Thunderbird Club Pt. II

[TheCush]

The Hipshot detuner is one of the best mods you can have. I have one my Thunderbird. Words can't describe how useful it is. I like your gold hardware. Very classy.

Thanks! I agree - I spent a bunch of time playing with the detuner and I'm going to really love having it. I was pretty surprised by how easy it was to get in tune and stay put when flipping between E and D. I probably messed with it more than I needed to, but all told I probably only spent 10-15 minutes installing it (had to slightly file out the peg hole) and 10-15 minutes getting the drop D in tune while keeping E in tune. Instructions were really precise.

 

[stiles72]

Cush- Are those DR Black Beauties on your bird? I string all of mine with them and just love the warm tone.

 

[SteveHeissner]

Hey, TheCrush, I like your mods. I thought Lollar doesn't sell the Epi T-bird pickups any more... am I wrong? If so, I'd like to get a pair.

 

[juankidiaz]

Here's a picture of my two girls:

So far they're getting along




See you on Halloween TBird1958 , hope you have a fun and safe road trip

 

[TheCush]

Cush- Are those DR Black Beauties on your bird? I string all of mine with them and just love the warm tone.

They are, indeed. I read in one of these threads that they are really great on the Thunderbird, in fact it might have been something you wrote (?) I've tried black tapewound LaBellas and Fender 9120's, but the DR coated strings are really fantastic. Sound, feel, everything. Great recommendation, and it makes me want to try them on other basses to hear how they sound.

Hey, TheCrush, I like your mods. I thought Lollar doesn't sell the Epi T-bird pickups any more... am I wrong? If so, I'd like to get a pair.

They do sell them - I ordered them this week and they are due to arrive Monday. In keeping with the gold finish, I spent the extra $10/pup on the gold covers. With Halloween, it will likely be Tuesday night before I can install these and give them a try.

It's funny - the sound I'm getting out of the stock pickups is much more clear than the Korean made one I had a couple of years back, which was probably why I wound up parting ways with it. I know this is contrary to other opionions I've read, which seem to run something like "Chinese made T-birds are prettier, but Korean sound better". So far, I generally like this Chinese made one better than the Korean. So I could probably be happy enough with the stock pickups, but I had a vision when I bought this one and am plunging recklessly ahead with my mods. So far, no regrets.

 

[SteveHeissner]

Hey TheCush, thanks for the info. I like your vision for your T-Bird. Can't wait to see photos when you're done. You may influence me to upgrade my Epi T-bird pickups as well.

 

[Rip Topaz]

Hey TheCush, you might wanna rethink the pickup swap, if that's on your mod list.

I dropped a set of Duncan SSB4's in my bird. Liked them at first, but I finally ended up swapping the stock ones back in. They just sound better.

 

[TheCush]

Hey TheCush, thanks for the info. I like your vision for your T-Bird. Can't wait to see photos when you're done. You may influence me to upgrade my Epi T-bird pickups as well.

I just sent out the pickguard for duplication, so hopefully in about 2-3 weeks I'll have it all back together and done. I spent some more time this weekend getting the bridge intonation and string height together, so she's playing really nicely right now, and have the drop D pretty well set.

Hey TheCush, you might wanna rethink the pickup swap, if that's on your mod list.

I dropped a set of Duncan SSB4's in my bird. Liked them at first, but I finally ended up swapping the stock ones back in. They just sound better.

Thanks for the head's up. I'm kind of plunging wrecklessly forward and already have the Lollars here - I just need to install them, and hopefully that'll be later this week or weekend. I need to get some recordings together of the stock pickups through a couple of my rigs before changing them, just for a sort of A/B comparison. Basically, I'm just waiting for a shim to show up from Lollar and then I can get them installed and check it out. It's been a fun project so far - easier than I would have imagined (but costly!)

 

[SteveHeissner]

I can't image not loving the sound of the Lollars and ever wanting to put the stock pups back in...

 

[TheCush]

I can't image not loving the sound of the Lollars and ever wanting to put the stock pups back in...

That's what I'm expecting, based on my research and listening to samples, etc. But you never know, as Rip's experience suggests. I guess my expectation is that I'll be really happy with where it winds up. As I was playing it over the weekend, I was finding myself searching for tone that wasn't there...

 

[Rip Topaz]

That's exactly what it was. You keep dialing yourself in circles looking for a tone that was there all along.

 

[TheCush]

That's exactly what it was. You keep dialing yourself in circles looking for a tone that was there all along.

I almost bought a Gibson pickup off eBay - gold covered T-Bird pickup with the cream surround. If I had the extra cash, I would have bought it just for the option. You could really go back and forth on these. But like I said earlier, I'm kind of on a mission now and there's just an idea in my head about the sound and look. We'll see how far I get toward merging reality with imagination, tho.

 

[TBird1958]

Here's a picture of my two girls:

So far they're getting along




See you on Halloween TBird1958 , hope you have a fun and safe road trip

And it was a good trip - pics soon!

Juankidiaz thank you for the pic of your girls.

