Thunderbird Club Pt 6

[NOT]

Chrome is a beautiful thing. I have swapped the black hardware on 2 Thunderbirds for chrome without any regrets. The chrome hardware gives a boost of coolness to my 'Birds. Plus it makes the 'Birds really stand out compared to other basses IMO.

 

[stiles72]

Saturday night I had another soundman comment on how much more output and fuller sound my Nikki Sixx Blackbird has compared to my other Thunderbirds, so I'll throw this out there again...

I've known for a long time the pickups are much hotter and have a deeper sound than my other T-birds, and I'm always keeping my eyes and ears open for a another set that are a dead match. Has anyone else ever seen a TB+ neck pickup with a "214" code on the underside? All other TB+ pups I've found have a "204" code. I've checked other Blackbirds and IV's of various years, and have yet to find another that has a "214". I talked to Gibson and they didn't have any idea what the code is, but my guess is that it's a part number of some sort. Could a "214" be a high output version of the standard TB+ pup? Who knows. A member on another forum sold me a factory set of TB+ pups that were never installed (and have no codes on them) which are close - but still not the same. Any other "214's" out there?

 

[Nocturnal]

It almost looks like a badly drawn 0 on that pickup, but maybe that is just the angle of the shot. I will try to check my BlackBird pups later in the week to see what those have written on them. My ebony Bird & BlackBird are both from 2001 (according to that guitar dater site) but they do sound different. The BB is a little hotter and sounds a little meaner than the standard Bird.

 

[solderjunkie]

I had to build my own to get what I wanted:

Mahogany body, maple neck - I copied the profile and feel from my SR5, custom one-off pickup wired through a 3-way for series/single/parallel, all Hipshot lightweight hardware.

 

[BklynKen]

It almost looks like a badly drawn 0 on that pickup, but maybe that is just the angle of the shot. I will try to check my BlackBird pups later in the week to see what those have written on them. My ebony Bird & BlackBird are both from 2001 (according to that guitar dater site) but they do sound different. The BB is a little hotter and sounds a little meaner than the standard Bird.

I agree. It looks like a partially-faded '0' to me.

 

[TBird1958]

I had to build my own to get what I wanted:

Mahogany body, maple neck - I copied the profile and feel from my SR5, custom one-off pickup wired through a 3-way for series/single/parallel, all Hipshot lightweight hardware.

Beautiful!

Shall I add you to our club?

 

[solderjunkie]

Beautiful!

Shall I add you to our club?

Certainly!

I tried a year ago but I was building for a living, so it was decided that I was pimping my goods by joining any clubs.

 

[TBird1958]

That might be a penmanship issue!
Here are the pups from my '09 Nikki Sixx Mk.II, what's notable to me is the brass strip embeded in the epoxy as well as the large magnet, earlier variants had neither, then just the large magnet.

 

[sj_bass]

I had to build my own to get what I wanted:

Mahogany body, maple neck - I copied the profile and feel from my SR5, custom one-off pickup wired through a 3-way for series/single/parallel, all Hipshot lightweight hardware.

Inspiring! I just switched necks on my 55-01 - I think I now know what I want to do with my old neck...

 

[stiles72]

Interesting... I never even thought about bad hand writing! lol I'll have to take another look at the bass when I can- for some reason I thought the bridge pickup had a different # also. Maybe I'm wrong. Wouldn't be the first time!

The pups that came out of my IV pretty much looked just like the '09's above. Here's the neck pup from the Studio 5'er just for grins...

 

[TBird1958]

Certainly!

I tried a year ago but I was building for a living, so it was decided that I was pimping my goods by joining any clubs.

Well, that's beautiful craftsmanship - I'm quite envious of your skill. A sincere welcome here, your club #365



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[Nocturnal]

That bass is bad ass SolderJunkie!!!! Nice work

 

[Dradder]

I'm seriously contemplating picking up an Epiphone Limited Edition Thunderbird IV Bass when I'm in the US in a few weeks and can get to the nearest GC store.

Here's my question, though: I've been looking at the pics on the GC website of the regular Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass and the Epiphone Limited Edition Thunderbird IV Bass, and I can see the strap button by the neck on the regular Thunderbird, but I don't see it on the Limited Edition.

Is this just an optical illusion, or bad pics, or does the Epiphone Limited Edition Thunderbird IV actually have its strap button in a different spot on the bass, like on the heel of the neck, the way so many folks modify this bass? Thanks for any info!

 

[Mark4]

I think they've all been made with the strap button on the heel, on the back of the body, for the past couple years. The photos of the standard are probably just out of date.

 

[Dradder]

I think they've all been made with the strap button on the heel, on the back of the body, for the past couple years. The photos of the standard are probably just out of date.

Well, thanks. So all the conversation here and elsewhere about neck dive just relates to fine old Thunderbirds and not to new ones?

 

[Mark4]

That's been my experience. Apparently, someone at Epiphone noticed what players (and Gibson) were doing and relocated the button for better balance.

 

[TBird1958]

Actually, Gibson has located the strap pin at the heel since the Thunderbird was re-introduced in 1988, the original '60s and Bicenntenials have the pin on the upper 'bout.

 

[gaudenti]

A Thunderbird and a Firebird in the same band!

 

[Mark4]

Actually, Gibson has located the strap pin at the heel since the Thunderbird was re-introduced in 1988, the original '60s and Bicenntenials have the pin on the upper 'bout.

That's probably the first (if only) thing I'll change on a vintage Thunderbird if I get one.

Speaking of which, there's a '77 on ebay with the button under the neck by the lower bout. Other than limiting upper fret access, I wonder how it effects the balance.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1977-Gibson-Thunderbird-Bass-Guitar-/261200739854?pt=Guitar&hash=item3cd0c6fe0e

 

[dannster]

Drool....

Deimel Guiarworks brought the new 34"-scale Firestar bass to Musikmesse. It features a yellow poplar body, pau ferro fretboard, Lollar Thunderbird-style pickups, and a 3-position selector. In addition, there are three slider switches. One engages a piezo disc in the body, another adds the middle pickup, and the third toggles between Jaguar-style bass-cut and standard modes.
Link Removed