• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Thunderbird Club

#335,621
Ringhammer said:
Last night at rehearsal was one of those nights where everything seemed to sound “better” than normal. On Tuesday night I brought my recently refreshed 2013 Gibson EB (EB4 v1 maybe?). New white paint and a set of Gibson vintage reissues from a 2021 NR.

View attachment 7415821

It sounded ok Tuesday night. But last night with no changes to the rig or anything, it really sounded fantastic! It’s a really fun bass to play, lightweight, low action with no buzz, and a great tone. Currently has an older worn in set of Ken Smith Rock Masters 45-105.

Funny how things can change from night to night in the same room.

I may move to the KS Metal Master 50-105. One thing I’ll definitely be doing is putting a thumbrest in between the two pickups to get my right hand hitting the strings a little further away from the bridge. This bass sounds great when I’m hitting the strings in between the pickups. I just need an anchor/reference/landing point there.

I have managed to figure out a way to add the thumbrest without putting any screw holes in the body, but just one through the pickguard, and having the other side notched and resting on the pickup ring. It will require a lot of filing and shaping (and patience).

I did something similar with my white Epi VP:


View attachment 7415823

View attachment 7415824

In this case I utilized the screw holes for the rings and put dummy screw heads in the normal spots, glued in with superglue. I can remove the thumbrest and there will be no evidence it was ever there.

Making on for the EB will be trickier, as I have two rings and a PG to compensate for. It’ll be more like how I have on my Jazz and P-basses:

View attachment 7415826

View attachment 7415827

View attachment 7415829

In both cases the only screw(s) that actually go into the body are going through the pickguard, so I can remove the thumbrest, put the original PG back on and it looks like nothing was there.

Clearly a thumbrest is a huge crutch for me.
Click to expand...
Really love that bass. If it sounds half as good as it looks, it kills.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nocturnal, RedVee, Gaolee and 5 others
#335,622
Ringhammer said:
Last night at rehearsal was one of those nights where everything seemed to sound “better” than normal. On Tuesday night I brought my recently refreshed 2013 Gibson EB (EB4 v1 maybe?). New white paint and a set of Gibson vintage reissues from a 2021 NR.

View attachment 7415821

It sounded ok Tuesday night. But last night with no changes to the rig or anything, it really sounded fantastic! It’s a really fun bass to play, lightweight, low action with no buzz, and a great tone. Currently has an older worn in set of Ken Smith Rock Masters 45-105.

Funny how things can change from night to night in the same room.

I may move to the KS Metal Master 50-105. One thing I’ll definitely be doing is putting a thumbrest in between the two pickups to get my right hand hitting the strings a little further away from the bridge. This bass sounds great when I’m hitting the strings in between the pickups. I just need an anchor/reference/landing point there.

I have managed to figure out a way to add the thumbrest without putting any screw holes in the body, but just one through the pickguard, and having the other side notched and resting on the pickup ring. It will require a lot of filing and shaping (and patience).

I did something similar with my white Epi VP:


View attachment 7415823

View attachment 7415824

In this case I utilized the screw holes for the rings and put dummy screw heads in the normal spots, glued in with superglue. I can remove the thumbrest and there will be no evidence it was ever there.

Making on for the EB will be trickier, as I have two rings and a PG to compensate for. It’ll be more like how I have on my Jazz and P-basses:

View attachment 7415826

View attachment 7415827

View attachment 7415829

In both cases the only screw(s) that actually go into the body are going through the pickguard, so I can remove the thumbrest, put the original PG back on and it looks like nothing was there.

Clearly a thumbrest is a huge crutch for me.
Click to expand...
I like that chrome one on the VP!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nocturnal, RedVee, Gaolee and 4 others
#335,625
Engle said:
The things we do for appearances!
Click to expand...
True. I told my wife she was overdoing it just a bit with the jewelry.

1769188447243.png
 
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Love
Reactions: Rezdog, Nocturnal, RedVee and 7 others
#335,631
Ringhammer said:
Last night at rehearsal was one of those nights where everything seemed to sound “better” than normal. On Tuesday night I brought my recently refreshed 2013 Gibson EB (EB4 v1 maybe?). New white paint and a set of Gibson vintage reissues from a 2021 NR.

View attachment 7415821

It sounded ok Tuesday night. But last night with no changes to the rig or anything, it really sounded fantastic! It’s a really fun bass to play, lightweight, low action with no buzz, and a great tone. Currently has an older worn in set of Ken Smith Rock Masters 45-105.

Funny how things can change from night to night in the same room.

I may move to the KS Metal Master 50-105. One thing I’ll definitely be doing is putting a thumbrest in between the two pickups to get my right hand hitting the strings a little further away from the bridge. This bass sounds great when I’m hitting the strings in between the pickups. I just need an anchor/reference/landing point there.

I have managed to figure out a way to add the thumbrest without putting any screw holes in the body, but just one through the pickguard, and having the other side notched and resting on the pickup ring. It will require a lot of filing and shaping (and patience).

I did something similar with my white Epi VP:


View attachment 7415823

View attachment 7415824

In this case I utilized the screw holes for the rings and put dummy screw heads in the normal spots, glued in with superglue. I can remove the thumbrest and there will be no evidence it was ever there.

Making on for the EB will be trickier, as I have two rings and a PG to compensate for. It’ll be more like how I have on my Jazz and P-basses:

View attachment 7415826

View attachment 7415827

View attachment 7415829

In both cases the only screw(s) that actually go into the body are going through the pickguard, so I can remove the thumbrest, put the original PG back on and it looks like nothing was there.

Clearly a thumbrest is a huge crutch for me.
Click to expand...
There's a guy who makes custom no drill thumbrests. I got one for my long departed Squire VM Jaguar SS. Looked good. Zero Mod is the name of the place.

0902201205-00.jpg

When I got the custom PG for my TBird, I didn't have it drilled for the tug bar, which I saved and added to my '09 Epi EB-0-with screws, though.
IMG_0022.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Chucky Stiletti, JJR58, Nocturnal and 5 others
#335,640
RedVee said:
It’s a Reptile Park - they must have decided to cover the gator side of the family as well.

IMO we have more than enough ‘salties’, and ‘freshies’ for that matter.

This reptile park does leading work in anti-venoms, milking both snakes and spiders.
Click to expand...
I will happily let somebody else "milk" spiders and snakes. Cows and goats are animals I have milked. That's plenty.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: MCF, GonePlaid, RedVee and 3 others

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back