pics.
I finished it in Shellac and has a nice satiny vibe. I made a jig for and routed the neck pocket. I also had to route the pocket 5/8" further towards the bridge to achieve proper intonation. Because the truss-rod adjusts at the heel, I routed a trough to accommodate the hex wrench without needing to remove the neck.
I also inlaid side markers because I'm playing it right-handed.
The finish isn't what I had planned on. My original thought was to strip the poly and do a white pickle finish. Poly can be removed with a heatgun but I didn't count on the mahogany being a 1/32" veneer. This was a total NOOB mistake. Not only did the poly start to pop off but I started getting blister like bumps which was the glue softening and the veneer starting to lift. I ended up cutting out the defects with a utility knife and filling the divots with bondo. Like I mentioned I had planned to do a white pickle finish. I built my wife a nightstand once and primed it with pigmented shellac when I asked my wife to decide on a color, she said that she liked it the way its was, a white pickled look . On the bass I ended up roughing up the poly and priming it with pigmented shellac and using crystal clear shellac for a top-coat. Clear shellac has a slight tint to it and as I built up the clear coats, the bass started to pickup a mellow yellow glow, like a vintage Olympic White.
I am very happy with this bass and right now it is my #1 player.
Here are some pics.
My take on the concept: An Epi body, a home made Telecaster neck and a Thunderbucker Ranch 66 pickup. Since it's neither Fender nor Gibson I call it the Thundercaster rather than a Fenderbird.
Soundwise, I really don't need at bridge pickup, but I think I'll get one anyway, just to get the look right.
Soundwise, I really don't need at bridge pickup, but I think I'll get one anyway, just to get the look right.
Attachments
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,007
- 1
- 31,705
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Nice ones, guys! Here's my RayBird (and OctoBird):
Homemade body, cheap-o lefty StingRay copy neck. A blast to play! Had a Novak EB-BS in that photo, currently rocking a T-40 and a Duncan QP through an OBP-1. Monstrous rock tone!
Homemade body, cheap-o lefty StingRay copy neck. A blast to play! Had a Novak EB-BS in that photo, currently rocking a T-40 and a Duncan QP through an OBP-1. Monstrous rock tone!
Not a "traditional" Fenderbird, but here's 3 pictures of a Crafted in Japan Fender Jaguar I modded with Lollar vintage reproduction Thunderbird pickups in black chrome:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7iri7oh6k9jmd0x/P1013868.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wryg92l61z5kqzv/P1013922.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/me471a9udjuwp82/P1013916.jpg
hanging out with some alder trees
I call it "The Thundercat".
the neck pickup is measured to be in the same spot as a Non-Reverse Thunderbird.
Here's a rough demo made with the un-ideal method of plugging the line out from my amp directly into my computer's soundcard using an "audio creation" mode to reduce lag. Although the tracking still glitches a couple of times.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y3sfm71tvzu685b/thundercatroughdemo.zip
Anyway, it gives you an idea of the "direct" sound. But even though I like this tone, I prefer the way it sounds through my cab. Hopefully I can mic it someday soon.
I would also recommend Cataldo for having a Fenderbird built. I haven't yet purchased something from him. But before I decided to create The Thundercat, I asked him a lot of questions. He was very easy to talk to, fielded my questions well, and I felt like he was generally happy to do it.
You could always just buy an empty pickup cover and mount it up as a dummy for aesthetics
It would be much less expensive and you wouldn't have another set of magnets affecting the feel of your strings, etc.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7iri7oh6k9jmd0x/P1013868.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wryg92l61z5kqzv/P1013922.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/me471a9udjuwp82/P1013916.jpg
hanging out with some alder trees
I call it "The Thundercat".
the neck pickup is measured to be in the same spot as a Non-Reverse Thunderbird.
Here's a rough demo made with the un-ideal method of plugging the line out from my amp directly into my computer's soundcard using an "audio creation" mode to reduce lag. Although the tracking still glitches a couple of times.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y3sfm71tvzu685b/thundercatroughdemo.zip
Anyway, it gives you an idea of the "direct" sound. But even though I like this tone, I prefer the way it sounds through my cab. Hopefully I can mic it someday soon.
