Thunderbird Club

[PillO]

Gibson/Epiphone marketing logic is always a mystery.

I'll take a crack at that...

Why only 400 of the NRs back in the twenty teens?

Pandemic

Why not issue IG, PB and BR colors at the same time?

Next you'll expect left-handed ones too

Why discontinue white VPs?

Racism

Why change the VP name?

Sexism

Why not use the Eppi two point bridge on the new NR?

It's thursday

Why only one year for the DeCola split coil pickups?

Xenophobia

Why such a limited Tbird color selection compared to the Firebird color selection?

Then everyone would want one and we can make only 400 a year.

 

[PillO]

Cool! I get to touch it again. Loved that neck!

Ahem!

 

[PillO]

NR’s are starting to grow on me.
And that could be a very dangerous thing.

As long as it isn't dangerous to someone in our community, I don't see the problem...

 

[JJR58]

As long as it isn't dangerous to someone in our community, I don't see the problem...

The want factor is dangerous, for me.
So everyone is safe, for now.

 

[PillO]

If you like the feel of a Jazz neck you can buy a nice one relatively cheap on eBay and put it on a very inexpensive unfinished NR body from eBay along with some pickups from a VP and you’ll have the foundation for a very nice NR. It’s what I’m doing. I had hoped to keep my total build cost at around $800 but I’ll most likely be a hair over that. The cost of finishing has unfortunately gone through the roof. Finishers that were charging $300 for a body a couple of years ago are now charging as much as $600 for the same job.

There’s an outside chance my NR will be complete in time for the GTG but most likely not, the weather has been so cold and damp down here it’s delayed the finishing by a couple of months. We just got into the 70’s a couple of days ago for the first time this year.

Isn't snow expected in California this week?

 

[BklynKen]

That one is outta my wheelhouse Ken.
I'll probably keep it that way.

Good idea. YMMV, but the one I had I found awkward to play in every way. Although, due to the way you had to kinda contort yourself to play it, you ended up looking like a rock star.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

That one is outta my wheelhouse Ken.
I'll probably keep it that way.

you can always rest the crotch (I know AHEM) of the V (no not you your Highness) on your right thigh (left for Ken) and although not optimal they’ll play ok that way……the little gizmo that would fold out on Steinberger ST-2s was clever……rightfully patentable imho….

 

[PillO]

The want factor is dangerous, for me.
So everyone is safe, for now.

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
-- Benjamin Franklin

I'll pass on the safety, you need to liberate an NR Thunderbird.

 

[JJR58]

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
-- Benjamin Franklin

I'll pass on the safety, you need to liberate an NR Thunderbird.

I'll even take a tattered ole war horse with no headstock break.
Or a Lull.

 

[PillO]

you can always rest the crotch (I know AHEM) of the V (no not you your Highness) on your right thigh (left for Ken) and although not optimal they’ll play ok that way……the little gizmo that would fold out on Steinberger ST-2s was clever……rightfully patentable imho….

I am not a patent agent, however my business partner is and some of his wisdom has rubbed off. I also did not stay at a Holiday Inn.

It would be an uphill battle on the "non-obvious to one skilled in the art" with the examiner. As well, you would need to do an extensive search for prior art and I suspect that there is likely prior art that is sufficiently similar to make the gizmo unpatentable.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I am not a patent agent, however my business partner is and some of his wisdom has rubbed off. I also did not stay at a Holiday Inn.

It would be an uphill battle on the "non-obvious to one skilled in the art" with the examiner. As well, you would need to do an extensive search for prior art and I suspect that there is likely prior art that is sufficiently similar to make the gizmo unpatentable.

it was…..

 

[RedVee]

I'll take a crack at that...




Racism

For the VP That’d be Reverse Racism? And on the others… NonReverse Racism ????

 

[GBassNorth]

Isn't snow expected in California this week?

I’m beginning to wonder. It’s the middle of June and today the high was about 68F and cloudy all day. It doesn’t feel like we’ve had more than a couple weeks of sunshine since November (which is unheard of around here). I think yesterday may have been the hottest day of the year for us at a whopping 75F.

 

[JIO]

Isn't snow expected in California this week?

snow... in CA... in June...

 

[JIO]

The best lighting for tone?

 

[Felix Lopez]

CLOSEUPS&QUOTES

 

[PillO]

it was…..
View attachment 5098368

My comparable:
In the 80s a lot got past the examiners and ended up in court. There was the long case in DNA patents in that era. Every new gene sequence found was patented. Of course, a patent requires utility and so the 'use' was "searching for its complement'. As a result, an appeals court struck down the vast majority of gene patents as the 'use' was obvious and not really useful. It is now exceedingly difficult to patent a newly discovered gene.

Were there any challenges (i.e. did they ever sue for infringement)? It would be pretty straightforward to find some prior art. And obviousness would be challenged in court.

Looking at the history, a patent was issued. It doesn't say if it was challenged or not, but it did expire a few years after issue for non-payment of fees. So by mid 90s there was no patent protection. The cited patents include such things as a banjo knee rest. A good attorney would be spinning that as obviousness in court. It may not be worth the legal fees to defend and thus was allowed to lapse. A great deal of speculation on my part.

 

[PillO]

For the VP That’d be Reverse Racism? And on the others… NonReverse Racism ????

I'm channeling the Gibson hive-mind; I claim no understanding.

 

[PillO]

I’m beginning to wonder. It’s the middle of June and today the high was about 68F and cloudy all day. It doesn’t feel like we’ve had more than a couple weeks of sunshine since November (which is unheard of around here). I think yesterday may have been the hottest day of the year for us at a whopping 75F.

I vaguely recall a news report that snow was expected.

And some complementary mathing:
Average annual rainfall can be thought of as a midpoint between highs and lows. In very few years will precipitation actually be average. It will be made up of overs and unders. The drought of the last few years are your unders. Now you are getting your overs. I don't know how wide the error bars on your rainfall are, but given history, I expect they are quite large.

IIRC, California does not have a good rainfall capture system to replenish the reservoirs. So the surplus this year will not abate future droughts. I could be wrong and would be happy to be corrected.

 

[PillO]

View attachment 5098433
CLOSEUPS&QUOTES

Back Beauties? I do like those strings. But if you don't, they last a long time so it seems like it takes forever to get rid of them.