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Thunderbird Club

#242,241
TheBogart said:
After a good setup, with fret dressing, new strings (50-120), pickup height adjustment, Saddles and bridge and intonation spot on, correcting the neck relief, and a overall inspection and adjust the action to be low and fast, this Bolt-on Epiphone Thunderbird plays like a dream in Drop C tuning. The sound is just amazing. A nice growl and fast neck. This is a mean machine. Show me your love for the Bolt-On Thunderbirds!!!

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That Bolt on of yours looks absolutely pristine! I’ve not had to resort to drop C tuning as of yet, but I’d bet that thing would tear the house down!

Never underestimate the capability of any of the bolt on birds! My Goth (with the $2 tone cap upgrade) is one of the best sounding birds I’ve ever played…
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And the bolt on BlingBird offers a whole different league of Tbird tone options….
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The bolt on NR Vintage Tribute I’m currently building will hopefully be as good sounding as my neck through Eppi NR…
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And I’m getting closer to starting my bolt on NR ThunderCaster (based on my favorite Fender) that should occupy the subsonic end of my bird line up…
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Lots of Bolt on love in this household!
 
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#242,242
BklynKen said:
Exactly. I always plays right at the bridge. I like the tension. If I got a II, I'd have to install a thumb rest near the bridge. But being left-handed, fat chance I'd find anything Thunderbird-related beyond what I've already got.
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I don’t think I’ve ever used a thumb rest.
I’ll rest my thumb on a pickup or side of the fingerboard on occasion.
 
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#242,244
JIO said:
I'm not certain, but next time I'm in Carpinteria (just south of SB) I'm going to check them out in person.
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I’d like to know. Having spent my formative years in SB County and where my parents still live. I like to support SB County businesses.

That being said, the Italia straps from up in your neck of the woods are my favorites. Excellent quality, reasonably priced (they almost always have two for one promotions if you’re on the mailing list) and excellent customer service. I think it was Jeff who turned me onto them some years back.
 
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#242,246
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#242,248
MCF said:
Until I bought George’s BaCH, I had no clue. You’re definitely onto something V.
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The Tbird II basses I’ve played all sounded fantastic, but that BaCH was one of the best, even with its Altec pickup.

The number one reason I sold it was because about 25% of the time I play with my right hand anchored on the upper corner of the bridge pickup. I can’t do that with a Tbird II, and consequently my right hand gets lost without that anchor point as a reference.

It would probably be a different story if I played with a pick and palm muted down near the bridge, but as often as I’ve tried, it just felt wrong. So off the bass went. I have one Tbird II in the mix and it’ll stay here but it won’t ever see the amount of action my other birds get.
 
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#242,257
Stealth57 said:
Maybe I missed part of the two part question. The other box is a Zoom B3n.
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How do you like it?

I use a Zoom B1X Four with the el cheapo GC Acoustic B200 MK II combo I got used some years ago. It actually sounds surprisingly good for a budget setup. I can’t decide if the Zoom sounds better through the effects loop or straight into the input with some EQ on the amp. I primarily use the amp and cab sims. I’ve had to play it a lot lately since it’s in the room my wife recently banished me to after she took over the home office. I like to take breaks playing a song or two when I’m working here (My wife works here everyday. I go to the office or the other house a lot).
 
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#242,258
MCF said:
Welcome back! Is the rod maxed out? What type of Thunderbird is it? Inquiring minds want to know. And maybe we can suggest a couple of things.
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It’s ‘77 that I bought new. If you do a search you will find the saga if me snapping the end off the trussrod and eventually driving 800 miles round trip in one day to have Dan Erlewine fix that fiasco. Since then I do not touch the truss rod. I’ve had the neck heat treated a couple times with varying success. At this point I have learned to be satisfied with it as is. It did 40+ years of bars and fire halls and the head stock is still intact so it deserves some R&R each winter.
 
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#242,259
MCF said:
How do you like it?

I use a Zoom B1X Four with the el cheapo GC Acoustic B200 MK II combo I got used some years ago. It actually sounds surprisingly good for a budget setup. I can’t decide if the Zoom sounds better through the effects loop or straight into the input with some EQ on the amp. I primarily use the amp and cab sims. I’ve had to play it a lot lately since it’s in the room my wife recently banished me to after she took over the home office. I like to take breaks playing a song or two when I’m working here (My wife works here everyday. I go to the office or the other house a lot).
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I bought it originally to use for silent practice with headphones. Found the plug in tuner a nice added feature. Then started playing with the amp/cab simulators. Love the Ampeg SVT setting. Now use it as a splitter when I want to run both rigs at the same time. Very versatile unit with the ability to create your own patches and load them into the box.
 
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#242,260
I have been offered way more than I paid for my red SVT Micro-VR stack. If I sell it, I want to replace it with a small combo that can handle practice sessions with a potential band. Any suggestions in the sub $300 region? Used is fine.

Second question, if you could only have 1 stack, what would be folks choice? Ampeg B-15-N Portaflex fliptop?
 
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