Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

Imagine a world w/o LZ... luckily we don't have to.

So was that JPJ on keys?

 

[Ringhammer]

So was that JPJ on keys?

Would there be anyone else?

 

[JIO]

Such a timeless classic!

The best recorded/documented/filmed version. LZ at their prime displaying all the things that made them legendary. I love Jimmy Pages moves.

 

[JIO]

So was that JPJ on keys?

For sure -

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

tv n

Well I guess when you put a five string neck and an extra tuner on a bass that’s already borderline balanced you’re bound to get more dive than the norm. What you’re experiencing isn’t the norm, in fact it might be the exception. Trust me, you ain’t seen neck dive till you’ve played my Warwick five string thumb bass. Unless the builder specifically compensates for it, any normal four string bass converted to five string is going to be more prone to neck dive.

mine weighs like 12 lbs to boot…

 

[Engle]

Last week I bought this Jackson Rhoads body that I figured would make a cool project.
View attachment 5228686
I had to convert it to accept a 22 fret neck, though, which required plugging up the stock bridge pickup and studs routs. In fact, the guy I bought it from hadn't done anything with it for exactly that reason, he had no 24 fret neck lying around to put on there.
View attachment 5228671
Masking out where I need to rout.

View attachment 5228672
The maple plug I used prior to routing.
View attachment 5228673
Outlining the whole deal, to measure is to know, after all.

View attachment 5228674
And after I routed the body
View attachment 5228675
Clamp the plug in and leave it for at least two days for it to properly cure.

View attachment 5228676 I've got a routing template, and I'm not afraid to use it.
View attachment 5228677
Neat-o and now it's time to plane the plug and sand the thing smooth.

So what am I going to do with the finish, since that plug will be VERY visible? Well seeing as how the Rhoads is an Eighties design, I decided to go all eighties by giving it a baby blue with black bevels look, which meant that I only needed to refinish the top.
View attachment 5228679 Here it is with the masking tape still on...
View attachment 5228682
And with that said tape removed. NAILING the look I was going for.

View attachment 5228683
And today I spend time putting it all together, it's not done yet but I'm getting there. That Ibanez neck, style wise is a good fit. Of course with Ibanez having the Rocket Roll model in the eighties, which included a Rhoads style guitar, that's not really that much a surprise.

Nice work! That’s a cool V shape. The neck works well with it.

 

[JIO]

tv n

mine weighs like 12 lbs to boot…
View attachment 5228871

ouch!

 

[Stealth57]

Technical question for our resident brainiacs. I’ve read two different ways to do intonation. In both cases, tune as usual, then 1) hold down the string at the 12th fret and adjust the saddle until the open string and the 12th fret are in tune. 2) lightly touch the string at the 12th fret and adjust the saddle until the open string and the harmonic are in tune.

If I do #1, I find the harmonic is slightly sharp. Which is correct? Clearly, there isn’t much difference.

 

[KaraQ]

Technical question for our resident brainiacs. I’ve read two different ways to do intonation. In both cases, tune as usual, then 1) hold down the string at the 12th fret and adjust the saddle until the open string and the 12th fret are in tune. 2) lightly touch the string at the 12th fret and adjust the saddle until the open string and the harmonic are in tune.

If I do #1, I find the harmonic is slightly sharp. Which is correct? Clearly, there isn’t much difference.

I find doing harmonics...difficult, after I damaged the ends of my left fingers a bit, a couple of decades ago; so, I use #1.

Doesn't matter for me if the harmonics are sharp, since I don't use those when playing




Getting the 24th fret on my Ibanez basses to co-operate & sync up with open & 12th, that's a bit more difficult

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Technical question for our resident brainiacs. I’ve read two different ways to do intonation. In both cases, tune as usual, then 1) hold down the string at the 12th fret and adjust the saddle until the open string and the 12th fret are in tune. 2) lightly touch the string at the 12th fret and adjust the saddle until the open string and the harmonic are in tune.

If I do #1, I find the harmonic is slightly sharp. Which is correct? Clearly, there isn’t much difference.

try it wit your tuner and note the difference, if any..…..curious…

 

[TBird1958]

Imagine a world w/o LZ... luckily we don't have to.

This is good, when I saw them in '73 they were not good, not the worst show I ever went to but not far from it.

 

[JIO]

Technical question for our resident brainiacs. I’ve read two different ways to do intonation. In both cases, tune as usual, then 1) hold down the string at the 12th fret and adjust the saddle until the open string and the 12th fret are in tune. 2) lightly touch the string at the 12th fret and adjust the saddle until the open string and the harmonic are in tune.

