Thunderbird Club

[Engle]

I like colours, but beautiful wood shouldn’t be hidden
IMO. This one was light blue originally. There’s no way I would hide the Koa.

 

[BklynKen]

I like colours, but beautiful wood shouldn’t be hidden
IMO. This one was light blue originally. There’s no way I would hide the Koa.
View attachment 4731023

Same for my mahogany, but assume it was always like this.

 

[Engle]

Same for my mahogany, but assume it was always like this.

View attachment 4731037

Mine was stripped when I got it, but the blue is still in the PU cavities. It was a colour similar to the Twitter logo.

 

[WillyW]

I like colours, but beautiful wood shouldn’t be hidden
IMO. This one was light blue originally. There’s no way I would hide the Koa.
View attachment 4731023

I tend to only like koa and walnut, burly splaty wood doesn’t do it for me….



But even walnuts aren’t safe from being painted


And defretted

 

[dagrev]

I like colours, but beautiful wood shouldn’t be hidden
IMO. This one was light blue originally. There’s no way I would hide the Koa.
View attachment 4731023

That's fantastic. Dark woods look really good natural. It's typically the light woods that are uninteresting for me. Classic example was the fad in the mid 70s.

 

[Blazer]

Well, I was in the German city of Aachen today and I visited my favorite music store where I saw THIS in the window.

I simply couldn't leave without taking it with me.

It's not a Vintage New Old stock body, it's in just too good a shape to be one of those.

Well then, time for me to buy some maple and start building it a neck. Pickups wise, I'll think I'm going to go with a Mudbucker and string the bugger up with Flatwounds and just start thumping away.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Post a pic and we can try to identify it. If not, we know where you could ask. The Spector Club is as rabid/dedicated as us Bird lovers.

thx man, kinda hard to tell….single 9v batt…

 

[stlrocker]

That's fantastic. Dark woods look really good natural. It's typically the light woods that are uninteresting for me. Classic example was the fad in the mid 70s.
View attachment 4731104

I'm with ya on that. I had this in natural ash. Liked the bass didn't like the finish too much.

Now it is this. Much better to my eyes.

I didn't paint the original body. Still have the original on a shelf. This is one I made so I could do binding and paint it how I wanted.

 

[godofthunder59]

Congrats!

I get plenty of complements on mine. Stunning in person.
View attachment 4730975

I love this color! I have a Inverness Green one as well!

 

[godofthunder59]

I have to say my wife is the best! Early Bday present. I picked up another 2021 Nonreverse Thunderbird, this one in sparkling burgundy, man I love the color. Plays and sounds great, full setup and new Rotosounds later today. Here's a first look. Believe it or not I am not going to mod it.View attachment 4730941

A few more pictures. I got the controls sorted and removed the bridge pickup spacer. A quick set up. quarter turn on the truss rod, lower the bridge, little filling on the nut, check intonation

and it plays great!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I'm with ya on that. I had this in natural ash. Liked the bass didn't like the finish too much.

View attachment 4731141

Now it is this. Much better to my eyes.

View attachment 4731147

I didn't paint the original body. Still have the original on a shelf. This is one I made so I could do binding and paint it how I wanted.

didn’t care much for that satin finish either….that said, lotta bass for the money back when new….heavy..

 

[BklynKen]

A few more pictures. I got the controls sorted and removed the bridge pickup spacer. A quick set up. quarter turn on the truss rod, lower the bridge, little filling on the nut, check intonation and it plays great!

What was the reason for removing the spacer?

 

[Nocturnal]

thx man, kinda hard to tell….single 9v batt…
View attachment 4731143 View attachment 4731144 View attachment 4731145 View attachment 4731146

Sorry, I can't tell from the pictures. Is the white area a circuit board?

 

[KaraQ]

thx man, kinda hard to tell….single 9v batt…
View attachment 4731143 View attachment 4731144 View attachment 4731145 View attachment 4731146

I'm not a Spector expert, but it at least doesn't look like the Haz pre-amp, or one of the clones; most of those I've seen have been one large, integrated unit, that fits the full space of the electronics compartment.

Looks stock/original though, so maybe one of the Tone Pump variants?

 

[JIO]

I hear you. I would rather necks not be painted. I prefer the finish be worn off and love that feel. With no paint and a clear finish it's not noticeable, much. With a painted neck it's kind of all or nothing.

Next best option other than stripping is using an abrasive fiber pad to dull the gloss and/or neutralize stickiness. You can find them at hardware and paint stores. I use it on all my gloss bass necks. Once it gets buffed back to a gloss from playing, just dull it again. It doesn't remove material - more that it dulls gloss and give a very nice feeling satin/matte finish. I even did it on my '64 T-bird. Feels great!

 

[TBird1958]

I'm with ya on that. I had this in natural ash. Liked the bass didn't like the finish too much.

View attachment 4731141

Now it is this. Much better to my eyes.

View attachment 4731147

I didn't paint the original body. Still have the original on a shelf. This is one I made so I could do binding and paint it how I wanted.

That looks great in red - It's the only FSO that intrigues me, I'll have to find one to try sometime. Love that clock on your wall too, Mid-Century coolness.

 

[godofthunder59]

What was the reason for removing the spacer?

Puts the bridge pickup up to high, gets in my way big time.

 

[JIO]

Well, I was in the German city of Aachen today and I visited my favorite music store where I saw THIS in the window.
View attachment 4731117 View attachment 4731118
I simply couldn't leave without taking it with me.

It's not a Vintage New Old stock body, it's in just too good a shape to be one of those.

Well then, time for me to buy some maple and start building it a neck. Pickups wise, I'll think I'm going to go with a Mudbucker and string the bugger up with Flatwounds and just start thumping away.

The back is really nice looking - maybe do a sparkle finish on the front, something very un-violin bass.

 

[BklynKen]

Puts the bridge pickup up to high, gets in my way big time.

Funny. I've never tried one of these, but the bridge pickup is always my thumb rest, so not sure how that would work for me.

 

[Blazer]

The back is really nice looking - maybe do a sparkle finish on the front, something very un-violin bass.

And while it might be Un-Violin bass, it's also very much a Captain Sensible thing.