Thunderbird Club

[Count Bassie]

Ahem

Nice roll you were on there.

(I spoke too soon )

 

[dagrev]

 

[dagrev]

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….

...For new strings, right?

 

[dagrev]

Yah, Phil brought that into the song - perfect!

You all sounded nice and tight with that funky beat.

 

[WillyW]

 

[dagrev]

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.

I need to talk to your wife. Or you need to buy me one of those "$500" basses.

 

[dagrev]

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.

See, that could be all of us.

 

[dagrev]

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.

And the problem is....? They have to be rescued. It can be on your tombstone. (Just not anytime soon.)

 

[dagrev]

I've found that with good musicians, I enjoy most styles of music live - regardless of whether I can stand listening to recordings of that genre.

Very true. Good insight. (But I think I would maybe have a few exceptions.)

 

[Count Bassie]

Very true. Good insight. (But I think I would maybe have a few exceptions.)

I have a few.
Ok a lot.

 

[Stealth57]

Not a Thunderbird but I'm seriously considering gambling on one of these.

You’d need Irv to get you a new PG.

 

[Engle]

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

Very cool!

 

[Engle]

Other than construction (bolt-on vs. neck-through), afaik the only major difference is pickups.
The Thunderbird IV have their own pickups, that have been used in that model (possibly with some revisions) for a couple of decades.
The Classic Pro uses Gibson TB+ pickups, the same as Gibson Thunderbirds.

Tuners, bridge, electronics (other than pickups) are all pretty much the same, ime.
The Classic Pro has some body contouring that the bolt-on doesn't have, as well as a little bit different headstock.

Just to note another minor detail: the pickguards and truss rod covers are different between the IV and the CP.

 

[Engle]

Continuing the zero-mod theme of my BC Rich, new strap locks.

View attachment 5077826

I've used Schaller strap locks and I find the rubber washers work just as well for me.

 

[Engle]

You’d need Irv to get you a new PG.

What is that bass?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Continuing the zero-mod theme of my BC Rich, new strap locks.

View attachment 5077826

Looks like mine!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Pinko.

i love it.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

See, that could be all of us.

Exactly why I left identity nebulous.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Very true. Good insight. (But I think I would maybe have a few exceptions.)

Hence “most”.

 

[JJR58]

Jazz smazz. You JBass people need to get a room.

Yeah, Chucks place.