Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

I have a set on the 32" EB I built. Nextgen sells them:

Bass Tuners - Standard E Chrome CLEARANCE

Our modern styled standard tuners look good, are butter smooth, and hold their tune with the best of them. These are great for a new build or as an upgrade on your imported guitars.

nextgenguitars.ca

I do love the look of the sculpted tuners. I have a set on one of my basses, can’t recall which one right now. I also love tapered tuner posts for a nice clean orderly looking string wrap. Probably my least favorite thing about hipshot tuners I’ve used is the straight tuner string posts, they just look uninspired and industrial vs the esthetics of tapers (it’s kind of a “no straight lines on a car body” issue to me, purely an artistic not functional issue. Yeah, I’m even more shallow than Will claims he is.

 

[GBassNorth]

shoehorning an OT may be more straightforward than anticipated....
View attachment 7473707View attachment 7473708

Note to self - if we end up with a GTG in your area this year I’ll bring my MM-HD150 up for a spa treatment drop off. If you end up liking it you can use it until the next time Im up your way (warning it’s heavy, not SVT heavy, but certainly not SS light).

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Note to self - if we end up with a GTG in your area this year I’ll bring my MM-HD150 up for a spa treatment drop off. If you end up liking it you can use it until the next time Im up your way (warning it’s heavy, not SVT heavy, but certainly not SS light).

definitely, love those....

 

[Engle]

Thanks Irv - but it appears they are 'out of stock' ...

They must be available somewhere.

 

[MCF]

Yeah, at first I thought you had a fender but the blue on light was confusing, and mention of V4 made me wrongly think of Ampeg V-4B. The Trace never crossed my mind until you posted Mark's pic.
Used my ABM 300 yesterday with the '55 P. Great pair.

I made the same mistake.

 

[MCF]

I have a set on the 32" EB I built. Nextgen sells them:

Bass Tuners - Standard E Chrome CLEARANCE

Our modern styled standard tuners look good, are butter smooth, and hold their tune with the best of them. These are great for a new build or as an upgrade on your imported guitars.

nextgenguitars.ca

Does clearance mean out of production?

 

[GBassNorth]

I have a set on the 32" EB I built. Nextgen sells them:

Bass Tuners - Standard E Chrome CLEARANCE

Our modern styled standard tuners look good, are butter smooth, and hold their tune with the best of them. These are great for a new build or as an upgrade on your imported guitars.

nextgenguitars.ca

Guyker makes a similar sculpted clover tuner…

Bass Tuners (4 for Right) - 1:26 Ratio Open Gear 4 Right, Chrome | eBay

Item model number open gear bass tuners. Precision 26:1 gear ratio enclosed Guyker guitar bass tuners fit for Jazz bass or precision electric bass. Open gear bass tuning machines for electric bass, like jazz Ibanez style bass, precision bass.

www.ebay.com

I think the Next Gen tuners were out of production or at least out of stock a few months ago when I was in the market for them.

 

[dagrev]

I made the same mistake.

It happens, even to experts like us.
Glad we were able to get Chuck on the right track.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I'll second what @GBassNorth and @JIO have said. GZRs are excellent P replacements.

View attachment 7473534

cool color combo....

 

[Gaolee]

shoehorning an OT may be more straightforward than anticipated....
View attachment 7473714
View attachment 7473708

Easy for you to say!

It needs more work now, though. It started to reek when it was on not too long ago. I need to take it apart and see if it is full of dust or if there are components that are failing in an odorous manner. It might just be burning dust on the tubes, which probably need replacement anyway. I'm pretty sure they are all original, or at least very old. Vintage is all fine and good, but worn out and vintage is not so good.

 

[Gaolee]

I do love the look of the sculpted tuners. I have a set on one of my basses, can’t recall which one right now. I also love tapered tuner posts for a nice clean orderly looking string wrap. Probably my least favorite thing about hipshot tuners I’ve used is the straight tuner string posts, they just look uninspired and industrial vs the esthetics of tapers (it’s kind of a “no straight lines on a car body” issue to me, purely an artistic not functional issue. Yeah, I’m even more shallow than Will claims he is.

Hey, that's a challenge!

 

[Engle]

Guyker makes a similar sculpted clover tuner…

Bass Tuners (4 for Right) - 1:26 Ratio Open Gear 4 Right, Chrome | eBay

Item model number open gear bass tuners. Precision 26:1 gear ratio enclosed Guyker guitar bass tuners fit for Jazz bass or precision electric bass. Open gear bass tuning machines for electric bass, like jazz Ibanez style bass, precision bass.

www.ebay.com

I think the Next Gen tuners were out of production or at least out of stock a few months ago when I was in the market for them.

