Thunderbird Club

[dagrev]

I could use a little advice from the TBird gurus. About a decade ago I bought this 2001 TBird, but have struggled with it over the years. I had wanted one as a kid, and this one showed up in great shape for the right price so I went for it. I’ve always dug it, don’t get me wrong. I’ve gigged it, recorded it - I’ve put it through its paces. I switched out the bridge for a Hipshot. I installed Seymour Duncan’s. Yet… I have 9 other basses, a real mix - short scales, fretless, active, passive, semi-hollow, etc. and the Thunderbird is the one I reach for the least. Something about it has always felt off and recently I was able to finally put my finger on it. And it was obvious. Of my 10 basses, not a single one wears round wound strings. Dead flats on each and every one - this TBird is currently strung with 7 year old TI flats. It feels wrong. I have not purchased, researched, or even blinked at round wound strings in over a decade. I want to do this bird justice. It wants to be a rock machine. It wants to scream as it soars through the night sky. It wants to cut glass. What are some sets I should try?

View attachment 7151935

Let me try it again. Some of what I typed I must have accidently deleted.
SIT Power Steels or Power Wounds are among some good round wounds. Rotos are nice as well.

I found my '06 Thunderbird did not sound ideal with my Ampeg tube head. But through an Ashdown ABM completely different bass. Went from good to "OMG this thing sounds fantastic" and "I just want to keep playing."
Pro tip: LaBella black nylons sound fantastic with the original pickups.

 

[dagrev]

That’s really cool.
Can’t wait to see what you do with it.

Thanks Jeff. Me to! Going to take time and I'm impatient with such things.

 

[MCF]

Thanks Jeff. Me to! Going to take time and I'm impatient with such things.

Just follow Will’s and my schedule. It’ll get done before the end of the decade.

 

[Bent77]

Doin city things

In Denver for my daughters dance thingy
There’s a lot of people here

 

[dagrev]

Initial autopsy findings.
SS# indicates 1966 (131 made that year)

Pics are worth a thousand words.

The ugly...

Seems stable. I put the BA I bridge back on and going to clean it. But tuners on and get some strings on it to see what that reveals.

 

[dagrev]

Anyone seen anything interesting let me know. Just looks like replaced guts to me, but I didn't try to date the pots. Looks too new to be original to me. But does have cloth wiring, but that looks too clean as well. Not sure what the cap is.

 

[dagrev]

Chinabuckers?

 

[Nocturnal]

Thanks. I'm going to put it together today and see if I can't get it playable for tomorrow. I want to determine if the neck repair is good and I can plan on where to spend money.

I know what you mean about variations of PB. I would aim for the lighter version.

View attachment 7152483

You could try the aged PB like Epi used on the JC models. It's stunning in person.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Doin city things

In Denver for my daughters dance thingy
There’s a lot of people hereView attachment 7152555

Indeed.

 

[Nocturnal]

Chinabuckers?

View attachment 7152585

View attachment 7152586

I think those are Epi 760 - Probuckers.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Anyone seen anything interesting let me know. Just looks like replaced guts to me, but I didn't try to date the pots. Looks too new to be original to me. But does have cloth wiring, but that looks too clean as well. Not sure what the cap is.
View attachment 7152578

View attachment 7152579

All these components and most/all of the wiring are new.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Chinabuckers?

View attachment 7152585

View attachment 7152586

BHK seems to be the brand.

BKH Pickups - Seymour Duncan User Group Forums

So I was sorting through my pickups, and taking stock of what I had. The Good: A Double Cream Duncan 59/Custom neck made by Odie! (RIP), A Zebra PGn, A DD 103n, and a JB8 And then there were a BUNCH of these: BKH pickups. I investigated a little and couldn't find much on them, other than I...

forum.seymourduncan.com

 

[Bent77]

Someone on here 1000 pages ago I probably posted a picture of chinabuckers. They were listed as EY
I can pull them out if needed

 

[Bent77]

Somewhere on here 1000 pages ago I probably posted a picture of chinabuckers. They were listed as EY
I can pull them out if needed

 

[Bent77]

Indeed.

