I believe it's there because the headstock isn't angled, so the string tree creates the proper break angle for the strings over the nut
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
- Mar 8, 2011
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- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Oh, for sure! Just deciding what strings to try! I have a set of DR Sunbeams (never tried em, they were given to me), two sets of SS DR Lo-Riders and a set of Dunlop Nickel Super Brights (not bright at all, oddly!).
My experience with the Sunbeams is that they seem to be not as bright as the Hi-Beams, a little mellower sounding, at least to me anyway.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
The '91 got out to play a little last night. It's got Cobalt Flats on it right now, but I cranked the pickups up as far as they would go, Kat style. The bridge pickup is still pretty far away from the strings, but the neck pickup is right at buzz inducing height. Doing that makes the Chinabuckers a whole lot more aggressive. It really snarls now. Guess it's time to learn all the different metal subgenera so I can put it to proper use.
The Cobalt Flats sounded good and balanced. The G string on that bass has never been exactly overwhelming. The real power comes lower down. No surprise. Raising the pickup helped with balance and now I can really hear the strings and what digging in does. Less compression made a difference, too. I like being able to be quiet and then really loud.
It needs a bit of work on intonation. I'm not sure what happened, but the bridge needs to be adjusted just a hair on all of the strings. Action feels about the same. I'm sure it's weather related. It's not much, but the Babicz allows you to make small adjustments, and things like Snark tuners let you know when it's exact and when it isn't. Adjustment because it can be done and why not?
Raising the pickups way up wasn't something I thought of before. I might risk karmic doom by messing with the '01 and raising its pickups. It needs new strings, so karma can just bite me. The '15 will probably get the height treatment, too. The fretless 'Bird has Alumitones. All normal 'Bird knowledge doesn't apply to it.
So, there's some 'Bird content for the time being.
[edit] One other thing - the two screw attachment for pickups means they can tilt back and forth in a way that offends my occasionally anal self. So, I took a piece of foam that was originally intended as padding for inside an equipment case and cut it to fit below the pickups. Now they are far more likely to stay level with the top of the body. It's not completely perfect, but far better than it was. Funny thing is that I don't mind scratches, dents, misroutes, and all kinds of other QC issues that bother everyone else for some reason. But, unlevel pickups drive me nuts.
The Cobalt Flats sounded good and balanced. The G string on that bass has never been exactly overwhelming. The real power comes lower down. No surprise. Raising the pickup helped with balance and now I can really hear the strings and what digging in does. Less compression made a difference, too. I like being able to be quiet and then really loud.
It needs a bit of work on intonation. I'm not sure what happened, but the bridge needs to be adjusted just a hair on all of the strings. Action feels about the same. I'm sure it's weather related. It's not much, but the Babicz allows you to make small adjustments, and things like Snark tuners let you know when it's exact and when it isn't. Adjustment because it can be done and why not?
Raising the pickups way up wasn't something I thought of before. I might risk karmic doom by messing with the '01 and raising its pickups. It needs new strings, so karma can just bite me. The '15 will probably get the height treatment, too. The fretless 'Bird has Alumitones. All normal 'Bird knowledge doesn't apply to it.
So, there's some 'Bird content for the time being.
[edit] One other thing - the two screw attachment for pickups means they can tilt back and forth in a way that offends my occasionally anal self. So, I took a piece of foam that was originally intended as padding for inside an equipment case and cut it to fit below the pickups. Now they are far more likely to stay level with the top of the body. It's not completely perfect, but far better than it was. Funny thing is that I don't mind scratches, dents, misroutes, and all kinds of other QC issues that bother everyone else for some reason. But, unlevel pickups drive me nuts.
Last edited:
- Jul 1, 2005
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Thanks!
It's a non tilt headstock . String tree is usually a good idea for those. NR 53 I'm working on has a 3+2 tilt headstock, unnecessary for that.
Because there's only one Mothman, and it isn't owned by a member.
Also the Mothman generally inspires feelings of terror and dread rather than disgust.
Huh, hadn't heard about that. Mine has been really stable so far, but I've had it in BEAD the whole time and don't change string gauges/brands/types.
That cab is so lonely. It needs a twin.
Delicious.If you're gonna get one go for the first Dargie Delight model and put a bright red pick guard on it.
It'll look like a giant pimento olive, which should go great with the martini glass fret markers... heck yes, I'd rock it!
View attachment 2814896
View attachment 2814897
View attachment 2814898
Perfect for the upscale bar gig!
If you did have such a combination, would it be mandatory to hold your pick with your pinky extended, as if holding a fancy drink?
I'd like to get a Mesa 412. There's one fairly local, for cheap, but the guy refuses to sell it to me....
That cab is so lonely. It needs a twin.
...
I guess he likes it too much to part with?
I'm looking forward to trying the set of Lo-Riders I have. Of course the Rotosound RS66 are a popular favorite here. I'm very fond of them myself.
Ah, thanks. That makes sense.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
My 2015 hasn't had any kind of trussrod problems.
I should be able to say that soon. :-/
Immaturity? Couldn't do that; I'm the paragon of maturity. Now let me make fart noises with my armpit.
Zero truss issues on my Anniversary model. I wonder if the whole truss rumor comes from the same rumor mill that pushes neck dive as a TBird given.
I really like the DR's, well the round cores, whether SS or Nickel..... I like the lower tension of the round cores. Kind-of evens out the feel, switching from a long scale bass strung with round core DRs, to a short scale strung with hex cores. I've got a Gibson 2017 EB strung with Sunbeams and Black Beauties (which IIRC is a Sunbeam under the black coating) on the 'bird. Sound wise, don't sound a lot different to a nickel Roto, EB Slinky, or D'Addario XL to these deaf ears.... For me it's all about the feel. I dig the feel of them.
It's a marketing ploy, by people that are trying to sell basses shaped like potties, that 'birds dive!Zero truss issues on my Anniversary model. I wonder if the whole truss rumor comes from the same rumor mill that pushes neck dive as a TBird given.
I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up
I really like the DR's, well the round cores, whether SS or Nickel..... I like the lower tension of the round cores. Kind-of evens out the feel, switching from a long scale bass strung with round core DRs, to a short scale strung with hex cores. I've got a Gibson 2017 EB strung with Sunbeams and Black Beauties (which IIRC is a Sunbeam under the black coating) on the 'bird. Sound wise, don't sound a lot different to a nickel Roto, EB Slinky, or D'Addario XL to these deaf ears.... For me it's all about the feel. I dig the feel of them.
It's well known fact here that rounds and me don't get along, it's a body chemistry thing.
