I wouldn't be sure that "5-8-21" isn't the fifth of august. Different conventions and all that.
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Gilded Bird - Geo's new Thunderbird related project
- Thread starter JIO
- Start date
Not to be contrarian, but afaik all the VPs are/were made in Indonesia......from what I can see of the s/n, it appears to decode as made in Samick, Indonesia in September of 2018.
Don't know about the writing on the inside of the electrics cover, my Dec, 2019 VP didn't have anything like that....
Looks like Iike a good one! I didn't understand about the center section. Is it wider on the VP?
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Not to be contrarian, but afaik all the VPs are/were made in Indonesia......from what I can see of the s/n, it appears to decode as made in Samick, Indonesia in September of 2018.
Don't know about the writing on the inside of the electrics cover, my Dec, 2019 VP didn't have anything like that....
Not at all - you helped clear it up! Thanks again!
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
The center length of mahogany from the hs to the butt of the body - the 'neck thru' section. Not wider, but it sits slightly higher above the grafted-on wings on the top & back - only about a 16th.
This view also shows the pu's not being parallel with the strings due to the bridge/fb angle.
Ahh so the center section is thicker. The wings on the 64 are also glued with a V joint right?
The pickups in mine are the same way. I would just add some foam underneath the low side if it bothered me.
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
The tobacco is so opaque - even with a bright light I can't tell if it's a V-joint. Since the bridge-fb relationship is spot-on (creating that angle) and will stay that way, I would be more wanting to alter the black pu spacer/riser so the pu face is parallel to the strings. And possibly making a thin wedge spacer for the N-pu to achieve the same. On my '64 II, the posts are bottomed-out so there is much less of a bridge-fb angle and the pu's are parallel to the strings. The Seymour Duncan Hawkbucker B-pu could be higher, but I found where it is to be ideal to balance with the N-pu which is closer.
In this pic, you can also see how the center string-thru section rises just above the wing.
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When you get there, I hope you'll go into some detail on the refinishing process (I know, that's the whole point of the thread 
).
Explain it like *some*
of us have never heard of a gilded finish before.
). Explain it like *some*
of us have never heard of a gilded finish before.
Well yeah! I mean I’ve heard of it before, thanks entirely to GIO’s adventures, but seeing come together? …hell yeah!When you get there, I hope you'll go into some detail on the refinishing process (I know, that's the whole point of the thread
Explain it like *some*
- Jun 30, 2010
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When you get there, I hope you'll go into some detail on the refinishing process (I know, that's the whole point of the thread
Explain it like *some*
For sure!
- Jun 30, 2010
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Oh I know, the solution will be getting the black spacers sanded to a wedge, and probably re-locating the pu screws. Pretty minor compared to some of the 'fixes' I've done over the years.
I got a new Epi HSC for it - form-fit and protective. Really a nice case. Once gilded - shipping to get it clear-coated, and to its eventual owner will be worry free.
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I ordered Wilkinson large plate clovers which were installed on the VP when it was introduced in early 2019. Before the end of that year, they installed the smaller-plate Wilkinson tuners which are on my September production bass. The large plate version are visually closer to the original Kluson's installed on '63-'65 and '65-'68 T-birds. They are slated to arrive Tuesday.
I been drooling on that case for a while. Well, drooling on my monitor when looking at the webpage. I just haven't had the dough to pull the trigger yet. Looks pretty nice.
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
For the money ($125) it's a very good HSC for a TSO. I sent a Fenderbird to Hamburg Germany in one & it arrived w/no issues.
