Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

Nice color!

I figured you'd like it!

 

[MCF]

IMO it’s not worth that. I like those MIJ basses, but wouldn’t pay 450 USD for one.

I can say they sound decent though. But yeah, the new Epi Newport or a Gretch Junior Jet are better buys if someone is just looking to add a short scale. I’d be tempted though, if only for the the nostalgia aspect.

Here’s mine with ancient stainless short scale Rotos. The stickers on the case are holding the covering on it together. The neck is solid and straight. The TR works. The binding is intact and there has never been any fret sprout. The only thing missing is the cheap foam under the bridge cover that turned to powder long ago. I got it for Christmas in 1970. Today was the first time I’ve had it out of the case since about 2019. I’m inspired to play it some tonight.

 

[GBassNorth]

Thanks! With original you mean the first reissue Embassy?



One of the best biographies ever.

Yes, specifically I have the reissue Embassy model year that had the poorly placed hard to intonate bridge.
My VP on the other hand, is one of the early ones purchased just a couple of months after the VP was first released and its bridge intonates just fine. I have heard others say their VP is maxed out on the E string saddle, mine is not.

The centerline of bridge body lugs to the 12th fret on the bad reissue Embassy is 17”
The centerline of bridge body lugs to the 12th fret on the good VP is 17-3/16”

The problem with the Embassy reissue bridge was it was too close to the neck, the E string saddle couldn’t go back far enough to properly intonate.

 

[MCF]

Monday morning pickgard follies.....

This is from my BaCH, the previous owner didn't do a smart job of trimming around the opening for the pickup....
I'd like to clean it up but as you can see, using an extra pickup bezel as a guide shows it's going to be dodgy at best.
Thoughts?

Commission Irv to make a new one. He does great work from everything of his that I’ve seen pics of.

In fact, I may have to do that as well for mine.

 

[GBassNorth]

Here is mine, Epiphone Vintage Pro, brought it used, had this a few days and love it so far, have owned loads of P basses but always really liked the tone of Thunderbird basses (whereas P basses I have always felt a bit lukewarm about tonewise)

Sweet looking bass! The ebony VP is one of my favorite Tbirds.

Home sweet home. Down at the house in the burbs.

I decided to go ahead and change strings on the BaCH. I parked my intended SIT order in the shopping cart, waiting for a discount offer, and forgot about it. So I ended up going to my local (which just became a Reverend dealer!) and picked up a set of stainless steel Superbrights in my customary 45-105 gauge. Put them on and uh oh, the nut slot for the G string is cut too deep and wide for a 45. So it’ll need a new nut. I ended up going to GC yesterday to see if by chance they had a black nut blank. Nope. So I bought a set of Power Slinky 55-110 suspension bridge cables. Problem solved until I can get a new nut. The nickel rounds are a huge improvement over the Chromes that were on the bass. I got the neck dialed in pretty well, it’s intonated, and the action is low. I had to lower the pickup some to eliminate a bit of chorus.

I don’t mind the Artec pickup as much now. It is a bit too clear and polite for my taste though and it will get swapped out eventually. Dreaming of a Lull. But I could be happy with a Gibson NR neck pickup if they make them available in their pickup shop. I was able to get the Mesa to add some grind to the tone. But the tone comes nowhere close to being as pleasing as what I get from the ‘21 NR pickups, tBird Plus or the Epi VP pickups.

I’m really liking the BaCH. The neck is wonderful. The headstock is huge though, so the standard long scale G string is barely long enough.

View attachment 4967853

What a great looking pair those two basses make!

 

[stlrocker]

You made that multi-lam neck w/Teisco-esque side markers? Well done!

Yeah, made it from scratch. Multi-lam in this case is a fancy way to say 1/2" Baltic birch plywood. The body is plywood, so I made a neck to match. It has been very stable, has that great plywood tone too.

It doesn't have a separate fretboard. The blank was glued up in two halves and routed for the truss rod before gluing the halves together. Kinda like a peavey T40 neck.

Also has that big silly Del Ray style headstock, with slight modifications. I say silly but I love it. I like wild headstocks. Kinda wish I would have done a zero fret on this one just to add to it's weirdness.

 

[dagrev]

Gives me an extra excuse to have multiple basses...

You well know that there are no extra excuses. One is all we need, and that's even questionable.

 

[dagrev]

Here is mine, Epiphone Vintage Pro, brought it used, had this a few days and love it so far, have owned loads of P basses but always really liked the tone of Thunderbird basses (whereas P basses I have always felt a bit lukewarm about tonewise)

Congrats! Various strings do make a big difference, all depends on what tone you are shooting for. I even have a VP with flats.

