Thunderbird Club

[Stealth57]

When you going to sell me the short tbird?

Right after he sells me the 2015

 

[MCF]

When you going to sell me the short tbird?

 

[Dr Cryptosis]

I'd love to hear more details.

All the parts are available from Philadelphia Luthier and Supply. You would need the 2 Thunderbird frames, pickup covers, 4 pick up screws, 12 standard Gibson pickguard screws for the frames. It is about a 30 minute job. You will want to add additional padding under the pickups. Gibson never puts enough. You use the same springs that are currently in use. Otherwise just make sure you line the frames and body routs properly. Yes you must drill the holes for the frames. Yes you are permanently altering the bass. From my stand point you are not altering a collectible 59 Les Paul. I like the sound of the bass as it came from Gibson. Also the hipshot bridge and tuners along with the active preamp option. The chunkier neck profile and radius is a strong plus for me. With all respects to Rex Brown it doesnt matter to me that its a Rex Brown model Thunderbird. I doubt it will ever be a collectible bass and it doesnt matter to me anyway. It was all about the features it offered and knowing what I could do with it.

 

[Dr Cryptosis]

All the parts are available from Philadelphia Luthier and Supply. You would need the 2 Thunderbird frames, pickup covers, 4 pick up screws, 12 standard Gibson pickguard screws for the frames. It is about a 30 minute job. You will want to add additional padding under the pickups. Gibson never puts enough. You use the same springs that are currently in use. Otherwise just make sure you line the frames and body routs properly. Yes you must drill the holes for the frames. Yes you are permanently altering the bass. From my stand point you are not altering a collectible 59 Les Paul. I like the sound of the bass as it came from Gibson. Also the hipshot bridge and tuners along with the active preamp option. The chunkier neck profile and radius is a strong plus for me. With all respects to Rex Brown it doesnt matter to me that its a Rex Brown model Thunderbird. I doubt it will ever be a collectible bass and it doesnt matter to me anyway. It was all about the features it offered and knowing what I could do with it.

Parts cost was about $85.00 total.

 

[GBassNorth]

Parts cost was about $85.00 total.

Looks fantastic!
Makes me want to go out and buy a Gibson Rex Brown bird to go with my Spector Rex Brown 5 string.
I’m kinda partial to gold hardware (as you can see on my avatar).

 

[MCF]

All the parts are available from Philadelphia Luthier and Supply. You would need the 2 Thunderbird frames, pickup covers, 4 pick up screws, 12 standard Gibson pickguard screws for the frames. It is about a 30 minute job. You will want to add additional padding under the pickups. Gibson never puts enough. You use the same springs that are currently in use. Otherwise just make sure you line the frames and body routs properly. Yes you must drill the holes for the frames. Yes you are permanently altering the bass. From my stand point you are not altering a collectible 59 Les Paul. I like the sound of the bass as it came from Gibson. Also the hipshot bridge and tuners along with the active preamp option. The chunkier neck profile and radius is a strong plus for me. With all respects to Rex Brown it doesnt matter to me that its a Rex Brown model Thunderbird. I doubt it will ever be a collectible bass and it doesnt matter to me anyway. It was all about the features it offered and knowing what I could do with it.

And well it should be.

 

[BklynKen]

All the parts are available from Philadelphia Luthier and Supply. You would need the 2 Thunderbird frames, pickup covers, 4 pick up screws, 12 standard Gibson pickguard screws for the frames. It is about a 30 minute job. You will want to add additional padding under the pickups. Gibson never puts enough. You use the same springs that are currently in use. Otherwise just make sure you line the frames and body routs properly. Yes you must drill the holes for the frames. Yes you are permanently altering the bass. From my stand point you are not altering a collectible 59 Les Paul. I like the sound of the bass as it came from Gibson. Also the hipshot bridge and tuners along with the active preamp option. The chunkier neck profile and radius is a strong plus for me. With all respects to Rex Brown it doesnt matter to me that its a Rex Brown model Thunderbird. I doubt it will ever be a collectible bass and it doesnt matter to me anyway. It was all about the features it offered and knowing what I could do with it.

Absolutely agree about making it your own. You didn't need to peel off the stock plastic covers first?

 

[Dr Cryptosis]

Absolutely agree about making it your own. You didn't need to peel off the stock plastic covers first?

The plastic covers are a separate piece from the pickups themselves.

 

[Dr Cryptosis]

The plastic covers are a separate piece from the pickups themselves.

Gibson only used minimal foam pads which really wasnt sufficient to keep thr pickup from rattling around inside the plastic cover. The plastic cover was only held in place by 2 side screws.

 

[BklynKen]

Gibson only used minimal foam pads which really wasnt sufficient to keep thr pickup from rattling around inside the plastic cover. The plastic cover was only held in place by 2 side screws.

Ah, those must be different. On standard TB+ people have had to cut away the black plastic.

 

[KaraQ]

All the parts are available from Philadelphia Luthier and Supply. You would need the 2 Thunderbird frames, pickup covers, 4 pick up screws, 12 standard Gibson pickguard screws for the frames. It is about a 30 minute job. You will want to add additional padding under the pickups. Gibson never puts enough. You use the same springs that are currently in use. Otherwise just make sure you line the frames and body routs properly. Yes you must drill the holes for the frames. Yes you are permanently altering the bass. From my stand point you are not altering a collectible 59 Les Paul. I like the sound of the bass as it came from Gibson. Also the hipshot bridge and tuners along with the active preamp option. The chunkier neck profile and radius is a strong plus for me. With all respects to Rex Brown it doesnt matter to me that its a Rex Brown model Thunderbird. I doubt it will ever be a collectible bass and it doesnt matter to me anyway. It was all about the features it offered and knowing what I could do with it.

That's the same as I did to my Classic Pro, only in chrome

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

When we used to go to Gulf Shores people would say steak sauce worked really well. Something odd like that.

meat tenderizer powder…forms a crust around the sting……part of life in FL……painful as heck….

 

[Dr Cryptosis]

Ah, those must be different. On standard TB+ people have had to cut away the black plastic.

They look like

Ah, those must be different. On standard TB+ people have had to cut away the black plastic.

They are not “potted” into the cover. They have larger exposed round magnets.

 

[JJR58]

meat tenderizer powder…forms a crust around the sting……part of life in FL……painful as heck….

If only FZ was alive now.
He'd write a song about that.

 

[JJR58]

When you going to sell me the short tbird?

Doubt it'll happen.

 

[KaraQ]

They look like

They are not “potted” into the cover. They have larger exposed round magnets.

I wonder if maybe they're the same/similar to the 2015 pickups.....

 

[GBassNorth]

They look like

They are not “potted” into the cover. They have larger exposed round magnets.

That sounds like they put 2015 DiCola pups in cans (vs 2015 exposed pole pieces in the plastic cover).

 

[Dr Cryptosis]

I wonder if maybe they're the same/similar to the 2015 pickups.....

Yes thats exactly what they look like without the covers. Gibson must have had a big bin of them left over.

 

[GBassNorth]

I wonder if maybe they're the same/similar to the 2015 pickups.....

I guess great minds really do think alike. Or in my case, good minds think pretty similar.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

That's the same as I did to my Classic Pro, only in chrome

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