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Thunderbird Club

#7,863
ThaCoast said:
I would leave the old hole unplugged. & for drilling, my trick is to make a pilot hole first, & then gradually go up drill bit sizes until i reach the exact one that's the same size as the screw you plan on using for the strap pin. It's a good way to avoid any cracking in the finish or even chipping the paint off.

Best of luck, & welcome to our Thunderbird family :D
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Nocturnal said:
Welcome to the club!! As far as filling the strap hole from it's original location and the bass isn't getting refinished, I just leave the existing strap button where it is. Keep in mind that when I am changing strap buttons they are being replaced by straplocks.
As for placing the button in it's new location, Hillerup and I like to drill thru the neck plate between the top 2 screws. Some people like to use the flat part of the body between the neck heel and the bolt plate. I've never been a big fan of that location but others seem to use it with no issue. If I was going to drill into the paint I would put some painters tape over the location where I am drilling and make a pilot hole with a smaller drill bit. Then I would drill the other hole to the correct size. I would NOT use a hammer and nail to start the pilot hole. Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Exactly as Andy and Andii says... : D

Remember to use metal drills when going through the neck plate, and you can use the same for going through the wood as well. Also, as suggested, keep the original strap button at its location and use a new one for the new location - This will give you alternative options depending on whatever strap you might use down the road, and you won't have to fill the hole...
 
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#7,864
So after toying around & going back & forth between: do i want to build a thunderbird bass or do another body style i don't own at all. It's safe to say that i'm sticking with the bird :P. Made a few differences compared to my Epiphone: the body's rounder. Not by much, but it's more reminiscent to Spectors version. Using a hipshot A style .750 spacing bridge that was on my grabber build first attempt. Not utilizing the string through cause i think it's a load of garbage, plus i don't want any holes in the back other than the electronics cavity & the neck bolts. Another thing is pickups, since the Goth turned Punk has humbuckers, i'm going with a set of Duncan QP i've got on hand, & a duncan NYC soapbar pickup. wanted the p/j look, but since i couldn't find a double J, i'm going with the NYC. Another thing to add, it'll have 24 frets. a first for me + it'll come in handy :D reverse b.c rich 80's style headstock so my E string is up at the top & the G is at the bottom of the headstock.

But quick question, i'm sorta pondering doing it as a short scale 24 fretter bird, but wanted to know if the short scale gibson bird has the smae body size as a regular 34" bird. Thanks guys
 
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#7,865
ThaCoast said:
But quick question, i'm sorta pondering doing it as a short scale 24 fretter bird, but wanted to know if the short scale gibson bird has the smae body size as a regular 34" bird. Thanks guys
Click to expand...

I don't know, but my 32" scale 21 fret 'bird has the same body as my 34s, just with neck and bridge relocated for maximum upper access. No neck dive with the 2+2 headstock.

Good luck with the build!
DDA%20REV%204232C_zpsayq5z5z4.jpg
 
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#7,866
ThaCoast said:
I would leave the old hole unplugged. & for drilling, my trick is to make a pilot hole first, & then gradually go up drill bit sizes [....]
Click to expand...

Nocturnal said:
Welcome to the club!! As far as filling the strap hole from it's original location and the bass isn't getting refinished, I just leave the existing strap button where it is. Keep in mind that when I am changing strap buttons they are being replaced by straplocks. As for placing the button in it's new location, Hillerup and I like to drill thru the neck plate between the top 2 screws. Some people like to use the flat part of the body between the neck heel and the bolt plate. I've never been a big fan of that location but others seem to use it with no issue. If I was going to drill into the paint I would put some painters tape over the location where I am drilling and make a pilot hole with a smaller drill bit. Then I would drill the other hole to the correct size. I would NOT use a hammer and nail to start the pilot hole. Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Thanks guys!!

Andii, I'd be afraid to leave the hole open to sweat and dust and dirt and eventual rot. Ick. Was planning on scaling up the bit sizes, but I'd stop with a bit the size of the shank of the screw, not the size of the threads.

Nocturnal, thx for straplock idea (I'd forgotten about them). So yeah, I will prolly leave the original pin where it is. Location I'm thinking of is the I Dunno section of the Whatever.... umm, it's what TBird1958 shows in post #6 in the neckdive thread. The other locations look like they'd have scary unintended consequences. Alrighty: leave original pin - check; new pin is straplock - check; masking tape - check; drill the pilot rather than pound - check.

Thx again you guys. :-)
 
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#7,869
Klondike said:
Welcome to the crazyness Vara. I cant add to the drilling issue as i agree with those that have posted excellent advice before me.

On a side note i salute the supreme court on deciding (finally) that people in love can get married and all states must recognize it.
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Hi Klondike, and thanks for the welcome!! Yeah, I think they covered it fairly well.