 

[JIO]

Yeah, made it from scratch. Multi-lam in this case is a fancy way to say 1/2" Baltic birch plywood. The body is plywood, so I made a neck to match. It has been very stable, has that great plywood tone too.

It doesn't have a separate fretboard. The blank was glued up in two halves and routed for the truss rod before gluing the halves together. Kinda like a peavey T40 neck.

Also has that big silly Del Ray style headstock, with slight modifications. I say silly but I love it. I like wild headstocks. Kinda wish I would have done a zero fret on this one just to add to it's weirdness.

View attachment 4967917

 

[dagrev]

Home sweet home. Down at the house in the burbs.

I decided to go ahead and change strings on the BaCH. I parked my intended SIT order in the shopping cart, waiting for a discount offer, and forgot about it. So I ended up going to my local (which just became a Reverend dealer!) and picked up a set of stainless steel Superbrights in my customary 45-105 gauge. Put them on and uh oh, the nut slot for the G string is cut too deep and wide for a 45. So it’ll need a new nut. I ended up going to GC yesterday to see if by chance they had a black nut blank. Nope. So I bought a set of Power Slinky 55-110 suspension bridge cables. Problem solved until I can get a new nut. The nickel rounds are a huge improvement over the Chromes that were on the bass. I got the neck dialed in pretty well, it’s intonated, and the action is low. I had to lower the pickup some to eliminate a bit of chorus.

I don’t mind the Artec pickup as much now. It is a bit too clear and polite for my taste though and it will get swapped out eventually. Dreaming of a Lull. But I could be happy with a Gibson NR neck pickup if they make them available in their pickup shop. I was able to get the Mesa to add some grind to the tone. But the tone comes nowhere close to being as pleasing as what I get from the ‘21 NR pickups, tBird Plus or the Epi VP pickups.

I’m really liking the BaCH. The neck is wonderful. The headstock is huge though, so the standard long scale G string is barely long enough.

View attachment 4967853

I just love the looks of that bass for some reason. I'd buy it for wall art even if it sounded awful.

 

[Stealth57]

Yeah, made it from scratch. Multi-lam in this case is a fancy way to say 1/2" Baltic birch plywood. The body is plywood, so I made a neck to match. It has been very stable, has that great plywood tone too.

It doesn't have a separate fretboard. The blank was glued up in two halves and routed for the truss rod before gluing the halves together. Kinda like a peavey T40 neck.

Also has that big silly Del Ray style headstock, with slight modifications. I say silly but I love it. I like wild headstocks. Kinda wish I would have done a zero fret on this one just to add to it's weirdness.

View attachment 4967917

I love Baltic Birch. No voids and the color with just a light Deft sealer is like honey. Loved it so much, I built a camper out of it.

 

[dagrev]

Wow...Keeping up is much easier when you're on vacation...and prepping for a colonoscopy the next day.

For now anyway....

 

[Stealth57]

Congrats! Various strings do make a big difference, all depends on what tone you are shooting for. I even have a VP with flats.

Soon mine will too.

 

[Stealth57]

Wow...Keeping up is much easier when you're on vacation...and prepping for a colonoscopy the next day.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[dagrev]

Soon mine will too.

What brand are you thinking of?

 

[dagrev]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[PhR75]

Yes, specifically I have the reissue Embassy model year that had the poorly placed hard to intonate bridge.
My VP on the other hand, is one of the early ones purchased just a couple of months after the VP was first released and its bridge intonates just fine. I have heard others say their VP is maxed out on the E string saddle, mine is not.

The centerline of bridge body lugs to the 12th fret on the bad reissue Embassy is 17”
The centerline of bridge body lugs to the 12th fret on the good VP is 17-3/16”

The problem with the Embassy reissue bridge was it was too close to the neck, the E string saddle couldn’t go back far enough to properly intonate.

Thanks. My VP hasn't any bridge problems either.
Could you compare the pickup locations of both? From the 12th fret to the edge of each pickup.
Sorry to be so needy...

 

[Stealth57]

What brand are you thinking of?

I have SIT Power Flats sitting on my work bench. I owe @JJR58 a sound recording of the original rounds vs the SIT before I change them out. I have EBCF on my CP.

 

[TBird1958]

Wow...Keeping up is much easier when you're on vacation...and prepping for a colonoscopy the next day.

For now anyway....

I've found that once you start the prep medicine it's best to be wearing your PJ's and just stay seated in the bathroom - you won't feel safe about leaving for several hours anyway - A good book is helpful to pass the time.

 

[MCF]

Sweet looking bass! The ebony VP is one of my favorite Tbirds.


What a great looking pair those two basses make!

They do. Thanks. And in no small part to you my friend. I should have brought the ‘13 NR down here too and compared all three.