Thunderbird Club

[GonePlaid]

Mine all insist on being slung low so never a problem so long as I stand.

In consideration of my pi$$ poor knees, I prop my fazaza on the edge of a stool. Not quite as low as I like to sling it, but it sure as hell ain't up under my chin(s).

 

[JIO]

THanks again, I think I'm done tweaking it now. Just played through a bunch of tunes and outside of a sore sternum, feeling good about how it plays. Gonna find a couple bucks for a wider strap and then fire it up for practice this weekend. Your advice has been great and appreciated!

A wide grippy (leather) strap is a good purchase. If you want further 'grounding' to avoid neck dive, see my pic (above) and how I loop my strap over the lower bout. I've done this for years and it pulls the body into yours and stops any tendencies for neck-diving. Simple and effective.

 

[GonePlaid]

THanks again, I think I'm done tweaking it now. Just played through a bunch of tunes and outside of a sore sternum, feeling good about how it plays. Gonna find a couple bucks for a wider strap and then fire it up for practice this weekend. Your advice has been great and appreciated!

I was gonna say, f---* with it for awhile. It's a new toy. You gots plenty o' time to experiment/modify.

*ool

 

[GonePlaid]

A wide grippy (leather) strap is a good purchase. If you want further 'grounding' to avoid neck dive, see my pic (above) and how I loop my strap over the lower bout. I've done this for years and it pulls the body into yours and stops any tendencies for neck-diving. Simple and effective.

Yes, but-unlike me-you have less of your body to pull in to.

 

[JIO]

In consideration of my pi$$ poor knees, I prop my fazaza on the edge of a stool. Not quite as low as I like to sling it, but it sure as hell ain't up under my chin(s).

I think the look is cool (illustrated by Scott Walker) but usually sling my hollow-body lower -

New Years Eve gig at Winters a few years ago - judging from our concentration, it must have been an instrumental.

 

[KaraQ]

I freaking love that band! Still bummed I’ll never play half as good as Ale was playing by 12 or 13.

Same....

That video of her playing Hysteria (Muse) live at like 9/10.....I waffle between just giving up, & trying harder

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

That's the beauty of individual playing style/choice. For me (incorporating a more conventional playing position) - it's a less ergonomic design... to say the least. It never stopped me rom rocking it though.

And frankly - it's not like I ride it high. (position-wise that is...) photo credit to Chucky - Winters Tavern
View attachment 4639901

cool customer…..

 

[GonePlaid]

Same....

That video of her playing Hysteria (Muse) live at like 9/10.....I waffle between just giving up, & trying harder

Seriously, we all have our our talents, abilities, etc. Call it inspiration to be the best you can. I know I reached my peak(technically)in ~82, but I still have my ear and my knowledge/recognition of a ship(sp?) load of tunes of a helluva lotta genres. The arthritis says I won't be as fast as I once was, but what I play will fit.

 

[JIO]

Same....

That video of her playing Hysteria (Muse) live at like 9/10.....I waffle between just giving up, & trying harder

As much as I understand that saying/reflection - when I see/hear a phenomenal bass-player, it always inspires me to want to have a piece of that on whatever level I can do it on. I get how some players are naturally gifted (and they worked hard to develop their natural gift) and am thankful to have been 'gifted' with the desire to be a part of it all. If everyone were at that level - what would motivate anyone else to pick up an instrument?

 

[JIO]

Seriously, we all have our our talents, abilities, etc. Call it inspiration to be the best you can. I know I reached my peak(technically)in ~82, but I still have my ear and my knowledge/recognition of a ship(sp?) load of tunes of a helluva lotta genres. The arthritis says I won't be as fast as I once was, but what I play will fit.

word

 

[WillyW]

ok setup update. Rather than get caught up in the #s of string heights and stuff, I figured I'd just play the bass. I did set the intonation and the 12th fret notes are totally in tune, as are the open strings. Playing the bass itself feels good, though in a seated position, that upper horn likes to carve into my ribcage.

Now, someone talk to me about pickup heights, or should I leave them alone. Turning the screws doesn't do much in the way of raising or lowering and things sound good to my ears so far. Thoughts?

Hah! I have a permanent soft-spot on my rib-cage from playing my T-bird. It's less noticeable these days as I'm playing more ergonomic basses, but it's there. I guess if one slings it low there isn't an issue. There are formula's for pu height, but if it's too close, you'll get 'wolf notes' (feedback/surges) in certain notes. The other concern is getting each string to have balanced output. Add to this that the E and A strings will vibrate/move up and down more than the D & G so that also needs to be taken into account. No wolf notes/surges, balanced string output and you are good to go.

I wear a strap when seated, and depending on the bass, it either rests gently on my leg or just barely not resting, so I don’t get any digging. I’m almost exclusively Rickenbacker and Firebird basses anymore… heel strap buttons on the Firebird basses, horn buttons on the Ric’s. Treble geetars sit a touch higher, and are almost exclusively heel buttons (hate strats and big horned sumbich’s)

I have a little more time to type out how I set up..

On Tuna-matic/3 point/2 point (without individual saddle adjustment) bridges, the radius of the strings to the fingerboard never changes, so setting the E and G strings respectively, sets the A and D strings, assuming the saddle radius is correct. (Nut/saddle files correct radius problems)

once the nut is cut to my liking, (I like how @JIO explained fretting the 3rd fret then checking the first, I haven’t been able to explain it as concisely as that)

Neck relief can be done with a capo on the first fret, finger of one hand at the last fret, and tapping the string against a fret at about the middle of the board from where the body and neck are attaches (not the middle between first and last fret) I only set neck relief based on the E string, no need to fiddle with all the strings

No gap and “ping” loosen the truss rod, HUGE/gap and “ping” tighten the truss rod. You will learn how much relief you like.

instead of a capo I use my elbow at the last fret, other hand at the first and use my elbow hand to ping the string. (Capo is always in the acoustic guitar case in the back of the closet)

I lower the E side of the bridge, so I get too much buzz as I play up the neck. Raise the E side until the buzz barely goes away to my liking. Repeat on the G side. If the saddle radius is good then A and D is good.