Here's an updated roster, welcome iamthebassman and juankidiaz

TBird1958 #1
Godof Thunder59 #2
Funkster#3
Gibenbackerbass #4
Sidd Laroy #5
Jazzbo58 #6
Tender Prey #7
Showdown #8
The Mojo Hobo #9
Doctorpunch #10
Stiles72 #11
Brenner182 #12
Baird6869 #13
Poorbassist15 #14
PWV #15
Mr Typhus #16
Tracii #17
Aditya #18
amimbari #19
knifedge #20
Nitrofix #21
Atoz #22
bassphreak #23
Seydlitz #24
bassclef112 #25
bassplayer8953 #26
D.M.N. #27
Edhunter #28
kruno maestro #29
Tombowlus #30
Kalik #31
winterburn69 #32
Walter Vega 33
Carlos 840 #34
Shadowtippy #35
Saltymonkey #36
lel95 #37
gaffster787 #38
mc2ny #39
Low Sound Love #40
BrianKrashpad #41
Deep Six #42
BenEd #43
Bassmachine2112 #44
ponkoponk #45
Heatheroo #46
darkside 88 #47
GCool#48
TedhHernstorm #49
Darbo #50
uncletupelo #51
Vaider #52
Rip Topaz #53
bmb73 #54
Badfish #55
Afireinside #56
Redstrand #57
reptyls #58
dabido #59
96tbird #60
whilke #61
JIO #63
thebrain #64
Rob Martinez #65
bazzandeson #66
PhR #67
Dr.Eagle #68
lowend1 #69 Mopar or no car!
Basvarken #70
s mcsleazy #71
Burruss #72
Matty H #73
moonshinegtrs #74
bass lord mutha #75
jumbodbassman #76
davidprice #77
A-Step-Towards #78
birdman14 #79
Quadzilla #80
jbalou02 #81
johnk 10 #82
electrocoyote #83
ih8law #84
muzukman7 #85
3rdcurve #86
rdwil191 #87
BluesBear #88
JAF #89
Swin #90
TBirdie #91
bassplayerbob #92
trevorguns #93
Clammy #94
jammi_fool #95
Molochnik #96
Rocker47 #97
Shark1 #98
BlueTalon #99
Fab Superlative #100
Doragon #5150
ThumpsAlot #102
Doelle #103
AllyDetours #104
Southway #105
mav #106
tw63 #107
Casperrobo #108
Killa #109
roffe #110
SOB H.R.MC #111
icks #112
thepunisher #113
PatQ #114
Venom of God #115
Jirishman #116
Midas #117
GibsonBassCAZ #118
snowblinder #119
Tilli #120
3l3phantstomp #121
Thrust Meatnozl #122
gaudenti #123
Birdbrain #124
CBTB #125
greghol #126
DV6 #127
marlond #128
DWest1981 #129
Shinji #130
jaibeau #131
Warrioralex #132
jonesn4bass #133
Rono7003 #134
hillerup #135
Dadagoboi #136
MRDOOM #137
secretsound5 #138
trevorguns #139
J Sinister #140
Capitian Bob #141
guitarded #142
Fullback32 #143
Johnny78 #144
jelenko #145
Jools4001 #146
Porkbun #147
Lucas G #148
NOT #149
JtheB #150
Andii Syckz #151
sj bass #152
FrankenIbanez70 #153
Nosgoth #154
Artyom76 #155
D Bopp #156
CDRhom #157
Mark4 #158
thepest #159
TheCush #160
Pure eVal #161
iamthebassman #162
juankidiaz #163

 

[TheCush]

And it was a good trip - pics soon!

Juankidiaz thank you for the pic of your girls.

TBird - I've been listening to your vids, and your tone crushes. So cool. And your lead singer totally nails "She Sells Sanctuary". Your sound is tight. West Coast so hopefully I can catch you live sometime.

 

[TBird1958]

TBird - I've been listening to your vids, and your tone crushes. So cool. And your lead singer totally nails "She Sells Sanctuary". Your sound is tight. West Coast so hopefully I can catch you live sometime.

Thank you!

We are fortunate that some very loyal friends show up and shoot some video of us - This is from 10/29/2011 - I'm ever the clown onstage

The Nasty Habits - I Love Rock 'n Roll.MOV - YouTube

 

[wilbur88]

Can I have a number please?

 

[Mrfstop]

Can I have a number please?

WoW, beautiful Tbird...I am looking to find a White or Cherry Gibson Bird as well....Hard to find the white Gibson Birds

 

[wilbur88]

Thanks. Yeah I looked for this for a long time. Picked it up from Chicago Music Exchange about 2 years ago. it was pretty much NOS.

 

[Mrfstop]

Great score...Hope to be as lucky at some point.

 

[juankidiaz]

And it was a good trip - pics soon!

Juankidiaz thank you for the pic of your girls.

Here's an updated roster, welcome iamthebassman and juankidiaz

juankidiaz #163

Muchas gracias TBird1958, will wear my number with pride!

Can I have a number please?

I LOVE white T-Birds! Just beautiful, and actually prefer this version with the black pups, not a big fan of the chromes.

I guess it was good that I didn't have the option between white or vintage sunburst or I would have had a hard time choosing, they only had the vintage finish for the Epiphone Thunderbird IV