Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

You know that we can go back and read your earlier posts, right?

Who in their right mind would do that?

 

[MCF]

I managed to play the GS Thunderbird today. It is thinner than I expected (my standard of comparison being a Thunderbird CP). It plays really nicely. Looks good in person. Overall, a very nice bass.

Still not sure that it is C$3500 nice.



Yeah, about that...

View attachment 4667452

I had an email earlier in the week that it came in (same time as the GS Thunderbird came in). I managed to go pick it up this afternoon.

Fortunately, it is supposed to be rainy this weekend, so I will have some time to get to know it.

Excellent! Congratulations! I’m happy it finally came in for you. You’ll love it.

 

[MCF]

Hey, I have an M1 license. I want to drive it

Me too!

 

[Nocturnal]

View attachment 4671746 View attachment 4671740 I need a little help for a friend. They are selling thier deceased husband's 90's Thunderbird. I know he chromed it out. Pickups have chromed covers and the back look a bit like TB plus. Thoughts?

Scott, that's my old bass. I bought it in 2002 with black hardware and the original MOT pick guard and ebony board. This was when I lived in NYC, and I took it in to the repair guy at Matt Umanov's because the trussrod couldn't get the neck where it needed to be. He put in in a heat press and that did the trick. I asked him about a post '87 bird they'd sold with chrome pickups, and he said it had been his. He said he'd worked at Gibson and had a stash of chromed out TB plus pickups from a special project they'd done at some point (in the 90s, I think). He sold me the last two he had and did the conversion for me. Bill always loved that bass so when I decided to sell it, he got first choice.

FTR (when it went to him), the pickups were genuine Gibson TB Plus, the bridge was off a Japanese Rivoli (from the early 90s), and I can't remember what the tuners were. Hipshot, I think, but I can't swear to it. It's a beautiful bass.

I remember that bass and thought it had originally belonged to George. I always lusted after that one.

@69'Vette You should post a couple pics of your old collection. It was quite impressive!

 

[Nocturnal]

@BklynKen This article mentions the truss rod channel depth at 3/8" deep. Not sure if that is standard but I bet its close.

How to build a bass guitar – Routing the truss rod channel | eBass

 

[dagrev]

He's in NYC. I bet I could find a diagnostic imaging tech who would put it through a CT after hours for $200...

Yes, if it can be found I'm sure NYC has it. He's in an ideal location. Might even find a luthier who has a cousin....

 

[dagrev]

I am still pondering how to get SIT steels. I may still default to the Thunderbird loving RS66.

You could try TI Jazz Rounds. These are what I used for weeks when my left hand had some serious cuts on the fingers. Which was the result of hardheaded stupidity, but I'm not sure when came first. They are not cheap at all, but will last a long time. Easiest string one could possibly play. Too easy for most. They are not bright, but very full sounding. How they get that out of such a small string is amazing.

 

[BklynKen]

@BklynKen This article mentions the truss rod channel depth at 3/8" deep. Not sure if that is standard but I bet its close.

How to build a bass guitar – Routing the truss rod channel | eBass

Thanks, Andy. That's a good start. But we're also talking Gibson here. ;-)

 

[Engle]

@BklynKen This article mentions the truss rod channel depth at 3/8" deep. Not sure if that is standard but I bet its close.

How to build a bass guitar – Routing the truss rod channel | eBass

That’s a dual action. AFAIK Gibson still uses a single action truss rod. It sits in a curved channel in the neck. The low point is in the middle.

 

[Nocturnal]

That’s a dual action. AFAIK Gibson still uses a single action truss rod. It sits in a curved channel in the neck. The low point is in the middle.

Good point.

 

[RedVee]

The stereo jack is to allow the (mono) cable to act as a switch for the electronics.

as in on/off ?

 

[icefly]

Toosday pic: shielding a bass

 

[Engle]

Toosday pic: shielding a bass

Nice!

 

[Stealth57]

Toosday pic: shielding a bass

Love copper tape.

 

[icefly]

Love copper tape.

Soon will shield my TBird... just getting more courage to take it apart

 

[WillyW]

I find 60 cycle hum calming…

I think my worst hum offenders are one of my Ric’s and my P90 Les Paul, still hasn’t got me bothered enough to do a shielding.

I don’t have a roll of aluminum tape though just in case.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Thanks, Andy. That's a good start. But we're also talking Gibson here. ;-)

my luthier uses a magnet to approximate (ahem) how deep the rod goes…

 

[MCF]

I've already listened to you enough recently, and it was costly. But it was sage advice I don't regret taking. I've always love NRs for some reason--as much as Reverses--maybe even a little more. But the Reverse feels like it was made fro me.

Always glad to help.

 

[WillyW]

my luthier uses a magnet to approximate (ahem) how deep the rod goes…

 

[bobyoung53]

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...

View attachment 4671494

They look like they bite.