Thunderbird Club

[bobyoung53]

OK, I made a new flannel mute for my NR, depending on how big you roll them they can be instant flatwounds, I always use stainless Roto RS 66's, so these are nice if I want a little thump.

 

[JIO]

Great! Even greater since it had a cow bell.

Yah, Phil brought that into the song - perfect!

 

[bobyoung53]

don’t feel bad, you’re not alone, when i told my wife that you not only tune a bass, it must be intonated as well, she told me to go to the store….

Basses and amps all look the same to my wife, she can't tell the difference between a Thunderbird and a P bass. As long as I can sneak it in I'm in like Flynn . It's not that she's an unaesthetic person, just that they are about as interesting to her as her novelas (Spanish soap operas) are to me. They all cost 'about' 500 dollars too. She knows that's a joke/lie but doesn't know how much they really cost, she'd have a heart attack.

 

[bobyoung53]

Another college pic resurfaces. Can you spot the beer kegs as gear ? Circa 1979View attachment 5077535

That's a cool picture.


One from about the same time:

I still sometimes play with the guitarist on my left in fact he was in that video I posted here the other day from the blues jam.

 

[JIO]

The nut is all good, got the tech to cut a new one

Might struggle to use a size larger with the bridge but will see if that might work, otherwise will get a tech to take a look

WCS the screw holes would need to be drilled slightly bigger and have maple dowels/plugs glued in and re-drilled for the original screws. Mahogany is a softer wood than maple.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

That’d be from their early period?

Proof they're older than Keith Richards!

 

[Stealth57]

I want to send out a thank you to @Stealth57 (and his lovely wife Jan...?) and @Ringhammer here for attending our BG show today at Winters' (the premier place for real music in the Bay Area), and for Dave posting all the cool pics/vids related! I kick myself because we didn't take a "selfie" to prove it happened. Oh well.., you'll just have to trust us that it did.

Thanks Geo, we had a great time. You had my wife’s name correct, good recall. She was skeptical about the genre going in but really enjoyed the performance. You all knocked it out of the park. She thought Winter’s was a great dive bar with a non-dive bar kind of crowd.

 

[JIO]

Thanks Geo, we had a great time. You had my wife’s name correct, good recall. She was skeptical about the genre going in but really enjoyed the performance. You all knocked it out of the park. She thought Winter’s was a great dive bar with a non-dive bar kind of crowd.

I've invited friends who hadn't heard us before and didn't know what to expect - and really enjoyed our show. I like hearing that kind of feedback! Thanks again for attending!

 

[MCF]

Yesterday was Setup Sunday. I’m done with it for the time being until I get a replacement nut. Whoever replaced the stock nut and cut a different one cut the G slot too low. So the treble side is just a bit higher than it could be.

I gave it an overall clean and polish, polished the frets, cleaned and oiled the fretboard (it took five oil on oil off passes with F1 to get the gunk off). The FB turned out nice and dark. I adjusted the bridge height (there is no insert issue!) pickup height, and intonated it. And I snugged the input jack with my handy dandy tool.

It plays and sounds fantastic. The tone from the DA black tapes has grown on me for something a bit different. Raising the pickups gave it a little bit of a subtle yet vey pleasing growl. The neck is straight and the action is nice and low. The lack of wraps on the tuner pegs bugs me, but it isn’t causing a problem. I still can’t believe anyone would cut strings that short.
Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

I really wish people would cover the screwdriver blade when adjusting these….

Nice fretboard:

Nice clean backside:

Nice low action:

I’ll see what GC is willing to refund for the undisclosed lower wing damage. This is otherwise such a great Thunderbird that it is definitely worth spending the money to get it fixed. It chose me to give it a good home and make it right.

So let me introduce to you, the one and only 2014 Epiphone TV Silver Limited Edition Custom Shop Thunderbird. Yeah!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Hi,

I can buy an epiphone thunderbird IV.
This one is from 2016, made in Indonesia and is neck through.

