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Thunderbird Club

#266,681
Ringhammer said:
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.
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That's a fresh look - fully black & chrome.
 
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#266,682
GBassNorth said:
I’ve been kinda in the same boat on bridges as well but wasn’t sure if I’ve just not listened closely enough. This application is being driven by pickups with exposed pole pieces which are spaced exactly the same regardless of neck or bridge pickup. So visually you end up with the G and E strings not over the pole on one pickup but ok on the other pickup. It’s an OCD thing that drives me nutz on exposed pole pups. The current bridge is a high mass but no string spacing option, so I’ll probably go with the high or mid mass threaded barrel model to gain a bit of fine tuning adjustment on the strings. I’m locking my self into Fender options because that’s what this bass is all about. The bent plate would look out of place on this modern build.
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The OCD thing re exact spacing over exposed pole pieces doesn’t bug me as much as where strings aren't the same distance from the fretboard edge as the board widens closer to the bridge.
 
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#266,684
Stealth57 said:
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?

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Can’t help with number 1. I have a fiver. The B string is a perfect thumb rest. I’m figuring out #2 and #3. I don’t particularly care for bronze strings. I may try tapes next.
 
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#266,685
MCF said:
Can’t help with number 1. I have a fiver. The B string is a perfect thumb rest. I’m figuring out #2 and #3. I don’t particularly care for bronze strings. I may try tapes next.
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Warwick Black Nylons, Roto88, La Bella Black Nylon…too bad no medium scale SIT Power Flats. Tapes aren’t cheap.
 
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#266,689
dagrev said:
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.
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The only two strings that ever broke on me were La Bellas. A gold flat and a nickel round, I don’t recall which one specifically. So I’m wary of that brand.
 
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#266,690
Ringhammer said:
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.
Click to expand...
I love the Babicz. Where did you buy the knobs?
 
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#266,692
Nocturnal said:
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.
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La Bella Black tapes sound amazing on an AEB.
And they last forever. I had a set on a Jazz bass that was still going strong after 20 years.
 
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#266,695
dagrev said:
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.
Click to expand...

I'll have a look see for SITs as these seem to be "praised" by a lot of folks. have played rotos on friends basses, but idk, dont find them particularly interesting feel wise.

Thanka for the suggestions!!
 
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#266,699
ThaCoast said:
I'll have a look see for SITs as these seem to be "praised" by a lot of folks. have played rotos on friends basses, but idk, dont find them particularly interesting feel wise.

Thanka for the suggestions!!
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Between the SITs and Dunlops I mentioned above, the Dunlops feel slightly smoother if that makes a difference to you. It doesn’t for me.
 
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