Gilded Bird - Geo's new Thunderbird related project

[JIO]

My previous main bass was a three-pickup Warmoth Jazz. It was assembled, set up, and PLEK'd by Mike Lull, so it's essentially a Lull Warmoth. Everything was shiny and new, not a blemish anywhere. Somewhere along the 6 years or so I played it, it picked up a whole bunch of little dents in the back, and a few in the front -- not enough to chip the paint, but enough to know they're there. And several hundred thousand impacts by my fingernails has left a hazy patina under the strings. It gives me a certain joy to see that. I was never under any illusion that it would remain looking new during its entire existence. But I took care of it reasonably well, and I am rewarded with an instrument that I think still looks pretty damn cool.

pics?

 

[JIO]

And another confirmation of its NOS date - August 2017 - a "like new" 6yr old bass!

 

[BlueTalon]

pics?

I'll try to take some tomorrow (assuming I remember) in the daylight.

 

[Indiedog]

Blk/wht/bllk pg cut and gold raised sticker installed guided by my '64 II pg - looks good.

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Some outside dusk shots - it was misty and gray all day until early evening. I'll take more/better pics soon.
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Proud to fly the Epiphone flag - they did what Gibson has failed to do for decades - create a great playing/looking/sounding nearly RI of the original '63-'65 T-bird IV for an affordable cost.
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Wilkinson large-plate nickel tuners - these are what originally were installed on the VP and in my opinion look the best.
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Distressed AND shiny! Something for everyone! Who knew?
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Haven't installed the strap-pegs yet. I'll probably install Dunlop Strap-Loks and include a nice wide black suede strap to go along with it.
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I love it!!!!
Simply…killer.
Totally unique.

 

[scuzzy]

Blk/wht/bllk pg cut and gold raised sticker installed guided by my '64 II pg - looks good.

View attachment 5176602
Some outside dusk shots - it was misty and gray all day until early evening. I'll take more/better pics soon.
View attachment 5176604
View attachment 5176612
Proud to fly the Epiphone flag - they did what Gibson has failed to do for decades - create a great playing/looking/sounding nearly RI of the original '63-'65 T-bird IV for an affordable cost.
View attachment 5176613
Wilkinson large-plate nickel tuners - these are what originally were installed on the VP and in my opinion look the best.
View attachment 5176617
Distressed AND shiny! Something for everyone! Who knew?
View attachment 5176618
Haven't installed the strap-pegs yet. I'll probably install Dunlop Strap-Loks and include a nice wide black suede strap to go along with it.
View attachment 5176619
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I'm going to take unearned credit for this one

Looks great! Mine is the same model doesn't neck dive at all. Very very comfy on a standard leather strap. And great tone.

 

[JIO]

I'm going to take unearned credit for this one

Looks great! Mine is the same model doesn't neck dive at all. Very very comfy on a standard leather strap. And great tone.

The whole Thunderbird neck-dive issue is exaggerated. It's true the design lends itself to being hs heavy due to it's large size and having no upper horn, but there are far worse basses out there that severely neck dive.

This is my personal solution for taming any hit of neck-dive -

 

[BlueTalon]

pics?

OK, I have some pics for you.

That's the way most people see it, unless it's hanging on a strap. But the point was to show its wear, so here we go.

That was all just fingernail impacts. Then of course, we have the friction with whatever I happened to be wearing...

I was going to show you a few dents in the paint. But when I started looking closely at the finish, I saw something I'd never noticed before. There are cracks in the paint running lengthwise on the bass. They're really hard to see unless I'm looking closely, which is why I'd never noticed them before. But they're very interesting, and add to the bass, they don't subtract, IMO. Oh, and you can see a few of the little divots on the front. Nothing that chipped the paint, but they're there nonetheless.

And finally... This shot was taken several years ago, but it's one of my favorites of me with this bass in action.

 

[mapleglo]

Man, those are some green strings!

 

[BlueTalon]

Man, those are some green strings!

Yes they are. DR Neons. I saw them online one time about 12-13 years ago, and thought they'd look interesting on stage, so I bought a set as an experiment. Turns out they sound pretty darn good. And they have started a not insignificant number of conversations over the years. Not all my basses have them, but I'm known for them around this area. ("The guy with the green strings.") You can also see them on the Maruszczyk in my avatar photo.