Marriage is a contract between consenting adults, and the govt just makes a note of it. It's always been that simple. It's no skin off anyone else's nose who gets married, so it's none of anyone else's F'n Goddamned F'n Beeswax. But I hate to see the feds overriding the states. States' rights have been used for good and evil, but they are a very important part of the check/balance system that helps keep us as semi-free as we are. Cause dictatorships and democracy have no check.... Anywayz, uh, soapbox mode OFF. :-)

I def like the end result of the ruling. Now if only someone would marry me....
 
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#7,870
Larry V said:
Welcome! The fellas got ya covered, good sound advice.
Click to expand...

hillerup said:
Exactly as Andy and Andii says... : D
Remember to use metal drills when going through the neck plate, and you can use the same for going through the wood as well.
Click to expand...

Thx guys!!

I'm not planning on going through the neck plate, I just want to add a pin further down on the same edge the factory pin is already on, so it'll be right behind the neck on that flat part. It's what TBird1958 shows in the neckdive thread. And it should give more leverage against dive because it'll be an inch or so closer to the headstock than if I went through the neckplate.

I'm sure it'll always dive a little. I even plan on it for a stage move!! But as more or less a beginner, I have enough to do just to hit the right frets without buzzing them too badly. I don't want to have to hold the neck up at the same time. That's just beyond me right now.

I gotta get a good long strap too. Howzabout one that S T R E T C H E S?? Is anyone stupid enough to make one? Cause I'm stupid enough to try one. Just another Vara idea I've had.... :-|
 
#7,871
Vara La Fey said:
Thx guys!!

I'm not planning on going through the neck plate, I just want to add a pin further down on the same edge the factory pin is already on, so it'll be right behind the neck on that flat part. It's what TBird1958 shows in the neckdive thread. And it should give more leverage against dive because it'll be an inch or so closer to the headstock than if I went through the neckplate.

I'm sure it'll always dive a little. I even plan on it for a stage move!! But as more or less a beginner, I have enough to do just to hit the right frets without buzzing them too badly. I don't want to have to hold the neck up at the same time. That's just beyond me right now.

I gotta get a good long strap too. Howzabout one that S T R E T C H E S?? Is anyone stupid enough to make one? Cause I'm stupid enough to try one. Just another Vara idea I've had.... :-|
Click to expand...

Gibson slingshot strap. Pricey, but very nice. Has Larry and I are big fans ;-)
 
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#7,872
Howzabout one that S T R E T C H E S?? Is anyone stupid enough to make one? Cause I'm stupid enough to try one. Just another Vara idea I've had.... :-|
Click to expand...
I have an idea for that, but I'm not sure if it's gonna work out the way I want it to. It'll take a little while to get to it because right now is our Christmas with the military's end of fiscal year spending.
 
#7,873
Alright friends.

The past few months I've been gigging my birds and they rock!!! We have tours coming up and it's gonna be dirty, rough so I'm going to put thunder buckers in my jazz bass (finally). I like the placement of my Greco TB II's pickup which I am guessing is the original neck PU location vs the modern tbirds neck placement. I was curious if there were any measurements out there I could use to get proper spacing (60's spec)?

The bass is an American deluxe so I have the option of 4 controls with a side jack too which could be cool, or stick to a V/V/T or V/B/T
 
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#7,874
Mikaelbass said:
Alright friends.

The past few months I've been gigging my birds and they rock!!! We have tours coming up and it's gonna be dirty, rough so I'm going to put thunder buckers in my jazz bass (finally). I like the placement of my Greco TB II's pickup which I am guessing is the original neck PU location vs the modern tbirds neck placement. I was curious if there were any measurements out there I could use to get proper spacing (60's spec)?

The bass is an American deluxe so I have the option of 4 controls with a side jack too which could be cool, or stick to a V/V/T or V/B/T
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Seems to me the pickup placement on a II is pretty much the same as the neck pickup placement on a IV:

gib63p13.jpg
 
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#7,879
Mikaelbass said:
Alright friends.

I was curious if there were any measurements out there I could use to get proper spacing (60's spec)?

The bass is an American deluxe so I have the option of 4 controls with a side jack too which could be cool, or stick to a V/V/T or V/B/T
Click to expand...

I've done the conversion from Jazz to ThunderBuckers three times and use the original spacing on most of my other basses. The numbers are:

On my 1964 TBird IV: to centerline of the pickups from 12th fret:
neck: 273 mm (10.75")
bridge: 362mm (14.25 ")
P1010134.jpg


My ThunderBucker conversions to Jazz basses using those specs are close to those numbers:
StoneyJazzBird_zps5fb6d075.jpg


BadJazz_zpsed78a758.jpg


Works on Jaguars, too
P1060761_zps694c018e.jpg


Covering the bridge pickup and missing the control plate requires a little planning, especially on a Jag. The neck is easy.

I'd stick with VVT. Owner of the Jag switched back to that after 2 stack pots and a master volume. My second choice would be VBT.

ThunderBucker (and 60s Thunderbird) routes are 6.3mm (1/4") deep.
 
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