Thunderbird Club

[Count Bassie]

A Greco Thunderbird II is what you need Roger

I'm all ears...

 

[JJR58]

I dunno, there’s a pretty good argument that you really only need one pickup in a T Bird. Kat wouldve certainly made that argument and I have no reason to argue it. There’s something special about the single pickup models for sure.
When Carlo shipped that bass to me it had a Thunderbucker Ranch ‘63N installed. He also sent me a ‘66 version of the same pickup to try...send back the one I don’t need. The ‘63 sounded like the best P bass pickup I’ve ever heard. Shocking at the time. Really great, clear sounding pickup with fairly aggressive mids. Since I already had a couple great P basses, I put the ‘66 pickup in and kept it that way. It’s a little chunkier in the low mids and I really love it. I would gladly play either one for slightly different reasons.

There really is something to be said/heard about that tone. I can get it out of the Lollars.
Or i should say, having the bridge pup rolled off enough to where the magic of the neck pup comes through.

 

[Gaolee]

A Greco Thunderbird II is what you need Roger

We all need one of those in the flock. It's just a fact of life.

 

[Dadagoboi]

I dunno, there’s a pretty good argument that you really only need one pickup in a T Bird. Kat wouldve certainly made that argument and I have no reason to argue it. There’s something special about the single pickup models for sure.
When Carlo shipped that bass to me it had a Thunderbucker Ranch ‘63N installed. He also sent me a ‘66 version of the same pickup to try...send back the one I don’t need. The ‘63 sounded like the best P bass pickup I’ve ever heard. Shocking at the time. Really great, clear sounding pickup with fairly aggressive mids. Since I already had a couple great P basses, I put the ‘66 pickup in and kept it that way. It’s a little chunkier in the low mids and I really love it. I would gladly play either one for slightly different reasons.

Great review, Mark. Couldn't have said it better.

Personally for two pickup TBird style bass builds I prefer a 63 N in the original Reverse "sweet spot" and the take no prisoners 66S B (replacement for the discontinued MAX, I got vetoed on naming it the '666') located 1 inch (25mm) closer to the bridge than vintage spec. It covers lot of bases...basses? especially with twin stacked pots.

 

[yobtaf]

Hello. Just got a Epiphone Thunderbird IV this past weekend for 150 bucks. I bought to see what I thought of it and planned on flipping it. Well I dig it.
I skimmed thru this thread and couldn't find what Im looking for. What is the height of the pickups for starting point? and also Im missing the cover for the rear over the controls, and cant finding anything online for one.
Any help would be great!

 

[Larry V]

Hello. Just got a Epiphone Thunderbird IV this past weekend for 150 bucks. I bought to see what I thought of it and planned on flipping it. Well I dig it.
I skimmed thru this thread and couldn't find what Im looking for. What is the height of the pickups for starting point? and also Im missing the cover for the rear over the controls, and cant finding anything online for one.
Any help would be great!

Congrats on getting a killer deal on your first Thunderbird! There'll be more.

P/U height seems to be personal preference as so much instrument-wise is. Depending on your playing style and how much you like to dig in with finger style or pick, put them where they sound the best to your ears. Sorry that's the best I got on that topic.

As for the control cover: There's nothing available from Gibson/Epiphone so you might get lucky on eBay or in the Talk Bass classifieds or you could just buy a thin piece of vinyl pickguard stock off eBay and cut it out yourself. If the scissors are sharp enough it won't look half bad.

Good luck and welcome!

 

[Gaolee]

Never mind.

 

[Gaolee]

By request I deleted that post, ignore it.

Done.

 

[Engle]

Another material that works is an old vinyl record. Best to use a bandsaw, or jigsaw. Protect the finish side with masking tape before you start.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Another material that works is an old vinyl record. Best to use a bandsaw, or jigsaw. Protect the finish side with masking tape before you start.
View attachment 3140192

Who's La Seuza?

 

[Gaolee]

Who's La Seuza?

Dunno. She's kinda cute. Engle might be holding out on us.

 

[Gaolee]

Hello. Just got a Epiphone Thunderbird IV this past weekend for 150 bucks. I bought to see what I thought of it and planned on flipping it. Well I dig it.
I skimmed thru this thread and couldn't find what Im looking for. What is the height of the pickups for starting point? and also Im missing the cover for the rear over the controls, and cant finding anything online for one.
Any help would be great!

Larry's comments are right. Here's a little more info. If the upper strap button is on the vestigial upper horn, move it down to the neck heel. It will balance far better. Another thing is the string height adjustment. You will find that lowering the 3-point bridge almost touching the body may be where it needs to go. That one took me a while to figure out. The back two points should be lower than the front, center point when it is adjusted to give the strings a bit more break over the saddles. Most, but not all, Thunderbird pickups bite more and have a much stronger sound closer to the strings. The exceptions are the DiCola pickups in 2015 'Birds. Crank those up and you get real problems. They need to be lowered way down. They are about as close to active as you can get without a battery. I'm not as sure about bolt-on 'Bird pickups. I have one, and like it a lot, but haven't done that much adjusting on it.

