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Thunderbird Club

#37,623
JIO said:
Black is beautiful, but you Mott want the white.
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Black with a cream or parchment pick guard vs white with a black pickguard - decisions decisions.

IMHO with all the chrome on that thing, I think the black will look sharpest,:thumbsup: but I hate fingerprints and smudge marks all over everything and that's what you end up with if you get black:sour:.
So I don't know, maybe white would be better,:thumbsup: besides I usually wear dark shirts while playing so white will pop out a lot more.:)
But white just looks so formal,:( maybe burst would be best, then it won't show fingerprints as much and will look a bit more retro:thumbsup:, but I'm not in a retro type band and am focusing more on alternative, grunge and hard rock these days.:banghead: So, maybe black would be best, yeah, that's what I'll do, black, I always come back to black.:D (I'm getting dizzy:confused:)
 
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#37,624
JIO said:
Thanks! :) It exactly is a hotrod - my hotrod! It was a "closet classic" when I bought it in '78 - barely played, everything original in it's HSC. I played it for years "as-is" but added a Seymour Duncan Hawkbucker bridge pu in '86. It's hard to image a day when 'modding' ones own bass was just, normal. (er.., wait a minute... everyone mods their basses today!) Someone looking at my bass today could say "how dare you violate this classic valuable vintage instrument!!!" and the pile-on ensues with torches flaring. (luckily not here in the Thunderbird Club - everyone's way too classy to level the heavy hand of "how-dare-you" - so "vintage Fender"...) No regrets, no apologies - it's going the distance w/me so no concern of "vintage resale value" etc. I've owned and played it for so many years I only think of it as the bass I'd never sell. (and I have quite a few now) ... but when I first owned it - it was my only bass. We "bonded" then, and that's all she wrote. But once I'm gone someone most definitely will continue to rock this bass, and it will continue to knock their socks-off.

We are all just guardians of our instruments. They will live on to inspire many players after we're gone! Rock yours mightily while you own it! :bassist:
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That's how I feel about the EB-2. It's the two pickup version, but the mudbucker was replaced by a DiMarzio One before I got it. The wiring is all fouled up, but I don't care. It's got a wonderful warm, dry, woody sound that nothing else can approach. I have some parts to take it more or less back to stock, but why bother? It's better now than it was straight from the factory. I don't play it that much any more because I have become a little paranoid about anything happening to it, but it was my only bass for more than 20 years. It's in far better shape than it has any right to be.
 
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#37,625
Last edited:
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#37,626
RedVee said:
Yep, great. Thanks :thumbsup:
It's funny (peculiar) what you read tho.
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Yeah its all about taste. People like or dislike basses/pickups based on their perceptions sometimes more than reality. I saw a post on Facebook last night that was a female bassist and she was holding a Tbird in the picture. One guy proceeded to tell her how bad Gibson's were and how Thunderbirds weren't any good. He made it a point to say he didn't like Gibsons at all. She basically told him she loved Tbirds and probably wouldn't play anything else ever. His response was "different tastes", which in my mind was him saying he was correct and she didn't know any better. I think he was the same person that commented on her post about how heavy Tbirds are. My Gibson Birds weigh 8.5 lbs or less. I have much heavier basses than that.
 
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#37,627
GBassNorth said:
Black with a cream or parchment pick guard vs white with a black pickguard - decisions decisions.

IMHO with all the chrome on that thing, I think the black will look sharpest,:thumbsup: but I hate fingerprints and smudge marks all over everything and that's what you end up with if you get black:sour:.
So I don't know, maybe white would be better,:thumbsup: besides I usually wear dark shirts while playing so white will pop out a lot more.:)
But white just looks so formal,:( maybe burst would be best, then it won't show fingerprints as much and will look a bit more retro:thumbsup:, but I'm not in a retro type band and am focusing more on alternative, grunge and hard rock these days.:banghead: So, maybe black would be best, yeah, that's what I'll do, black, I always come back to black.:D (I'm getting dizzy:confused:)
Click to expand...
Me too. :D
 
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#37,628
BklynKen said:
Well that's interesting. Black Hipshot with chrome saddles. I guess it was intentional.
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It was. Those Hipshot saddles are the same on many of their bridges so I swapped with a chrome one I have. Did the silver bolts too (via hardware store) - I like the mix.
 
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#37,631
GBassNorth said:
Black with a cream or parchment pick guard vs white with a black pickguard - decisions decisions.

IMHO with all the chrome on that thing, I think the black will look sharpest,:thumbsup: but I hate fingerprints and smudge marks all over everything and that's what you end up with if you get black:sour:.
So I don't know, maybe white would be better,:thumbsup: besides I usually wear dark shirts while playing so white will pop out a lot more.:)
But white just looks so formal,:( maybe burst would be best, then it won't show fingerprints as much and will look a bit more retro:thumbsup:, but I'm not in a retro type band and am focusing more on alternative, grunge and hard rock these days.:banghead: So, maybe black would be best, yeah, that's what I'll do, black, I always come back to black.:D (I'm getting dizzy:confused:)
Click to expand...
Get both, 1 black 1 white. That's the only correct answer, or all 3
 
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#37,632
JIO said:
Gibson Rare Prototype Explorer Bass Early 1980's Red

This is really unique - a piezo only (prototype) Gibson Explorer bass from the early 80's. Never been that drawn to Explorers but the cleanness of the look of this thing is pretty cool. Had no idea that Gibson considered such a radical move for a bass. (no affiliation)
Click to expand...

I saw a yellow one on eBay months ago and was scratching my head about the piezo pups. The listing mentioned nothing about it being a prototype Explorer.


JIO said:
Gibson Thunderbird Bass 1991 Cardinal Red

This is pretty cool too - and also red. Would look awesome chromed-out.
Click to expand...

That's a magical year AND in a custom color!
 
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#37,633
I'm playing a '77 T-Bird that I bought new. (that'll give you an idea of my age) My thumb has worn a groove into the body above the bass pickup from resting it there and my arm sweat has worn through the finish along the upper edge of the body. Pretty much all the finish is gone from the back of the neck. The headstock is still intact. Sorry......no pics handy.
 
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#37,634
Larry V said:
That's a magical year AND in a custom color!
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Broken headstock repair and no proof it's a factory Finish (shot of what's under the pick guard and control cavity would help to verify).

Refin would also account for the 'rock solid headstock repair' with no paint transition to the supposed original fin. Caveat Emptor.
 
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#37,637
Dadagoboi said:
Broken headstock repair and no proof it's a factory Finish (shot of what's under the pick guard and control cavity would help to verify).

Refin would also account for the 'rock solid headstock repair' with no paint transition to the supposed original fin. Caveat Emptor.
Click to expand...

Yah, the way it was phrased made it sound like the ultraviolet (?) light (somehow) showed that it was the original finish. (along with disclosing the neck repair) And this is coming from a "vintage dealer" (?) who clearly should know better. I mean, just stating it's a nice refinish would be preferable and he could still ask a nice price for it. I also did not see a pic of the backside of the hs to show the serial # which is also suspect in its absence.
 
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#37,640
JIO said:
Gibson Rare Prototype Explorer Bass Early 1980's Red

This is really unique - a piezo only (prototype) Gibson Explorer bass from the early 80's. Never been that drawn to Explorers but the cleanness of the look of this thing is pretty cool. Had no idea that Gibson considered such a radical move for a bass. (no affiliation)

Gibson Thunderbird Bass 1991 Cardinal Red

This is pretty cool too - and also red. Would look awesome chromed-out.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm. I kind of want both of these. The thunderbird is one of those really rare Gibson ones that comes with an Epiphone case :D
 
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