Thunderbird Club

[Chucky Stiletti]

I just bought a 2006 Gibson T'Bird. Is it poly or nitro?

BY the way, this thing feels great and the sound is THUNDEROUS! I had an Epiphone T'Bird that I loved, but this thing does everything it did, a little better. It takes it up a notch. I also like that its better balanced than the Epiphone, with almost no neck dive.

I'll post a pic later.

One thing I don't like is the three point Gibson bridge. I find it really hard to adjust the action. I have a hipshot bridge I used on the Epiphone and it worked great. It fits the holes on my Gibson, but its not high enough.

The hipshot should fit the Gibby as well. Can you send some pics?

 

[Inky13]

Not yet but Oktober comes soon!

My cousin from port Angeles came out this summer for my folks 50th. I asked her if she had heard of the Nasty Habits and she gave me a dumbfounded look. She said you guys put on a great live show!

Still have the bitchen’ truck though!

 

[JIO]

I'm thinking it's Nitro, I've never heard that they switched to poly. However, I don't have any evidence to back it up, although it would certainly have been a big point of discussion on LBO if they had.

Did not know that Gibson always used nitro... really? I guess Michigan (or China) compared to CA...

 

[Nocturnal]

I just bought a 2006 Gibson T'Bird. Is it poly or nitro?

BY the way, this thing feels great and the sound is THUNDEROUS! I had an Epiphone T'Bird that I loved, but this thing does everything it did, a little better. It takes it up a notch. I also like that its better balanced than the Epiphone, with almost no neck dive.

I'll post a pic later.

One thing I don't like is the three point Gibson bridge. I find it really hard to adjust the action. I have a hipshot bridge I used on the Epiphone and it worked great. It fits the holes on my Gibson, but its not high enough.

Congrats on the new Bird!! Curious if you bought it local? I haven't seen a Gibson Bird in a local store recently.

I have the Hipshot on my 2001 Thunderbird and it seems great!

 

[jpmcbride]

most likely poly - and quite frankly, the whole nitro thing is a marketing tool and has no baring on quality. (or magic)

I wasn't trying to get into the nitro vs poly thing for sure I just happen to like the way nitro ages.

 

[jpmcbride]

Congrats on the new Bird!! Curious if you bought it local? I haven't seen a Gibson Bird in a local store recently.

I have the Hipshot on my 2001 Thunderbird and it seems great!

Yes, picked it up at Sam Ash on the west side. I see you're way out in the east valley!

I put the hipshot on it but couldn't raise the strings up enough to be playable.

 

[JIO]

I wasn't trying to get into the nitro vs poly thing for sure I just happen to like the way nitro ages.

Me too, for a vintage bass - but poly in 2018 is not thick 1970's poly... it's a far superior product to nitro for durability. Lacquer is not allowed in CA for a reason.

 

[jpmcbride]

Me too, for a vintage bass - but poly in 2018 is not thick 1970's poly... it's a far superior product to nitro for durability. Lacquer is not allowed in CA for a reason.

I've only ever played two Gibson basses. I had a Les Paul ES hollow-body short scale that was nitro. The neck was so sticky I just couldn't play it. I tried everything and it just drove me crazy. This Thunderbird isn't like that at all. Feels like poly to me.

 

[JIO]

I've only ever played two Gibson basses. I had a Les Paul ES hollow-body short scale that was nitro. The neck was so sticky I just couldn't play it. I tried everything and it just drove me crazy. This Thunderbird isn't like that at all. Feels like poly to me.

case in point

 

[jpmcbride]

The hipshot should fit the Gibby as well. Can you send some pics?

It fits fine, but isn't high enough to get the strings up off the fretboard. I'll post pics later. I suppose I could shim it with something?

 

[GBassNorth]

We can thank Gibson for this.

I see a lot of basses from Japan on eBay that catch my attention but I've never been tempted to buy one with extra-costs likely.

