Hah, I know 'lanai' from Hawaii. But I lived in Salem, MA, for five years. NYC is my home, but I miss it up there.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
- Status
Hah, I know 'lanai' from Hawaii. But I lived in Salem, MA, for five years. NYC is my home, but I miss it up there.
I'm much happier in Florida! I've been here since 1995. Finally went home last year after being away for 12 years. It was a great visit but I'll stay here and enjoy my lanai! Its nice to sit out there and enjoy the warm breeze while plucking on my U-bass!
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,898
- 142,256
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Quite a contrast here.......I'll be leaving for the north coast of Washington's Olympic Peninsula - Fri and Sat night shows with the band, it's been a good Spring so far but it'll be plenty cold and windy where we're headed........
Yeah, I still remember loading and unloading in 10 degree weather with blowing snow! It seems like yesterday, but was from 1990 to 1995. I don't gig anymore, just play with friends and some worship bands at churches from time to time. My current job is 2nd shift 3:30 pm till 2:00am and thats three out of four fridays and saturdays every month! Maybe someday things will change and i'll be back to gigs. Probably bluegrass gigs with the U-bass! That would be a big change from classic rock and blues!
Recently bought a Blackbird that had been beaten to death, had stock pups pulled out and emgs put in wired straight to the kill switch, the pick guard had been replaced with a diamond plate pick guard, I don't know what they did to the nut but my normal gauge of 105 swam inside the e slot, they couldn't decide where to put the back strap button so at least 5 holes in back and one plugged with a drywall insert and oh yeah the opti grab was gone. (I couldn't figure out if they hated motley or the bass lol)
My first thought was to try and make this thing a true Blackbird again so I set out to find a opti grab tried everything I knew to do (even messaged Tbird to see if he could offer some advice, and thank you bro, I have called and emailed over and over again, they are sending me one in 2 weeks). My next mission was a pick guard, Gibson well they just were not coming off of one of those. Lol. So I found a clear one sent the Blackbird graphics to a friend and had him make a vinyl die cut copy. (After all this trouble I wondered why I just did not buy a used eppi and bastardize it lol) So last was the pickups found a set in Fresno Cali (which ironically the Guitar Center I ordered the bass from is there, so just wondering if these could be the original pups out of this bass, but I digress lol) The guy wanted $400 and $60 to send them to me, tried talking him down, he wasn't having it, I wasn't buying it lol So found a set in Louisville Ky (1 hour from me) so I made a day of it with my daughter had breakfast, went to the children's museum, time to meet guy about pickups, (asked him at least 7 times on phone that they were indeed Gibsons, asked for pics but claimed camera on phone broken,mines broke so why wouldnt I believe him) they were Epiphones and the wires were cut so short without heat shrink and extra wire it wasn't happening. After deciding not to beat this Emo lovin douchebag all over Walmart's parking lot I headed home defeated. So I decided just to leave the Emgs in and deal with it. Replaced original bridge with Hipshot, upon putting new strings on the saddle for the D string was cracked in half, so I decided to replace whole bridge. That Monday I took the bass to my repair guy to make a brass nut for it, and he had a Fender 5 string he had just put a Norstrand pre amp and set of Hotstacks in, I was fiddling around with it and fell in love with the tone. So after talking with him that's what I decided to have put in the Blackbird. It's been a month, they had to special make Tbird size, got the call tonight it'll be ready first thing Tuesday morning. I can't wait, he's had the bass longer than I have (didnt wanna keep playing it and actually start liking the emg's lol so I left it with him) just thought I'd share my Blackbird woe's with you guys. Lol
My first thought was to try and make this thing a true Blackbird again so I set out to find a opti grab tried everything I knew to do (even messaged Tbird to see if he could offer some advice, and thank you bro, I have called and emailed over and over again, they are sending me one in 2 weeks). My next mission was a pick guard, Gibson well they just were not coming off of one of those. Lol. So I found a clear one sent the Blackbird graphics to a friend and had him make a vinyl die cut copy. (After all this trouble I wondered why I just did not buy a used eppi and bastardize it lol) So last was the pickups found a set in Fresno Cali (which ironically the Guitar Center I ordered the bass from is there, so just wondering if these could be the original pups out of this bass, but I digress lol) The guy wanted $400 and $60 to send them to me, tried talking him down, he wasn't having it, I wasn't buying it lol So found a set in Louisville Ky (1 hour from me) so I made a day of it with my daughter had breakfast, went to the children's museum, time to meet guy about pickups, (asked him at least 7 times on phone that they were indeed Gibsons, asked for pics but claimed camera on phone broken,mines broke so why wouldnt I believe him) they were Epiphones and the wires were cut so short without heat shrink and extra wire it wasn't happening. After deciding not to beat this Emo lovin douchebag all over Walmart's parking lot I headed home defeated. So I decided just to leave the Emgs in and deal with it. Replaced original bridge with Hipshot, upon putting new strings on the saddle for the D string was cracked in half, so I decided to replace whole bridge. That Monday I took the bass to my repair guy to make a brass nut for it, and he had a Fender 5 string he had just put a Norstrand pre amp and set of Hotstacks in, I was fiddling around with it and fell in love with the tone. So after talking with him that's what I decided to have put in the Blackbird. It's been a month, they had to special make Tbird size, got the call tonight it'll be ready first thing Tuesday morning. I can't wait, he's had the bass longer than I have (didnt wanna keep playing it and actually start liking the emg's lol so I left it with him) just thought I'd share my Blackbird woe's with you guys. Lol
Attachments
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,898
- 142,256
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Wow!
