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Thunderbird Club

#275,402
dagrev said:
Yes, that will be their problem. Some things they have room on and a few things not so much. My guy will always do it if there is a way. He's a Sr. Rep and don't know if that allows more flexibility or not. There's a small shop from Arlington, VA and on Reverb that often has equally good prices as well. Or they have in the past, and you can often just order one sent set with free shipping and not need to reach a set amount. Just checked and Jason still has better prices, if you buy a couple sets and get free shipping.
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Jason just ordered 6 sets of Power Flats. Apparently, that is the minimum order from SIT. Only 5 left ;)
 
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#275,405
Stealth57 said:
Jason just ordered 6 sets of Power Flats. Apparently, that is the minimum order from SIT. Only 5 left ;)
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I have no complaints re the SIT Power Flats(45/65/85/105) on my Embassy. I went back to EBCFs on the 67 'cos they have a medium/light tension set(#2814-45/65/80/100)that I figure puts a little less strain on its 66 y/o neck. Still plenty o' roar outta the E and A; slightly clearerer[sic].
I don't cut used strings, but save-and label-them in case one breaks. (I've had one string break in all the years I've been playing. Might be time for some 'culling'. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm a 'pack rat'. They'll be buried with me.)
 
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#275,406
Not sure if you know (or care!) about SIT’s history but it started in a tiny guitar repair shop in a little town I grew up in.
Virgil Lay started Lay’s Guitar Shop in Kenmore, Ohio, in 1962. His store has been serving amateur and professional musicians nationwide ever since ( it’s still open by old employees). I was just there last Summer.
Virgil worked on instruments for such players as Jack Bruce, Phil Keaggy, Joe Walsh and bands such as Bad Company, The Outlaws and The Black Keys. Jimmy Page‘s Les Paul #1 had its neck shaved in his shop.
I took many instruments there when I was younger for set up and knew Virgil and loved hearing about the Rockers and Country stars and their guitars.
Lay founded the Stay-In-Tune String Company (or SIT Strings as it’s known today) in 1980. Lay grew frustrated when newly strung guitars would go out of tune, so he began applying adhesives to the twists in the strings to stop them from stretching. The strings became known as “Stay In Tune” strings, or S.I.T. Strings. The strings were originally made in Lay's basement in Kenmore.
My brother used some of the 1st SIT strings on his ‘64 SG. They hadn’t started making Bass strings until a few years later.
He had a gentle southern accent and he loved to share stories.
Here he is with Les Paul’s “Log” guitar!
upload_2024-1-20_10-53-12.jpeg

SIT is now in a large commercial building but it all started in a tiny guitar repair shop.
 
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#275,409
SubHuman said:
Not sure if you know (or care!) about SIT’s history but it started in a tiny guitar repair shop in a little town I grew up in.
Virgil Lay started Lay’s Guitar Shop in Kenmore, Ohio, in 1962. His store has been serving amateur and professional musicians nationwide ever since ( it’s still open by old employees). I was just there last Summer.
Virgil worked on instruments for such players as Jack Bruce, Phil Keaggy, Joe Walsh and bands such as Bad Company, The Outlaws and The Black Keys. Jimmy Page‘s Les Paul #1 had its neck shaved in his shop.
I took many instruments there when I was younger for set up and knew Virgil and loved hearing about the Rockers and Country stars and their guitars.
Lay founded the Stay-In-Tune String Company (or SIT Strings as it’s known today) in 1980. Lay grew frustrated when newly strung guitars would go out of tune, so he began applying adhesives to the twists in the strings to stop them from stretching. The strings became known as “Stay In Tune” strings, or S.I.T. Strings. The strings were originally made in Lay's basement in Kenmore.
My brother used some of the 1st SIT strings on his ‘64 SG. They hadn’t started making Bass strings until a few years later.
He had a gentle southern accent and he loved to share stories.
Here he is with Les Paul’s “Log” guitar!
View attachment 5323557
SIT is now in a large commercial building but it all started in a tiny guitar repair shop.
Click to expand...
Cool story.
 
