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Thunderbird Club

#32,181
Drestakil said:
I'm happy enough with the one woman I've got. Been with the same one for about 20 years. Thought about getting married but decided we don't want to rush into anything.
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:laugh: Yeah dont rush. Truthfully I could never find a woman to replace mine, Im blessed to have her and we've been happily married for 15 years and together for 20 with an amazing son and on our second wiener dog. My "being covered in women" statement is a typical male wanna be rock star fantasy.
 
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#32,182
theFixer said:
Incase you y'all hadn't noticed... the neck is where it's at for me. If you found the "right" neck... you could jam it in a rotting corpse, run a cord to it, & I'd play it! It's all about the neck. I'm a big dude, with big hands. Thin "fast" necks are just fatigue and cramps waiting to happen. On glossy necks, my hand is like a high top on a gymnasium floor (and yes... I've actually had my hand squeak from the friction). I honestly don't know how anybody can play on those things without "powdering up" like a gymnast (and yes... I know I'm in the minority here). This has a lot to do with why I fell away from the guitar. I never have found a neck that I could enjoy playing for more than a little while, without pain. TBH... the only neck I've ever grabbed that felt "right", was an early '90's Warwick Thumb. I used to dream about having a Les Paul with the neck of a Warwick Thumb bass! Warwick was the very first place I looked after I figured out I was gonna be able to sell my Paul. I spent a LOTTA time looking at Warwicks. The problem THERE is... every friggin' bass that Warwick makes (not including custom shop or semi-hollow), has a tiny little body. I'm 6'4" & 300 lbs. Do you have any idea how ridiculous I would look, playing a bass that I could fit in my belly button? OY! Don't get me STARTED! Ya know... I never hear ANYBODY else complain about most of this s#!t. Granted... a lot of my issues are medical... but it just doesn't seem like it should be this hard to find the right bass. If I woulda had the cash in my pocket... I woulda walked outa the store with that Ric yesterday. It felt more comfortable than anything else I've touched since this all began. Does that mean it would've been the right thing to do? I dunno...
Click to expand...
How about a possible mod solution?. All I ever played was a Squire P before a Thunderbird found me. The one and only reason I considered I would be selling it as soon as I played it for an hour
fender.jpg
was the neck. I absolutely hated the feeling of stroking a noodle (hold that one down folk's, serious here). I waited for a P bass of any brand to show up on the classifieds that was beaten and being sold for parts. I bought a beater P bass for $40 and the first thing I did was take the neck off and contact a luthier, now Im thinking Fenderbird....yeah that'll work. The luthier gets back logged goes on holidays and I just want to play this magnificent beast. Luthier comes back from holidays with a quote I cant refuse and I say "sorry Dude, I kind of dig how fast the noodle flows". If you get a bird with a bolt on neck maybe Fenderbird is an option.
 
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#32,183
ProgressiveDoom said:
:laugh: Yeah dont rush. Truthfully I could never find a woman to replace mine, Im blessed to have her and we've been happily married for 15 years and together for 20 with an amazing son and on our second wiener dog. My "being covered in women" statement is a typical male wanna be rock star fantasy.
Click to expand...

Like him indoors with his 'knee-deep in hookers and gin' --- he doesn't drink.
 
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#32,184
Tocean said:
76 Gibson Thunderbird I've owned for 30 years, bass I learned to play on, was Mahogany but someone painted the front black and replaced to bridge with a Kahler bridge with a wammy bar before I got it, makes it go out of tune though so I never used it, great bridge though. I'll try to take a couple more pics
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We're a pretty chatty group of late, don't want you to get lost in all of it, can I add you to the list and welcome you to the club Sir?
 
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#32,187
theFixer said:
Incase you y'all hadn't noticed... the neck is where it's at for me. If you found the "right" neck... you could jam it in a rotting corpse, run a cord to it, & I'd play it! It's all about the neck. I'm a big dude, with big hands. Thin "fast" necks are just fatigue and cramps waiting to happen. On glossy necks, my hand is like a high top on a gymnasium floor (and yes... I've actually had my hand squeak from the friction). I honestly don't know how anybody can play on those things without "powdering up" like a gymnast (and yes... I know I'm in the minority here). This has a lot to do with why I fell away from the guitar. I never have found a neck that I could enjoy playing for more than a little while, without pain. TBH... the only neck I've ever grabbed that felt "right", was an early '90's Warwick Thumb. I used to dream about having a Les Paul with the neck of a Warwick Thumb bass! Warwick was the very first place I looked after I figured out I was gonna be able to sell my Paul. I spent a LOTTA time looking at Warwicks. The problem THERE is... every friggin' bass that Warwick makes (not including custom shop or semi-hollow), has a tiny little body. I'm 6'4" & 300 lbs. Do you have any idea how ridiculous I would look, playing a bass that I could fit in my belly button? OY! Don't get me STARTED! Ya know... I never hear ANYBODY else complain about most of this s#!t. Granted... a lot of my issues are medical... but it just doesn't seem like it should be this hard to find the right bass. If I woulda had the cash in my pocket... I woulda walked outa the store with that Ric yesterday. It felt more comfortable than anything else I've touched since this all began. Does that mean it would've been the right thing to do? I dunno...
Click to expand...
FenderBird !
Whack a P bass neck on a bolt on, or on a NR. Fixed.
Mr Entwhistle hisself went to that pond.

