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Thunderbird Club

#25,601
Gluvhand said:
Hey all. I'm awaiting delivery of a new Epi Alpine White Classic Pro. Should be arriving today or tomorrow. My question is about bridges. Any feelings on the Hipshot replacement versus the Babicz replacement? I'm going to try leaving the stock bridge on but have a feeling I'll be frustrated with the non-individual saddle adjustments. Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

There's some tricks to a 3 point that we're happy to share - You can always shim under the saddles, plus they're reversible. I have 3 points on 7 different basses, there's really nothing it can't do if you give it a chance. Personally, if I had to replace, I'd consider a Badbird II two point or the Babciz as these at look like they belong on the bass.
 
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#25,602
Two days to go!

upload_2017-2-20_13-10-7.png


It's like waiting for Xmas! :hyper:
 
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#25,603
D.M.N. said:
Went to the hardware store today and bought 2lbs of paraffin wax, pulled out the pickup and gave it a dunk. While process took maybe two hours and a pound of wax. Soldered it back together and I am now able to push the amp up to 8 with the treble dimed and not get a squeal. So success! I may look into the Thunderbucker '63 at some point, but it's good to go in the short term!
Click to expand...

Glad to hear it worked out well.
I haven't pulled the pickup out of mine to have a look. Is the back open so you can get at the coils?
 
#25,605
D.M.N. said:
Nah, it has a backplate soldered to the cover.
Click to expand...

Very poorly soldered on the one I 'disassembled'. The guts fell out of the cover as I removed it from the bass. Good to hear that the potting worked!
 
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#25,606
TBird1958 said:
Ken, even with just the string removed it should move freely, however the shaft may be a tight fit. Taking it out should allow you to check all possibilities.
Glad to hear you're playing in a band again too!
Click to expand...

Oh! I see what you're saying. Great idea. I'll get right on that. I'd better get the toothpicks ready in case the screw won't go back in tightly.

Yeah, thanks, so great to be playing consistently again. I guess the only upside to so many false starts is that playing with so many people has made my own playing so much better. But damn does it get frustrating.
 
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#25,612
BklynKen said:
Anyone know how many left-handed Thunderbirds Gibson ended up making? AFAIK, it was only for the 2013 model year. I'm sure I have somewhat of a rarity on my hands, though it doesn't really mean much since I love it and don't ever see getting rid of it, nor not using it as my main bass. Just a cool conversation topic I suppose.
Click to expand...

When they did guitar of the week, production was typically 400 pieces.
 
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#25,613
nismaniac said:
This is fascinating, I really need to learn more about electronics. So using a blend control slightly decreases overall output versus two volumes?
Click to expand...

I was basing my assumption on amp power ratings, ie 100w Is 3dB louder than 50w. But pickups ouput voltage and looking at Carlo's graph, it looks more like a 6dB difference ... but I'm winging it. There may be other factors, a little knowledge can be a potentially fatal thing etc etc etc.

A pan/blend/balance control is two pots wired in opposite directions. At the centre position, on a linear pot, 50% of the signal on each source is earthed. My Epi started out with volume and blend pots and it was noticeably quieter at the centre position. The pickups have been replaced and it's wired V/V and to be honest, there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference in output between bridge only and bridge+neck. Note that I have 2 x 'bridge' pups installed, and the neck position is set higher than might be usual to get more output. There are tonal differnences - ie the bridge soloed sounds 'throatier'.

In hifi audio applications where the ideal is 'a straight wire with gain' balance controls disappeared off amps years ago - eg mine has a volume control only - and you control the 'balance' by changing the speaker positioning.
 
#25,614
kat888 said:
I was basing my assumption on amp power ratings, ie 100w Is 3dB louder than 50w. But pickups ouput voltage and looking at Carlo's graph, it looks more like a 6dB difference ... but I'm winging it. There may be other factors, a little knowledge can be a potentially fatal thing etc etc etc.