If I look for info about the IV, they have bolt on necks.

Can somebody give me more info about the neck through model?
Was this normal for some years to be neck through or is this another model?

Thx,

Jarno

If it's a IV rather than another model, the Epiphone Thunderbird IV (now E1) have always had bolt-on necks. A couple of other Epiphones did as well. As someone else noted, *if* it were a model with "Pro" in the name, it would be neck-through. The Epi IV sounds similar to a modern Thunderbird, which has lots of low end but less highs than a vintage Thunderbird. That can be good or bad depending on what you want in a bass. My IV was my sole bass for several years and served me well. My only complains were (a) no belly cuts so after a couple of hours it can feel like it's digging in - if you play that long at one time - and (b) some of the hardware is on the inexpensive side (expected on an inexpensive bass) - namely the tuners, which are a bit sloppy while tuning but hold tune just fine and the nut, which is some form of plastic just like every other less expensive bass. If the upper strap button is on the wing I'd move it to the neck plate for better balance. I replaced the bridge on mine with a Supertone, but the stock bridge works as well as a Gibson three point. I just prefer the Supertone.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Much better. My desk isn't getting wet now.

ahem

 

[Stealth57]

If it's a IV rather than another model, the Epiphone Thunderbird IV (now E1) have always had bolt-on necks. A couple of other Epiphones did as well. As someone else noted, *if* it were a model with "Pro" in the name, it would be neck-through. The Epi IV sounds similar to a modern Thunderbird, which has lots of low end but less highs than a vintage Thunderbird. That can be good or bad depending on what you want in a bass. My IV was my sole bass for several years and served me well. My only complains were (a) no belly cuts so after a couple of hours it can feel like it's digging in - if you play that long at one time - and (b) some of the hardware is on the inexpensive side (expected on an inexpensive bass) - namely the tuners, which are a bit sloppy while tuning but hold tune just fine and the nut, which is some form of plastic just like every other less expensive bass. If the upper strap button is on the wing I'd move it to the neck plate for better balance. I replaced the bridge on mine with a Supertone, but the stock bridge works as well as a Gibson three point. I just prefer the Supertone.

The other difference between the IV and CP are the pickups. The CP sports Gibson TB+.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

thx for the info.

It only has three knobs.
So it could be a classic.

Do you perhaps know if there are other differences between the classic and the normal one?

thx
Jarno

The Classic has different pickups and (I think) tuners and belly cuts. So in addition to being neck through, it also addresses the only issues I had with my IV (which never stopped me from playing it!) To my ears it sounds a little fuller and punchier. The neck shape fit my hand a bit better. Also, it came in white, whereas (apart from a possible Limited Edition) the IV did not. 8^)

 

[JIO]

Before:
View attachment 5077633
After:
View attachment 5077651

You don't do a full wind on the posts? Do you ever have a string slip while tuning to pitch? The only tuners I can get away with such is Sperzel locking tuners which have a hole in the post that is lockable once inserted.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

It's a fine line we have to tread with the ladies in our lives. I guess that's a good thing, otherwise we would all have houses chock full of thunderbirds and bass equipment.

Unidentified northern California single bass player found dead after 27 foot wall of Thunderbird basses and Ampeg SVT amplifiers collapsed and crushed them!

A witness claims that the victim was attempting to remove a Thunderbird from the bottom of the Jenga-like wall when it collapsed. "I couldn't get to them. I'd have needed their front end loader, and it was out back under a collapsed pile of Kustom, Kasino, and Peavey combo amps," they sobbed.

"I warned them that storage required a pyramid scheme rather than a wall of sound, but they seemed to think I was selling Amway or something," reported a New York net.friend who asked to remain anonymous. The deceased's name is being withheld until the Gibson and Epiphone bass families can be notified. Ampeg has been notified but refused comment pending an official analysis of amplifier biasing by coroner Charles Pagano.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Been thinking about getting a Thunderbird for a few years but it took this popping up on my Facebook feed to finally screatch the itch.

