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Thunderbird Club

#284,621
Instagator said:
Dang you “Vette” guys!
You made me dig into the picture books.
Here’s my Vette. It burned rubber..If you slammed on the brakes hard enough at 40 mph.
Cheers!
View attachment 5395183 View attachment 5395184
Click to expand...
The first couple of years were decent. In ‘76 or ‘77 they redesigned them a bit. Looked cool, but lots of problems - like the shifter pivot pin falling out. Sharon bought hers just before we got married in Dec ‘77 and we traded it within a couple of years.
Controls for turn signals, lights, wipers, and the horn were all on a single, skinny, pot metal arm off the steering column. It broke and was a minor pain to replace. The turn signals quit working at another point. A month later I noticed the oil was a quart low. I added oil and the signals resumed working. 5mph wreck messed the whole front end up. Fun car to drive but unreliable.
 
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#284,624
Instagator said:
Dang you “Vette” guys!
You made me dig into the picture books.
Here’s my Vette. It burned rubber..If you slammed on the brakes hard enough at 40 mph.
Cheers!
View attachment 5395183 View attachment 5395184
Click to expand...

e9qNBus.jpg
 
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#284,626
Two basses I bought last year and took until now to get them how I want them. Both tuned to C standard for my current band.

'23 Epiphone Embassy - Love the probuckers and green color! I replaced the tone knob with a Stellartone Tonestyler, copper shielded the cavity and pickguard, changed the knobs to some awesome matching green UFO brass knobs, a nickel Hipshot two-point bridge (no mods necessary to fit it), nickel schaller strap locks, graphtec black tusq nut, gotoh light weight nickel tuners. Total weight is only 8.1 lbs. It's the SG to the Thunderbird's Les Paul: a little more crunch and high end, less booming bass.

kc_basses_2024.jpg


'90 Gibson Thunderbird - Bought it locally for a steal of a price! It was barely touched from 1990 and included some case candy and a receipt. The original owner for some reason decided it was cooler without a pickguard and threw it away 34 years ago. This is a mint green replacement. I made the electronics match the Embassy to make it easier to switch them back and forth: volume/blend/tonestyler. There was some weird comb filter/phasing issue with the setup but it might have just been a bad blend pot. For now these are brand new TB Plus modern pickups, but I may change back to the less-hot '90 TB Plus pickups. Copper shielded the cavities, got some cool no-numbers black speed knobs, Hipshot three-point bridge, graphtec black tusq nut, Schaller light weight tuners (with the 90 degree screw hole). Total weight is 9.6 lbs. The TB Plus gets such a bad rap as a pickup, I love the huge lows and aggressive low-mids. For downtuned music that is almost always distorted, the rounded highs and compressed lows make it react perfectly with drive and fuzz.

kc_basses_24_1.jpg


And just for fun, my number one workhorse bass, a 2006 Gibson Thunderbird in standard tuning. I was heavily inspired in 2008 to mod it like a Thunderbird owned by @godofthunder59. It's got a Warwick two-piece bridge, knobs from a Sunn Model T, Gotoh lightweight tuners, graphtec black tusq nut, and a bigger cutaway routed into the body. Total weight is 8.4 lbs. Thousands of hours of play wear is a modification too, right?
 
Last edited:
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#284,629
n!k said:
Two basses I bought last year and took until now to get them how I want them. Both tuned to C standard for my current band.

'23 Epiphone Embassy - Love the probuckers and green color! I replaced the tone knob with a Stellartone Tonestyler, copper shielded the cavity and pickguard, changed the knobs to some awesome matching green UFO brass knobs, a nickel Hipshot two-point bridge (no mods necessary to fit it), nickel schaller strap locks, graphtec black tusq nut, gotoh light weight nickel tuners. Total weight is only 8.1 lbs. It's the SG to the Thunderbird's Les Paul: a little more crunch and high end, less booming bass.

