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Thunderbird Club

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I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical answer, pick one…

Mechanical Engineering answer - Gibson obviously uses the smaller and lighter screw at the neck strap pin location to reduce the weight that could contribute to neck dive.

Manufacturing Engineering answer - it’s all about cost son. That smaller screw is 1/4 of one cent less to purchase and takes up 1/10 less space in the parts bin. The drill bit costs less as well and since the hole isn’t as deep Gibson can complete the strap pin drilling operation 5% faster. After 10,000 basses made we save enough money on that screw to build an entire bass.

Civil Engineering answer - there’s a bridge involved! Don’t use the same small screw the neck pin uses, increase the safety factor of the bridge screw by 50%.

Electrical and Chemical Engineering answer - what’s a screw?

Gibson line workers answer - whoa dude, look at this small screw somebody put in my parts bin. Who am I to question management! Let the white collars eat this shist!

Gibson line manager answer - shut up and put the damn screw in!

Gibson QA inspector answer - what, you expect me to disassemble every bass that comes across my desk just to see if they used the right screws, your nutz!

Fender marketing manager - damn, have you guys seen that sweet Tbird NR Gibson just put out! Our only hope in hell is that Gibby will mess something up in production, probably something simple like a screw. With set necks, no control plates three point bridges and ultra light Hipshot tuners they don’t use nearly as many screws as we do, so they’re probably not as good at it.

TalkBass GenPop forum - the larger heavier screw at the bridge aids in sustain much like a high mass bridge, and the smaller screw at the neck reduces the amount of tone wood that needs to be removed.
you forgot 7ender corporate “we just sold Gibson a surplus of small screws in hopes they’ll use them at the horn causing straps to come undone ensuring the headstock repair tradition well into the 21st century”…
 
you forgot 7ender corporate “we just sold Gibson a surplus of small screws in hopes they’ll use them at the horn causing straps to come undone ensuring the headstock repair tradition well into the 21st century”…
That's a good one. An element of conspiracy always adds to the reality!
 
Did that Bad 'Bird push you down the steps? :D

I took the picture just before they hauled me away to the hospital - all those soft edges and materials broke my fall. :laugh:
 
Your problem is you're looking at it from Newtonian physics, which is not a thing so much anymore. If you apply some unknown law from Quantum Mechanics the screws could be the same.

There was a super-positioning of both large and small screws until I collapsed the duality by examining the system.

Mechanical Engineering answer - Gibson obviously uses the smaller and lighter screw at the neck strap pin location to reduce the weight that could contribute to neck dive.

Plausible??

Manufacturing Engineering answer - it’s all about cost son. That smaller screw is 1/4 of one cent less to purchase and takes up 1/10 less space in the parts bin. The drill bit costs less as well and since the hole isn’t as deep Gibson can complete the strap pin drilling operation 5% faster. After 10,000 basses made we save enough money on that screw to build an entire bass.

Manufacturing engineer Bean counter is ignoring the inventory cost of having to stock 4 parts rather than 2 and the streamlining of the BoM that allows better purchaing reducing total cost by $0.005 for double the savings. This ignores the savings in reduced tooling required.

Electrical and Chemical Engineering answer - what’s a screw?

The chemical engineer would use a screw to move fluids against gravity. You have to move the lacquer somehow. The electrical engineer is useless.

Gibson line workers answer - whoa dude, look at this small screw somebody put in my parts bin. Who am I to question management! Let the white collars eat this shist!

Gibson line manager answer - shut up and put the damn screw in!

Gibson QA inspector answer - what, you expect me to disassemble every bass that comes across my desk just to see if they used the right screws, your nutz!

OK, now you are just coming up with imaginary employees.

Fender marketing manager - damn, have you guys seen that sweet Tbird NR Gibson just put out! Our only hope in hell is that Gibby will mess something up in production, probably something simple like a screw. With set necks, no control plates three point bridges and ultra light Hipshot tuners they don’t use nearly as many screws as we do, so they’re probably not as good at it.

Can we send a Cease and Desist on that before we get one?

TalkBass GenPop forum - the larger heavier screw at the bridge aids in sustain much like a high mass bridge, and the smaller screw at the neck reduces the amount of tone wood that needs to be removed.

Should have bought a MiM P bass. No a MiJ Jazz! No, only the Fender USA line is good enough! As long as it is burst and has tort.
 
DC bird body arrives Friday....

Not sure what color to paint it.

I have three neck choices, a rosewood/maple VM Squier fretless jazz, a goncalo alves reverse telecaster fretless, and If I dismantle my jazz a paduk/sapelle fretted jazz.

If I use the jazz the headstock is already painted a 7enderish daphne blue, so that makes the color choice easy.


my new shoes arrived yesterday...

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Those are the most Thunderbird shoes! Always wear them when photgraphing Thunderbirds!

Go with the blue painted headstock and finish the body green. Then complain that you had to have a new neck becuase of detaching headstock syndrome and that when they refinished the headstock, you found out that the body had yellowed with age.
 
The chemical engineer would use a screw to move fluids against gravity. You have to move the lacquer somehow. The electrical engineer is useless.

My sheepskin says you are correct.

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And, yes, that is Governor Moonbeam's signature. Would have preferred he just put a picture of Linda Ronstadt.