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Thunderbird Club

#41,521
JJR58 said:
There have been a few suggestions on what to get so far, and thanks Kat. I'm not in any rush at the moment as the basses usually don't leave the apartment.
But i will need one soon for the Epiphone, going to be house sitting in the city for my cousin and her hubby while they're out of town, the Epi is coming with me.
Click to expand...
I'm very happy with my Gator ProGo. With the bottom inside pad removed, it fits the Thunderbird quite well, and I take it on the subway at least once a week.
 
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#41,523
theFixer said:
WOW! I'll agree with your technique for a complete setup "from zero", but that's a lot to go through just to work out a little bad juju. Throughout the various responses I've seen, there are some important details that have been glossed over. Folks keep using the word "bow". It's important to specify forward bow or back bow. Also, using the word "turns" implies full rotations. When I'm adjusting a truss rod, I operate in 1/4 rotations. 1 - 3 full rotations is really drastic (especially if you go in the wrong direction)! Also... if I have to tweek the truss rod, I prefer to do it with the strings at tension, to get a more accurate representation of what the adjustments are doing in real time. I look at it like this... those strings are gonna go in a straight line from the nut to the bridge. When you fret a note, that string needs to be able to go in a straight line from the fret to the saddle, while keeping the strings as close to the frets as possible without interference. I set mine up perfectly straight (verified by fretting on the first and last frets, maintaining light contact with every fret in between), and then giving it just the tiniest bit of forward bow (visible only by closing one eye & looking down the neck from the bridge towards the nut). At this point, I'll set the intonation. If I still need to adjust string height, I do it at the bridge. I may have to go back & forth making small tweeks on the bridge and truss rod a few times to really dial it in where I want it, but I can usually get it in there pretty good (remember... every adjustment means retuning and an intonation check). On the Goth I had, there was a phnarble (you won't find that in any published dictionary;)) from the 12th to the 15th fret. No matter what I did, I could not work out the "hump" at the 15th, so I intentionally left a tidbit of back bow in it & elevated the bridge slightly, so I could have nice low action from the 1st to the 15th (where I spent most of my time), and let the action climb from the 15th up. That's right... I intentionally made that Goth have the same problem that @BklynKen is trying to fix right now (it comes as no surprise that a more experienced player would actually want to rectify the situation). This scenario is certainly the exception & not the rule. I would expect that Ken should be able to message that hump out of his neck, but there's no way to know for sure without puttin' the wrenches to 'er. Just remember... small adjustments, and patience:)
Click to expand...

Sounds good, you've obviously got it sorted.

My 2 cents:

It's best to adjust trussrods with less than maximum tension on them. Here's the easy way:

1. Detune all tuners the same amount noting their individual positions. I usually do three full rotations. COUNT AS YOU TURN.

2. Adjust TR, 1/4 turn at a time.

3. Retune all tuners the same number of rotations you detuned. You'll get very close to pitch the more you do it.

4. Tune to pitch and check TR....Go back to #1 if necessary.

This way you're less likely to strip the TR nut, break the rod, or crush the neck wood that holds the rod in tension in most Fneder/Gisbon type rods.
 
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#41,525
JJR58 said:
There have been a few suggestions on what to get so far, and thanks Kat. I'm not in any rush at the moment as the basses usually don't leave the apartment.
But i will need one soon for the Epiphone, going to be house sitting in the city for my cousin and her hubby while they're out of town, the Epi is coming with me.
Click to expand...

The good thing about the Epi case is it fits the bass straight off. The not so good thing is they are made from plywood and slightly bulky and -- at least for me -- heavy.
 
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#41,527
Dadagoboi said:
Sounds good, you've obviously got it sorted.

My 2 cents:

It's best to adjust trussrods with less than maximum tension on them. Here's the easy way:

1. Detune all tuners the same amount noting their individual positions. I usually do three full rotations. COUNT AS YOU TURN.

2. Adjust TR, 1/4 turn at a time.

3. Retune all tuners the same number of rotations you detuned. You'll get very close to pitch the more you do it.

4. Tune to pitch and check TR....Go back to #1 if necessary.

This way you're less likely to strip the TR nut, break the rod, or crush the neck wood that holds the rod in tension in most Fneder/Gisbon type rods.
Click to expand...
Thanks Doc! I'll incorporate the detuning next time I gotta wrench on one:thumbsup:
 
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#41,528
theFixer said:
WOW! I'll agree with your technique for a complete setup "from zero", but that's a lot to go through just to work out a little bad juju. Throughout the various responses I've seen, there are some important details that have been glossed over. Folks keep using the word "bow". It's important to specify forward bow or back bow. Also, using the word "turns" implies full rotations. When I'm adjusting a truss rod, I operate in 1/4 rotations. 1 - 3 full rotations is really drastic (especially if you go in the wrong direction)! Also... if I have to tweek the truss rod, I prefer to do it with the strings at tension, to get a more accurate representation of what the adjustments are doing in real time. I look at it like this... those strings are gonna go in a straight line from the nut to the bridge. When you fret a note, that string needs to be able to go in a straight line from the fret to the saddle, while keeping the strings as close to the frets as possible without interference. I set mine up perfectly straight (verified by fretting on the first and last frets, maintaining light contact with every fret in between), and then giving it just the tiniest bit of forward bow (visible only by closing one eye & looking down the neck from the bridge towards the nut). At this point, I'll set the intonation. If I still need to adjust string height, I do it at the bridge. I may have to go back & forth making small tweeks on the bridge and truss rod a few times to really dial it in where I want it, but I can usually get it in there pretty good (remember... every adjustment means retuning and an intonation check). On the Goth I had, there was a phnarble (you won't find that in any published dictionary;)) from the 12th to the 15th fret. No matter what I did, I could not work out the "hump" at the 15th, so I intentionally left a tidbit of back bow in it & elevated the bridge slightly, so I could have nice low action from the 1st to the 15th (where I spent most of my time), and let the action climb from the 15th up. That's right... I intentionally made that Goth have the same problem that @BklynKen is trying to fix right now (it comes as no surprise that a more experienced player would actually want to rectify the situation). This scenario is certainly the exception & not the rule. I would expect that Ken should be able to message that hump out of his neck, but there's no way to know for sure without puttin' the wrenches to 'er. Just remember... small adjustments, and patience:)
Click to expand...