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#275,411
SubHuman said:
Not sure if you know (or care!) about SIT’s history but it started in a tiny guitar repair shop in a little town I grew up in.
Virgil Lay started Lay’s Guitar Shop in Kenmore, Ohio, in 1962. His store has been serving amateur and professional musicians nationwide ever since ( it’s still open by old employees). I was just there last Summer.
Virgil worked on instruments for such players as Jack Bruce, Phil Keaggy, Joe Walsh and bands such as Bad Company, The Outlaws and The Black Keys. Jimmy Page‘s Les Paul #1 had its neck shaved in his shop.
I took many instruments there when I was younger for set up and knew Virgil and loved hearing about the Rockers and Country stars and their guitars.
Lay founded the Stay-In-Tune String Company (or SIT Strings as it’s known today) in 1980. Lay grew frustrated when newly strung guitars would go out of tune, so he began applying adhesives to the twists in the strings to stop them from stretching. The strings became known as “Stay In Tune” strings, or S.I.T. Strings. The strings were originally made in Lay's basement in Kenmore.
My brother used some of the 1st SIT strings on his ‘64 SG. They hadn’t started making Bass strings until a few years later.
He had a gentle southern accent and he loved to share stories.
Here he is with Les Paul’s “Log” guitar!
View attachment 5323557
SIT is now in a large commercial building but it all started in a tiny guitar repair shop.
Click to expand...
That is so cool. Glad you shared that history. I first encountered them when G&L basses were shipped with them. (Why they switched to D’Addario I'll never understand. Must have been cheaper because it's not that they sounded better.) I liked them and bought a few sets years ago, but with all the string offerings today I began the string merry-go-round. @BklynKen talked about them here and has converted several to the SIT cult. I don't know that they stay in tune any better than other bass strings, but they sure sound good. And are very reasonably priced which is important for bass players.

I have found the Power Wounds "fixed" my '62 Jazz and made it sound better than ever. The Power Steels are on the '71 and that also sounds better than ever. I'm not really a Jazz bass guy as I could never get them to sound as good as others, but the SITs made me really enjoy playing the Js. For a long time I only used Infeld's on my '64 Thunderbird and never thought of trying another string since it sounded perfect. I tried the Power Wounds and they sound 95% or more as good on it as the much more expensive Infelds. I have an old set of their exposed cores on my '21 NR and that's the best it's sounded as well. I've got a couple sets of the PWs in the cart at FretNation as we speak.
 
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#275,413
Gaolee said:
That is right. I forgot. The usual Thunderbird is passive, so I wouldn't worry about it much if you are happy with what your bass sounds like. It is a Thunderbird and that's al that's important.

For what it is worth, my fretless started as an active Pro IV. Once I scrounge up money to refinish it, it won't be anything like it was. It already has a different sound because it is passive and has Lace Alumitone pickups. It sounds nothing like a Gibson or Epiphone now.
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I tried those pu's once years ago in a music store for a few minutes. I don't recall what they sounded like. Just that. :)
 
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#275,416
Engle said:
If I ran the zoo, the Epi Thunderbirds would be available in colors, have trapezoid inlays and bridge covers.
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The big neck pu cover for sure - you can buy the smaller bridge pu cover today, or at least it used to be readily available.
 
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#275,417
JIO said:
The big neck pu cover for sure - you can buy the smaller bridge pu cover today, or at least it used to be readily available.
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I have one of those bridge covers. I bought from ebay. They are not quite tall enough depending on the bass. But one of my 3D printer project ideas is to design/make spacers in various thicknesses:D
Sure would be nice if Epiphone did the inlays!
 
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#275,418
dagrev said:
Yes.

And...the one you did for Chuck looks...perfect. Fantastic shade of white. So well done in all respects.
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Thanks - whites are one of the hardest colours to get right due to aging, and aging can vary depending on conditions. (more or less amber'd) So when I talked with Pat, I didn't say "this or that trade-name colour" - but instead I sent him pics and reference to my '66 J hs face which he finished years ago. It's Olympic white with a slight amber clear. I later had Marty Bell shoot the '66 body in Oly white (no amber clear) which looks different. I did that deliberately because a vintage '66 Oly white hs face ambers more than the body - I based it on a pic of original finish Oly wht '66 like mine.

This was shot in indoor warm/defused daylight so it appears more amber'd.
upload_2024-1-20_9-22-36.jpeg

Shot in outside neutral light - subtly different, but the body is higher chroma (whiter) than the hs face. Body was shot in poly which does age but a lot slower. It's also more durable.
upload_2024-1-20_9-50-0.jpeg
 
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#275,419
Engle said:
I have one of those bridge covers. I bought from ebay. They are not quite tall enough depending on the bass. But one of my 3D printer project ideas is to design/make spacers in various thicknesses:D
Sure would be nice if Epiphone did the inlays!
Click to expand...

The cover spacers are a good idea. I have the ones off my '64 if you need reference. For various thicknesses, you could just stack them - they are 1/16" thick.
 
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