That's some Blackbird love!
I really should get another one at some point, hope the repairs prove out!
If it's any consolation at all, I completely stripped every piece of hardware off of my Nikki Sixx Mk.II Redbird, which started as an $1800.00 bass - and spent almost $1000.00
more on new Lull pups, Hipshots, laser cut steel PG and TRC, plus getting those parts plus the bridge and opti grab chrome plated..........I'm nuts!
That's some Blackbird love!
I really should get another one at some point, hope the repairs prove out!
If it's any consolation at all, I completely stripped every piece of hardware off of my Nikki Sixx Mk.II Redbird, which started as an $1800.00 bass - and spent almost $1000.00
more on new Lull pups, Hipshots, laser cut steel PG and TRC, plus getting those parts plus the bridge and opti grab chrome plated..........I'm nuts!
I do love the Blackbird. I edited the original post and put the picture that was on Guitar Centers Site and I totally forgot about putting the Hipshot on. Lol But to be honest I put one on my standard Tbird and my Rd so it was gonna happen anyway. Lol When I went to Guitar Center to pick it up and they pulled it out of the box my first thought was to send that thing back, saw all the damage up close lol But I started feeling bad, like when your kid brings home the lost dog, if I didn't take it in, it would die on the side of the road. Lol
That is beautiful. I've never seen one for sale either. I just remember Kelly Nickels playing one in the La Guns Rip and Tear video and he used a blue one and black one live. A few years back my band opened for Traci's La Guns his bass player Jeremy actually had the blue one in his rack. He let me check it out, it had seen better days, it had been badly routed for 2 Bartolini Tbird pups and the neck had very noticeable repair. I tried to buy it, but he wasn't wanting to sell it.
The Ritter arrived and I'm not happy with it. It seems well-made, but it doesn't have enough padding for me. It arrived folded in half. That alone did not give me confidence. Did you feel that 30mm could get knocked around a big and it would still be ok?
The one that I purchased arrived folded as well. The shipping box determines that regardless of which gig bag I have ever bought. I would use the one I purchased for my friend without being too worried about it, but gig bags and TBirds would just make me extra careful. I can ask my friend to see if he still uses it and what his thoughts are after these couple of years.
Thanks. I'd really appreciate that. I'm even scared to put the Ritter down, since I can hear the bass itself hit the ground.
For what it's worth, things like the Incase and Mono can't be folded.
Someone had\has a heavily padded tbird bag for sale in the classifieds. Looks super padded and sturdy. You might want to check his out. I will let you know what my friend says but I doubt his is any better than the Ritter.
EDIT* According to Ebay the Ritter is 25mm while the other is 30mm.
EDIT* According to Ebay the Ritter is 25mm while the other is 30mm.
thats really pricey and lots of hard work, plus ive got a great transparent black finish and the pro4 has a cool through neck with 7 layers of wood you can see through the paint, just don't like the poly shine..
I like those machine heads, is that an epiphone? do they just fit straight in?
Interesting. I think the Ritter is actually 20mm. Either way, it would be of no protection if it somehow got put down hard on the ground.
And thanks for the reference to the one in the classifieds. I looked at the site and it's only 3/8" padding. I don't think it would protect any more than the Ritter; probably less in fact.
This is what my friend had to say about the Ebay bag:
"it's an ok bag but certainly not better than the Ritter TBird bag which sits tighter on the bass, is better cushioned and has more sensible extras."
He does have both for what it's worth. The one on here is only 3/8" thick?? The picks make it look pretty beefy.
"it's an ok bag but certainly not better than the Ritter TBird bag which sits tighter on the bass, is better cushioned and has more sensible extras."
He does have both for what it's worth. The one on here is only 3/8" thick?? The picks make it look pretty beefy.
Thanks. That's really too bad. But interesting about his comment on the tightness of the Ritter. I can grab the neck area and easily twist it around. I don't find it tight at all.
As for the one here, that's what I read on the Invalid Link Removed for it.
I called Glenn Chronkhite yesterday and he's going to call me back probably later this week to see if he still has templates around for Thunderbirds. He still makes cases, but said that he can't make any new templates anymore since his hands just don't work well anymore. That's sad. But I fear his case would be really expensive. Of course it may also be my only option at that point.
I know I'm sounding really picky, but the abuse that these things take around the NYC Subway is pretty impressive. The Incase sits pretty high, and I can't tell you how many times the headstock area has gotten smacked into low train doorways, trees, overhead pipes, etc. Not only was the Carvin never affected, the Incase still looks totally new. I'm spoiled.
- Jul 1, 2005
- 4,291
- 21,932
- 79
- Disclosures
- CataldoBasses: Designer/Builder ThunderBuckerPickups:Consultant
If you're serious, consider an Epi hard case for $89 from Musician's Friend. That's what I keep my unbroken '64s and '77 in. They're lighter and smaller than a Gibson case but definitely do the job.
I'd NEVER trust a Gibson of mine to a gig bag, especially on the subway. Anything else I own, no problem.
- Status