View attachment 5395376

'90 Gibson Thunderbird - Bought it locally for a steal of a price! It was barely touched from 1990 and included some case candy and a receipt. The original owner for some reason decided it was cooler without a pickguard and threw it away 34 years ago. This is a mint green replacement. I made the electronics match the Embassy to make it easier to switch them back and forth: volume/blend/tonestyler. There was some weird comb filter/phasing issue with the setup but it might have just been a bad blend pot. For now these are brand new TB Plus modern pickups, but I may change back to the less-hot '90 TB Plus pickups. Copper shielded the cavities, got some cool no-numbers black speed knobs, Hipshot three-point bridge, graphtec black tusq nut, Schaller light weight tuners (with the 90 degree screw hole). Total weight is 9.6 lbs. The TB Plus gets such a bad rap as a pickup, I love the huge lows and aggressive low-mids. For downtuned music that is almost always distorted, the rounded highs and compressed lows make it react perfectly with drive and fuzz.

View attachment 5395378

And just for fun, my number one workhorse bass, a 2006 Gibson Thunderbird in standard tuning. I was heavily inspired in 2008 to mod it like a Thunderbird owned by @godofthunder59. It's got a Warwick two-piece bridge, knobs from a Sunn Model T, Gotoh lightweight tuners, graphtec black tusq nut, and a bigger cutaway routed into the body. Total weight is 8.4 lbs. Thousands of hours of play wear is a modification too, right?
Click to expand...
Great trio! What gauge strings for C standard- a BEAD set under pressure?
 
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#284,631
Stealth57 said:
I found one locally in excellent shape for a mere $175. You know I will try to talk him down.
Click to expand...

Little bit of advice here.
There will be a learning curve on how to use it.
Know your gear first is my motto, before adding anything else.
And, you’re running 2 heads, to what would be, 2 separate cabs, in theory.

So, you would really want a 2 channel eq.
Because that eq alone will affect both cabs simultaneously.

Catch my drift?
 
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#284,634
JJR58 said:
Little bit of advice here.
There will be a learning curve on how to use it.
Know your gear first is my motto, before adding anything else.
And, you’re running 2 heads, to what would be, 2 separate cabs, in theory.

So, you would really want a 2 channel eq.
Because that eq alone will affect both cabs simultaneously.

Catch my drift?
Click to expand...
This should be a good start. Got him down to $160, so really can't go wrong. In the original box and paperwork.

If the 1540 ends up with Marshall, the EQ will still be a good add since the Sunn amps only have bass, mid, and treble.
 
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#284,635
Stealth57 said:
This should be a good start. Got him down to $160, so really can't go wrong. In the original box and paperwork.

If the 1540 ends up with Marshall, the EQ will still be a good add since the Sunn amps only have bass, mid, and treble.
Click to expand...

What other amps do you have besides those and the B-15?

and maybe take this convo to a pm
 
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#284,636
Miles_ONeal said:
I have an in-wall light switch that needs replacing.one of the screws does not want to come out more than 1/4”. It just wont turn past that, and the screw slot is stating to go. Suggestions? All i know to try at this point is vice grips.
Click to expand...

Sometimes you can apply pressure (Like with a flathead screwdriver or something similar) to the back of the screw head and it will help turn it. But vise grips might be the best choice.
 
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#284,637
n!k said:
Two basses I bought last year and took until now to get them how I want them. Both tuned to C standard for my current band.

'23 Epiphone Embassy - Love the probuckers and green color! I replaced the tone knob with a Stellartone Tonestyler, copper shielded the cavity and pickguard, changed the knobs to some awesome matching green UFO brass knobs, a nickel Hipshot two-point bridge (no mods necessary to fit it), nickel schaller strap locks, graphtec black tusq nut, gotoh light weight nickel tuners. Total weight is only 8.1 lbs. It's the SG to the Thunderbird's Les Paul: a little more crunch and high end, less booming bass.

