Thunderbird Club

[Christine]

We got home today, a hell of a journey, 302 miles of madness. The first thing I did after unpacking was to do my nails, they were driving me mad Then I opened my post, had 2 letters from the Inland Revenue so I kept them until last. Turned out the first I opened was a tax rebate for my mum who had paid too much tax on her pension, so £198 cheque made out to me, thanks Mum The second was a bigger surprise, A tax refund to me for £5100, woohoo!! Worth coming back off holiday for that

 

[Count Bassie]

@Christine great information, thank you!

 

[GBassNorth]

Q: I have a nice plank of Padauk. It's heavy, don't want to use a lot in a bass build, but I like its density. I've also got some Big Leaf Maple I want to use for a top.
Would you be inclined to take a thin slab of Padauk and use it in the interior (lamination) of a bolt on body? Normally I see a softer wood on the inside of a bass sammich...

Just looking for a little conventional wisdom. Thanks for your time...

Not sure what length of Padauk you have but one of my Alembic basses has Padauk stringers in the maple neck that look and work quite well. I think it's a fairly hard and stiff wood with a bit of a walnut type coloring so it should work well as a stringer in a neck or possibly an accent laminate layered between lighter colored woods like maple in a hippy sandwich body.

 

[Count Bassie]

@Gaolee cool story about the laminate thing.

 

[Count Bassie]

Not sure what length of Padauk you have but one of my Alembic basses has Padauk stringers in the maple neck that look and work quite well. I think it's a fairly hard and stiff wood with a bit of a walnut type coloring so it should work well as a stringer in a neck or possibly an accent laminate layered between lighter colored woods like maple in a hippy sandwich body.

Neck ideas have been a-poppin', right along such lines, yes...

 

[GonePlaid]

We got home today, a hell of a journey, 302 miles of madness. The first thing I did after unpacking was to do my nails, they were driving me mad Then I opened my post, had 2 letters from the Inland Revenue so I kept them until last. Turned out the first I opened was a tax rebate for my mum who had paid too much tax on her pension, so £198 cheque made out to me, thanks Mum The second was a bigger surprise, A tax refund to me for £5100, woohoo!! Worth coming back off holiday for that

Now you can buy that red TBird. (buyabass,buyabass,buyabass,buyabass)

 

[Christine]

Now you can buy that red TBird. (buyabass,buyabass,buyabass,buyabass)

Going to build that, I think I'm going to buy a watch, I have a thing about watches and they're something I can rarely afford/justify

 

[Engle]

It should work pretty well for that, since the motor would be where the back seat once was. Mid-engine instead of the pendulum out back. I haven't driven one, so I don't know for sure what they are like.

May as well just buy a Cayman or Boxster

 

[SturmUndDrang]

I can only speak for post 2000 TB+s but they are well and truly embedded in epoxy, think brick. Is it a shielding issue perhaps?

That's a distinct possibility. The bass was used under the same conditions as my Double cut $ bass. The double cut didn't have the same problems, perhaps because of the chrome covers versus the plastic? It also seemed like I had to keep my hands on the strings to prevent feedback as well so maybe it's a grounding problem. Still that doesn't explain why the pickups were much more microphonic. I haven't taken out the pickups to see if they are as heavily potted as most other TB+. I'll update as the situation develops.

 

[Gaolee]

May as well just buy a Cayman or Boxster

Where's the fun in that? Anybody with enough money can just buy a Porsche. It takes a unique combination of inspiration, money, and pure stupidity to do something like build a Corvair with a mid-mounted V8 engine.

 

[Gaolee]

We got home today, a hell of a journey, 302 miles of madness. The first thing I did after unpacking was to do my nails, they were driving me mad Then I opened my post, had 2 letters from the Inland Revenue so I kept them until last. Turned out the first I opened was a tax rebate for my mum who had paid too much tax on her pension, so £198 cheque made out to me, thanks Mum The second was a bigger surprise, A tax refund to me for £5100, woohoo!! Worth coming back off holiday for that

Beer's on Christine! We are all headed for Wales!

 

[Christine]

Beer's on Christine! We are all headed for Wales!

You're all always welcome at ours if you're passing, I'll even make a steak and haggis pie with real chips

 

[Christine]

That's a distinct possibility. The bass was used under the same conditions as my Double cut $ bass. The double cut didn't have the same problems, perhaps because of the chrome covers versus the plastic? It also seemed like I had to keep my hands on the strings to prevent feedback as well so maybe it's a grounding problem. Still that doesn't explain why the pickups were much more microphonic. I haven't taken out the pickups to see if they are as heavily potted as most other TB+. I'll update as the situation develops.

I was thinking about this on the way home today, truthfully I have no idea what's going on but I remembered @veebass was having the exact same thing with a Gibson bass albeit a 2014 model. Maybe he could shed some light?

 

[veebass]

That's a distinct possibility. The bass was used under the same conditions as my Double cut $ bass. The double cut didn't have the same problems, perhaps because of the chrome covers versus the plastic? It also seemed like I had to keep my hands on the strings to prevent feedback as well so maybe it's a grounding problem. Still that doesn't explain why the pickups were much more microphonic. I haven't taken out the pickups to see if they are as heavily potted as most other TB+. I'll update as the situation develops.

My issue was with a Midtown neck pickup- in the TB+ family but with the big chrome cover.
That pickup is certainly embedded in epoxy but is only physically held in place by the downward pressure of the cover.
The pickup can vibrate if not held firmly in place by the cover and this can cause issues.

Some of my basses with TB+s can hum a bit in some circumstances- shouldn't happen but it does. I think they may not be completely grounded because resting your fingers on the strings, bridge or tuners stops it.

 

[GBassNorth]

$85k twin turbo V8 Beetle build. VW body mounted on an aluminum chassis and mid mounted Audi motor.
If I won the lottery, would like to do this to a Ghia.

May as well just buy a Cayman or Boxster

I think if I wanted to go crazy modding a car, I'd probably go down this route since I already have the Cayman...

 

[JJR58]

You're all always welcome at ours if you're passing, I'll even make a steak and haggis pie with real chips

If there's haggis, traditional haggis. I'm in. I will will show myself out the door after afterwards.

 

[TBird1958]

If there's haggis, traditional haggis. I'm in. I will will show myself out the door after afterwards.

Ummmmm..........yeah

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Damn! Didn't know they used 105s at one point! That must have been one very LOUD show..
Their first planes..
View attachment 3069857

They only used the F-105s for a few shows because of an accident. I recall seeing them several times with the F-100s as a kid. The low screaming passes and the sonic booms were my favorites then, no matter how cool the formations were.

 

[Nocturnal]

That's a distinct possibility. The bass was used under the same conditions as my Double cut $ bass. The double cut didn't have the same problems, perhaps because of the chrome covers versus the plastic? It also seemed like I had to keep my hands on the strings to prevent feedback as well so maybe it's a grounding problem. Still that doesn't explain why the pickups were much more microphonic. I haven't taken out the pickups to see if they are as heavily potted as most other TB+. I'll update as the situation develops.

Maybe strip the black plastic and load the guts in the chrome replacement covers that are on the market?? Of course if that isn't the solution then you have performed surgery for nothing. I have several of the humbucker sized TB+ and they don't make noise the soapbar can make.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

They only used the F-105s for a few shows because of an accident. I recall seeing them several times with the F-100s as a kid. The low screaming passes and the sonic booms were my favorites then, no matter how cool the formations were.

Yeah I remember the 100s not the Thuds..