Hopefully no one else misread what I posted. Never whack a neck with three full truss rod turns, that's just asking for trouble. I believe my directions were to tighten the truss rod one to three One Third Turns (that's a max of a full turn and a minimum of a third of a turn) if the neck is currently flat. If you want to do quarter turns instead that's cool too but it shouldn't be more than a couple to a few quarter turns.

I also specifically called out backbow, flat and front bow so those should have been clear.

Finally, I would strongly recommend against tightening a Gibson or Epiphone truss rod with the strings under tension. It puts a lot of unnecessary stress on the rod and nut and greatly increases the risk of stripping or breaking something. That said, always do keep the strings under tension when you loosen the truss, the strings will help pull the neck towards a front bow if that's what you're after.

And as you noted, small adjustments and patience is the key.
 
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#41,530
theFixer said:
Damn Roni! Your tone is really punchy! Even on a crappy cell-phone (or video cam) microphone... I could hear every note plain as day, and you filled out & rounded off the whole bands sound perfectly!:cool::thumbsup:
Click to expand...

That's from quite awhile back, we did actually record everything separately so it's not the camera's mic. I do like "Driving the Bus" as they say....:)
 
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#41,531
Dadagoboi said:
Sounds good, you've obviously got it sorted.

My 2 cents:

It's best to adjust trussrods with less than maximum tension on them. Here's the easy way:

1. Detune all tuners the same amount noting their individual positions. I usually do three full rotations. COUNT AS YOU TURN.

2. Adjust TR, 1/4 turn at a time.

3. Retune all tuners the same number of rotations you detuned. You'll get very close to pitch the more you do it.

4. Tune to pitch and check TR....Go back to #1 if necessary.

This way you're less likely to strip the TR nut, break the rod, or crush the neck wood that holds the rod in tension in most Fneder/Gisbon type rods.
Click to expand...
Spot on. ( but why am I not surprised).
 
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#41,532
GBassNorth said:
Hopefully no one else misread what I posted. Never whack a neck with three full truss rod turns, that's just asking for trouble. I believe my directions were to tighten the truss rod one to three One Third Turns (that's a max of a full turn and a minimum of a third of a turn) if the neck is currently flat. If you want to do quarter turns instead that's cool too but it shouldn't be more than a couple to a few quarter turns.

I also specifically called out backbow, flat and front bow so those should have been clear.

Finally, I would strongly recommend against tightening a Gibson or Epiphone truss rod with the strings under tension. It puts a lot of unnecessary stress on the rod and nut and greatly increases the risk of stripping or breaking something. That said, always do keep the strings under tension when you loosen the truss, the strings will help pull the neck towards a front bow if that's what you're after.

And as you noted, small adjustments and patience is the key.
Click to expand...
Oh, I wasn't "picking on you"... I was kinda generalizing across the variety of replies to Ken's conundrum. Your's was just the one under which I posted my 2 cents worth. the "1 - 3 turns" thing definitely made my eyes big though:wideyed:;)
 
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#41,538
Gaolee said:
I have had some balky truss rods to deal with. If you don't slacken the strings, you are fighting them as you try to turn the truss rod nut. Not always a good policy.

And then there's the upright. No truss rod. Just a log for a neck.
Click to expand...
With bass, it seems there's more emphasis on detuning before adjusting the truss rod, than with guitar. Though I've only worked on a couple of 'em now, I'll admit that the adjustments under tension require more elbow grease. The only time I've gotten into trouble, was on a crappy Strat with a "bullet" truss rod that appeared to have been made out of some cheap crappy alloy, that had been partially mangled before I ever stuck a wrench in 'er. Ever since then, I've been careful to make sure I have exactly the right wrench that is in good condition, and that it seats, deeply and securely into the adjustment fitting before applying gentle yet firm pressure. I'll certainly be adhering to y'all's recommendations to slack the strings moving forward though:thumbsup:
 
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#41,540
Dadagoboi said:
Sounds good, you've obviously got it sorted.

My 2 cents:

It's best to adjust trussrods with less than maximum tension on them. Here's the easy way:

1. Detune all tuners the same amount noting their individual positions. I usually do three full rotations. COUNT AS YOU TURN.

2. Adjust TR, 1/4 turn at a time.

3. Retune all tuners the same number of rotations you detuned. You'll get very close to pitch the more you do it.

4. Tune to pitch and check TR....Go back to #1 if necessary.

This way you're less likely to strip the TR nut, break the rod, or crush the neck wood that holds the rod in tension in most Fneder/Gisbon type rods.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Carlo. That’s very helpful.
 
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