View attachment 5395376

'90 Gibson Thunderbird - Bought it locally for a steal of a price! It was barely touched from 1990 and included some case candy and a receipt. The original owner for some reason decided it was cooler without a pickguard and threw it away 34 years ago. This is a mint green replacement. I made the electronics match the Embassy to make it easier to switch them back and forth: volume/blend/tonestyler. There was some weird comb filter/phasing issue with the setup but it might have just been a bad blend pot. For now these are brand new TB Plus modern pickups, but I may change back to the less-hot '90 TB Plus pickups. Copper shielded the cavities, got some cool no-numbers black speed knobs, Hipshot three-point bridge, graphtec black tusq nut, Schaller light weight tuners (with the 90 degree screw hole). Total weight is 9.6 lbs. The TB Plus gets such a bad rap as a pickup, I love the huge lows and aggressive low-mids. For downtuned music that is almost always distorted, the rounded highs and compressed lows make it react perfectly with drive and fuzz.

View attachment 5395378

And just for fun, my number one workhorse bass, a 2006 Gibson Thunderbird in standard tuning. I was heavily inspired in 2008 to mod it like a Thunderbird owned by @godofthunder59. It's got a Warwick two-piece bridge, knobs from a Sunn Model T, Gotoh lightweight tuners, graphtec black tusq nut, and a bigger cutaway routed into the body. Total weight is 8.4 lbs. Thousands of hours of play wear is a modification too, right?
Click to expand...


Very nice!
Let me know if you'd like a club number :)
 
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#284,638
n!k said:
Two basses I bought last year and took until now to get them how I want them. Both tuned to C standard for my current band.

'23 Epiphone Embassy - Love the probuckers and green color! I replaced the tone knob with a Stellartone Tonestyler, copper shielded the cavity and pickguard, changed the knobs to some awesome matching green UFO brass knobs, a nickel Hipshot two-point bridge (no mods necessary to fit it), nickel schaller strap locks, graphtec black tusq nut, gotoh light weight nickel tuners. Total weight is only 8.1 lbs. It's the SG to the Thunderbird's Les Paul: a little more crunch and high end, less booming bass.

View attachment 5395376

'90 Gibson Thunderbird - Bought it locally for a steal of a price! It was barely touched from 1990 and included some case candy and a receipt. The original owner for some reason decided it was cooler without a pickguard and threw it away 34 years ago. This is a mint green replacement. I made the electronics match the Embassy to make it easier to switch them back and forth: volume/blend/tonestyler. There was some weird comb filter/phasing issue with the setup but it might have just been a bad blend pot. For now these are brand new TB Plus modern pickups, but I may change back to the less-hot '90 TB Plus pickups. Copper shielded the cavities, got some cool no-numbers black speed knobs, Hipshot three-point bridge, graphtec black tusq nut, Schaller light weight tuners (with the 90 degree screw hole). Total weight is 9.6 lbs. The TB Plus gets such a bad rap as a pickup, I love the huge lows and aggressive low-mids. For downtuned music that is almost always distorted, the rounded highs and compressed lows make it react perfectly with drive and fuzz.

View attachment 5395378

And just for fun, my number one workhorse bass, a 2006 Gibson Thunderbird in standard tuning. I was heavily inspired in 2008 to mod it like a Thunderbird owned by @godofthunder59. It's got a Warwick two-piece bridge, knobs from a Sunn Model T, Gotoh lightweight tuners, graphtec black tusq nut, and a bigger cutaway routed into the body. Total weight is 8.4 lbs. Thousands of hours of play wear is a modification too, right?
Click to expand...
That bridge is cool!
 
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#284,640
Instagator said:
Dang you “Vette” guys!
You made me dig into the picture books.
Here’s my Vette. It burned rubber..If you slammed on the brakes hard enough at 40 mph.
Cheers!
View attachment 5395183 View attachment 5395184
Click to expand...
Judging by the second pic you were quite young when you got the Chevette…

Vauxhall (GM in UK) also called their T car a Chevette.

IMG_3198.jpeg



Chucky Stiletti said:
yeah figured Miles, just commenting on reasons why Californians don't leave the state...
Click to expand...

Got everything. I like it all except the snow. You can keep that.
 
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