Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

No, every wire is green (ground). In case of a problem, having every wire one colour makes circuit tracing challenging.

Tell me about it - there's hardly a 'standard' in wire colour, especially white & black. Red is 'usually' hot and black is 'usually' ground - but even that can vary. Then there is yellow occasionally. Green generally turns up in a 4-wire set-up, for coil-splitting or active pre-amps.

If there is a standard - I'd like everyone in the industry to conform to it.

 

[JIO]

I met Mike at a NAMM show in Austin. Seemed like a nice guy, and he's done a lot for the pedal and tube industries. I know there was a big stink about unions, but I've never been clear on what happened.

...y.., Mike who? And unions? Catch me up on this...

 

[MCF]

The days of a cheap '76 are long gone!
I have about $2000 - $2200 in each of mine, they were both beaters when I bought them at about 1K each. 48 years young now!

I recall when they crossed the 3K mark around '18 or thereabouts. Seems like yesterday. Prices creeped up during the pandemic. I doubt we'll seem them come down again unless the economy crashes.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Tell me about it - there's hardly a 'standard' in wire colour, especially white & black. Red is 'usually' hot and black is 'usually' ground - but even that can vary. Then there is yellow occasionally. Green generally turns up in a 4-wire set-up, for coil-splitting or active pre-amps.

because black is "neutral" while green is ground..they can but not necessarily be tied together..

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

...y.., Mike who? And unions? Catch me up on this...

..we've all been there...

 

[JIO]

because black is "neutral" while green is ground..

I need a class in understanding this 'stuff'... if no green - black is 'generally' ground, or is it still 'neutral' and how is that like or not like ground???

 

[JIO]

..we've all been there...

Yes, go away for 20 or 30 minutes here and one is (as we say in cyclist terminology) "off the back"...

 

[BklynKen]

No, every wire is green (ground). In case of a problem, having every wire one colour makes circuit tracing challenging.

To be clear, this is only for myself. I had this wire, so all good. It's solid-core. I also had some red stranded-core, but the solid is easier to work with, as long as you only bend it once or twice.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I need a class in understanding this 'stuff'... if no green - black is 'generally' ground, or is it still 'neutral' and how is that like or not like ground???

because older installs only used 2 conductors Red/Black....when they smartened up and realized there are instances where a separate "floating' (in some cases) ground was useful, they made it green since the first letters are GR much like in the word GRound...don't feel bad, electrical wiring can be tricky and non intuitive...it's when you start getting into multiphase arrangements (most of our musical instrument stuff is single phase) that stuff starts getting hairy real quick...

 

[BklynKen]

because older installs only used 2 conductors Red/Black....when they smartened up and realized there are instances where a separate "floating' (in some cases) ground was useful, they made it green since the first letters are GR much like in the word GRound...don't feel bad, electrical wiring can be tricky and non intuitive...it's when you start getting into multiphase arrangements (most of our musical instrument stuff is single phase) that stuff starts getting hairy real quick...

In my world, green means 100% oxygen.

 

[RedVee]

First was only useful to get across an intersection fast. The rest of the time, you only use the top four. Kind of like an air cooled VW. Fastest car off the line ever. Six feet later, everything else passes it.

Kinda like the old 3 on the tree Holdens/Falcons/Valiants when I was a kid. 1st to start the wheels rolling then into 2nd to get up to about 25mph then top until the red light and then start all over again. Maybe it was the old boys driving them!
I never considered that the 3 on the floor would have the same pattern with first under reverse.

Funny thing I only recently leant that originally the column shift was the luxury / fancy option over the floor shift that the early cars came with.

 

[MCF]

I think you replied to the wrong comment. I was referring to the $22k Jerry Garcia tribute bass.

Oh. Sorry.

 

[MCF]

Hi, just trying, Anyone interested ro exchange my Spector Euro LX Zebrawood (customized with jazz neck width and 3b Emg Preamp) for white or black TBird? Ebony board prefered?

Located in Middle of Europe tho...

Welcome.

 

[TBird1958]

Warm, huh? How warm? 52F today. Does not exceed 68F. Compared to Anchorage, I suppose it's warm. Compared to the Gulf of Mexico or southern east coast, not so much.

We might have to take you down to the boat ramp in Des Moines - good swimmin' there!

 

[MCF]

it's gorgeous!
sure you want to sell that? seems like everyone who sells their BaCHs end up regretting it…
you can tell that started out as a II as it seems BaCH never observed Gibson knob spacing……
View attachment 5433707

I was wondering the same thing. I will never sell my BaCH.

 

[TBird1958]

I recall when they crossed the 3K mark around '18 or thereabouts. Seems like yesterday. Prices creeped up during the pandemic. I doubt we'll seem them come down again unless the economy crashes.

Bicentennials (76-79 for Miles) really didn't go up all that much for quite a long time, to me, they're really a niche 'Bird, not like any of the others on the pickups/wiring side. I think some folks may be seeing that, finally!

I really need to get mine to one of our shows this year.

 

[TBird1958]

it's gorgeous!
sure you want to sell that? seems like everyone who sells their BaCHs end up regretting it…
you can tell that started out as a II as it seems BaCH never observed Gibson knob spacing……
View attachment 5433707

You know you don't need any Queenie enabling

Truthfully, I'm surprised it isn't winging it's way to you already.

 

[MCF]

We might have to take you down to the boat ramp in Des Moines - good swimmin' there!

I vote Dave haul Chucky's boat up for the GTG.

 

[MCF]

You know you don't need any Queenie enabling

Truthfully, I'm surprised it isn't winging it's way to you already.

I was wondering what shipping it to Oz would cost. I think Geoff would look great with it.

 

[JIO]

because older installs only used 2 conductors Red/Black....when they smartened up and realized there are instances where a separate "floating' (in some cases) ground was useful, they made it green since the first letters are GR much like in the word GRound...don't feel bad, electrical wiring can be tricky and non intuitive...it's when you start getting into multiphase arrangements (most of our musical instrument stuff is single phase) that stuff starts getting hairy real quick...

Thanks Chuck - for all my non straight-ahead builds, wiring is the bane of my life.