Thunderbird Club

[BuddhaFingas]

How thick is it now? I can't say I've ever had an issue with a tuner not having the range to work with a particular headstock thickness. Maybe I've just been lucky

17 VP 16mm / 18mm
91 Orville 15mm / 16.5mm

Mainly I'm aiming for correctness to type, but also parts have to fit.

Some tuners Im looking at have surprisingly low maximum. Hipshot 3/8" ultralites for example state a max of 17.5mm, min of 10.3mm.

I really want the new Gotoh GRL510's but nobody has them yet.

Im going to do a 1.8mm luthitec fibreboard overlay, and the current raw thickness of the head is unfinished is 14.9-15.3 where the tuners go.
So with overlay of 1.8 plus finish, Id be pushing my luck.

I will probably take a mm off the face to square the edges before the overlay.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Ditto on my 64 II.

what strings do you have on that?

 

[Stealth57]

what strings do you have on that?

SIT Power Steel. There is some shift in tone, but very subtle. My ears aren't good enough to really distinguish much difference.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I'm probably good with what I have, but never too much data

View attachment 7205533

Ahem!

 

[GBassNorth]

I think I’ve finally settled on the color selection for my Warwick Tbird build (WarBird? Or ThunderWick?).

What it looks like on a flatter surface…


Cinnamon Pearl should go nicely with the browns and oranges in the Wenge/Wenge neck, might even consider a rounder edge for the body and no pickguard…

 

[Miles_ONeal]

@Miles_ONeal I found your 64 Thunderbird. Only $4,500.













View attachment 7205618

I think shipping would run that price up quite a bit.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Tone control on Gibson Thunderbird, how useful is yours? Neither my '76, nor my 2014 have/had a useful tone control, luck of the draw? The tone control on my Goth, and to a lesser extent my 2 VPs perform as expected. My Fenderbird J and P tone controls work well (CTS pots and .047uf caps).

My Epi (IV, CP, VP) and Greco Tbird tone controls are all useful. No Gibsons here yet.

 

[Stealth57]

I think I’ve finally settled on the color selection for my Warwick Tbird build (WarBird? Or ThunderWick?).
View attachment 7205748
What it looks like on a flatter surface…
View attachment 7205749

Cinnamon Pearl should go nicely with the browns and oranges in the Wenge/Wenge neck, might even consider a rounder edge for the body and no pickguard…
View attachment 7205751

Always loved a metal sparkle copper color. Right up there with metal flake root beer.

 

[Stealth57]

My Epi (IV, CP, VP) and Greco Tbird tone controls are all useful. No Gibsons here yet.

All my Epis have a big range on the tone control regardless of string type. Tone also affects volume on Epis that I don't experience on my 2 Gibsons (64, 2015).

 

[BklynKen]

Tone control on Gibson Thunderbird, how useful is yours? Neither my '76, nor my 2014 have/had a useful tone control, luck of the draw? The tone control on my Goth, and to a lesser extent my 2 VPs perform as expected. My Fenderbird J and P tone controls work well (CTS pots and .047uf caps).

Sorry, no idea. Mine stays at 11.

 

[Stealth57]

Sorry, no idea. Mine stays at 11.

View attachment 7205774

Thank you Derek Smalls.

 

[Engle]

View attachment 7205392As new member an T-Bird Fan i thougt it would be a nice start for me and my Bird to say hallo here.

Cheerz Benjamin

Welcome!

 

[GBassNorth]

Tone control on Gibson Thunderbird, how useful is yours? Neither my '76, nor my 2014 have/had a useful tone control, luck of the draw? The tone control on my Goth, and to a lesser extent my 2 VPs perform as expected. My Fenderbird J and P tone controls work well (CTS pots and .047uf caps).

Something I’ve run into on a number of Gibson birds is an odd interaction between the tone and volume knobs. For instance if I max the volume knob on many of my Gibbys it virtually takes the tone knob out of the loop. Try setting your volume at 8 or less then see if you have more tone knob functionality. Likewise I notice that if I set my tone knob on a low setting then turn the volume knob up I get a massive tone brighten up when I reach 9 or 10 on the volume knob.

My builds don’t do that and very few of my other basses do that, why it’s so common in Gibby basses I don’t know, but I do find it annoying.

 

[BklynKen]

Thank you Derek Smalls.

On my desk at work.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

All my Epis have a big range on the tone control regardless of string type. Tone also affects volume on Epis that I don't experience on my 2 Gibsons (64, 2015).

I expect tone controls to do that. I'm more surprised when they don't. At the very least, they should affect perceived volume as they fill up formerly empty (or otherwise occupied) space.

 

[Engle]

…..Liberation Day in Royan, France…

View attachment 7205336

Nice! Lest we forget...

 

[Stealth57]

On my desk at work.

View attachment 7205786

 

[Miles_ONeal]

View attachment 7205788

He's on your desk at work?!?!?

 

[BklynKen]

View attachment 7205788

I still maintain it was a huge missed comedic opportunity in the movie with that BC Rich being a 4-string and an 8-string. It should've been two equal 4-string basses.

 

[MCF]

Nice low "A" bari.

He was the saxophonist for the Blasters, another L.A. favorite during my formative years. He joined Los Lobos as the only non-L.A. member before Los Lobos hit the “big time” with the soundtrack for the Ritchie Valens movie. I’m guessing I’ve seen him a dozen or so times. Same sax for all those almost fifty years.