Thunderbird Club

[ubernator]

This *might* be an option. It's cheap and you could make it your own style so to speak. You could sell off some of the other parts to recoup part of the $$. Not connected with the seller in any way, just thought I would share.

Epiphone Thunderbird Parts Kit and Neck

Price is right, but the hacks on the neck kill it. Also it is a goth neck, I bought the other bird for the standard neck with dots and 1.5 nut. I like my goth, but don't want another goth neck.

About $200 without the case. Most often, defects are finish flaws, but occasionally there are hardware issues. Frinstance, the tuning machines on my TBIV were buggered. I replaced them with Hipshot Ultralights and all is well.

$200 was what they cost new???? FML!!! I doubt you meant $200 used because aside from gougers trying to sell used for new price, $200 sounds about right for used non 2nd ones.

If I can get the truss to adjust I might straighten the neck for standard tuning and guage, and sell it for $150 and take as low as $120, and throw in the cheap fender bag that fits. I am keeping the case. In the meantime I am just using it as is for the tribute, as long as that works out.

I guess now would be time to get this off my chest, not only did I deserve this as punishment for the impulsive and obsessive and manic nature of the purchase situation (long story), but I also had some karmic debt for unloading a bass with similar, but not as severe, truss nut stripping issue.

But the 2nd thing now makes it an avenged sevenfold issue, since not only did it have the truss issue, but it was a $200 new value instrument sold as if it was a $349 instrument. The $200 with case is a ripoff. But then again I see a goth on Craigslist clearly visible as a 2nd stamp, for over $300. The ripoffs abound, caveat emptor!

Unfortunately, my recent purchases led me to a bigger financial bind that snuck up on me. I can't afford to rectify the issue with a new neck, and I need the bass so I just have to live with it.

 

[ubernator]

About $200 without the case. Most often, defects are finish flaws, but occasionally there are hardware issues. Frinstance, the tuning machines on my TBIV were buggered. I replaced them with Hipshot Ultralights and all is well.

How are the tuners buggered? The tuners on this bass are kinda screwy, like they are super fine ratio, but way too much backlash. They work well enough and hold tune once it gets there, but getting there is wonky. No $$$ for new ones. At least I can make this work as is for my uses, but unfortunately the extra relief in the neck will probably make low action impossible. Hard to sell this one unless I can straighten the neck. I can't afford to sell it as is set for drop c, since I can't spare any of the strings, since I only have a small amount of custom guage sets that I soak and rotate for this band. I could spare a standard guage set. Hence any suggestions involving throwing money at this are appreciated for the good intentions, but none of which I can consider. Thanks to SIT for letting me win a set of strings in my needed guage!

Fixed income is a beeotch!

 

[RedVee]

there's some dings and holes to fix, and there's kind of a lot of paint on it now. Once I determine the color I'll have a better idea where it'll go. Kinda thinking a red metalflake, or maybe silver metal flake.

Sounds good. I'd go silver, or silver with red maybe

 

[Count Bassie]

Bird was great last night, despite my predilection for producing warts and kicking up rubble when bellowing out changes and transitioning to riffs from other riffs... monster Ampeg SVT backline w/ dual 810s. The bass tone (now a single p'up bass) got props from Neutral Nation bass player Tom Buckland, and my fav Plan 9 tune to play- at this point- was pretty much a slayer. But their original guy, John Florence, brought the goods with a bullet.

But the Bird rocked.

 

[JJR58]

Bird was great last night, despite my predilection for producing warts and kicking up rubble when bellowing out changes and transitioning to riffs from other riffs... monster Ampeg SVT backline w/ dual 810s. The bass tone (now a single p'up bass) got props from Neutral Nation bass player Tom Buckland, and my fav Plan 9 tune to play- at this point- was pretty much a slayer. But their original guy, John Florence, brought the goods with a bullet.

But the Bird rocked.

Any pics of you in action?

 

[Count Bassie]

Any pics of you in action?

There'll be some kind of video fallout from it, I'm sure.

 

[JJR58]

There'll be some kind of video fallout from it, I'm sure.

Been checking out the interwebz, some group shots of everyone, but no video fallout that I can find as of yet.

