Thunderbird Club

[dagrev]

Lead solder might explain some things.

I resemble that remark.

 

[dagrev]

 

[dagrev]

Holy happy horse poopie! The new tailpiece/claw is huge…

marked “sung il” or “sun il” forgot already, I believe I have seen similar marking on Epiphone parts.

very well made, but more complicated than I wanted.

the studs lock so it isn’t going anywhere ever…

looks better installed than I thought it would.


Now I have to decide which strap, leaning toward the cheetah… red pleather was supposed to be pink when I ordered it but just the ends were pinkish…

Please say that's a slight reflection of pink on your nails.

On second thought, don't say anything. I don't want to know and would rather have the mystery than the reality. I think.

 

[Engle]

Well done - I like the small pot #'s.

Thx I don’t like the beige plastic ring.

 

[Engle]

Very cool Irv.

Thanks. Casadys are nice modding platforms.

 

[Engle]

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

Yes normal strings. Just push the ball end in there and then stick in the pin. Same as a steel string acoustic.

 

[dagrev]

Has anyone with a bolt-on thunderbird, with a swapped bridge (either Hipshot supertone, or babicz), have you had the neck pocket altered or left alone? I'm debating if i route the pocket flat or leave it as is.

& string question; I've been a dominant D'Addario user & still am. Only select few of my guitars/basses have either GHS boomers or DR Hi beams (which really is on one pbass & they sound/feel awesome). Been running 50-105 D'addario's medium gauge set on my bird for a long time, & wondering what you guys would recommend the most? Note on strings, i'm not big on Ernie ball, having had lots of bad luck in general with em (from snapping a fresh string while stretching out, to immediate death the next day of installing them on a bass, & guitar i dislike the feel of em in general). I feel i'd stay within 45-105 or 50-105 as string gauge on the bird. I'll consider having a 100 gauge E string. Anyway, i figured with an all around new setup/life into this bird once again, might as well change strings & try something different. Also, roundwound exclusive, i've a few with halfwounds/flats which cover my darker/warmer bass tones.

Cheers!

Strings... I off the top of my head I counted seven different varieties of strings. Several basses have like sets. I love Boomers, SITs SS and NPS, Rotos, which seem to be my main rounds these days. Then there are flats, Pressure wounds, Tapes and flats. Like you, Im not an EB fan, and D'As of any kind never worked for me. Maybe one of the above that you don't have might be worth a try.

 

[dagrev]

The Schaller 3D bridge, born in the early '80s is still one of the best bass bridges you can buy for many reasons. The slight curve of the base echoes a fretboard radius and the rollar-saddles can be dialed in perfectly both side-to-side and height-wise. Usually found for under $100, but sometimes over. When I first started buying them they were around $50-$60. They offer stackable riser-rings (I'm using one as seen in this pic) to raise it if needed. And yes - ideally the saddles angle like that. Occasionally they won't (like my G-string) - must have to do with individual string tension.

View attachment 5240498
Another option for a staggered bridge is individual units. Obviously better suited for a new build but more than likely they would cover up existing holes. Not a 'drop in', so not for if you want it reversible. These Ibanez units are string-thru only.
View attachment 5240503
These individual units can be strung either way.
View attachment 5240507

Agree on the Schaller.

 

[RedVee]

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 think they are ‘normal’ but I paid the shop to put them on because I was too chicken to try by myself.

I just went upstairs and checked and see what you mean. No sign of the string ends. BTW I chose the Martin Bronze by the time tested method of them being the only choice in the shop…
But I like them, so that was lucky.

 

[T-BirdBassist89]

Hey guys and gals its been a while since I've been on here. I need help because I want to replace my pickguard on my bass the one in my profile pic and need help getting the measurements right. Its a Epiphone classic iv pro. Thanks for all of your help in advance

 

[dagrev]

I have to say my ears aren't that critical when it comes to bridges. Nuts yes, but as long as a bridge mechanically does all that's needed I think they all sound good. The "high mass" thing is overrated in my opinion. I've used all three of those options and to me the important part is the saddle threads for proper string spacing. If it were me, it would come down to which one looks best on the particular bass. As in, I'd put a standard Fender threaded-saddle bent-plate bridge on a period-specific Fender bass.

View attachment 5240621

I'm not a a big bridge person. If it works I'm happy. But I once had a MIM Jazz an put my '78 Fender bridge on from a previous bass and it made a difference. I didn't think it would matter too much, but it sure did on that application.

 

[Stealth57]

Hey guys and gals its been a while since I've been on here. I need help because I want to replace my pickguard on my bass the one in my profile pic and need help getting the measurements right. Its a Epiphone classic iv pro. Thanks for all of your help in advance

@Engle has the CP template from when he made mine.

 

[T-BirdBassist89]

@Engle has the CP template from when he made mine.

cool thank you gonna message him

 

[JIO]

I'm not a a big bridge person. If it works I'm happy. But I once had a MIM Jazz an put my '78 Fender bridge on from a previous bass and it made a difference. I didn't think it would matter too much, but it sure did on that application.

The '78 bridge was a standard bent-plate? Pat Wilkins who not only does masterful finishing makes a couple lines of Fender cones (P's & J's) and swears by a standard bent-plate bridge. My '68 (Dano) Coral Deluxe Bass has the very crude Dano wood/metal bridge and it sounds great! All the bridge debate is infused with a lot of marketing hype IMO - I've used at least a dozen different bridges over the years and they all sound great.

This beast of a Fender bridge (made by Kahler) from 1990 (Fender was many times late to the party) was their answer to "high mass" when the term first started being used in the '70s. It's affectionately referred to as "the claw" - solid brass, weighed a bloody ton and "improved (fill in the blank)" It definitely improved any hint of neck-dive! I figure if Pete Townshend and Jimi Hendrix had problems smashing their Strats - they would have given up trying to smash a P-bass with this bridge on it! You don't want to be on the receiving end if someone is swinging this bass around!

 

[TBird1958]

let’s do this!…..round 2..
View attachment 5241042

Is Any other bassist in the S.C./Hollister area even working?
You are the man!

 

[Stealth57]

Is Any other bassist in the S.C./Hollister area even working?
You are the man!

They all moved.

 

[JIO]

Thx I don’t like the beige plastic ring.

Much cleaner -

 

[Ringhammer]

Thank you @Engle for once again getting me what I needed to make my most recent ‘bird acquisition come together in the way I wanted.

1997 Gibson Thunderbird, Gibson vintage re-issues-chrome covers and rings. Babicz chrome bridge, Hipshot tuners. Just back from a fretboard leveling and new frets:

Plays and sounds pretty darn good. Looking forward to hearing it with the whole band on Monday.

 

[Nocturnal]

Thank you @Engle for once again getting me what I needed to make my most recent ‘bird acquisition come together in the way I wanted.

1997 Gibson Thunderbird, Gibson vintage re-issues-chrome covers and rings. Babicz chrome bridge, Hipshot tuners. Just back from a fretboard leveling and new frets:

View attachment 5241125

View attachment 5241126

View attachment 5241127

Plays and sounds pretty darn good. Looking forward to hearing it with the whole band on Monday.

That looks amazing!!

 

[TBird1958]

Thank you @Engle for once again getting me what I needed to make my most recent ‘bird acquisition come together in the way I wanted.

1997 Gibson Thunderbird, Gibson vintage re-issues-chrome covers and rings. Babicz chrome bridge, Hipshot tuners. Just back from a fretboard leveling and new frets:

View attachment 5241125

View attachment 5241126

View attachment 5241127

Plays and sounds pretty darn good. Looking forward to hearing it with the whole band on Monday.

Man, that is on POINT!