Thunderbird Club

[RedVee]

I've spoken a little on this already.
So the TB BT19; a neck through & a NR bird - which may be the BT19 if Plan A works out.

Neck size to be decided, I need another go at a 1.5 'to be sure, to be sure'.
One of them to be a single pickup job.

 

[TBird1958]

I hope you know how fortunate you are! It's a damn rare thing to be able to stand up, walk across your living room, and pic up your dream bass anytime you want! It seems there's always something (i.e. - if only the neck were chunkier, if only it stayed in tune better, if only it had chrome, etc.). It's good to be Queen

Fortune is relative, as I recall you have two daughters - No bass can compare.
I do have some nice basses and it's my choice to be single, some of you know greater fortune than I'll ever imagine.

 

[veebass]

Monday morning here, but why not.
My dream Bird would be a Fender Bird.

It would be based on a reverse body. Painted shell pink nitro, but top bound in parchment white. Back could have a tummy rout like the current TBirds.
Neck would be 56/ 57 P Bass specs ie small headstock, 1 3/4 at the nut, Fender vintage fretboard radius (7 1/4 inch) and V in profile. Obviously maple board, but parchment white bound and blocked with real MOP.
Truss rod adjustment at the heal.
Reverse gear elephant ear long stem Kluson style tuners, Scott's nifty bridge and tailpiece, one Larry's pickguards in parchment. 2 X Thunderbuckers mounted in the 60s position. Oh and pickup and bridge covers.

 

[BklynKen]

I find those tummy cutouts useless since my (lack of) tummy never matches up with it anyway.

 

[GBassNorth]

Monday morning here, but why not.
My dream Bird would be a Fender Bird.

It would be based on a reverse body. Painted shell pink nitro, but top bound in parchment white. Back could have a tummy rout like the current TBirds.
Neck would be 56/ 57 P Bass specs ie small headstock, 1 3/4 at the nut, Fender vintage fretboard radius (7 1/4 inch) and V in profile. Obviously maple board, but parchment white bound and blocked with real MOP.
Truss rod adjustment at the heal.
Reverse gear elephant ear long stem Kluson style tuners, Scott's nifty bridge and tailpiece, one Larry's pickguards in parchment. 2 X Thunderbuckers mounted in the 60s position. Oh and pickup and bridge covers.

Ditto!

 

[JIO]

I find those tummy cutouts useless since my (lack of) tummy never matches up with it anyway.

Regardless of ones body type, a body bevel brings the bass in closer/conforms more to the player playing it. I'm an advocate of ergonomic player interface where ever it can be incorporated. Mike Lulls T-birds are an example of him addressing ergonomics that the original T-birds didn't. (lower body-bout taper) I think his body bevel is deeper than orig T-birds also.

 

[BklynKen]

Regardless of ones body type, a body bevel brings the bass in closer/conforms more to the player playing it.

Can you explain that? What I meant is that the cutout on my Thunderbird is off to the side of my body, so it doesn't even meet up with my body.

 

[DerekW]

Tort??? Over blue?!?!? Have you gone mad???

I was looking for a certain reaction.. achieved.

 

[veebass]

Ditto!

You, Sir/ Madam, must be a person of considerable taste.

 

[veebass]

Regardless of ones body type, a body bevel brings the bass in closer/conforms more to the player playing it. I'm an advocate of ergonomic player interface where ever it can be incorporated. Mike Lulls T-birds are an example of him addressing ergonomics that the original T-birds didn't. (lower body-bout taper) I think his body bevel is deeper than orig T-birds also.

This Lull cutout (borrowed from an eBay listing) is certainly deeper and much more extensive than the cut out on the back of my 08 Gibson TBird. I think the cutout helps keeps the bass from rolling forward. I also hook my strap over the rear of the bass instead of coming up behind it.

Here is a recent Gibson.

 

[kat888]

Hmm, today is not 08 August. Bass coming home on the weekend then. Really shouldn't be allowed out without adult supervision.

 

[hillerup]

Dream Bird? It's just over there in my avatar. Oh another dream Bird!?

Reverse Thunderbird II neck through with two piece bridge/tailpiece, Hipshot ultralite clovers, ebony fretboard, 1.5"/12" nut and radius, Thunderbucker 66S and a single volume control. Finish would be alpine white with a white pickguard and abalone Thunderbird logo and fret dot inlays.

But you'd need a backup, so would go for the same again in an ebony/black finish with shiny metal and the same abalone.

I like where this is going... The black/white pair would be awesome...

 

[hillerup]

Dream Bird? It's just over there in my avatar. Oh another dream Bird!?

Reverse Thunderbird II neck through with two piece bridge/tailpiece, Hipshot ultralite clovers, ebony fretboard, 1.5"/12" nut and radius, Thunderbucker 66S and a single volume control. Finish would be alpine white with a white pickguard and abalone Thunderbird logo and fret dot inlays.

But you'd need a backup, so would go for the same again in an ebony/black finish with shiny metal and the same abalone.

Sort of like this, but with Thunderbirds?

 

[TBird1958]

Hmm, today is not 08 August. Bass coming home on the weekend then. Really shouldn't be allowed out without adult supervision.

What did you do!?

 

[kat888]

Sort of like this, but with Thunderbirds?

View attachment 1195655
View attachment 1195654

Yes, but without the gold.

 

[kat888]

What did you do!?

Luthier is back on 08 August and I went to pick up the Epi, only to realise my dates are out of whack. Been pulling so many overnighters recently everything is a blur.

 

[hillerup]

Yes, but without the gold.

Gold's nice if done right...

I'm pretty sure a Custom Thunderbird in either white or ebony with gold hardware and pickguard would look great - gaudy but great nevertheless...

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Gold's nice if done right...

I'm pretty sure a Custom Thunderbird in either white or ebony with gold hardware and pickguard would look great - gaudy but great nevertheless...

That's why I put it... them, as my current dream basses, having a matching set would make me speechless every time I look at them! And I'm not even a fan of gold!

 

[bylar13]

Played a set at a local street festival today. (2nd Street Festival in Philadelphia) The t-bird sounded great and played through and Eden combo for the first time (provided back line). It sounded a bit sterile compared to the Orange I normally use but not bad.

It has been years since I played a stage set up like this one. The sound guys all had ipads, walking around checking everything. I was impressed with the "new" tech until a software glitch took down the front of house sound during our first song...... Sound was down for about 5 minutes while things got rebooted. All in all, a good time.

 

[rxdiablo]

Totally off subject here, but one of the authors (Dubner) of that book was in a local band here in the mid-eighties, even got a major label deal before imploding. They played a short reunion set a few years ago at a city function a few years ago and gave off a great energy!