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Thunderbird Club

#45,821
Larry V said:
I got my Alpine White with nary a mark for $300!



I love all of my basses with them!
Click to expand...
We all get lucky sometimes. W/or w/o case? Mine had major marks and big deep chips to the wood, came with case and cost me $200 + a pedal that costs $169 new,I was trying to sell for $75 with no bites on it, and it was given to me so I had nothing into it. I love the bass scars and all and still feel I got a good deal. But I am always envious of the minty ones for not much more. Killing me if that was with a case too though ;)

And to everyone else... 64 pages in a week?! I'm not even going to TRY to catch up.

So anyone who quoted me and I didn't respond, apologies...
 
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#45,822
Larry V said:
I've seen people's TBird tattoos and wondered if the person knew that they got the Epiphone TBird instead of the Gibson. :roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

They mustn't have known there was a difference. ;)
Click to expand...

I put my '89 PG on the copier, he found a way to use it as a guide - It's the tat so nice I've done it twice!
 
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#45,823
Gaolee said:
They shouldn't. My P has a microphonic pickup. It also has a pickup cover, which means banging on the cover turns it into an outstanding percussion instrument.

As far as the logo, it was probably just some kind of marketing thing Gibson came up with in the early '60s. Both Firebirds and Thunderbirds came out in '63. I assume they were released at the same time. Because they were so clearly designed rather than evolved, there was probably some kind of thought about making the headstock look like a beak, as has been noted. The logos were undoubtedly adapted from a variety of sources, but I'm sure they were just as designed as the guitars themselves.

Funny thing is that I think of Explorers as more extreme versions of Thunderbirds and Firebirds, but they came earlier. Same with flying "V" guitars. I can't imagine how radical those must have seemed in 1957 or 1958. I suspect they sold fairly well to R&B and blues players who were all about putting on a good show, but I can't imagine too many others would have bought them.
Click to expand...

Also, "Thunderbird" graphics were and still are common as an iconic image. Native American heritage was probably it's first source but the name and image has been a design staple for a long time.

thunderbird graphic
 
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#45,824
kat888 said:
The headstock looks like a stylised beak in profile ... and it creates thunder?

EDIT: the question remains, was it already designed and someone said 'hey that looks like a Thunderbird' ... or did they start out using Thunderbird iconography as the basis for the new design?
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I guessed once they decided on Firebird, Thunderbird is a logical name for the bass. We bring the Thunder, as does the Thunderbird.
Glad that Gibson didn't just call it Firebird Bass, thought that's not bad. This time they didn't miss an opportunity.
 
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#45,825
It's a wonder that Gibson never used Burgundy Mist Metallic (Epi has) as BMM would be awesome on a T-bird (bass).

ford-thunderbird-1957-1.jpg
 
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#45,826
kat888 said:
The headstock looks like a stylised beak in profile ... and it creates thunder?

EDIT: the question remains, was it already designed and someone said 'hey that looks like a Thunderbird' ... or did they start out using Thunderbird iconography as the basis for the new design?
Click to expand...

Yes, the headstock does resemble a beak - Just wierd it was/is upside down... Should have flipped just like Carlo does them... :)
 
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#45,833
JJR58 said:
I love this pic. Just crazy.
Click to expand...

Yes, after posting it I've been staring at it - that car is just such the perfect design for what it is and that colour is outstanding on it. The other colour that a T-bird (bass) would look great in is the pale/dusty version (more salmon) Fiesta Red, like on this '56 T-bird

painted-in-stunning-fiesta-red-the-t-bird-a3c344fcf7ea6906.jpg
 
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#45,834
Stevis said:
Very nice . . . congrats. Now that you have all of this cool gear, you need to find some other college folk, form a band and roooooock!:bassist::bassist:
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Thanks!
First I gotta learn to play, are you supposed to plug the bass in first? :roflmao:
School and work take up too much time and brain power, and I currently only have 2 classes this semester. So hopefully when I'm done next year (fingers crossed I do finish next year) I can get something together.
 
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#45,835
Dr_Feelgoood212 said:
Thanks!
First I gotta learn to play, are you supposed to plug the bass in first? :roflmao:
School and work take up too much time and brain power, and I currently only have 2 classes this semester. So hopefully when I'm done next year (fingers crossed I do finish next year) I can get something together.
Click to expand...

You're killin me right now. Thunderbird's, '61 Precision...........................................
 
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#45,836
JJR58 said:
Slight side track, that lousy scratchy noise is happening again when the bridge pup is engaged.
Didn't do it at the shop after they did what they did. And i kinda cranked it while i was there.
I don't have any spare cables to swap out to see if that's the problem, but i'm kinda perplexed, the shop said they didn't find any issues internally or electronically.
Now, the Jazz bass doesn't do this at all. i'm miffed.

Any helpful input would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

When I got my t-bird I had a similar issue. Turns out the input jack was worn out. Even though the solder joints were fine and the cable end went in and seemed secure, any stress on the cable would move the cable end inside the input jack and create cut outs/noise from the amp.

I bought a Swicthcraft replacement:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C5B26HC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I just cut the long piece off and soldered it in as usual.

Remember that the input placement is in an unusual spot on Thunderbird. Gibson/Epiphone are using pretty crappy input jack to begin with. If a previous owner did not use a right angled cable, and bass is rested on the end, even in a stand, a standard,straight end cable would act like a lever and stress the internals of the input jack.
 
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#45,838
bylar13 said:
When I got my t-bird I had a similar issue. Turns out the input jack was worn out. Even though the solder joints were fine and the cable end went in and seemed secure, any stress on the cable would move the cable end inside the input jack and create cut outs/noise from the amp.

I bought a Swicthcraft replacement:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C5B26HC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I just cut the long piece off and soldered it in as usual.

Remember that the input placement is in an unusual spot on Thunderbird. Gibson/Epiphone are using pretty crappy input jack to begin with. If a previous owner did not use a right angled cable, and bass is rested on the end, even in a stand, a standard,straight end cable would act like a lever and stress the internals of the input jack.
Click to expand...

If that is the only problem.................
But a point i did not consider, me still thinks total rewire, pots and output jack.
As long as the bridge pick up doesn't have any problems.
 
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#45,839
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#45,840
ubernator said:
We all get lucky sometimes. W/or w/o case? Mine had major marks and big deep chips to the wood, came with case and cost me $200 + a pedal that costs $169 new,I was trying to sell for $75 with no bites on it, and it was given to me so I had nothing into it. I love the bass scars and all and still feel I got a good deal. But I am always envious of the minty ones for not much more. Killing me if that was with a case too though ;)

And to everyone else... 64 pages in a week?! I'm not even going to TRY to catch up.

So anyone who quoted me and I didn't respond, apologies...
Click to expand...
Easy to just target those though. You should have a lightning icon at the top right if your screen. Click it at you can view your likes and those quotes. Click the one you want and it takes you straight there. Easy peasey.
 
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