It arrived - I made a point of being home when it was delivered. I also left a note on the door for FedEx asking that they 1) do not leave on landing unattended, and 2) that I was home and to knock/ring doorbell. Our Pomchi Mona is a good little guard dog and I heard her growling. I opened the door and there it was, left unattended. The driver was at the bottom of the stairs so I called out and said "See this note? Can you read? If you leave a package unattended and w/o ringing my doorbell as it requests - it will be stolen. Packages delivered like this by FedEx have been stolen in this neighborhood." His response, "...oh, ok" ~
View attachment 5092226
View attachment 5092230
The box felt fairly light and luckily all the bubble wrap did it's job as it arrived in perfect condition from Sam Ash in NY. Phew! 1st impression - it looks brand new. Only indication of use was a bit of fogging around the neck pu & surround on the E side - but very minimal. The pu faces had no clear plastic, but were clean and unmarked. Weighed the bass - 9lbs exactly, the same as my '64 II.
View attachment 5092234
1st step after inspection was plugging it in. There is a 60cycle hum regardless of pu settings, so it will need grounding. (not surprised, no problem) Output is strong and it sounds good, really good. I then checked for intonation and the D & G needed minimal adjustment. The E & A were good. Once dialed - I addressed the action, which was decent. I did a 1/2 turn on both bridge-posts which lowered it sufficiently. Nice lowish action w/no buzzing. I next checked the nut height. My method is depressing the 3rd fret and once doing that - the strings should barely touch the 1st fret. I usually have to file the nut-slots to achieve that - but it was spot on. One less thing to do. Fret ends were well filed, smooth and consistent - nice. Neck feels really good, very familiar to a dyed in-the-wool vintage Thunderbird owner/player. (since 1974)
Only 'flaw' was the G side bridge-post not being fully imbedded into the body as it is on the E side. Either like that from the factory, or it slightly pulled out. I looks very clean, so I'll guess like that from the factory. I'll address it once I start working on it.
View attachment 5092247
Another thing I'll work on is filing the black plastic pu riser so the pu is parallel to the strings. Because of the way it is now, if pressing the last fret - the strings are nearly touching the upper edge of the pu.
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I'm not crazy about how dark and big the tobacco halo is, but it looks better in person than in pics. My '64 II has a more subtle/lighter tobacco halo.
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Epiphone knocked it out of the park with this bass - the closest to a '63-'65 IV up to this point. I'll go as far to call it a RI.., just not a Gibson RI. I'll be playing this for a bit before I start working on it!
View attachment 5092252
Mahogany grain is very nice - it's a good looking bass overall.
View attachment 5092253
9 ply lamination neck-thu is spot on - just like the original.
View attachment 5092254
Epi hs is 1/4" longer (from the top of the nut to the tip of the hs) than my '64 II which is 11". Curious why they would make one of the biggest hs's even bigger!
View attachment 5092255
Sticker residue, otherwise clean as they come. Wilkinson tuners, although not like the Kluson originals work well.
View attachment 5092257
Overview : The cost of these basses is all over the map - initially sold for just under $800 (some still selling for that new) all the way to over $1k. I got this T-bird from Sam Ash for $425.90 to my door. The quality of this bass makes that what's called "a steal". But this will be how I have a chance of making a small profit as my work and Pat's final finishing will cost far more than this bass.
Looks like a fabbo project, JIO! I’m in!
I just cannot believe he didn’t ring the doorbell!!!
What a killer value!!!
I look forward to another JIO Gildaxe finish! Just the other day I came across my photos of your Gildaxe bass that was over at our pal Rick R’s house.
Oh, and give little Mona the dog a treat for growling at the appropriate moment.
- Jun 30, 2010
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Well... the Wilkinson tuners were apparently delivered yesterday, and are missing/were stollen. This is getting old. USPS this time. I made a special box with a lock clearly marked for deliveries - and the carrier couldn't be bothered to put it in there, even if they didn't lock the box, which they occasionally do. I was home and so was Mona, so I'm not even sure it was delivered as she would have barked. So I'm out $43.40. Filled out an on-line USPS form requesting to be reimbursed by USPS due to carrier negligence but I'm not holding my breath. Of course you can't call & talk with a human - as all corps are now. Sucks.
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- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
