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Thunderbird Club

#31,641
I did zyban when I quit the last time and it worked amazingly. And yes, the last time, as years later, I started again.
I first started smoking when I was 12, and smoked right up till my mid 20's, then off and on till now, I'm 49.

Started again 7 years ago after my separation/divorce, (depression and alcohol didn't help) after 6 years of not smoking, it's that easy.
I'm feeling the time is nigh to quit again.

And I wouldn't hesitate to use the zyban again. Now, the fine print... I was ready and willing, and had several reasons, health and otherwise, to quit, so it was easy.
I tried zyban once in the last 6 years cuz "I should quit", and it was a failure.

If you're in, it's easy, if your not, it's hard.

And to all those that say the first couple weeks are hard, they're easy, it's the next 10 years that's hard.
 
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#31,642
ubernator said:
Low e saddle practically all the way back in order to intonate? Or just referring to where the adjustment is, and the tendency for the bolt to pop out of its little cradle alignment thingy?
Click to expand...

This is what my perfectly intonated Goth looks like. Standard tuning. Both Harmonic and fretted at the twelfth fret are spot on. Only thing left to do on this project is to repaint or replace the bridge bolts (that's how they were when I got it).
 
#31,643
IMG_0066.JPG
MCF said:
This is what my perfectly intonated Goth looks like. Standard tuning. Both Harmonic and fretted at the twelfth fret are spot on. Only thing left to do on this project is to repaint or replace the bridge bolts (that's how they were when I got it).
Click to expand...
Sorry, the pic didn't upload here it is:
 
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#31,644
MCF said:
This is what my perfectly intonated Goth looks like. Standard tuning. Both Harmonic and fretted at the twelfth fret are spot on. Only thing left to do on this project is to repaint or replace the bridge bolts (that's how they were when I got it).
Click to expand...
Thing of beauty Dude but I gotta ask "W+F"?. Im looking at those bridge bolts and thinking a 5 year old with the wrong size screw driver would have done a fine quality job without making that much damage. Did you ask the previous owner what happened?.
 
#31,646
ProgressiveDoom said:
Thing of beauty Dude but I gotta ask "W+F"?. Im looking at those bridge bolts and thinking a 5 year old with the wrong size screw driver would have done a fine quality job without making that much damage. Did you ask the previous owner what happened?.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure PO most likely tried adjusting the bridge height under string pressure with an inadequate screwdriver - Or maybe he was just simply a tool.... ;)
 
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#31,647
ProgressiveDoom said:
Thing of beauty Dude but I gotta say "W+F"?. Im looking at those bridge bolts and thinking a 5 year old with the wrong size screw driver would have done a fine quality job without making that much damage. Did you ask the previous owner what happened?.
Click to expand...

It was a pawn shop buy for $125. Took a ton of work including straightening the neck. But the body was so clean and the pickups sounded good so I took the leap. I enjoy working on project basses as a learning tool. It's a 2010 Korean built. It sounds great. And after all the work (I won't disclose my day job billing rate) but it is probably my most "expensive" bass. But it is now a very nice player and I learned a ton working on it. Well worth the time I've put into it. And yes, the prior owner was pretty clueless. The action was so high on it when I got it that you could literally pass a golf ball between the neck and the upper pickup.
 
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#31,649
hillerup said:
Interesting that the G-string isn't closer to the neck than the D-string...

I wonder what tools the previous owner used for adjusting the bridge studs - They seem pretty well worn...
Click to expand...

Yep. The PO had no clue. The spacing between the A and D string is slightly narrower than the spacing between th E and A and the D and G. You have good eyes. It is imperceptible when playing it. As I've said, it was bought as a "what have I got to lose" project for me to learn on and it has turned out to be a very nice player. No where near as nice as my Gibby Bird, but certainly playable.
 
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#31,650
A few words of follow up to my post introducing my recently acquired 5 string Thunderbird. Her previous owner changed the pickups to the Thunderbuckers, which sound fabulous. He also installed Bartolini electronics. This is the first and only bass I have owned with active electronics. I believe he also fashioned the metal pickguard and changed the tuners to Hipshot. I admit to still learning my way around her. An entirely different instrument from what I have played up til now.
 
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#31,657
kat888 said:
@HouseUmbrella - why don't you share your amp settings with us before you walk away for good?

The neck pup height makes a huge difference. I tried 'balancing' the two pups on my Bird, but it ended up sounding anaemic, so the bridge pup was put back where it sounds phat and angry. Also try soloing the neck pup and see if that improves things.

If you are still unimpressed, well it wasn't to be. We've all had basses we didn't gel with.
Click to expand...

I went to sleep and woke up in the middle of the night to dream-- more like an epiphany. I immediately went and adjusted the pickups and I gotta admit it sounds A LOT better so I gotta thank you for suggesting that. The neck pickup was way too close and the bridge pickup was way too far away, I feel like a fool for not thinking of doing it before
 
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#31,658
Dadagoboi said:
This is the first Cataldo Fiver, built in 2012. Steve and I came up with ThunderBucker EX5 pickups for it. He's sold quite a few since then to replace stock Studio V pups.

P1050971.jpg
Click to expand...
That is absolutely stunning. My first bass has a similar trans blue but a bit dark with a little less green (from the looks of the picture). But that bird is gorgeous!
 
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#31,659
DerekW said:
I did zyban when I quit the last time and it worked amazingly. And yes, the last time, as years later, I started again.
I first started smoking when I was 12, and smoked right up till my mid 20's, then off and on till now, I'm 49.

Started again 7 years ago after my separation/divorce, (depression and alcohol didn't help) after 6 years of not smoking, it's that easy.
I'm feeling the time is nigh to quit again.

And I wouldn't hesitate to use the zyban again. Now, the fine print... I was ready and willing, and had several reasons, health and otherwise, to quit, so it was easy.
I tried zyban once in the last 6 years cuz "I should quit", and it was a failure.

If you're in, it's easy, if your not, it's hard.

And to all those that say the first couple weeks are hard, they're easy, it's the next 10 years that's hard.
Click to expand...
That's my wife's take on it.
 
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