 

[JIO]

OK, I have some pics for you.
View attachment 5177665

That's the way most people see it, unless it's hanging on a strap. But the point was to show its wear, so here we go.
View attachment 5177674View attachment 5177681
That was all just fingernail impacts. Then of course, we have the friction with whatever I happened to be wearing...
View attachment 5177682 View attachment 5177684
I was going to show you a few dents in the paint. But when I started looking closely at the finish, I saw something I'd never noticed before. There are cracks in the paint running lengthwise on the bass. They're really hard to see unless I'm looking closely, which is why I'd never noticed them before. But they're very interesting, and add to the bass, they don't subtract, IMO. Oh, and you can see a few of the little divots on the front. Nothing that chipped the paint, but they're there nonetheless.
View attachment 5177686 View attachment 5177687

And finally... This shot was taken several years ago, but it's one of my favorites of me with this bass in action.
View attachment 5177709

Thanks for posting - looks like it has all the right stuff - (Schaller 3D roller-saddle bridge, inset mollies/hex bolt on neck, wedge fb) and are those Fender Super 55 split-coil pu's? I've used them and like them very much. What do all the knobs do?

Yes, finishes age from time/UV rays/temps and use. When relic'ing one needs to take into account how and where a guitar/bass usually/logically will be worn. Just nicking and dinging randomly will not look authentic and is a dead giveaway of a bad job. Regardless of being a mild to heavy relic'd finish - it has to look real.

 

[BlueTalon]

Thanks for posting - looks like it has all the right stuff - (Schaller 3D roller-saddle bridge, inset mollies/hex bolt on neck, wedge fb) and are those Fender Super 55 split-coil pu's? I've used them and like them very much. What do all the knobs do?

Yep, three Super 55 pickups. Two neck and one bridge, for the record. They balance really nicely, they're quiet, and they have as much output and grit as I can manage when I'm digging in. The best sounding pickup Fender ever made, IMO, so of course they quit making them.

So, the knobs... This bass was a proof of concept. I had an idea in my mind for a three pickup bass with individual volume and tone controls and master volume and tone controls. Most people I talked to about it said it couldn't be done and wasn't worth doing anyway. The one guy who didn't join the naysayers was Michael at Turnstyle. He not only did what I wanted with the controls, he added his own magic to the mix in the form of a Turnstyle switch -- a six position rotary switch that can be used to do almost anything. Many people would be tempted to use it as a pickup selector, and Michael actually suggested to use it that way, but I figured I could control my pickups with the individual volume controls, so I wanted to use it for other things. So instead, it's a voice selector. Michael hardwired the positions to mimic certain bass voices -- Precision, Jazz, Rickenbacker, Thunderbird, and a drive channel, with one position reserved for full manual control. When in voice mode, the individual V/T controls are bypassed, and just the master V/T controls are used.

It's the single most tonally flexible passive bass I've ever heard. How he wired those sounds into that switch, I have no clue. And the crazy thing is, it doesn't look like anything when you look at it.

I learned some lessons from this experience. The full slate of individual controls is not something I'd do the same way again, simply because I don't use them enough to justify it. But I'm still glad I did it. Until I got my Maruszczyk and my Adamovic basses, my guitar player said this was the best sounding bass he'd ever heard. (And I don't actually know which of the three basses he thinks sounds the best, I just know he loves all three.) Functionally, it's really simple to use, simpler than it looks. Most of the time, the only controls I touch are the Turnstyle and the master volume. If I feel like a different sound, one or two clicks on the Turnstyle gets me there. I don't even keep track of which voice is which, I just click it and pick whichever voice appeals to me at the moment.

I have a bass in the works right now that has a similar concept, but this one won't have the individual tone controls. It will be three pickups with individual volume controls, a Turnstyle with several voice selections, and a master volume and tone. It's also going to be quite a unique instrument, I'll be posting about it when it's finally finished.

 

[JIO]

Yep, three Super 55 pickups. Two neck and one bridge, for the record. They balance really nicely, they're quiet, and they have as much output and grit as I can manage when I'm digging in. The best sounding pickup Fender ever made, IMO, so of course they quit making them.

