Thunderbird Club

[Christine]

Very nice!

Wood that I had a shop... (Sorry)!

A router, drill, jigsaw a couple of G clamps and a flat surface is all you need, everything else just makes it a little easier

 

[MCF]

NS(ubie)D.
I like the color. Kind of like Gbassnorth's Porsche. Or that famous 7ender color.

 

[Klondike]

Looks like we have a mission - finding you a 'Bird.

Or finding a Bird that chooses him.

 

[Dadagoboi]

What's better than a black FenderBird? Two of them!

 

[Klondike]

The Fenderbird is coming along, the contour on the back is done, did it with a drawknife, one of my favourite tools from old. The routing under the pickgusrd to allow the wiring from the front pup to get to the control cavity is done along with the 1/4" radius around the front of the body. It was all sanded down to 240 grit and 3 coats of sanding sealer sprayed on and then sanded off again before 4 coats of black nitro over the course of the day, did I mention I hate rattle cans?

Today it got a little cutting back to ensure there were no blemishes before the clear coats go on, so far 2 coats have been applied and hopefully another later on this afternoon but that will be it then until next weekend

Contour done but you can hardly see it

View attachment 987884

Sanding sealer on finished body

View attachment 987885

Body after cutting back, it looks all lumpy in the photo but it is flat all over

View attachment 987886

She's looking real good so far.

Question for ya Colin, how did you rout fot the pups, neck pocket & control cavity? Did you use a jig? And if so how did you build the jigs?

 

[Klondike]

Anybodies comments in reguards to my question are welcome.

 

[TBird1958]

NS(ubie)D.
I like the color. Kind of like Gbassnorth's Porsche. Or that famous 7ender color.
View attachment 987905

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

Subaru Rules! Drive with confidence in any weather, great cars for the working bassist, out keyboard player has the same car and loves it, sturdy as &^$#.

 

[Dadagoboi]

Anybodies comments in reguards to my question are welcome.

I use templates. This is my main one for pickups, neck pockets, and bridge.

Real beauty, eh?

My workhorse pin router, $700 used.

I also use a Porter Cable 1/2" router for a lot of the process

There's an in depth thread at The Last Bass Outpost on how I developed the JAEbird FenderBird:
Project JAEbird

 

[Mike.C.]

3rd ever gig last night. Showcased the Pro IV w/flats on Tom Petty's Louisiana Rain and Free Fallin'. No action shots have surfaced... yet.

 

[GBassNorth]

NS(ubie)D.
I like the color. Kind of like Gbassnorth's Porsche. Or that famous 7ender color.
View attachment 987905

Love it! For sheer utility, freedom and fun it's hard to beat a Subie SUV. And I never really gave it much thought but you're right, the color is close to a vintage Fender Ice Blue Metallic...

’65 Fender Strat in Ice Blue Metallic.
In different light it might take on a violet or purple hue and at dusk it looks almost gun metal blue. Love the color, well played sir, and congrats on the NSD!
Now we need a rear shot of your new Subie with a TBird on a stand in the foreground.

 

[GBassNorth]

I think we have a TBird Brother/Sister in New Zealand, hope they are ok and not effected by the large quake there today.

 

[Christine]

She's looking real good so far.

Question for ya Colin, how did you rout fot the pups, neck pocket & control cavity? Did you use a jig? And if so how did you build the jigs?

Yes with a jig made out 0f 5/8 MDF and a 3/8 router bit with a top guide bearing. The jig was that thick to allow me to plunge into the wood and still have a guide. I actually made a jig to make that jig, it sounds ca bit OTT by it's easier to get a thin bit of material straight and to shape than a thick one. I made the first jig out of perspex (only because I had some, any board about 1/8 - 1/4 would do) by marking, cutting out with a jigsaw then filing and sanding. Then screwed that to the 5/8MDF and routed that to shape and hey presto a perfect jig

 

[Christine]

I use templates. This is my main one for pickups, neck pockets, and bridge.

Real beauty, eh?

My workhorse pin router, $700 used.

I also use a Porter Cable 1/2" router for a lot of the process

There's an in depth thread at The Last Bass Outpost on how I developed the JAEbird FenderBird:
Project JAEbird

That's a cool machine, absolutely perfect for your job, I bet that saves weeks over the course of a year

 

[MCF]

Love it! For sheer utility, freedom and fun it's hard to beat a Subie SUV. And I never really gave it much thought but you're right, the color is close to a vintage Fender Ice Blue Metallic...

’65 Fender Strat in Ice Blue Metallic.
In different light it might take on a violet or purple hue and at dusk it looks almost gun metal blue. Love the color, well played sir, and congrats on the NSD!
Now we need a rear shot of your new Subie with a TBird on a stand in the foreground.

They call it Quartz Blue Pearl. I had an 87 Volvo 740 turbo wagon years ago that was very close to it. Looks very nice in person. Been driving Subies the last four years; Volvo priced themselves out of the game.

 

[Christine]

What's better than a black FenderBird? Two of them!

If mine turns out half as good as yours I'll be well chuffed, but two? That's just showing off

 

[veebass]

What's better than a black FenderBird? Two of them!

Must stop looking at these pictures.

 

[Dadagoboi]

If mine turns out half as good as yours I'll be well chuffed, but two? That's just showing off

Must stop looking at these pictures.

I've built at least 40 JAEbird FenderBird clones, those two just happened to be in the shop at the same time. They're usually out the door as soon as they're done.

 

[RedVee]

Good luck to all our Kiwi members, friends and neighbours

 

[Dadagoboi]

That's a cool machine, absolutely perfect for your job, I bet that saves weeks over the course of a year

Yep, here it is doing a perimeter route.

 

[hillerup]

No pictures yet from last nights show - But here are two videos a friend took at the start of the show: