Thunderbird Club

[Nocturnal]

Cool! I was hoping you’d chime in. Actually, IIRC you have a couple other Spector bird shaped beasts as well, with the sand blasted textured grain?

I have two Spector "Birds". The holo-flash Legend 4X and the red Euro with the sandblasted/satin finish. Both are great players!

 

[PillO]

I could have probably been more specific. The Eppi VP tuners are just fine, no issues. My complaint is with the run of the mill Eppi IV and Eppi Goth tuners. I’ve played a bunch, and own a few. Every single one of them had crap tuners to varying degrees. Sometimes just one of the four tuners is sloppy, sometimes it’s all four. The issue is entirely too much backlash in the gears (gear mesh gap tolerance is too big). It makes for very imprecise tuners. That said, every single one of the crap tuners still holds tune and does not slip. It’s just the slop and complete lack of precision when adjusting the tuner that I’m not fond of. They work, therefore won’t be replaced until they fail or until I decide to step on stage with them.

To achieve a lower price, something(s) in the BoM have to be sacrificed.

 

[PillO]

LOL - sized that way on purpose no doubt. At a two hundred bucks a pop for the set for something that you’ll use once every ten years (unless you build basses) makes it kinda steep. Much cheaper to find someone who has some and have them do it for you or see if you can borrow their tools.
Situations like these are when places like Harbor Freight comes in handy. You can buy a cheap tool that’s perfectly adequate for that once every ten year job. Except in this case you need to be careful using a cheap cutting tool that may be too coarse for fine work and could possibly chip the paint.

A high quality tool can chip paint etc. Operator skill also plays a role.

 

[GonePlaid]

A high quality tool can chip paint etc. Operator skill also plays a role.

Or?

 

[BklynKen]

BTW - don’t look now, but you’ve got a screw loose!

That one was an extra. He thinks.

 

[bobyoung53]

These are really the last decent videos of me playing from Mass in 2018 at a jam before the pandemic, I may have posted one of these here before. I used to fill in for the house bassist, the guitarist and vocalist were the featured guests this week and I was a fill in. I've played with all these guys in different bands although not together like this before. A couple of blues covers.

Fretless TF Precision

 

[Engle]

Yep, that’s the Eppi tuner!
String is flat, so turn, not quite to tune yet. So turn just a hair more, oops too much! Dang, turn backwards just a hair, nothing, turn more, nothing, turn more, opps too much. Repeat as necessary on each string. For playing at home I can live with it until they break (soon I hope), but with tuners like these I’d be embarrassed to hand the bass to someone else to play. If I were gigging they’d come off in a heartbeat! No time to mess with crap designs like these while on stage.

The larger Epi tuners (VP and Casady) are OK in my experience. I replace them primarily to reduce weight at the headstock. Hipshots are smoother.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Whose tailpiece on the cherry BaCH - asking for a friend

one of Scott’s….you played that thing ‘member? didn’t much care for the flats…

 

[bobyoung53]

Nuno Bettencourt........Love this, don't care what guitars are being played.

I've always thought "More than Words" and "Hole Hearted" even though great songs were so different from Extreme's usual stuff it gave people the wrong idea and may have had an impact on their career as they were a great rocking band.

 

[Engle]

LOL - sized that way on purpose no doubt. At a two hundred bucks a pop for the set for something that you’ll use once every ten years (unless you build basses) makes it kinda steep. Much cheaper to find someone who has some and have them do it for you or see if you can borrow their tools.
Situations like these are when places like Harbor Freight comes in handy. You can buy a cheap tool that’s perfectly adequate for that once every ten year job. Except in this case you need to be careful using a cheap cutting tool that may be too coarse for fine work and could possibly chip the paint.

I get by with drill bits and round files. Most times when replacing tuners, the new tuner ferrule is smaller, so I build up the diameter with electrical tape.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I have two Spector "Birds". The holo-flash Legend 4X and the red Euro with the sandblasted/satin finish. Both are great players!

your devotion to Thunderbirds is inspiring Andy…

 

[TBird1958]

one of Scott’s….you played that thing ‘member? didn’t much care for the flats…
View attachment 5076874

Just one more thing to get from Scott then!
Regarding the Flats, I've tried to like them but it just isn't going to happen, this girl likes rounds.

 

[PaleAngel_90]

Bass Tuners

This one? Treble side? TK-0923 Single Gotoh GB707 Sealed Bass KeyChrome / Treble side

 

[PaleAngel_90]

I think if I were going to replace the tuners on my Thunderbird IV with aftermarket, I'd like to try these:

RATIO 4 String Bass Tuner Y Style Button PRB-4400 | GraphTech

They'll require the tuner-holes to be reamed slightly (the Schallers on my CP did as well), mostly just enough to take the finish off on the inside of the holes, ime.



I really want to get a set for my Pro 5, but they aren't available in a 4+1 set, atm

Those look good, they are too expensive for me though...

 

[Stealth57]

Countdown

 

[Stealth57]

Going to be hard for @JIO to play since I stole his FSO.

 

[Ringhammer]

What, no Thunderbird?

 

[TBird1958]

Pretty dress and stockings!

 

[Stealth57]

View attachment 5077065

What, no Thunderbird?

Said it doesn’t fit their sound. Sacrilege.

 

[Stealth57]

Pretty dress and stockings!

Now why did I expect that…