Thunderbird Club

[GonePlaid]

TBird Pro V problems
Control cavity with and without shield wire. Bridge issue. Pickup silliness. That appears to be some sort of fabric coming out of the pickup screw hole.

I was thinking you had spiders.

 

[theFixer]

1. I know electronics, so I'm not worried. Just mildly irritated. I had messaged the seller 2-3 days before the auction ended specifically asking about the controls (since the ad failed to mention them specifically). I never heard back. I knew I was taking a chance, and I took it, and nothing here is major. I was already considering just ripping out the electronics so I wouldn't have to think about a battery, but I do plan to get it working as is to at least see what I think.
2,3. I haven't had time to do much; I was hoping that things would be labeled under that plate. But with today's work and supper behind me, tackling this is near the top of the list.
4. If I can get more bass out of this bass, I will be happy with the electronics.
5. COBOL is as painful in its own way as assembly can be- especially Intel's (I've done both, plus many more languages). I don't recall what it took to get apostrophes working; I just know that COBOL programs set the standard that names could not have apostrophes in them. Clearly part of an anti-Irish conspiracy!



The seller didn't make any false claims as far as I can tell. They made it sound as good as they could without doing so, and again- I new I was taking a chance. I think the neck and wood are fine. It's not a problem; I just needed to vent. I was more frustrated with the mfr web site and lack of useful information than anything else. There's really no excuse for that.

History: In 79 or 80, a teenager I knew had saved his money all year and bought a guitar with active electronics. I'm almost sure it was an RD Artist. I spent hours working on shielding, grounding, reflowing solder, etc. I couldn't afford a scope at the time so we never tracked down the noise; I suspected an op amp, although it could have just been bad gain structure. Other owners had the same problem, which is likely one of the reasons they never took off.

I'd classify it as "lying by omission", but hey... excrement occurs. You've got an amazing platform to build on

 

[Miles_ONeal]

...After a cleanup and some minor work, with a fresher battery, we have bass, and all controls work!

Ugh. I've been using Duck Duck Go search, but apparently they miss a lot. Tried Google and found a wiring diagram right off the bat- here in TB.
TBird Pro wiring diagram
Between that and my photo of the control cavity, I am sure what the controls are. I guessed right, but wasn't 100% sure. The controls are... interesting.
Volume is easy- no detent, and it makes the sound go away.
Looking down from playing position, volume is closest to the neck pickup. Treble is to its right.
Below volume is blend. To its right is bass.
Yeehah.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Ugh. I've been using Duck Duck Go search, but apparently they miss a lot. Tried Google and found a wiring diagram right off the bat- here in TB.
TBird Pro wiring diagram
Between that and my photo of the control cavity, I am sure what the controls are. I guessed right, but wasn't 100% sure. The controls are... interesting.
Volume is easy- no detent, and it makes the sound go away.
Looking down from playing position, volume is closest to the neck pickup. Treble is to its right.
Below volume is blend. To its right is bass.
Yeehah.

 

[Christine]

You know. Round like a plate. Not like a ball. That's just crazy talk.

Sounds like you need a new saddle on your bike!

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

OK. Not the best pics. but they'll have to do for now.
2009, Chinese factory. A few dings and dents but nothing horrible. Pretty bass!

Pros:

1. While I don't get along great with wide necks, this one is comfortable and playable, although it really stretches my poor, short fingers even more than the long scale by itself does on TBirds.
2. After a cleanup and some minor work, with a fresher battery, we have bass, and all controls work!
3. And lots less noise.
4. Seller threw in a pair of strap screws/buttons. (See questions.) The original, stupidly placed button is still there near the neck.

Cons:

1. Crappy strings (OK, fine, replace them.)
2. The bridge is up off the body on the tail end B string side, and I'm a bit concerned about that. Pic to follow.
3. The neck pickup screws are somewhat butchered.
4. The string placement has the B string farther from the p/u center than the G. Hopefully when I fix the p/u height the B volume comes up. It's likely that part of the B volume problem is the practice amp ( a 30W Kalamazoo bass amp from the 60s with 2 10s).
5. Previous owner had no clue on setup, or they played uber-soft. Even half way digging in hits frets up to around the 5th.

