Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

Good afternoon folks. I thought I would drop by and see if I might get a number to the club. I have attached a picture of my recent purchase. She is my first Gibson and I am having a great time getting to know her. She is also the first active bass I have owned. Her previous owner replaced the stock pickups with Thunderbuckers and she sounds wonderful. She is very different from either my Jazz or P. I may have to pick up the four string version one of these days. I have learned a great deal reading the posts here, especially regarding the different eq settings. So far this has been a great experience. I have played one gig with her so far, and received many compliments on my tone. Thanks much.

I really really like the look of that fiver! Now I've got GAS for one of those too. Just add it to the "gottagetone" list (NR, Fenderbird, and now a Fiver). Welcome to the club!

 

[MCF]

Another hack opinion of his.

I know. For mostly stupid reasons. And given that was the first video I saw, and the local techs I know don't seem to mind them at all, I kinda dismissed him as a bit of a hack.

I've watched a lot of Dave's vids, and I've learned some stuff. I've also learned that he hates anything not traditionally shaped and he thinks Epi TBirds are junk.

Yep, he's a bit of a hack and a goof. And there's some "get off my lawn" attitude. What I appreciate though, is his "this isn't rocket science" approach. He pretty much convinced me that with time and patience, most guitars and basses can be fixed and set up so as to be pretty darn playable. And he doesn't seem take himself too seriously.

 

[Count Bassie]

Phone trick accomplished...

Not screwed on yet, went and got a proper counter sink.

...I wonder if it's too big? Takes up too much of the lower bout? Will it make me look fat?

@ProgressiveDoom thanks for the vote of confidence! In light of my generally cadenza-like delivery of the goods, as it were.

 

[JJR58]

Phone trick accomplished...

View attachment 1151990 View attachment 1151991

Not screwed on yet, went and got a proper counter sink.

...I wonder if it's too big? Takes up too much of the lower bout? Will it make me look fat?

@ProgressiveDoom thanks for the vote of confidence! In light of my generally cadenza-like delivery of the goods, as it were.

You Count, look fat?
I think not.

 

[JJR58]

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.

One of my cousins is a doctor.
When he asks his patients do you smoke?
And they say , yeah, I quit a while ago.
He asks, how long?
They say a couple of weeks.
He says, when you're 3 years or more, you have quit.
He's waiting for me to make the 3 year mark.

 

[Count Bassie]

...I wonder if it's too big? Takes up too much of the lower bout?

Actually I'm serious about these two questions.

 

[JJR58]

Actually I'm serious about these two questions.

Personally, I think it looks good.
Balances things out.

Edit: can you trim it back a bit if you feel it's to much into the lower bout?

 

[Count Bassie]

Personally, I think it looks good.
Balances things out.

Edit: can you trim it back a bit if you feel it's to much into the lower bout?

Yeah, I just picked up a router table at a yard sale! But the brass is the same size as the original one. The brighter color kinda takes over though.

 

[JJR58]

Yeah, I just picked up a router table at a yard sale! But the brass is the same size as the original one. The brighter color kinda takes over though.

Ok, I see what you're saying.
Tough call, if you take it back some, won't need to be much.

 

[JJR58]

Hey Count, try this, sounds kinda lame, but could give you an idea anyway.
Do you have some black paper that you can cut to cover over how much you might trim back on the guard?

 

[Larry V]

Phone trick accomplished...

View attachment 1151990 View attachment 1151991

Not screwed on yet, went and got a proper counter sink.

...I wonder if it's too big? Takes up too much of the lower bout? Will it make me look fat?

@ProgressiveDoom thanks for the vote of confidence! In light of my generally cadenza-like delivery of the goods, as it were.

I think it looks great as is!

Some super thin double-sided tape would work well without the trouble of screws and shouldn't be an issue since your Goth is anything but conventional at this point. 3M sells some clear thin stuff, not the black spongy stuff they sell at Home Depot. Amazon.com

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

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.

Good deal and you cant learn unless you dive in right?. Is looks as if now you can barely slip a hockey card between the pickups and the strings, it looks that tight. Do you prefer the pickups that high or is it just weird photo imagery?, dont mean to sound like Im picking but I am somewhat overly inquisitive........sure wish I would have been while I was in school when it mattered most .

 

[PillO]

And poof, with the posting of pictures, it comes into existence.

I wonder if it's too big

Takes up too much of the lower bout

Looks about the right size to me,

Will it make me look fat

Probably not. In general, it is the fat that makes people look fat... Be sure to wear sandals with socks, cargo shorts, and a hat when you play it to properly drive the general population nuts.

You may be going for the tarnished look, and that is your choice and a fine one at that. But for me, I would shine up that brass.

 

[PillO]

I saw a reggae band last night. www.circle5.ca The guitar player is a dead ringer for Saul Goodman.

 

[Count Bassie]

I think it looks great as is!

Some super thin double-sided tape would work well without the trouble of screws and shouldn't be an issue since your Goth is anything but conventional at this point. 3M sells some clear thin stuff, not the black spongy stuff they sell at Home Depot. Amazon.com

That's an interesting idea. I have gotten holes par-drilled, by clamping the old pg (typos edited!!) on top of the new one and using a vix-but (used for drilling holes for hinge screws), but they're not through the head, they're just bright little dots- zoom in and you can see 'em. Still a great idea though!

And poof, with the posting of pictures, it comes into existence.

It was amazing to see it just appear on my bass like that!

Looks about the right size to me,

I get hyper-goggles on when I do this kind of thing. Looks ok from here too. Thanks.

Probably not. In general, it is the fat that makes people look fat... Be sure to wear sandals with socks, cargo shorts, and a hat when you play it to properly drive the general population nuts.

I... I don't know if I can do that.

You may be going for the tarnished look, and that is your choice and a fine one at that. But for me, I would shine up that brass.

I Brasso' d the stock a few weeks ago, before cutting it, and didn't like the color very much. It took on an almost rosey look, but now it's back to that yellowish tint. Besides, I kind of like a little funk on my bass...

 

[Count Bassie]

Hey Count, try this, sounds kinda lame, but could give you an idea anyway.
Do you have some black paper that you can cut to cover over how much you might trim back on the guard?

Not lame at all, in fact paper, tape, and a pencil is a fine little toolkit for lining things up, masking this and sizing up that. I think I'm gonna stick though, it seems to be working ok. Thanks for being into it though!

Much appreciate the help you guys!

 

[RikiP]

 

[JJR58]

The single pick up version is a cross between, Big Angry Piano and Angry New Yorker.
I'll call it, the Throaty Angry New Yorker.

 

[Dadagoboi]

Phone trick accomplished...

View attachment 1151990 View attachment 1151991

Not screwed on yet, went and got a proper counter sink.

...I wonder if it's too big? Takes up too much of the lower bout? Will it make me look fat?

@ProgressiveDoom thanks for the vote of confidence! In light of my generally cadenza-like delivery of the goods, as it were.

Looks great!

Screw the screws, use double stick tape. Thickness isn't really a problem. I use everything from cheap super thin to 3M Hi Bond, the stuff they use for automotive trim.

 

[JJR58]

I Brasso' d the stock a few weeks ago, before cutting it, and didn't like the color very much. It took on an almost to rosey look, but now it's back to that yellowish tint. Besides, I kind of like a little funk on my bass...[/QUOTE]

You mean, Funkin Rude!!!!