So, the knobs... This bass was a proof of concept. I had an idea in my mind for a three pickup bass with individual volume and tone controls and master volume and tone controls. Most people I talked to about it said it couldn't be done and wasn't worth doing anyway. The one guy who didn't join the naysayers was Michael at Turnstyle. He not only did what I wanted with the controls, he added his own magic to the mix in the form of a Turnstyle switch -- a six position rotary switch that can be used to do almost anything. Many people would be tempted to use it as a pickup selector, and Michael actually suggested to use it that way, but I figured I could control my pickups with the individual volume controls, so I wanted to use it for other things. So instead, it's a voice selector. Michael hardwired the positions to mimic certain bass voices -- Precision, Jazz, Rickenbacker, Thunderbird, and a drive channel, with one position reserved for full manual control. When in voice mode, the individual V/T controls are bypassed, and just the master V/T controls are used.

It's the single most tonally flexible passive bass I've ever heard. How he wired those sounds into that switch, I have no clue. And the crazy thing is, it doesn't look like anything when you look at it.
View attachment 5177871

I learned some lessons from this experience. The full slate of individual controls is not something I'd do the same way again, simply because I don't use them enough to justify it. But I'm still glad I did it. Until I got my Maruszczyk and my Adamovic basses, my guitar player said this was the best sounding bass he'd ever heard. (And I don't actually know which of the three basses he thinks sounds the best, I just know he loves all three.) Functionally, it's really simple to use, simpler than it looks. Most of the time, the only controls I touch are the Turnstyle and the master volume. If I feel like a different sound, one or two clicks on the Turnstyle gets me there. I don't even keep track of which voice is which, I just click it and pick whichever voice appeals to me at the moment.

I have a bass in the works right now that has a similar concept, but this one won't have the individual tone controls. It will be three pickups with individual volume controls, a Turnstyle with several voice selections, and a master volume and tone. It's also going to be quite a unique instrument, I'll be posting about it when it's finally finished.

Very cool - @GBassNorth will be interested in this - he made a 3-pu Fenderbird "Blingbird" with interesting electronics.

I have an ESP/Grass Roots Bass IV w/3 pu's. It has only a V & T pot and a 4-way pu switch. 1-N / 2-Mid / 3-B and 4 - bypassing whichever combination you choose to the jack. That 4th switch is like a clean boost bypassing the V/T pots. It's a very simple and effective when you need a boost.

 

[BlueTalon]

Yes, finishes age from time/UV rays/temps and use. When relic'ing one needs to take into account how and where a guitar/bass usually/logically will be worn. Just nicking and dinging randomly will not look authentic and is a dead giveaway of a bad job. Regardless of being a mild to heavy relic'd finish - it has to look real.

When I first saw that piece of pre-stressed furniture, it really looked like someone just stabbed it with a fork a bunch of times. Had that been a tasteful, hard-to-tell-it's-not-real-aging job, I might have had a different first impression.

Watching people who are really good at it makes a much different impression on me. I still wouldn't choose it for myself if I'm spending the money to buy something new, but I don't automatically roll my eyes at it the same way I used to.

 

[JIO]

When I first saw that piece of pre-stressed furniture, it really looked like someone just stabbed it with a fork a bunch of times. Had that been a tasteful, hard-to-tell-it's-not-real-aging job, I might have had a different first impression.

Watching people who are really good at it makes a much different impression on me. I still wouldn't choose it for myself if I'm spending the money to buy something new, but I don't automatically roll my eyes at it the same way I used to.

Because of schlock jobs, relic'ing gets a bad name. Same with many Decorative Arts techniques (texturing with a sea-sponge, striae, patina's, stenciling, French/Tuscan Plaster, faux marble and/or wood graining) If done with skill - they are all very cool. Most examples seen by the general public (in a coffee house/restaurant/retail shop) are amateur/DIY jobs and quite frankly visually offensive. People see more of this than seeing the interior of a high end residence/mansion or museum. When it's good, most people can't tell it is a finish technique - they just see it as (actual) wood-grain, marble or possibly a high-end wall-paper. (w/o seams!)

This is a few examples of DA painting I've done over many years -

New RI of a pressed tin ceiling, which comes in a dull silver. Painted to look like patina'd brass.

Restoration of a turn-of-the-century decorated ceiling border. (wall restoration was done by someone else and was not well executed IMO) When I started the job - the whole ceiling was stained by tobacco (Civil War Memorial building in Cincinnati Ohio) and very dark brown. Someone clearly clueless over the years varnished the ceiling (to protect the design?) which added to the amber'ing. So with my nose to the ceiling via scaffolding, I repainted the whole ceilings designs in of-that-time colours we found under switch-plates etc. There was a painted mandala around a central chandelier which I also restored. Each floral arrangement (8 total - one in each corner and between each corner) were different. Pretty cool.