Notes:

1. When I change strings, I'll look at the bridge, adjust the pickups, and adjust the truss rod.
2. Still not sure what I think of the tone, but once it's playable. I'll try it at church and see how it sounds there.
3. The control cavity cover plate is the usual modern junk, but had foil inside. There was nothing grounding the foil. A short bit of wire soldered to the output jack ground lug and laid around a screw hole fixed that.
4. The rest of the control cavity is unshielded. Then again, I've shielded the control cavity on almost every guitar I've owned, or even kept at my house for someone.
5. All four control nuts and the jack nut were loose. Jack nut had some rust. All happy now.

Questions:

1. Each pickup wire has ground, white, and red wires. The red wires are unstripped and unconnected. Are these coil taps?
2. Has anyone seen "strap locks" (seller's phrase for these) like this for a guitar? They are nylon quick release. but there was no strap (as noted on the ebay listing).

Thunderbirds usually have the strap button located at the heel, makes for better balance (see pic below).

I have seen strap locks like those. Made by Dunlop IIRC. Some people swear by them, I’ve never used them. Don’t know if you can buy just the strap.

 

[PillO]

The bridge is up off the body on the tail end B string side, and I'm a bit concerned about that. Pic to follow.

The bridge on these is, IMO, pretty good. sounds like a little neglect, but hopefully very reparable.

The string placement has the B string farther from the p/u center than the G. Hopefully when I fix the p/u height the B volume comes up. It's likely that part of the B volume problem is the practice amp ( a 30W Kalamazoo bass amp from the 60s with 2 10s).

There was an issue with early ones not covering the B&G strings well. There was a replacement program so the vast majority should be fixed. I had given this thought with mine.; practice amps don't cover the low B well.

Still not sure what I think of the tone, but once it's playable. I'll try it at church and see how it sounds there.

Not traditional `bird tone, but I like it none the less. It does sound 'active'.

All four control nuts and the jack nut were loose. Jack nut had some rust. All happy now.

AHEM.

Has anyone seen "strap locks" (seller's phrase for these) like this for a guitar? They are nylon quick release. but there was no strap (as noted on the ebay listing).

Something like this?

That is a DiMarzio thing. I would put on Dunlops. Or, if you like Schaller, use those. With these DiMarzio straps, I can just imagine all kinds of bad things.

Each pickup wire has ground, white, and red wires. The red wires are unstripped and unconnected. Are these coil taps?

Let us know what you learn. I haven't looked that closely at mine to know, so I'm interested.

 

[PillO]

Sounds like you need a new saddle on your bike!

AHEM!

 

[PillO]

Thunderbirds usually have the strap button located at the heel, makes for better balance (see pic below).

I have seen strap locks like those. Made by Dunlop IIRC. Some people swear by them, I’ve never used them. Don’t know if you can buy just the strap.

View attachment 3120262

The placement of the strap button on the non-existent upper horn is what was done for the Pro-V and Pro-IV. It isn't terrible. A little neck heavy, but really nothing to worry about. A strap with a little bit of grip fixes it. In my case, I just went with a soft strap that is very wide.

The strap-lock is DiMarzio from the looks. So what is the cool internet TLA for You Recall Incorrectly (YRI?)

 

[Larry V]

That's a real and unbroken '76 in the hands of one of my Facebook friends. I don't know Jo yet but I'll be meeting and hearing her live today for the first time just a few miles from my home at The Bone Road Music Festival in Fenton, MI. She's the lead singer and bassist for her band, 86 Noodles. Should be fun!

Here's that tone we all know and love!

 

[PillO]

View attachment 3120298

That's a real and unbroken '76 in the hands of one of my Facebook friends. I don't know Jo yet but I'll be meeting and hearing her live today for the first time just a few miles from my home at The Bone Road Music Festival in Fenton, MI. She's the lead singer and bassist for her band, 86 Noodles. Should be fun!