 

[BklynKen]

Yeah, the video is not so good quality, but at least with professional headphone u can clearly hear the tone difference (Lull has much more mid, Lollar brighter highs etc.) Both is really good, it's about personal taste. I know it doesn't sound as it should, but u won't find better pick up tone comparison of these two big name on the whole internet. Just a very very few better quality, but separated recordings uploaded by different people with different process and equipment. I might be wrong, but i think comparison like this would be less relevant than the video i showed.
Since Thunderbird is not that popular in these days, the custom pickups appeared just in the recent years and just a handful of people buy more than one pair of 500$ pickups from different manufacturer in the same type of bass, and who does, doesn't feel the necessity to put effort to make a real pickup comparison... That video is the Holy Grail.

The most apparent difference to me from the video was the really low notes, like E.

 

[Off-Beat]

Bird was great last night, despite my predilection for producing warts and kicking up rubble when bellowing out changes and transitioning to riffs from other riffs... monster Ampeg SVT backline w/ dual 810s. The bass tone (now a single p'up bass) got props from Neutral Nation bass player Tom Buckland, and my fav Plan 9 tune to play- at this point- was pretty much a slayer. But their original guy, John Florence, brought the goods with a bullet.

But the Bird rocked.

Haven't been here in quite a while. What did you do?

 

[BklynKen]

Hey, for those of you using TalkBass on an iPhone, do find it frustrating that it doesn't have the button to go to the first unread message that the desktop version has? And also I don't understand what happens when you post a message before being done reading everything new, since it will make a weird jump and I can't understand the placement you wind up at. Maybe the iPhone app works better?

I posted in the help forum but people rarely reply to that.

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Have any of you ever installed a Thunderbird bridge pickup into the neck pickup slot of a Thunderbird or any other bass?. Ive got an extra Thunderbird bridge pickup that I would like to put in an entirely different bass's neck pickup slot. What sound should I expect to hear?, Ive heard some guitar players do this and it apparently works great for Jazz guitarists as it brings out more bass and depth to their tone.

 

[EdO.]

Need some quick help/information from the collective brain trust here. I'm looking at a 2011 Epi T-Bird, white with nickel humbuckers and bridge, supposedly a limited edition model, appears to be good condition low mileage. I can get it at a favorable price, just wondering about the pickups (TB+ in shiny metal covers or something else?) and if in fact this was a limited run bass etc. Been trying to talk myself out of it (I REALLY don't need another one...) but with the bright metal hardware, and if it's actually a special edition model...

Appreciate any information you all can pass along, need to jump soon if I'm jumping at all. N + 1, right?

 

[veebass]

I am a bit late to the discussion on Jazz basses, but I'll give my 2 cents. I have a fair number of basses (around 25), predominantly P Basses and Gibsons. I particularly like them for the girth in the tone. Works for me.
I also have 3 Jazzes and a couple of other bits and pieces (Ric, G&L). My Jazzes are a 2004 MIM in Agave Blue (I like the colour), a 2012 MIM FSR in Antigua (I like the colour and always wanted an Antigua coloured bass- but refuse to pay the current price for late 70s Fenders- they being rather hit and miss for the price asked) and a fantastic all original three bolt, slightly sub 8 pound black 75 J with MOP Blocked and bound maple board.
I have had a sort of love hate relationship with them- I love the look, feel and tone at home. I have sometimes found them wanting for girth in a band setting, depending on the music. Funnily, John Paul Jones never had that problem with his Jazz in early Led Zep.

I am tinkerer and the MIM Agave was a great candidate for modding. It is relatively cheap, even bought new, and never going to be worth much. The basics were there- straight neck, truss worked, alder body and importantly the pickup routes were correct size to take upgraded pickup sets. Earlier MIM Jazzes have the bridge and neck pickups the same size- so you really can't put a proper set in them without routing. I also have a sentimental attachment to that bass. t was the first one I bought when I got back into playing after years off, I relearned on it and a few old ones I had kept from back in the day and my son learned to play on it. He did his first gig as an 11 or 12 year old with it.

