Thunderbird Club

[Stealth57]

Not gonna assume what sort of tone you're after, but try it with the neck pickup on full, and the bridge rolled off a little.

I like 10/7/5. I need a knob with 11 so I can go with all primes.

 

[BklynKen]

I like 10/7/5. I need a knob with 11 so I can go with all primes.

 

[Gaolee]

What? A fretless Tbird, or a FSO with bird pickups?

Thunderbird. It started life as an active Pro IV. I didn't like the preamp or the frets. It is now passive and fretless. I didn't like the dark tobacco burst all that much, either, so it's metallic Rally Green now.

I got it with a "losing" Ebay bid. It's one of those careful what you wish for things, but I have had lots of fun with it for more than ten years now. It was my reentry Thunderbird after being 'Bird-less for a few years. During that 'Bird-less time and a bit longer, I cycled through a Precision that I still have and a Ric that I don't have any more.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Sitka Spruce body?

Why not?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I had forgotten my proper earplugs, so had to use foamies when in the room. I can't afford any more hearing damage

Ditto

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I got it guys. I think I'm in love

Beauty!

 

[Stanny Bouchard]

Not gonna assume what sort of tone you're after, but try it with the neck pickup on full, and the bridge rolled off a little.

This was just after cleaning and running some Deoxit on the pots, and is not a reflection of my knob positions. I appreciate the information though. I'm hoping there are plenty of usable tones to be found.

 

[Stealth57]

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I knew you had those

 

[Engle]

I got it guys. I think I'm in love

Beautiful lacquer checking!

 

[Engle]

IBF

Irv Bird Friday

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I forgot about that Thunderbird car logo - that may have to go on one of my TRCs!

 

[Stealth57]

I forgot about that Thunderbird car logo - that may have to go on one of my TRCs!

I was thinking about posting on Saturday or Sunday, but...

 

[kyral210]

Eproson House, Twain Harte downbeat at 7.
Reddy 2 Rok! 916 pickup equipped
916 Neo P (installed today) Squier Sonic P
916 AlNeo Tbird pickups 2019 Epi VP
Trace Elliot GP7 SM 150 > Ampeg BXT 115
Shure GLXD 4

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That headstock is half the bass! It’s crazy!!!

 

[Nocturnal]

Seems like a good price for one of these?

https://reverb.com/item/91088679-gi...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=91088679

Very good price, especially with free shipping.

 

[Nocturnal]

I got it guys. I think I'm in love

Awesome!! Thats a LOT of finish checking. How about the neck?

 

[Stanny Bouchard]

Awesome!! Thats a LOT of finish checking. How about the neck?

Neck is as bad as it looked. I will probably just have MJT refinish the neck at some point. I thought about sanding it down, but some of the checking will cause big flakes to chip off. Realistically, I probably overpayed. But dang, I like the look of it.

 

[MCF]

I had forgotten my proper earplugs, so had to use foamies when in the room. I can't afford any more hearing damage

What?

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

7 to 10 tonight...this setup.....

 

[/\/\3phist0]

That headstock is half the bass! It’s crazy!!!

And I’m in no way compensating

Ahem

 

[Ringhammer]

Very curious to hear about what you think of that amp.

Look forward to what you hear and how it sounds.
I’m certainly not in the market for another amp.
But if I were, it would be an Ashdown or an Eich TechAmp.

So far so good. Took a few minutes to find the low end I like, and after fiddling with it for about an hour at home alone, I’m feeling pretty good about it. The “shape” button, that I didn’t think I’d use, is actually really nice. With that in and the EQ off, It almost was perfect at a lower volume, and once I started pushing it, some minor adjustments to the eq helped keep it clean. The “sub” is nice when used very subtly and the “doom” (tube drive knob) is also pretty sweet when used just a little. Dial in dirt to taste. I usually keep the dirt to a minimum, just kicking it in for certain parts.

More on Sunday morning after it gets used on stage.

Always a good test, after getting it dialed in in my garage, sounding good when played alone, then move it to a totally different environment, mix with guitars, drums, vox and make quick adjustments right before starting the set.

Just like it’s rare to have FOH and monitors, a proper sound check is not something we get often.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

The intonation issues is less about an incorrect placement of the bridge, than it is about loose tolerance parts used for the bridge components on the “vintage” assembly.

My VP has a HORRIBLY sloppy bridge assembly, the bridge wants to lean towards the nut. The 64 less so.
The lean is bad enough that it REALLY affects the intonation. The threads on the posts and inserts are so loose the post can move almost a MM! Forward and back/side to side. when you look at the lean it’s cumulative contributions of slop in the threads and the slots in the bridge/post joint.

I partially corrected the issue by placing strips of solder in the threads of the sleeves in the body.

I’m devising a thin u shaped brass shim to go on the nut side of the post, under the bridge plate to take up the slack in that assembly.

I’ll chronical my attempts to correct these mechanical shortcomings.

Video of the loose bridge assembly:

Posts: sloppy threads:

The assembly is similarly loose on my VP