If I do #1, I find the harmonic is slightly sharp. Which is correct? Clearly, there isn’t much difference.

I call it three-point intonation; (1st to tune) open string - 12th fret depressed - 12th fret harmonic. Essentially you want the 12th fret depressed and open string to match/align. Once that's achieved - the harmonic match will be a given. An electronic tuner is imperative. Most stomp-box tuners will be sufficient. If sharp - move saddle toward the bottom / if flat - move saddle toward the neck. In the process of intonation, if saddles are adjusted up or down - they should be re-checked for fore-aft intonation.

 

[Stealth57]

try it wit your tuner and note the difference, if any..…..curious…

My plug in tuner has 7 positions above and below what it reports as in tune. Using what I called #1, harmonics are one position to the sharp side.

 

[JIO]

My plug in tuner has 7 positions above and below what it reports as in tune. Using what I called #1, harmonics are one position to the sharp side.

move saddle back/toward the bottom of the bass

 

[JIO]

I find doing harmonics...difficult, after I damaged the ends of my left fingers a bit, a couple of decades ago; so, I use #1.

Doesn't matter for me if the harmonics are sharp, since I don't use those when playing




Getting the 24th fret on my Ibanez basses to co-operate & sync up with open & 12th, that's a bit more difficult

If you have the open string and depressed 12th fret the same - the harmonic will automatically be the same.

 

[Ringhammer]

Gibson Thunderbird Pickup - New, Old Stock Vintage Bass Pickup (1970s - Chrome) | Reverb


Gibson Thunderbird Pickup - New, Old Stock Vintage (1970s - Chrome) | Reverb


For a mere $2190 you could have a set of NOS Thunderbird pickups.

Might be cool, but…

…for the same amount, set of Lollars, and a set of Novaks, and a set of Duncan’s, and a set of Gibson re-issues, and probably some money to spare.

Did the original or 70’s Thunderbirds use three point mounting for the pickups?

 

[Stealth57]

move saddle back/toward the bottom of the bass

Then the 12th fret is flat. It’s pretty much one or the other with all my basses. Maybe the B3n has an issue with harmonics.

 

[Stealth57]

Gibson Thunderbird Pickup - New, Old Stock Vintage Bass Pickup (1970s - Chrome) | Reverb


Gibson Thunderbird Pickup - New, Old Stock Vintage (1970s - Chrome) | Reverb


For a mere $2190 you could have a set of NOS Thunderbird pickups.

Might be cool, but…

…for the same amount, set of Lollars, and a set of Novaks, and a set of Duncan’s, and a set of Gibson re-issues, and probably some money to spare.

Did the original or 70’s Thunderbirds use three point mounting for the pickups?

That’s some crusty NOS.

 

[JIO]

Then the 12th fret is flat. It’s pretty much one or the other with all my basses. Maybe the B3n has an issue with harmonics.

Is "the B3n" a tuner?

 

[GonePlaid]

Last week I bought this Jackson Rhoads body that I figured would make a cool project.
View attachment 5228686
I had to convert it to accept a 22 fret neck, though, which required plugging up the stock bridge pickup and studs routs. In fact, the guy I bought it from hadn't done anything with it for exactly that reason, he had no 24 fret neck lying around to put on there.
View attachment 5228671
Masking out where I need to rout.

View attachment 5228672
The maple plug I used prior to routing.
View attachment 5228673
Outlining the whole deal, to measure is to know, after all.

View attachment 5228674
And after I routed the body
View attachment 5228675
Clamp the plug in and leave it for at least two days for it to properly cure.

View attachment 5228676 I've got a routing template, and I'm not afraid to use it.
View attachment 5228677
Neat-o and now it's time to plane the plug and sand the thing smooth.

So what am I going to do with the finish, since that plug will be VERY visible? Well seeing as how the Rhoads is an Eighties design, I decided to go all eighties by giving it a baby blue with black bevels look, which meant that I only needed to refinish the top.
View attachment 5228679 Here it is with the masking tape still on...
View attachment 5228682
And with that said tape removed. NAILING the look I was going for.

View attachment 5228683
And today I spend time putting it all together, it's not done yet but I'm getting there. That Ibanez neck, style wise is a good fit. Of course with Ibanez having the Rocket Roll model in the eighties, which included a Rhoads style guitar, that's not really that much a surprise.

Well done.