They used to have similar lollipop tuners that were decent. I think Geo has a set. Or had. He actually sells basses

 

[godofthunder59]

Scott - going by memory here and not at home where I can check my files, but IIRC Eppi used a 5 string sized jazz pup on the 4 string NR basses. So if you go the Geezer route (which I highly recommend) be sure to double check your Jazz pup size before ordering. Also, the Geezer set that I used came with all the quick connect solderless pots and jack - note - no knobs, and the stock Eppi knobs don’t fit the EMG pots, so plan on some after market set screw equipped knobs (I was generously gifted a cool set by @JIO, pics to follow shortly).

BTW - did I say what a fantastic club this is! Huzzah to our Queen for setting the example for all TB club leaders to follow!

I still need to install that NR bridge and guard you sent me weeks ago. Thanks so much for being part of the club and an active supporter! Love how you and countless others here keep moving the Tbird passion forward on a daily basis. Now if you could just get that roadie guy of yours (Geddy who’s his face) to start contributing here, jeeze, what a slacker he is.

I was only planning on replacing the P pickup as I don't really use the bridge pickup.

Reminds me of this-which I just couldn't 'make friends' with:
View attachment 7473679
Sold it.

I get it, I kinda felt the same way with the one I had in the early 2000s, this was so cheap and at now 30 some odd years old they have become a interesting branch in the Thunderbird family I thought it would be a good idea to add it to the pile, honestly I doubt I'll use it

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I was only planning on replacing the P pickup as I don't really use the bridge pickup.

I get it, I kinda felt the same way with the one I had in the early 2000s, this was so cheap and at now 30 some odd years old they have become a interesting branch in the Thunderbird family I thought it would be a good idea to add it to the pile, honestly I doubt I'll use it

I figured you bought it for the museum, not the stage.

 

[GonePlaid]

Easy for you to say!

It needs more work now, though. It started to reek when it was on not too long ago. I need to take it apart and see if it is full of dust or if there are components that are failing in an odorous manner. It might just be burning dust on the tubes, which probably need replacement anyway. I'm pretty sure they are all original, or at least very old. Vintage is all fine and good, but worn out and vintage is not so good.

Hey! I resemble that last remark.

 

[Big Wiggs]

Sculpted paddles first appeared on '80s Fender basses - some of my favorites

View attachment 7473566
Gotoh makes a nice version -
View attachment 7473562

Sculpted paddles first appeared on '80s Fender basses - some of my favorites

View attachment 7473566
Gotoh makes a nice version -
View attachment 7473562

I have a 1980's era Fender Longhorn Jazz bass that someone replaced the Fender logo sculpted paddles with a set of Hipshots, that don't fit properly. I've looked in vain to find a vintage set of originals, just looked again and still no luck. The Guyker's are a close looking match but have screws instead of the hidden pins, of the originals. The search continues.

 

[JIO]

I have a 1980's era Fender Longhorn Jazz bass that someone replaced the Fender logo sculpted paddles with a set of Hipshots, that don't fit properly. I've looked in vain to find a vintage set of originals, just looked again and still no luck. The Guyker's are a close looking match but have screws instead of the hidden pins, of the originals. The search continues.

I was lucky enough to find/buy them on eBay, but that was a while ago...

My heavily modded '93 American Standard Jazz - only thing original is the body, neck and neck-plate . The A/S J was made from '89 to '93.

It came with it's original non-sculpted paddle Schaller F tuners which I replaced with the Deluxe Schaller F tuners -

 

[GBassNorth]

cool color combo....
View attachment 7473799

LOL - our HOA would have a heart attack!

 

[Big Wiggs]

I was lucky enough to find/buy them on eBay, but that was a while ago...

My heavily modded '93 American Standard Jazz - only thing original is the body, neck and neck-plate . The A/S J was made from '89 to '93.

View attachment 7474066
It came with it's original non-sculpted paddle Schaller F tuners which I replaced with the Deluxe Schaller F tuners -
View attachment 7474068

This Longhorn, known as the Boner Bass, actually came with the non-deluxe tuners, now that you mention it. The main thing for me is finding the proper tuner body, either one of key styles would be okay. But the deluxe would be the ultimate. I put a set of Y-style Schaller's on it that fit better, but they don't look right.

 

[RedNuk]

Hey guys, last saturday was in a gig with 3 other bands and in one of them the bassist had an epi thunderbird. Looked and sounded so freaking awesome! We talked and I tried out the bass as the dive issue was holding me back... well it's not so bad (as my Warwick BO5) and now I want a Tbird in my herd too I'm jonesing a Goth model, are there any particular things to look out for on these? Or would I be better off grabing a different version (and if so, why?) ?

Thanks a bunch... looking forward to joining the club