Told the wife if I had to live in the city I would probably need to resume drinking

 

[Engle]

60's NR has landed.
Weather was going to be heavy rain and flooding Saturday, so I asked J.T. if he was able to meet up today and while he had plans with his GF he was kind enough to take the bass with him and made it happen this afternoon. Even gave me a bunch of parts. He bought some gold pickup covers and ring, and two piece bridge and gave them to me as well as a parchment pickguard. The repair looks stable--just unfinished. With the gold parts, I'll go in that direction and I'm thinking Pelham Blue sure would be an outstanding choice and still have something of an original vibe. Color-wise anyway.

I was an honor to finally get to meet J.T. after all the conversations we've had. Just a super nice and kind person, but not anything I didn't already know. More tomorrow when I get in to it. Long day of driving. But got to meet J.T., get a NR, and eat at Jack's BBQ! Great day!



View attachment 7152138

Congrats Donnie!

 

[Engle]

I could use a little advice from the TBird gurus. About a decade ago I bought this 2001 TBird, but have struggled with it over the years. I had wanted one as a kid, and this one showed up in great shape for the right price so I went for it. I’ve always dug it, don’t get me wrong. I’ve gigged it, recorded it - I’ve put it through its paces. I switched out the bridge for a Hipshot. I installed Seymour Duncan’s. Yet… I have 9 other basses, a real mix - short scales, fretless, active, passive, semi-hollow, etc. and the Thunderbird is the one I reach for the least. Something about it has always felt off and recently I was able to finally put my finger on it. And it was obvious. Of my 10 basses, not a single one wears round wound strings. Dead flats on each and every one - this TBird is currently strung with 7 year old TI flats. It feels wrong. I have not purchased, researched, or even blinked at round wound strings in over a decade. I want to do this bird justice. It wants to be a rock machine. It wants to scream as it soars through the night sky. It wants to cut glass. What are some sets I should try?

View attachment 7151935

I'd go with Rotosound RS66. I found the SIT Powersteels felt very rough after my fingers got used to flatwounds.

 

[Engle]

I feel some verbal abuse may be in route. Eh

The beaver is friendly, it's the goose ya gotta watch for!

 

[Jakeman]

Let me try it again. Some of what I typed I must have accidently deleted.
SIT Power Steels or Power Wounds are among some good round wounds. Rotos are nice as well.

I found my '06 Thunderbird did not sound ideal with my Ampeg tube head. But through an Ashdown ABM completely different bass. Went from good to "OMG this thing sounds fantastic" and "I just want to keep playing."
Pro tip: LaBella black nylons sound fantastic with the original pickups.

You mention the original pickups - I’ve gotten several messages inquiring about them, so I might as well put it out there. Lost them, along with a bunch of other gear, in a house fire. Sucks to find out they’re highly regarded, but they’re by far not the biggest gear loss in that event. It was years ago so I’m past it, but some really good stuff burned up. I was able to get a lot of instruments out, but the SVT and Bassman rigs were too heavy to hustle out of there. Most of the important instruments made it out except for two I’ll never get over, that were blocked off by fire - my ‘77 Jazz and a ‘76 Rick 3001.

 

[Engle]

Biggest issue with mine is one of the tuners seems like it might have stripped out threads on the nut. It tightens to about finger tight and beyond that it slips the threads and comes loose. I have to snug it up every couple of weeks or the washer starts buzzing while I play. I've thought about replacing the tuning machine in question. Maybe I should reach out to Gibson, but I'd hate to have them ask to have it shipped back.

Other than that I have some minor fit and finish gripes. The pick guard is a little warped, there's a teeny tiny bubble in the nitro on the neck, what looks like a bit of over-spray on the side of the fret board, and some crustiness in the nitro around the inserts for the bridge. It plays fine but for over two grand I think I can expect a little more from Gibson. I feel like people would trash an import guitar if it had defects like that.

Those sorts of finish issues have kept me from buying a Gibson Tbird a couple of times.
My Les Paul Tribute has some roughness along the fingerboard, but for the money I can live with it.