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Thunderbird Club

#208,961
JIO said:
There were questions about shaving a neck here recently. After getting my ESP/GrassRoots BassIV with it's V-profile neck (and really digging it) I thought I'd do that profile on my Glam PJ.

Here's a short step-by-step on how I did it.

I used my contour gauge to determine both profiles at 1/2 way between the nut and the 1st fret. I was surprised at how little difference there was. It reminded me that our left-hand "feel" is very sensitive to minute differences. So as much as it's a V profile - it's a soft V - but still very noticeable.
View attachment 4704916
Here's the contour guage impression of the Bass IV - right side is off but incrementally so... it's only so accurate. Still looks 'U' but it slopes from the crest subtly as the illustration above shows.
View attachment 4704917
I cut a guide out of scrap wood as the contour guide moves. Plus, it didn't scar the wood as metal tangs would.
View attachment 4704919
Still a bit off - I used a combination of flat-blades and sand-paper (P50 & 120) and checked often for progress. When flat-blading, I made sure to do broad passes down the neck to keep the transition smooth.
View attachment 4704923
The contour gauge on the BassIV -
View attachment 4704927
...and on the Glam PJ - sorted! I didn't take pics of the GPJ before - but it was a more rounded "baseball-bat" profile. Once the desired soft V profile was achieved I did the 220 sanding, and a few wipe-on satin poly coats. (which is how I treated it originally years ago) It is an AllParts Fender Authorized 1 piece maple J neck. I only focused on the first position area because that's where I noticed the different the most.
View attachment 4704928
Hope this helps anyone wondering if they themselves can fine-tune their necks. As long as you are patient and cross-check as you're doing it - it's possible and frankly having your neck be the way you like it is huge. For me it makes or breaks a bass.
Click to expand...

We'll soon find out from @BklynKen
 
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#208,963
JJR58 said:
We'll find out soon from @BklynKen
Click to expand...

I just posted it as a preview that doing things to make your personal instrument exactly the way you want it is not as daunting as it sometimes appears. It's why I don't get into excessive fetishizing about vintage basses - I added a bridge pu to my '64 II because I wanted more tonal variety from it and I never regretted doing so since I did it in '87. Unless you (not you Jeff) are 'flipping' basses like so many on tb - your bass is yours to do whatever you want with it - period. "oh no... why would anyone do ____?" ... because they owned/played it and this whole extreme fetishizing about "vintage"/"original" hadn't happened yet. An instrument was an instrument - not an 'investment' to polish to death and put on a pedestal. I have vintage basses - some stock original, some restored and some modified. Screw collectors. I'm a player and unless I work on a bass to sell - I make it mine, whatever that takes.
 
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#208,967
dagrev said:
That's what people not in cults say.
Click to expand...
Critical for a cult's success is awesome headwear.

maxresdefault.jpg
 
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#208,968
bobyoung53 said:
My wrist is just about straight when I play.
Click to expand...

I'm suffering from a left-hand injury that makes playing very difficult. The only way I can make it happen is using correct form and a light touch. Still painful, but I am able to complete a three hour rehearsal and optimally a 45min live set. Live is harder because there are no breaks between songs. Last live show we did two weeks ago, we only did 8 of the usually 13 songs on our set-list. Eventually it will get better...
 
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#208,970
JIO said:
I'm suffering from a left-hand injury that makes playing very difficult. The only way I can make it happen is using correct form and a light touch. Still painful, but I am able to complete a three hour rehearsal and optimally a 45min live set. Live is harder because there are no breaks between songs. Last live show we did two weeks ago, we only did 8 of the usually 13 songs on our set-list. Eventually it will get better...
Click to expand...
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Hand problems suck.
 
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#208,973
JIO said:
I just posted it as a preview that doing things to make your personal instrument exactly the way you want it is not as daunting as it sometimes appears. It's why I don't get into excessive fetishizing about vintage basses - I added a bridge pu to my '64 II because I wanted more tonal variety from it and I never regretted doing so since I did it in '87. Unless you (not you Jeff) are 'flipping' basses like so many on tb - your bass is yours to do whatever you want with it - period. "oh no... why would anyone do ____?" ... because they owned/played it and this whole extreme fetishizing about "vintage"/"original" hadn't happened yet. An instrument was an instrument - not an 'investment' to polish to death and put on a pedestal. I have vintage basses - some stock original, some restored and some modified. Screw collectors. I'm a player and unless I work on a bass to sell - I make it mine, whatever that takes.
Click to expand...

Totally got ya Geo.

Haven't flipped the 3 I have.
Which is unusual for me.
Love them all.
But I want to do some mods to all 3.
 
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#208,974
JIO said:
Glad to hear a very non-Thunderbird bass song being played on a T-bird. Further proof it's not the bass.
Click to expand...

In fact, visually Thunderbird doesn't match the style of Mammas & The Pappas.

At first glance it claims more 70s rock.
Now I've realized that need to look for and practice more songs from this period, to put Tbird to good use.

That said, wait for me on next days, or next weekend ;)
 
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#208,975
JJR58 said:
Totally got ya Geo.

Haven't flipped the 3 I have.
Which is unusual for me.
Love them all.
But I want to do some mods to all 3.
Click to expand...

If I can offer any assistance - feel free to ask! My favorite basses I own are the ones I had something to do with. My '66 P and '68 Custom Kraft hollow-body are two of the only basses I own that are pretty much dead stock. But I still had to do work on them to make them mine.
 
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#208,976
JIO said:
I just posted it as a preview that doing things to make your personal instrument exactly the way you want it is not as daunting as it sometimes appears. It's why I don't get into excessive fetishizing about vintage basses - I added a bridge pu to my '64 II because I wanted more tonal variety from it and I never regretted doing so since I did it in '87. Unless you (not you Jeff) are 'flipping' basses like so many on tb - your bass is yours to do whatever you want with it - period. "oh no... why would anyone do ____?" ... because they owned/played it and this whole extreme fetishizing about "vintage"/"original" hadn't happened yet. An instrument was an instrument - not an 'investment' to polish to death and put on a pedestal. I have vintage basses - some stock original, some restored and some modified. Screw collectors. I'm a player and unless I work on a bass to sell - I make it mine, whatever that takes.
Click to expand...
What’s funny to me is the people that go to great lengths to keep old MIJ guitars/basses original when they restore them.

I would much rather have a highly functional instrument than one that’s got 100% original parts, but won’t stay in tune or can’t be set up properly.
 
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