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Thunderbird Club

#44,042
Cardinal Fang said:
Greetings, I suppose it's technically not a Thunderbird but here's mine.

I bought it in January of 2003 (still have the sales order in the case) because for $1,000.00 it was a cheap-ish way to get my hands on a Thunderbird. Until recently I kept it as a (rarely used) backup for shows because it was so damn difficult to play: horrible neck dive (tried three different straps, different heights, in the end I had to move the front strap button), the action was sooooo high, lots of fret buzz all over the place, intonation was grot, and the pickups were WAY hotter than my other bass to the point that the sound guys complained when I switched guitars. I pretty much felt like I got ripped off by Gibson and haven't bought anything from them or that vendor since.

Last year I finally took it to a shop and was told it's never been properly set up after leaving the factory. I didn't even know 'set up' was a thing. Why wouldn't it be right when it was built, or when I bought it? Lesson learned, eh?

I got it back two weeks later and it was like a completely different bass. It is such a joy to play and listen to that I didn't pick up my five string Ibanez for a year. Hell, three months ago I felt bad that the Ibanez wasn't getting played by anyone so I gave it to my niece and she's enjoying it immensely.

Too bad it took thirteen years to learn what a great instrument it is, huh? At least now I know where my $1,000.00 went.

My only complaint about this bass right now is that it's not 24 frets and the top three frets are a rotten ***** to reach. I could really use a tone knob right now too (not everything I like to play is RAWK), but I just don't feel right about modifying it, it does what it was designed to do perfectly and it's just frickin' gorgeous. I'm thinking about trying flatwound tapewound strings to see if it cuts the tone a little bit.

View attachment 2758540
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Nikki sixx blackbird, and a real USA Gibson is surely a legit Thunderbird. And don't have any qualms about adding normal controls to it, it is routed for them and many club members do it. If done right and in the same way a normal Thunderbird is, it shouldn't hurt value too much, except maybe to a crue collector. There is so much more to the world of bird than both pickups full up. The tone can come or go, I always have mine cranked, but the ability to use pickups solo or different blend levels is a must. Just a slight tweak to 80% on the neck brings in a nice high mid bump (kills the scoop inherent to both pickups on full), and doing the opposite with the bridge down to 80% does the same in a low mid bump, very throaty. And you could keep the switch motif and wire it VV + series/parallel switch for even more power. I haven't done that to mine (I'd use a push pull if I did, rather have it be reversible if I wanted), mine being a classic pro or Goth, I don't have a blackbird, but if I got one I would at least VV it.

Others will chime in for sure and the Queen will surely give you an number for that one!
 
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#44,043
GBassNorth said:
Bumping forward from five pages ago since I didn't hear a peep from any of the birdbrains here...

Help needed:woot:
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I wouldn't know for sure, but probably the usual Hipshot Ultralight tuners. 3/8" instead of 1/2", and probably the smaller clovers that you have to talk to them about if you want clovers. You may have to drill holes and/or ream out the post hole to fit like I did on the '91. But I don't know. You are modifying it, so a few small things like drilling a screw hole or reaming the post hole shouldn't be any kind of deterrant.
 
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#44,044
Check it out!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

IMG_0817__25854.1502472993.jpg
 
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#44,047
Cardinal Fang said:
Greetings, I suppose it's technically not a Thunderbird but here's mine.

I bought it in January of 2003 (still have the sales order in the case) because for $1,000.00 it was a cheap-ish way to get my hands on a Thunderbird. Until recently I kept it as a (rarely used) backup for shows because it was so damn difficult to play: horrible neck dive (tried three different straps, different heights, in the end I had to move the front strap button), the action was sooooo high, lots of fret buzz all over the place, intonation was grot, and the pickups were WAY hotter than my other bass to the point that the sound guys complained when I switched guitars. I pretty much felt like I got ripped off by Gibson and haven't bought anything from them or that vendor since.

Last year I finally took it to a shop and was told it's never been properly set up after leaving the factory. I didn't even know 'set up' was a thing. Why wouldn't it be right when it was built, or when I bought it? Lesson learned, eh?