You may already know a whole lot of this stuff, so forgive me if it's old news. And welcome. It sounds like that one chose you. That's how it happens. You don't know you are really a Thunderbird player until one tells you. Then you do know, and you will have on from then on. I'm pretty sure that's happened each of us here at one time or another. Sometimes its subtle, sometimes it happens like it did to you - all of a sudden and when you weren't expecting it.

 

[dukeorock]

There really is something to be said/heard about that tone. I can get it out of the Lollars.
Or i should say, having the bridge pup rolled off enough to where the magic of the neck pup comes through.

Yep! One of my ‘Birds has Lollars and I just had to tweak the pickup heights to make the most of it. I love it, but many of my musician friends seem to feel my single pickup Cataldo is their favorite sounding bass out of all my ‘Birds. I’m just glad I have both to choose from

Great review, Mark. Couldn't have said it better.

Personally for two pickup TBird style bass builds I prefer a 63 N in the original Reverse "sweet spot" and the take no prisoners 66S B (replacement for the discontinued MAX, I got vetoed on naming it the '666') located 1 inch (25mm) closer to the bridge than vintage spec. It covers lot of bases...basses? especially with twin stacked pots.

I don’t think anyone here would know better than you, so I’ll take your word for it!

 

[GonePlaid]

Today's page number coincides with U.P.3985.No BFD, just sayin'.

 

[yobtaf]

Larry's comments are right. Here's a little more info. If the upper strap button is on the vestigial upper horn, move it down to the neck heel. It will balance far better. Another thing is the string height adjustment. You will find that lowering the 3-point bridge almost touching the body may be where it needs to go. That one took me a while to figure out. The back two points should be lower than the front, center point when it is adjusted to give the strings a bit more break over the saddles. Most, but not all, Thunderbird pickups bite more and have a much stronger sound closer to the strings. The exceptions are the DiCola pickups in 2015 'Birds. Crank those up and you get real problems. They need to be lowered way down. They are about as close to active as you can get without a battery. I'm not as sure about bolt-on 'Bird pickups. I have one, and like it a lot, but haven't done that much adjusting on it.

You may already know a whole lot of this stuff, so forgive me if it's old news. And welcome. It sounds like that one chose you. That's how it happens. You don't know you are really a Thunderbird player until one tells you. Then you do know, and you will have on from then on. I'm pretty sure that's happened each of us here at one time or another. Sometimes its subtle, sometimes it happens like it did to you - all of a sudden and when you weren't expecting it.

the strap button is on the neck plate. it dives. are you saying to screw into neck? this is a 2014 china model

 

[Larry V]

the strap button is on the neck plate. it dives. are you saying to screw into neck? this is a 2014 china model

The neck plate is the right spot. If you’re still feeling it tug, the next thing is strap material and width. I do not experience any dive on my various TBirds but I use Gibson Slingshots and it’s grippy and 2.5” wide.

 

[JJR58]

Larry's comments are right. Here's a little more info. If the upper strap button is on the vestigial upper horn, move it down to the neck heel. It will balance far better. Another thing is the string height adjustment. You will find that lowering the 3-point bridge almost touching the body may be where it needs to go. That one took me a while to figure out. The back two points should be lower than the front, center point when it is adjusted to give the strings a bit more break over the saddles. Most, but not all, Thunderbird pickups bite more and have a much stronger sound closer to the strings. The exceptions are the DiCola pickups in 2015 'Birds. Crank those up and you get real problems. They need to be lowered way down. They are about as close to active as you can get without a battery. I'm not as sure about bolt-on 'Bird pickups. I have one, and like it a lot, but haven't done that much adjusting on it.

You may already know a whole lot of this stuff, so forgive me if it's old news. And welcome. It sounds like that one chose you. That's how it happens. You don't know you are really a Thunderbird player until one tells you. Then you do know, and you will have on from then on. I'm pretty sure that's happened each of us here at one time or another. Sometimes its subtle, sometimes it happens like it did to you - all of a sudden and when you weren't expecting it.

To your point (pun intended) the two outside posts on a three pointer, (in my opinion) are best set all the way down. Now this is just a personal opinion. But after experimenting on the BBII. Seems to make a tonal difference when there is the most contact bridge to body. I know it’s a floating bridge design, or some what to that affect. But I’ve found there is still a good break angle even with raising the center point.
So, I’m probably just repeating what you just said. It’s hot, humid and I’m bored.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

To your point (pun intended) the two outside posts on a three pointer, (in my opinion) are best set all the way down. Now this is just a personal opinion. But after experimenting on the BBII. Seems to make a tonal difference when there is the most contact bridge to body. I know it’s a floating bridge design, or some what to that affect. But I’ve found there is still a good break angle even with raising the center point.
So, I’m probably just repeating what you just said. It’s hot, humid and I’m bored.

View attachment 3140374

Doesn't that assume use of a tailpiece?

 

[Engle]

Dunno. She's kinda cute. Engle might be holding out on us.

Screenshot from a TalkBass.com ad that popped up on my phone last night. I meant to comment on it, hit post, but it didn’t work. Something to the effect of:
I’m ok with the ads if this is what they’re going to be like now.

 

[JJR58]

Doesn't that assume use of a tailpiece?

Not necessarily. I tried this theory on a 3 point that was on my Epi before I swapped it out to a HipShot. The same principal applied to the 3 point. I’m finding the results to be somewhat the same.