- Mar 13, 2008
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- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
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Hey fellow thunderbird players,
Since getting my goth series epiphone thunderbird, it has been a blast, but also, it feels useless compared to my other basses. It lacks the tonal options, it is neck heavy, and i barely play it anymore.
I may perhaps sell it due to financial problems. And i don't know if i would reconsider buying another thunderbird. Unless i get one to my exact specs later on in life.
Do you guys have any thoughts? Pros and cons, opinions, advice, etc.
Thanks,
Andii
Since getting my goth series epiphone thunderbird, it has been a blast, but also, it feels useless compared to my other basses. It lacks the tonal options, it is neck heavy, and i barely play it anymore.
I may perhaps sell it due to financial problems. And i don't know if i would reconsider buying another thunderbird. Unless i get one to my exact specs later on in life.
Do you guys have any thoughts? Pros and cons, opinions, advice, etc.
Thanks,
Andii
Andii Syckz said:
Hey man,
It suck to have to sell your tbird bass.
I think you need to replace the straplock to the neckjoint
See no neckdive.
This is were the straplock on the blackbird is.
And tonal, i thing its the electronics in you bass, if you upgrade than to better pots and capasatators you can get more different sound out of IT. Or just play with the settings on you amp.
Cheers man.
Hey man,
It sucks to have to sell your tbird bass.
I think you need to replace the straplock to the neckjoint
See no neckdive.
First off, love the blackbird. And as for neck dive, i don't have an issue with that, since i hang my bird low with strap locks. perfect balance!!
Yeah well the treble pickup volume is scratchy, but with what pots and which capacitor should i use to upgrade it?
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Wide open pots (even cheap ones) have zero effect on sound as long as they are clean. Capacitors only cut treble. If the tone pot is on 10 you're hearing the full range of the pickup.
Change your strings and adjust pickup height if you want a better sound. Most bolt on neck Epis I've seen have pickups set too low and action too high from the factory. Set up has a major effect on tone.
As far as neck dive, Man Up or move on!
Change your strings and adjust pickup height if you want a better sound. Most bolt on neck Epis I've seen have pickups set too low and action too high from the factory. Set up has a major effect on tone.
As far as neck dive, Man Up or move on!
Wide open pots (even cheap ones) have zero effect on sound as long as they are clean. Capacitors only cut treble. If the tone pot is on 10 you're hearing the full range of the pickup.
Change your strings and adjust pickup height if you want a better sound. Most bolt on neck Epis I've seen have pickups set too low and action too high from the factory. Set up has a major effect on tone.
As far as neck dive, Man Up or move on!
I can deal with neck dive. My bird is perfectly setup, pickups are good height, action is straight, strings are good for the tone. Just it lacks "the" tone i'm seeking from my bird. Anyways, still thinking of selling it.
Theres always the option to make it sound the way you want by changing the pickups and/or adding a preamp.
I'm not a pro in any way! BUT... I had to sell my Epi Birds, Goth and IV due to lay offs and what not. I miss them every day!!!. I recently bought a Pro IV. Not to stoked about it. Lots of little things wrong with it. I finally figured out how to get close to the tone I like out of it. I like the neck through better, but still bright sounding. Any way, I think if you like it, even if you don't play it, KEEP IT! I regret selling mine every day. I didn't play em every day but when I did I loved them. I've tryed others but they'er not the same! Just my 2 cents worth. It sucks to live with regret every day
Dadagoboi said:
Strictly speaking, I dont think this is true. Even with a 250k tone pot on 10, the capacitor is still part of the circuit and still creates some treble roll off. (A no load pot will completely remove the cap from there circuit, and there is an audible difference.). From a practical standpoint though, listen to the man - the effect of the cap with the tone on 10 is negligible.
This is based on my ears and some fancy plots and diagrams provided to me over in the pickups and electronics forum.
This is what happens when you have an Epi Tbird, carbon fiber vinyl, and too much time and money. Tbird Purists, I apologize in advance
I like the carbon fiber look. My 2001 Gibson has a carbon fiber pickguard and truss rod cover. I need to get a good shot of it to post.
wvbass said:
250K pots are for singlecoil pickup not humbuckers, you need 500K for humbuckers thats why you get treble Roll off.
Cheers man
Theres always the option to make it sound the way you want by changing the pickups and/or adding a preamp.
But it sounds good with the stock pups and config through big cabs, just not my lil' practice amp. I never wanted to change the pickups unless i could get gibson ones. But i have no money to spend on evolving the bass to my liking for now.
I'm not a pro in any way! BUT... I had to sell my Epi Birds, Goth and IV due to lay offs and what not. I miss them every day!!!. I recently bought a Pro IV. Not to stoked about it. Lots of little things wrong with it. I finally figured out how to get close to the tone I like out of it. I like the neck through better, but still bright sounding. Any way, I think if you like it, even if you don't play it, KEEP IT! I regret selling mine every day. I didn't play em every day but when I did I loved them. I've tryed others but they'er not the same! Just my 2 cents worth. It sucks to live with regret every day
Well, i had the chance to try out plenty of thunderbirds ( Gibson IV, Gibson Blackbird, Epiphone blackbird, epiphone IV, epiphone Pro IV-not the classic IV- and Goth series)
Out of all, i like my goth for the look and sound it gave me when i first purchased it. But now, the neck, compared to my other owned basses, feels way~ chunkier than i remember it being. IF i do end up selling it, i'll build one to my specs later on. if i don't, well i guess that's it.
Or you could just change the neck on this one,like a Fenderbird or whatever neck you like then graft it on . I have also been torn between selling mine or keeping it and making a neck change, I do like the tones on this bird.good luck.
hey your remodelled goth bird, what are the controls? is it volume, tone, kill, or 2 volume and kill.
I'm posting the specs to my very own thunderbird that i might consider building in the future.
-Mahogany body
-Rosewood fingerboard with XII inlay at twelfth fret and PURDY inlay from 13th fret down in red
-Thunderbird headstock red with black bevelling
-Single ply Thunderbird truss rod cover
-20 medium jumbo frets
-Graph tech nut (white)
-7-piece walnut/maple? or mahogany
-Grover tuners black
-Gibson TB-plus ceramic humbuckers
-3 point or fixed
-34" scale
-1.5" nut width
-Pitch black or white with blood splatter.
-White speed knobs red markings
Thoughts? opinions, suggestion.
-Mahogany body
-Rosewood fingerboard with XII inlay at twelfth fret and PURDY inlay from 13th fret down in red
-Thunderbird headstock red with black bevelling
-Single ply Thunderbird truss rod cover
-20 medium jumbo frets
-Graph tech nut (white)
-7-piece walnut/maple? or mahogany
-Grover tuners black
-Gibson TB-plus ceramic humbuckers
-3 point or fixed
-34" scale
-1.5" nut width
-Pitch black or white with blood splatter.
-White speed knobs red markings
Thoughts? opinions, suggestion.
RedNeckBBQ said:
Agreed, the 500k tone should move the rolloff past the point of being noticeable. But don't IVs use 500k volume and 250k tone with a .047mf cap?
There solder on the pots i can read it
.but thy are really sucky quality, small crappy pots. and i lost cap but i think it was a .047mf
I don't like them and took it all out and made it passive.
i only got a killswits in my birds
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