It’s a 2022, in as good as new condition with a genuine Epiphone hard case and I’m well impressed so far. Only weighs an touch over 8lbs and sits pretty well balanced on a suede strap, the neck feels great and it sounded pretty good going through the seller’s PA. Can’t wait to try it with the band through a proper rig as soon as our singer gets back from his holidays.

View attachment 5077568

Beauty!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Yesterday was Setup Sunday. I’m done with it for the time being until I get a replacement nut. Whoever replaced the stock nut and cut a different one cut the G slot too low. So the treble side is just a bit higher than it could be.

I gave it an overall clean and polish, polished the frets, cleaned and oiled the fretboard (it took five oil on oil off passes with F1 to get the gunk off). The FB turned out nice and dark. I adjusted the bridge height (there is no insert issue!) pickup height, and intonated it. And I snugged the input jack with my handy dandy tool,

It plays and sounds fantastic. The tone from the DA black tapes has grown on me for something a bit different. Raising the pickups gave it a little bit of a subtle yet vey pleasing growl. The neck is straight and the action is nice and low. The lack of wraps on the tuner pegs bugs me, but it isn’t causing a problem. I still can’t believe anyone would cut strings that short.
Before:
View attachment 5077633
After:
View attachment 5077651
Before:
View attachment 5077653
After:
View attachment 5077654
Before:
View attachment 5077655
After:
View attachment 5077656
I really wish people would cover the screwdriver blade when adjusting these….

Nice fretboard:
View attachment 5077657
Nice clean backside:
View attachment 5077658 View attachment 5077659 View attachment 5077660
Nice low action:
View attachment 5077665

I’ll see what GC is willing to refund for the undisclosed lower wing damage. This is otherwise such a great Thunderbird that it is definitely worth spending the money to get it fixed. It chose me to give it a good home and make it right.

So let me introduce to you, the one and only 2014 Epiphone TV Silver Limited Edition Custom Shop Thunderbird. Yeah!
View attachment 5077685

Beauty!!!!

It also looks like they used too small a screwdriver on the bridge height bolts and adjusted things under full tension.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Haven't heard that in a while. Long overdue.

I don't smoke and don't want anyone smoking around my basses, so no ashtrays!

 

[MCF]

You don't do a full wind on the posts? Do you ever have a string slip while tuning to pitch?

I always do at least two to three full winds Geo. The issue is the prior owner butchered a $50 set of DA tapes. I’ve kept them on the bass to see if I like them. If I do, I’ll get a new set and cut them properly. As I said before, it was a very amateur setup when I got it. Everything about it was done incorrectly. Sometimes I feel like I run a Thunderbird Rescue Society.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

This, for sure. I have 2 VP’s and one has the TI PowerBass set. I had an older set of these that I pulled off a Jazz bass, and put them on my white VP, and they sounded fantastic, especially compared to the very old dead strings that came on it (I got the bass used from guitar center). Then I switched over to some EBCF’s, which I like a lot and have on quite a few basses, and I was really disappointed with the sound. I pulled those off right away and then I stuck some new DR DDT’s on it so I could tune it down to Eb/drop Db, and used it live. Those strings were ok, but I’m slowly discovering that maybe the VP doesn’t like to have loose strings/lower tunings, as it wasn’t so great when the Eb string was dropped a whole step to Db. I put the old TI PowerBass strings back on it and tuned it back to E standard and it seems these are the perfect strings for this bass in standard tuning. They sound full, just the right amount of bright, even across the board, and handle drop D well. Of course they’re dumb expensive, but I think they last a long time.

Now I have to find the best string for my brand new black VP that will work in Eb/drop Db.

Meanwhile, I've been happy with EBCFs on my VP. They don't sound quite as good tuned down to D (which works great on my CP), but they're still good.