A pan/blend/balance control is two pots wired in opposite directions. At the centre position, on a linear pot, 50% of the signal on each source is earthed. My Epi started out with volume and blend pots and it was noticeably quieter at the centre position. The pickups have been replaced and it's wired V/V and to be honest, there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference in output between bridge only and bridge+neck. Note that I have 2 x 'bridge' pups installed, and the neck position is set higher than might be usual to get more output. There are tonal differnences - ie the bridge soloed sounds 'throatier'.

In hifi audio applications where the ideal is 'a straight wire with gain' balance controls disappeared off amps years ago - eg mine has a volume control only - and you control the 'balance' by changing the speaker positioning.
Click to expand...

Using a blend pot(s) with two pickups balanced for equal output (height adjustment usually):

On a 0-10 knob your output is coming 100% from source A, at 5 (the detent) it's split 50/50 between both sources. At 10, it's coming 100% from source B. But the output is always the same 100% total.

The blend pot has nothing to do with volume...IF your pickups are adjusted correctly.
 
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#25,615
Dadagoboi said:
The blend pot has nothing to do with volume...IF your pickups are adjusted correctly.
Click to expand...

With my Epi Pro IV, I'd attribute it to psycho-acoustics and the perception of drop off due to less low end 'wool' as the blend moved towards the bridge ...

In the current config, with the two higher output pups, I did try balancing their outputs but lost a lot of 'punch', so raised the neck pickup again. When I eventually look at Thunderbuckers, I'll rein in my barbarian instincts and get a proper neck/bridge set.
 
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#25,616
Gluvhand said:
Hey all. I'm awaiting delivery of a new Epi Alpine White Classic Pro. Should be arriving today or tomorrow. My question is about bridges. Any feelings on the Hipshot replacement versus the Babicz replacement? I'm going to try leaving the stock bridge on but have a feeling I'll be frustrated with the non-individual saddle adjustments. Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...
I have the Babicz and like it a lot. I think it looks better than the Hipshot.

TBird1958 said:
There's some tricks to a 3 point that we're happy to share - You can always shim under the saddles, plus they're reversible. I have 3 points on 7 different basses, there's really nothing it can't do if you give it a chance. Personally, if I had to replace, I'd consider a Badbird II two point or the Babciz as these at look like they belong on the bass.
Click to expand...
I like the way the Hipshot looks on RDs, but not on T-birds. I like the Babicz because it looks, to me, basically just like a beefier version of the 3-point. The separate 2-point bridge and tailpiece looks awesome, though.
 
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#25,617
kat888 said:
With my Epi Pro IV, I'd attribute it to psycho-acoustics and the perception of drop off due to less low end 'wool' as the blend moved towards the bridge ...

In the current config, with the two higher output pups, I did try balancing their outputs but lost a lot of 'punch', so raised the neck pickup again. When I eventually look at Thunderbuckers, I'll rein in my barbarian instincts and get a proper neck/bridge set.
Click to expand...
I go through some of the same things twiddling with knobs to get a sound I like sometimes. And sometimes, I make the G string disappear into the mix if I don't yank on it hard enough. Um, that brings up some barbarian instincts. But never mind. I really want Thunderbuckers for the '91.
 
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#25,618
Quick Question.

I've landed the opportunity to get a GK 800RB for dirt cheap. I've played through one many years ago through 2 hartke 4x10's (hated the sound - didn't even achieve one before my band was off stage). It's mostly cause 1-i'd want a back up for my Peavey century which sounds killer 2-i'm debating between getting the gk now, using it for a few years selling it for a bit more than i paid (just cause they are still working & won't need any service & retail for at least triple of what was asked on my end) & get an ashdown amp {I love ashdown amps a lot. It's been an amplifier than never had a downfall in my personal use for tone between any bass, they all came to life - + buying new is pretty nice feeling too!

Any own/have owned one. Pros & cons, opinions, suggestions. I'm a punk rocker that grooves. So anyone like Nikki Sixx, Duff McKagan, Paul Simonon, Phil Lynott, Krist Novoselic are in my types of tones & music genres that my own music is similar to.
 
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