Started out as a white cabinet. All hand painted and finished.

Murals too - this one in a restaurant (seen at the top left corner) stairway painted in an Americana Toll-House style

Silver-leafed ceiling in a wine storage room - looks gold because of the warm lighting.

 

[Indiedog]

Because of schlock jobs, relic'ing gets a bad name. Same with many Decorative Arts techniques (texturing with a sea-sponge, striae, patina's, stenciling, French/Tuscan Plaster, faux marble and/or wood graining) If done with skill - they are all very cool. Most examples seen by the general public (in a coffee house/restaurant/retail shop) are amateur/DIY jobs and quite frankly visually offensive. People see more of this than seeing the interior of a high end residence/mansion or museum. When it's good, most people can't tell it is a finish technique - they just see it as (actual) wood-grain, marble or possibly a high-end wall-paper. (w/o seams!)

This is a few examples of DA painting I've done over many years -

New RI of a pressed tin ceiling, which comes in a dull silver. Painted to look like patina'd brass.
View attachment 5179777
Restoration of a turn-of-the-century decorated ceiling border. (wall restoration was done by someone else and was not well executed IMO) When I started the job - the whole ceiling was stained by tobacco (Civil War Memorial building in Cincinnati Ohio) and very dark brown. Someone clearly clueless over the years varnished the ceiling (to protect the design?) which added to the amber'ing. So with my nose to the ceiling via scaffolding, I repainted the whole ceilings designs in of-that-time colours we found under switch-plates etc. There was a painted mandala around a central chandelier which I also restored. Each floral arrangement (8 total - one in each corner and between each corner) were different. Pretty cool.
View attachment 5179784
Started out as a white cabinet. All hand painted and finished.
View attachment 5179789
Murals too - this one in a restaurant (seen at the top left corner) stairway painted in an Americana Toll-House style
View attachment 5179791
Silver-leafed ceiling in a wine storage room - looks gold because of the warm lighting.
View attachment 5179812

I am so pleased you posted some photos of your work, JIO! I don't think enough folks here know the kind of magic you weave in your regular job.

(And speaking of telling the world about his skills, JIO is six years older than me but still kicks my a&& when we ride bikes in the Bay Area. I am hoping to convince him to go for a ride with me in the desert some day when it is about 110 so that I have a chance on finally keeping up with him!)

 

[Kenan]

On the subject of fingernail impact and friction marking, here's what it looks like on my P bass anodized pickguard. I've never seen that replicated on a relic job.

Amazing build by the way!

 

[JIO]

I am so pleased you posted some photos of your work, JIO! I don't think enough folks here know the kind of magic you weave in your regular job.

(And speaking of telling the world about his skills, JIO is six years older than me but still kicks my a&& when we ride bikes in the Bay Area. I am hoping to convince him to go for a ride with me in the desert some day when it is about 110 so that I have a chance on finally keeping up with him!)

Hah! You're no 'slouch' Mr Steve! But you would definitely have the 'hot desert' advantage over me as I'm optimally a (cool ocean air) Bay Area cyclist! (110! ... yikes!)

 

[JIO]

On the subject of fingernail impact and friction marking, here's what it looks like on my P bass anodized pickguard. I've never seen that replicated on a relic job.

Amazing build by the way!



View attachment 5180321

Thanks! My gilded finish is only as good as the bass I did it on, and as a dyed-in-the-wool (1964 T-bird II) owner/player - this Epi T-bird Vintage Pro IV is an awesome bass right out of the gate. The best iteration of a vintage '63-'65 "reverse" T-bird to date in looks, feel and sound. I can't say enough good things about this Epiphone product.

And addressing your P's anodized pg - nothing is impervious to "players wear" (...maybe titanium, but I have never seen a titanium pg!)

 

[JIO]

Before:

After:

Commemorative designation under the pg - interestingly enough.., a traditional (wedding) 10th year anniversary is a "tin anniversary" (strong- resilient) in which aluminum or tin are usually the focus. As much as I've gilded with aluminum silver-leaf... I chose gold for my 10th year anniversary for Gildaxe. (gold/yellow are traditionally the 1st year anniversary choice)

 

[JIO]

A couple more pics -