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Thunderbird Club Pt 6

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#642
Thanks. Here is a nicer picture. ImageUploadedByTalkBass1372007055.104706.jpg
 
#643
Personally, I would leave it as is. Love the natural wood! Any close up pictures of the back of the neck? Blackbirds were made with a three piece neck and didnt have the multi-walnut laminations. Also, its possible the pickups may have been unique to the Blackbirds. Mine sounds nothing like my other birds, and is hotter and cleaner and deeper than the standards. Great bass!
 
#646
Thanks for the pix of that bass!
I think you should just have fun with it, don't worry about resale value.
My Nikki Sixx Mk. II is completely redone, new pups, tuners, bridge and PG - It's all mine ;)
 
#648
TomStuart said:
I'm considering having new inlays put in to get rid of the iron crosses. I wonder though how it would effect the value.
Click to expand...

Normally I'm not a big fan of the natural T-birds, but that dark mahogany really does look stunning!

I would keep the bass as it is, exchange that horrible pickguard with a black one, change the controls to VVT with black/silver reflector knobs, and ditch the killswitch... But that's just me... :)
 
#649
Late last year I was trying to buy a stripped BlackBird listed on Craigslist in California. The guy wouldn't ship and he sold it before a fellow TB'er was going to buy it for me. I think he was asking $900 for it and he claimed it had been refinished (stripped and clear coated) by a pro. I ended up getting a good deal on a nice clean one so it all ended well. :bassist: Congrats on the new bass!!
 
#650
TomStuart said:
I'm considering having new inlays put in to get rid of the iron crosses. I wonder though how it would effect the value.
Click to expand...

I wouldnt worry about the value of the bass if its "thee" instrument for you. However, if you want a bass that looks like a traditional Bird to the extent you want to remove the inlays, I would just trade it towards a standard IV. A good luthier could remove the crosses, but will have to fill those relatively big routes with something. Perhaps epoxy mixed with ebony saw dust. But then you will still have the outline of the cross visible to a degree. I think they would have to replace the fingerboard to really do it right.
 
#651
I noticed that the Mahogany looks a little darker (could be the pics) also. I remember reading an article where Nikki mentioned Gibson really worked with him on the wood selection for his basses. Is it possible its a different species of "mahogany" or grade of wood compared to whats used in the IV's? (Even though it was buried under all that flat black ;) )
 
#652
TomStuart said:
I'm considering having new inlays put in to get rid of the iron crosses. I wonder though how it would effect the value.
Click to expand...

Man, I think that would be tough. Might need a whole new fingerboard. I'd live with them. Stuff like pg is easy.

That is a really pretty mahogony.
 
#658
hillerup said:
Today in my local classifieds there is an Epiphone Thunderbird Pro-V in black at a reasonable price...

Though I'm not really into active and 5-string basses, I'm kinda tempted...

What do you guys think - Would a Pro-V be a suitable object for an 8 string conversion?
Click to expand...


That sounds like a great idea!

Go for it :bassist:
 
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