I got it back two weeks later and it was like a completely different bass. It is such a joy to play and listen to that I didn't pick up my five string Ibanez for a year. Hell, three months ago I felt bad that the Ibanez wasn't getting played by anyone so I gave it to my niece and she's enjoying it immensely.

Too bad it took thirteen years to learn what a great instrument it is, huh? At least now I know where my $1,000.00 went.

My only complaint about this bass right now is that it's not 24 frets and the top three frets are a rotten ***** to reach. I could really use a tone knob right now too (not everything I like to play is RAWK), but I just don't feel right about modifying it, it does what it was designed to do perfectly and it's just frickin' gorgeous. I'm thinking about trying flatwound tapewound strings to see if it cuts the tone a little bit.

View attachment 2758540
Click to expand...

YOU HAD A BLACKBIRD FOR 14 YEARS WITHOUT PLAYING IT OR SET UP!!!??? :banghead::banghead::banghead:

You better send it off to me, and I'll take care of it... ;)
 
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#44,048
Larry V said:
Check it out!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

View attachment 2758627
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Sweet shirt but $29 plus shipping...is it me or has the price of T-shirts even gotten way outta whack...I mean really...I sound like a crotchety old man...I'm getting there, quicker than I would like, but I am none-the-less!!
Get off my lawn!
 
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#44,052
bass40hz said:
Sweet shirt but $29 plus shipping...is it me or has the price of T-shirts even gotten way outta whack...I mean really...I sound like a crotchety old man...I'm getting there, quicker than I would like, but I am none-the-less!!
Get off my lawn!
Click to expand...

I hear you but check this out. I take my kids to music festivals and concerts all over Michigan; Van Halen, Disturbed, 3DG, Def Leppard, Skillet, Metallica... tons of other bands but you get the picture. Each event costs me 2 to 3 tshirts at $40 each on top of the exorbitant ticket prices. 2 shirts if it's just my boys, 3 if my daughter wants to come. When the shirts are $30, I feel like I'm getting a break! I never get a concert tee though, I just don't care for them any longer.

They like the tees and I like that they like them.
 
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#44,055
Larry V said:
I hear you but check this out. I take my kids to music festivals and concerts all over Michigan; Van Halen, Disturbed, 3DG, Def Leppard, Skillet, Metallica... tons of other bands but you get the picture. Each event costs me 2 to 3 tshirts at $40 each on top of the exorbitant ticket prices. 2 shirts if it's just my boys, 3 if my daughter wants to come. When the shirts are $30, I feel like I'm getting a break! I never get a concert tee though, I just don't care for them any longer.

They like the tees and I like that they like them.
Click to expand...
I hear ya Larry, every time I hit a Jimmy Buffett show I drop $45 a shirt x 2, same at the last Black Sabbath tour The End at MSG...$45 a shirt x 2 , me and the wife...ridiculous, I remember back in the days you would get 2 for $10 in the lot after the show and be able to get them down to 2 for $8...I miss the 80's...late 70's weren't bad either, but the 80's...yeah thats the stuff ;-)
I still have my very first concert shirt from the KISS Dynasty tour @ MSG it was '79...
 
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#44,057
bass40hz said:
Sweet shirt but $29 plus shipping...is it me or has the price of T-shirts even gotten way outta whack...I mean really...I sound like a crotchety old man...I'm getting there, quicker than I would like, but I am none-the-less!!
Get off my lawn!
Click to expand...
I'm with you man. T-shirts and concert tickets are supposed to cost 6bux each! ... and try cleanin' yer shotgun while yer sittin' on the front porch. The only footprints in the lawn are mine, & I've never even had to chamber a round:smug:
 
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#44,060
theFixer said:
I'm with you man. T-shirts and concert tickets are supposed to cost 6bux each! ... and try cleanin' yer shotgun while yer sittin' on the front porch. The only footprints in the lawn are mine, & I've never even had to chamber a round:smug:
Click to expand...

I remember those days, $7 bucks a pop. When my brother and i were chasing Zappa around every time he came to NYC, we'd scalp tickets because we couldn't get to buy the good seats in time.
In '77, we paid $25 for scalped tickets for all six shows. We thought that was a lot of money, but we sat within the first 5 rows for all the shows. Well worth it, i even have some photos, but they were all shot on slide film, but i still have them.
 
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