Edit: also check the Cataldo page for JAEbirds.
 
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#32,188
theFixer said:
Incase you y'all hadn't noticed... the neck is where it's at for me. If you found the "right" neck... you could jam it in a rotting corpse, run a cord to it, & I'd play it! It's all about the neck. I'm a big dude, with big hands. Thin "fast" necks are just fatigue and cramps waiting to happen. On glossy necks, my hand is like a high top on a gymnasium floor (and yes... I've actually had my hand squeak from the friction). I honestly don't know how anybody can play on those things without "powdering up" like a gymnast (and yes... I know I'm in the minority here). This has a lot to do with why I fell away from the guitar. I never have found a neck that I could enjoy playing for more than a little while, without pain. TBH... the only neck I've ever grabbed that felt "right", was an early '90's Warwick Thumb. I used to dream about having a Les Paul with the neck of a Warwick Thumb bass! Warwick was the very first place I looked after I figured out I was gonna be able to sell my Paul. I spent a LOTTA time looking at Warwicks. The problem THERE is... every friggin' bass that Warwick makes (not including custom shop or semi-hollow), has a tiny little body. I'm 6'4" & 300 lbs. Do you have any idea how ridiculous I would look, playing a bass that I could fit in my belly button? OY! Don't get me STARTED! Ya know... I never hear ANYBODY else complain about most of this s#!t. Granted... a lot of my issues are medical... but it just doesn't seem like it should be this hard to find the right bass. If I woulda had the cash in my pocket... I woulda walked outa the store with that Ric yesterday. It felt more comfortable than anything else I've touched since this all began. Does that mean it would've been the right thing to do? I dunno...
Click to expand...


You want to try a Greco Thunderbird.
The neck is much more like a PeeBass neck, they're on various auction sites regularly............
 
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#32,189
ProgressiveDoom said:
How about a possible mod solution?. All I ever played was a Squire P before a Thunderbird found me. The one and only reason I considered I would be selling it as soon as I played it for an hourView attachment 1155471 was the neck. I absolutely hated the feeling of stroking a noodle (hold that one down folk's, serious here). I waited for a P bass of any brand to show up on the classifieds that was beaten and being sold for parts. I bought a beater P bass for $40 and the first thing I did was take the neck off and contact a luthier, now Im thinking Fenderbird....yeah that'll work. The luthier gets back logged goes on holidays and I just want to play this magnificent beast. Luthier comes back from holidays with a quote I cant refuse and I say "sorry Dude, I kind of dig how fast the noodle flows". If you get a bird with a bolt on neck maybe Fenderbird is an option.
Click to expand...
um... WOW!!! I bet THAT took some doin'!!! ... and there's TWO of 'em!!! WOW!!!
 
#32,194
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#32,196
RedVee said:
The Pro in the photo is an active bass as per @kat888 's post. They are a lovely neck through, but the neck is 1.5" at nut.
Also - some don't care for the electronics and change that aspect.
Click to expand...

That was THREE pages ago ... even I'm having trouble keeping up.

Yeah, didn't like the active electronics but they're easy enough to remove. She's had new pickups, pots, knobs, tuners and bridge ... but she's still the same bass!

@Gaolee - Katbird arrived in Sydney this morning. No idea yet whether Customs are going to sting me before I'm allowed to have it.
 
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#32,197
Gaolee said:
Your 'Bird is just as real as any other 'Bird.
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I know I know. But I don't exactly see most of you putting these pickups in any of your birds.

It is both fat and agressive though, it works well with the stock pickups.

theFixer said:
bolt on or neck thru?
Click to expand...

Bolt on, the $349 model (new) It is 1.5" nut, but rather chunky front to back. I am not going to be shipping it though, cash and carry only. But if it doesn't sell soon I might end up keeping it through the next few gigs at least.
 
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#32,198
theFixer said:
YOU my friend... are a SUPERHERO!!! I will take as many neck specs as you want to gimme! I'm looking' for TREE TRUNK!:hyper:
Click to expand...
Look for an older Korean made bolt on "Bird. Those are 1.75 at the nut and have a big, round profile typically. I have one for exactly that reason. The huge neck makes it fun to play.
 
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