Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

What’s your favorite nut material for Thunderbirds and why? Assuming there is one.

I cut a brass one for my '64 II primarily because after many years (decades!) I realized the bone nut was cut wrong from the factory! I definitely noticed a sharper/clearer tone that rang longer after doing so. The Saundersbird (a couple posts back) and my Gojira Fenderbird also has brass nuts. Other than that, I think a bone nut is ideal for most birds - I just like the extra definition a brass nut provides. But it's funny, I once cut a brass nut for a Fender Jaguar bass and it sounded like crap, so I used bone instead and it sounded much better. So it depends on the bass what material will make it sound better. Just no plastic, solid or hollow. Plastic is a tone killer.

 

[Engle]

Casady mods Saturday!

 

[JIO]

View attachment 5240910

The EB p'ups look very bling indeed in their new gold covers.
Gonna wait until after the (supposedly) correct pickups arrive and I have it seen by the "Gibbo Technician" in the UK before I fit the surrounds (to both pickups), that'll give me plenty time to force someone else to make me surround shims as I'm far beyond clumsy ;-) when it comes to working with plastics!

Does it have gold tuners? I usually don't 'brake for gold' but that's a good look.

 

[JIO]

Casady mods Saturday!
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Well done - I like the small pot #'s.

 

[JJR58]

"favorite nut material"

Take your pick, quite an assortment here.

 

[JJR58]

Casady mods Saturday!
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Very cool Irv.

 

[Stealth57]

Any suggestions for flat wounds for the acoustic electric? When I do a search, I just get normal ball end strings.

 

[JIO]

Take your pick, quite an assortment here.

Speaking of nuts, I hope no squirrels were harmed in the shooting of this picture...

 

[The EDP]

Nice! Do you know anybody with a 3D printer?

I think so, I'll have to check - do you have a file for it?

 

[JIO]

Sorry for that photo... to take your mind off of it, a little humor from Al Franken...

 

[JIO]

Any suggestions for flat wounds for the acoustic electric? When I do a search, I just get normal ball end strings.

I would just try some - double basses have flat-wound strings.

 

[The EDP]

Does it have gold tuners? I usually don't 'brake for gold' but that's a good look.

Yes it does, it's the Rex Brown Thunderbird, originally the pickups had black covers, but all the hardware is gold, I'll find a piccy.

Excuse how grubby it is in these pics, just got it home after trying it in the shop on a really hot day!

 

[JJR58]

Yes it does, it's the Rex Brown Thunderbird, originally the pickups had black covers, but all the hardware is gold, I'll find a piccy.View attachment 5240947 View attachment 5240948 View attachment 5240949

Excuse how grubby it is in these pics, just got it home after trying it in the shop on a really hot day!

Mmmmmmm. we could be alien ancestors.

 

[GBassNorth]

I’ve got a home gig with Spotify

View attachment 5240785

Likewise, at the Pandora café.

 

[JIO]

Yes it does, it's the Rex Brown Thunderbird, originally the pickups had black covers, but all the hardware is gold, I'll find a piccy.View attachment 5240947 View attachment 5240948 View attachment 5240949

Excuse how grubby it is in these pics, just got it home after trying it in the shop on a really hot day!

It looks better w/gold pu's.

 

[JIO]

I’ve got a home gig with Spotify

View attachment 5240785

Likewise, at the Pandora café.

And I'm bonding with our BG set-list for tomorrow night at the Kilowatt/SF through a chocolatey rig in my bass-room...

Including this one -

Carnaby 4, The Minks & Bond Girl Tickets | Free | 5 Nov @ Kilowatt, San Francisco | DICE

Kilowatt

Set List:

1) Dr No/Goldfinger
2) History Repeating
3) The Man with the Golden Gun
4) Shot In the Dark
5) From Russia with Love
6) You're Never There
7) Buena
8) Mission:Impossible
9) Skyfall
10) Big Bad Handsome Man
11) Live & Let Die
12) The Avengers Theme
13) Bad For Business
14) Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
15) Nobody Does It Better

 

[Stealth57]

I think I was under a big misunderstanding given I have never played or owned an acoustic bass. Since the string ends are buried in a hole and held in place by a pin, I thought that the strings needed ball ends that were different than an electric bass. After looking at the Ibanez website, I think I am all messed up.

Can someone confirm that normal electric bass ball ends work and are just tucked down the bridge hole? I know I need medium scale strings as the Ibanez has a 32" scale. Thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Dazed and Confused

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

let’s do this!…..round 2..

 

[RedVee]

New toy Saturday. But I do have some questions to others with acoustic electric basses:

1) where the 7ender to you anchor your thumb?
2) how far from the cabinet do you stand to kill the piezo feedback?
3) any string suggestions?

View attachment 5240731

welcome to the ABG fraternity.

I can only speak for myself but:

1) E string when playing A D G, I sometimes use the thumb to pluck on the E and sometimes I don’t. When I don’t, I don’t know what I do! Sorry.

2) a way away but mostly I face away from the amp/speaker. Occasionally I have played in the hallway with the amp in the spare room. In the end I bought a blocker for the sound hole for when I practice or play with an amp. I generally play it (play around with it) unplugged these days.

3) I’m now using Martin Bronze. But others like tapes / coated

There is an ABG Fetish Club on TB as well.

 

[Nocturnal]

Any suggestions for flat wounds for the acoustic electric? When I do a search, I just get normal ball end strings.

I think I was under a big misunderstanding given I have never played or owned an acoustic bass. Since the string ends are buried in a hole and held in place by a pin, I thought that the strings needed ball ends that were different than an electric bass. After looking at the Ibanez website, I think I am all messed up.

Can someone confirm that normal electric bass ball ends work and are just tucked down the bridge hole? I know I need medium scale strings as the Ibanez has a 32" scale. Thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Dazed and Confused

I currently have a set of regular electric bass strings on my Ibanez acoustic bass. I wasn't sure what to use so asked John Falstrom (Bass instructor and author) on Facebook because he has the same bass. He told me he uses Ernie Ball Super Slinkys on his and pretty sure that is what are installed on mine still.