Thunderbird Club

[ProgressiveDoom]

So 5 years and 3 weeks for delivery? Seems a tad on the long side.

Perhaps that explains the caveman approach to the item, its 5 years old so that was the initial design?.

 

[theFixer]

Full disclaimer here. I didn't mean to dig that one up. My apologies go out to all for not minding my own business.

Relax brother. Nothing is anyone's "fault". Her path led her a different direction. As long as she's happy and healthy... everything is good

 

[Nocturnal]

I saw some strange NR Grecos that were just that, reverses flipped the other way...didn't look so good..

The one on the left is a Fernandes copy of a Spector flipped over Thunderbird ( 4X in Spector-speak). It has a great neck but has a thick body like the Spector. Not the most comfortable bass to play but its nice.

 

[bylar13]

Man, this is a killer pair of basses, and you've done both of the mods I've been wanting to do!

On your P-bass, is the neck pickup in the P sweet spot still, or did you move it around at all? I've had an idea for a while to fashion a swappable pickup system in a P like this, since you could do quite a bit of routing underneath a pickguard that size and just have extra pickguards made to fit each pickup.

On your Thunderbird, how do you like that Hipshot (that's what it is right)? I have a Epi Classic IV pro that I wanna improve and I definitely wanna replace the bridge in favor of something more easily adjustable, but I'm not sure whether I should get one of these or a Badbird, maybe a Babicz.



This sounds awesome.

Thanks! The P-Bass came with Fender Jazz Humbuckers:

I was not blown away by the tone so they got swapped out for Lollars. THe placement seems about right for P-Bass. I have a Jazz bass (also with Lollar Jazz Pickups) and the neck pick up is closer to the neck than the neck pick up on this P-Bass.

The Thunderbird (2014) has Lollar pickups and a Babicz bridge. I really like the bridge as it is super easy to adjust and very stable.

One word of caution on the Babicz is that the sting anchor area has a sharp edge, which I found out about while doing a windmil and then asubsequent trip to the ER.

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Thanks! The P-Bass came with Fender Jazz Humbuckers:

View attachment 3050473

I was not blown away by the tone so they got swapped out for Lollars. THe placement seems about right for P-Bass. I have a Jazz bass (also with Lollar Jazz Pickups) and the neck pick up is closer to the neck than the neck pick up on this P-Bass.

The Thunderbird (2014) has Lollar pickups and a Babicz bridge. I really like the bridge as it is super easy to adjust and very stable.

One word of caution on the Babicz is that the sting anchor area has a sharp edge, which I found out about while doing a windmil and then asubsequent trip to the ER.

View attachment 3050478 View attachment 3050479 View attachment 3050480

Holy Shytt!, were you playing a punk gig, or a Who cover?.

 

[Unclejackrock]

Thanks! The P-Bass came with Fender Jazz Humbuckers:

View attachment 3050473

I was not blown away by the tone so they got swapped out for Lollars. THe placement seems about right for P-Bass. I have a Jazz bass (also with Lollar Jazz Pickups) and the neck pick up is closer to the neck than the neck pick up on this P-Bass.

The Thunderbird (2014) has Lollar pickups and a Babicz bridge. I really like the bridge as it is super easy to adjust and very stable.

One word of caution on the Babicz is that the sting anchor area has a sharp edge, which I found out about while doing a windmil and then asubsequent trip to the ER.

View attachment 3050478 View attachment 3050479 View attachment 3050480

Oh my goodness...... Wow. And that was a Babicz??

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

A rare serious question from me for you. What would you use that would be non abrasive to clean a 15 inch cab speaker that is coated in years of dust,dirt,muck,guck and grime?. Is all of this crud the reason that this speaker is still holding itself together since 1983?.

 

[JJR58]

Holy Shytt!, were you playing a punk gig, or a Who cover?.

Oh my goodness...... Wow. And that was a Babicz??

I'm just gonna go out on a limb here, but i guess when your heart is really in it........... Things happen.

 

[Nocturnal]

A rare serious question from me for you. What would you use that would be non abrasive to clean a 15 inch cab speaker that is coated in years of dust,dirt,muck,guck and grime?. Is all of this crud the reason that this speaker is still holding itself together since 1983?.

I cleaned an old Ampeg head/cab with windex, soft bristled scrub brush, foam glass cleaner, and Armour all wipes. Did a good job but I didn't use a ton of pressure so I didn't damage anything.

 

[Unclejackrock]

I'm just gonna go out on a limb here, but i guess when your heart is really in it........... Things happen.

Oh, I can sure attest to that. But thank goodness it hasn’t let to medical attention. The Tbird I just bought has a Babicz from the factory, would that be the same one?

 

[theFixer]

I cleaned an old Ampeg head/cab with windex, soft bristled scrub brush, foam glass cleaner, and Armour all wipes. Did a good job but I didn't use a ton of pressure so I didn't damage anything.

Though periodic use is fine... repeated use of Armor All is bad on tolex. It has alcohol in it, which can cause drying, shrinking and cracking.

 

[JJR58]

Prog, is it the speaker itself that's caked in dust?

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Prog, is it the speaker itself that's caked in dust?

Yes, since I posted the question I went and very mildly damp cloth rubbed the top layer off so the ugly grey is now more of a charcoal color. I just sprayed a mild covering of an automotive interior cleaner called Trim Shine over it and its almost like its been renewed in appearance. So far so good.

 

[JJR58]

Yes, since I posted the question I went and very mildly damp cloth rubbed the top layer off so the ugly grey is now more of a charcoal color. I just sprayed a mild covering of an automotive interior cleaner called Trim Shine over it and its almost like its been renewed in appearance. So far so good.

This might be useful. Take it fwiw.

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[ProgressiveDoom]

I cleaned an old Ampeg head/cab with windex, soft bristled scrub brush, foam glass cleaner, and Armour all wipes. Did a good job but I didn't use a ton of pressure so I didn't damage anything.

This might be useful. Take it fwiw.

Invalid Link Removed

Well how about that,I was half way there by using my microfibre cloth. Never heard about Sonex though. Thanks Dude!.

 

[PillO]

Yes, since I posted the question I went and very mildly damp cloth rubbed the top layer off so the ugly grey is now more of a charcoal color. I just sprayed a mild covering of an automotive interior cleaner called Trim Shine over it and its almost like its been renewed in appearance. So far so good.

I would have started with playing really loud...

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

I cleaned an old Ampeg head/cab with windex, soft bristled scrub brush, foam glass cleaner, and Armour all wipes. Did a good job but I didn't use a ton of pressure so I didn't damage anything.

I just picked up a 1983 Traynor bass cab and the overall outer condition is really nice, I like the used vintage look but I like a nice clean interior.

 

[JJR58]

I would have started with playing really loud...

There is that too.

 

[Engle]

So 5 years and 3 weeks for delivery? Seems a tad on the long side.

My theory is that the reviews are all fakes and the manager of the sweat shop that created them forgot to put a variable factor in the date box.

 

[Engle]

Perhaps that explains the caveman approach to the item, its 5 years old so that was the initial design?.

It’s more like someone grafted 1/4 jacks onto surplus 1970’s walkie talkies.