Initial pickup height is the only time I use anything to measure. I think I use roughly 1mm picks.

I set 2 picks stacked on the bass or treble side of the pickup.

Fret on the last fret.

bass side, the stacked picks barely touch the string.

treble side, the stacked picks drag more than a little against the string.

repeat for multiple pickups. Slightly higher for single coils.

After the initial rough height adjustment I tend to not have to raise the pickups.

again fretted on the last fret I listen to for balance between the E and G strings

then I listen for balance between multiple pickups (but I really favor neck pickup volume)

there are other methods of adjusting the height based on sustain vs the magnetic pull of the pickups and voodoo and such but it’s too complicated for me.

 

[JIO]

I wear a strap when seated, and depending on the bass, it either rests gently on my leg or just barely not resting, so I don’t get any digging. I’m almost exclusively Rickenbacker and Firebird basses anymore… heel strap buttons on the Firebird basses, horn buttons on the Ric’s. Treble geetars sit a touch higher, and are almost exclusively heel buttons (hate strats and big horned sumbich’s)

I have a little more time to type out how I set up..

On Tuna-matic/3 point/2 point (without individual saddle adjustment) bridges, the radius of the strings to the fingerboard never changes, so setting the E and G strings respectively, sets the A and D strings, assuming the saddle radius is correct. (Nut/saddle files correct radius problems)

once the nut is cut to my liking, (I like how @JIO explained fretting the 3rd fret then checking the first, I haven’t been able to explain it as concisely as that)

Neck relief can be done with a capo on the first fret, finger of one hand at the last fret, and tapping the string against a fret at about the middle of the board from where the body and neck are attaches (not the middle between first and last fret)

No gap and “ping” loosen the truss rod, HUGE/gap and “ping” tighten the truss rod. You will learn how much relief you like.

instead of a capo I use my elbow at the last fret, other hand at the first and use my elbow hand to ping the string. (Capo is always in the acoustic guitar case in the back of the closet)

I lower the E side of the bridge, so I get too much buzz as I play up the neck. Raise the E side until the buzz barely goes away to my liking. Repeat on the G side. If the saddle radius is good then A and D is good.

Initial pickup height is the only time I use anything to measure. I think I use roughly 1mm picks.

I set 2 picks stacked on the bass or treble side of the pickup.

Fret on the last fret.

bass side, the stacked picks barely touch the string.

treble side, the stacked picks drag more than a little against the string.

repeat for multiple pickups. Slightly higher for single coils.

After the initial rough height adjustment I tend to not have to raise the pickups.

again fretted on the last fret I listen to for balance between the E and G strings

then I listen for balance between multiple pickups (but I really favor neck pickup volume)

there are other methods of adjusting the height based on sustain vs the magnetic pull of the pickups and voodoo and such but it’s too complicated for me.

View attachment 4639934

Member #1 of the TB Official Firebird Bass Club


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[WillyW]

Member #1 of the TB Official Firebird Bass Club


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also member #1 of the bunny slipper base club…

 

[GBassNorth]

Ok team, I am working on setting up my TB. I am trying to get the strings a little lower to the fretboard. The E is measuring at 2.25mm at the 12th fret and the G is measuring at nearly 2.75mm!
I have tried tightening the bridge screw at the G string, but it appears to already be all the way tightened. Moving the saddle wouldn't help, would it?
I've adjusted the truss rod and have pretty good relief at the 7th fret, feeler gauge is not hitting the bottom of the E.
Any suggestions for next steps?

I typically like the action low on most of my basses, my Tbird target is between 2/32” and 3/32” gap at the 12th fret on an open E (I think that translates to about 1.6mm to 2.4mm) so you’re pretty close. String tension also plays a role in how low you can go. Super stiff strings may allow a bit lower action than super floppy strings, most of my strings are on the stiffer side.

Good point about the nut. If the slots are too high, it doesn’t matter how low the bridge is, it’s going to be hard to play.
I believe intonation should be the last thing you adjust. If you change the action, you change the amount of compensation required.

Yep.

My preference is to do intonation as a last step as well. I find if I try to jump ahead on the intonation I just have to redo it all over again in the end anyway.

 

[5StringBlues]

Cliff gave duck DUNN a burst non reverse. I wonder if it was that 1.

And a NR at that!!

 

[PillO]

Member #1 of the TB Official Firebird Bass Club


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also member #1 of the bunny slipper base club…

View attachment 4639945

View attachment 4639946

The premier club on talk bass is the princess fingers club.

 

[JJR58]

Nah, dude. Even I have one.

Then you’re added to the list

 

[dagrev]

THanks again, I think I'm done tweaking it now. Just played through a bunch of tunes and outside of a sore sternum, feeling good about how it plays. Gonna find a couple bucks for a wider strap and then fire it up for practice this weekend. Your advice has been great and appreciated!

I use a nice padded leather strap that is suede backed. Keeps things in place nicely; nor do I need to sling it any lower than other basses for playability. None if which are low. I'm 6ft, so maybe that makes a difference, I din't know. But you have to find what works for you. I personally don't want or need any of my basses in different positions.

 

[JJR58]

I think it’s a 68. Most of finish wear was there when I bought it in 79.

See gang, nothing out of the ordinary for this forum.

 

[dagrev]

cool customer…..
View attachment 4639932

And he has a disco halo to boot!