There's two sides to every coin - but we can't talk politics here so I guess I'll have to agree with you and say that we can thank Gibson for this.

 

[jpmcbride]

OK, thanks everyone who said the Hipshot bridge should fit. I tried again, and it worked. I just had to raise the saddles a LOT higher than on the Epiphone. I got the action set the way I like, it looks good, and it sounds great!

I know this in an old and tired question ... but ... why the heck doesn't Gibson update that 3-point bridge?

 

[jpmcbride]

I had this metal pickguard on my Epiphone and really liked the look. I still have it but unfortunately it doesn't fit the Gibson. I don't feel like buying another - it was expensive. Was thinking about making one. I have some thin aluminum sheets and an electric shear. I think I could manage to cut and file one to shape. But how to handle the logo? Maybe find someone artistic to paint it on the aluminum in black?

 

[JIO]

There's two sides to every coin - but we can't talk politics here so I guess I'll have to agree with you and say that we can thank Gibson for this.

As far as what I know, there was a unilateral agreement to taper the use of rosewood, to which Gibson agreed upon joining all the other users of rosewood. It wasn't a ban, it was a restriction. Gibson conformed for a while and then broke rank and ignored the restrictions, which led to the ban.

 

[JIO]

I had this metal pickguard on my Epiphone and really liked the look. I still have it but unfortunately it doesn't fit the Gibson. I don't feel like buying another - it was expensive. Was thinking about making one. I have some thin aluminum sheets and an electric shear. I think I could manage to cut and file one to shape. But how to handle the logo? Maybe find someone artistic to paint it on the aluminum in black?

View attachment 3156680

This pg would be awesome with a blue LED light coming through fogged plexi under the cutout.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I had this metal pickguard on my Epiphone and really liked the look. I still have it but unfortunately it doesn't fit the Gibson. I don't feel like buying another - it was expensive. Was thinking about making one. I have some thin aluminum sheets and an electric shear. I think I could manage to cut and file one to shape. But how to handle the logo? Maybe find someone artistic to paint it on the aluminum in black?

View attachment 3156680

Give this a thin coat of something you can peel off . Then use it as a stencil to spray a new plate under it.

 

[JIO]

Put a thin cote of something you can perl off on this. Then use it ad a stencil to spray a new plate under it.

It would work... but wouldn't be ideal.

 

[godofthunder59]

And no serial number number.

Definitely on the high side. Pricing like that would command a unbroken bird.

 

[Larry V]

I had this metal pickguard on my Epiphone and really liked the look. I still have it but unfortunately it doesn't fit the Gibson. I don't feel like buying another - it was expensive. Was thinking about making one. I have some thin aluminum sheets and an electric shear. I think I could manage to cut and file one to shape. But how to handle the logo? Maybe find someone artistic to paint it on the aluminum in black?

View attachment 3156680

When you say it doesn't fit the Gibson, do you mean shape or screw locations?

If it's just the screw locations then as long as it covers the existing holes, it's not that big of a deal to make a few extra holes under the PG that no one will see with either PG mounted.

______________________________________

There's also this option:

I use to sell a similar vinyl but got out of it. I have no affiliation with the seller but this is a cheap and easy way to "TBird" you PG.

GIBSO STICKER THUNDERBIRD PICKGUARD BLACK VISIT OUR STORE WITH MANY MORE MODELS | eBay

Inexpensive and easy to apply and from just a few feet away, it'll look proper.

 

[godofthunder59]

OK, thanks everyone who said the Hipshot bridge should fit. I tried again, and it worked. I just had to raise the saddles a LOT higher than on the Epiphone. I got the action set the way I like, it looks good, and it sounds great!

I know this in an old and tired question ... but ... why the heck doesn't Gibson update that 3-point bridge?

Because Gibson is deaf to it's bass buying customer base. They have alienated me to the point I won't buy their new products. Give me my vintage birds or a Epiphone Vintage Pro. I'll be writing more about the VP, the longer I own them the more I like 'em.