I would also recommend Cataldo for having a Fenderbird built. I haven't yet purchased something from him. But before I decided to create The Thundercat, I asked him a lot of questions. He was very easy to talk to, fielded my questions well, and I felt like he was generally happy to do it.
You could always just buy an empty pickup cover and mount it up as a dummy for aesthetics
It would be much less expensive and you wouldn't have another set of magnets affecting the feel of your strings, etc.
Hi! I just came across your FenderBird thread and thought I'd tell you about a new maker on the scene- Leslie McCurdy of Fleet Guitars.
Like me, Leslie's been a Fender P-bass guy, but he also loves (and owns a few mint) Thunderbirds. Long story short, he builds basses that feel like a Precision yet have Thunderbird pickups. I'm completely hooked on them! I have a fretted and frettless version and love them both. I can cover everything from Brazilian music to straight up rock and roll. They're completely passive but can sound like an active bass if you need that sound. It's amazing how versatile they are. My collection of vintage Fenders are collecting dust now
Anyway, here's his website:
Link Removed
And here's a video of me playing the fretted version
Just thought I'd share. Good luck with your search!
-Phil
Like me, Leslie's been a Fender P-bass guy, but he also loves (and owns a few mint) Thunderbirds. Long story short, he builds basses that feel like a Precision yet have Thunderbird pickups. I'm completely hooked on them! I have a fretted and frettless version and love them both. I can cover everything from Brazilian music to straight up rock and roll. They're completely passive but can sound like an active bass if you need that sound. It's amazing how versatile they are. My collection of vintage Fenders are collecting dust now
Anyway, here's his website:
Link Removed
And here's a video of me playing the fretted version
Just thought I'd share. Good luck with your search!
-Phil
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I really really didn't need to see this...lol
Not a "traditional" Fenderbird, but here's 3 pictures of a Crafted in Japan Fender Jaguar I modded with Lollar vintage reproduction Thunderbird pickups in black chrome:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7iri7oh6k9jmd0x/P1013868.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wryg92l61z5kqzv/P1013922.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/me471a9udjuwp82/P1013916.jpg
hanging out with some alder trees
I call it "The Thundercat".
the neck pickup is measured to be in the same spot as a Non-Reverse Thunderbird.
Here's a rough demo made with the un-ideal method of plugging the line out from my amp directly into my computer's soundcard using an "audio creation" mode to reduce lag. Although the tracking still glitches a couple of times.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y3sfm71tvzu685b/thundercatroughdemo.zip
Anyway, it gives you an idea of the "direct" sound. But even though I like this tone, I prefer the way it sounds through my cab. Hopefully I can mic it someday soon.
I would also recommend Cataldo for having a Fenderbird built. I haven't yet purchased something from him. But before I decided to create The Thundercat, I asked him a lot of questions. He was very easy to talk to, fielded my questions well, and I felt like he was generally happy to do it.
You could always just buy an empty pickup cover and mount it up as a dummy for aesthetics
It would be much less expensive and you wouldn't have another set of magnets affecting the feel of your strings, etc.
Not like I don't have enough projects, I'm thinking of picking up something used and having some fun.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
thanks - I was originally going to put a carbon neck on it to reinforce the B&W motif but found the NOS Saunders and got it for a good price. Other than the sort of wacky hs shape and BOLD graphics (not to mention the crazy charactered maple!) it is a really nice, quality neck. Story has it that Saunders had them made in the late 80's by the newly initiated FCS guys at Fender. He did bodies too but have never seen one. I own a '64 T-bird and amazingly enough, I can get a similar sound out of this one - which other than the body shape is completely different. I did the 8/infinity as a nod to Pete Townsend's numbering his guitars. It's a big sounding bird!
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,969
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I just finished putting together this "rat-rod" of a Fenderbird this week. The neck and body were bought together, the body was a Goth Epiphone that had been mostly stripped of its finish and had the pocket routed for this particular SX Jazz-width neck. I collected / reused / mixed / matched all the rest of the hardware and electronics to create a bass that plays pretty well and which I'll never ever fear beating around on a trashy barroom rock and roll gig.
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,007
- 1
- 31,705
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
Can I ask what pick-ups you used in the LPB? I just ordered a Classic IV T-bird and want to chrome out the p-ups.