So, I modded it a fair bit to correct some of the inherent problems of MIM Fenders of that era and try and get it to where I want it- Leo Quann II (the original bridge was junk- even for a Fender), rolled the edges of the board (they were sharp), fixed the awful fret job (they were dangerous), properly cut nut, better reverse gear tuners (originals wouldn't hold tune), replaced all the electronics- series/ parallel switching and Fender Custom Shop 60s pickups. End result- plenty of girth in the tone in series. The Custom Shop 60s are good pickups indeed. Still different to a P Bass, but much better to my ear. Bonus is I learned a lot about bass maintenance on that bass.
The other two have the bridge pickup in the 70s position and are different beasts to start with- very snappy and scooped. I have left them as they are. They both growl like crazy but the original 75 is the more aggressive.

As an aside, the quality difference between my 04 MIM Jazz and 2012 MIM Jazz is just staggering. They got their act together in the intervening years.

 

[veebass]

Have any of you ever installed a Thunderbird bridge pickup into the neck pickup slot of a Thunderbird or any other bass?. Ive got an extra Thunderbird bridge pickup that I would like to put in an entirely different bass's neck pickup slot. What sound should I expect to hear?, Ive heard some guitar players do this and it apparently works great for Jazz guitarists as it brings out more bass and depth to their tone.

Others here will know better, but, if we are talking Gibson TB+s, there mightn't be much difference between neck and bridge pickups. When I pulled the set out of my 08 Bird- they measured the same resistance.

 

[veebass]

I have the opportunity to pick up an EB 13. How good are they? I have some gig money that I am holding for when the Epi Vintage TBirds are available (hopefully in a few months).
I know, buy both.

 

[Gaolee]

I have the opportunity to pick up an EB 13. How good are they? I have some gig money that I am holding for when the Epi Vintage TBirds are available (hopefully in a few months).
I know, buy both.

I have one. I got it for cheap a while back, let it go, but then missed it and bought it back. It's a bit 7enderish when it comes to ergos, but it sounds great, has a great neck, and weighs nothing. As it ages, the satin paint is burnishing and looks better and better. The one thing that had to go was the tort pickguard. Salami is for sandwiches, not musical instruments.

Yes, buy both if you can. They are different and you will like both.

 

[Gaolee]

Need some quick help/information from the collective brain trust here. I'm looking at a 2011 Epi T-Bird, white with nickel humbuckers and bridge, supposedly a limited edition model, appears to be good condition low mileage. I can get it at a favorable price, just wondering about the pickups (TB+ in shiny metal covers or something else?) and if in fact this was a limited run bass etc. Been trying to talk myself out of it (I REALLY don't need another one...) but with the bright metal hardware, and if it's actually a special edition model...

Appreciate any information you all can pass along, need to jump soon if I'm jumping at all. N + 1, right?

I don't know if it's a limited edition instrument, but your math is correct.

 

[kat888]

Hey, for those of you using TalkBass on an iPhone, do find it frustrating that it doesn't have the button to go to the first unread message that the desktop version has? And also I don't understand what happens when you post a message before being done reading everything new, since it will make a weird jump and I can't understand the placement you wind up at. Maybe the iPhone app works better?

I posted in the help forum but people rarely reply to that.

Not really frustrating no, but there are a few weird things go on with with post ordering. I think it's just that your new post will show up on the page you are reading, until you refresh it and then it will enforce the 20 post page break and move it to the end. FWIW, I occasionally read TB on a Windows PC and it does the same thing.

 

[Count Bassie]

Haven't been here in quite a while. What did you do?

A band I've spent sugnificant time in (Plan 9) got inducted to the RI Music Hall of Fame this weekend. We did a show last night with Throwing Muses and Neutral Nation, which went happily very well.

 

[kat888]

Have any of you ever installed a Thunderbird bridge pickup into the neck pickup slot of a Thunderbird or any other bass?. Ive got an extra Thunderbird bridge pickup that I would like to put in an entirely different bass's neck pickup slot. What sound should I expect to hear?, Ive heard some guitar players do this and it apparently works great for Jazz guitarists as it brings out more bass and depth to their tone.

I have two 9K2Ω pups in my Epi and the neck position sounds massive. At one point I had them 'balanced' but the neck pup lost some of its heft, so I put it back at the phat height. With both pups on the biggest tone is obtained with N = 10 and B = 9.