Here's that tone we all know and love!

I like the music. I'll have to check them out more later.

 

[Christine]

View attachment 3120277


AHEM!

No!!! I meant more along the lines of this

 

[Count Bassie]

No!!! I meant more along the lines of this

View attachment 3120323

 

[Christine]

View attachment 3120298

That's a real and unbroken '76 in the hands of one of my Facebook friends. I don't know Jo yet but I'll be meeting and hearing her live today for the first time just a few miles from my home at The Bone Road Music Festival in Fenton, MI. She's the lead singer and bassist for her band, 86 Noodles. Should be fun!

Here's that tone we all know and love!

Just went and plugged my laptop into the hifi, not keen on the song but that bass sounds PDG! My sort of tone

 

[Count Bassie]

Just went and plugged my laptop into the hifi, not keen on the song but that bass sounds PDG! My sort of tone

yeah I like that tone too. Not heavy on the rasp, but a good intimation of it, slightly buried by some brutal low down, throaty rumble.

 

[Christine]

some brutal low down, throaty rumble.

Something that would make Geezer Butler turn and run! Dark and formidable

 

[Larry V]

yeah I like that tone too. Not heavy on the rasp, but a good intimation of it, slightly buried by some brutal low down, throaty rumble.

Outdoor performance recorded from a cellphone, not mine so I'll cut her some slack. We've talked basses and not much else. It's always cool to meet other TBird players muchless someone in possession of a real '76.

 

[Christine]

Does anyone know if the plastic risers for Lull pickups are for under the chrome rings or just some form of spacer for under the pickup itself? I want to get an order in this weekend but Bass Direct haven't got back to me

 

[GonePlaid]

OK. Not the best pics. but they'll have to do for now.
2009, Chinese factory. A few dings and dents but nothing horrible. Pretty bass!

Pros:

1. While I don't get along great with wide necks, this one is comfortable and playable, although it really stretches my poor, short fingers even more than the long scale by itself does on TBirds.
2. After a cleanup and some minor work, with a fresher battery, we have bass, and all controls work!
3. And lots less noise.
4. Seller threw in a pair of strap screws/buttons. (See questions.) The original, stupidly placed button is still there near the neck.

Cons:

1. Crappy strings (OK, fine, replace them.)
2. The bridge is up off the body on the tail end B string side, and I'm a bit concerned about that. Pic to follow.
3. The neck pickup screws are somewhat butchered.
4. The string placement has the B string farther from the p/u center than the G. Hopefully when I fix the p/u height the B volume comes up. It's likely that part of the B volume problem is the practice amp ( a 30W Kalamazoo bass amp from the 60s with 2 10s).
5. Previous owner had no clue on setup, or they played uber-soft. Even half way digging in hits frets up to around the 5th.

Notes:

1. When I change strings, I'll look at the bridge, adjust the pickups, and adjust the truss rod.
2. Still not sure what I think of the tone, but once it's playable. I'll try it at church and see how it sounds there.
3. The control cavity cover plate is the usual modern junk, but had foil inside. There was nothing grounding the foil. A short bit of wire soldered to the output jack ground lug and laid around a screw hole fixed that.
4. The rest of the control cavity is unshielded. Then again, I've shielded the control cavity on almost every guitar I've owned, or even kept at my house for someone.
5. All four control nuts and the jack nut were loose. Jack nut had some rust. All happy now.

Questions:

1. Each pickup wire has ground, white, and red wires. The red wires are unstripped and unconnected. Are these coil taps?
2. Has anyone seen "strap locks" (seller's phrase for these) like this for a guitar? They are nylon quick release. but there was no strap (as noted on the ebay listing).

Dunno 'bout those but I got a really nice D'Addario strap, w/ built-in ratcheting strap locks on the ends, from Bass Strings Online

 

[Count Bassie]

Does anyone know if the plastic risers for Lull pickups are for under the chrome rings or just some form of spacer for under the pickup itself? I want to get an order in this weekend but Bass Direct haven't got back to me

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