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Thunderbird Club

#94,241
jpmcbride said:
I had a 2017 Epiphone Thunderbird IV and now have a 2006 Gibson Thunderbird. The Gibson is slightly lighter and better balanced and the pickups produce more volume. The fit, finish and looks are the same. The playability and feel of the instruments are the same. Same thin neck. Same tone and sound to my ears. Same crappy 3-point bridge. The Epiphone has a bolt-on neck compared to the Gibson through-neck. I prefer bolt-on so it can be adjusted should it ever need it. The Gibson (used) cost 3 times the Epiphone (new). Which is better? IDK, depends. If you're on a budget, the Epiphone will absolutely get the job done well!

BTW, I was going to put this very cool metal pickguard on my Gibson. It came off the Epiphone and the holes don't line up with the Gibson. I was set on filling the existing holes in the Gibson and drilling new ones, but I decided this was a bad plan and went ahead and ordered a pick guard that will fit the existing holes. The Epiphone pickguard is available if someone wants a deal.View attachment 3158814
Click to expand...

I might be. PM sent.
 
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#94,243
Dr_Feelgoood212 said:
So I'm finally thinking about getting around to fixing that broken Epi Goth sitting in my closet for the past year.
I have a question for you Goth owners, will a cheap 7ender style neck plate fit on a Goth? Same goes for the screws.
Click to expand...
Jeez! Sittin' inna closet for a year? It's not like you were rebuilding a car or something. oh...Wait......
 
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#94,244
Dr_Feelgoood212 said:
So I'm finally thinking about getting around to fixing that broken Epi Goth sitting in my closet for the past year.
I have a question for you Goth owners, will a cheap 7ender style neck plate fit on a Goth? Same goes for the screws.
Click to expand...

Wait...……………...You're coming out of the closet?!
 
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#94,248
bholder said:
I've got one too, a hideously cool rattlecan baby blue Goth, just needs pickups, one of these days....
Click to expand...
I'm thinking of doing the Nikki Sixx Hamer bass look
f4169e580364abbf7530443408d6e6cd--nikki-sixx-theatre.jpg
 
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#94,249
GBassNorth said:
Not sure how factual it is, but I was told by an old Tele player that back in the day they used to glue foam under the narrow end of the bridge cover. So if the cover had the narrow end pointing towards the neck the strings were being muted. To play without muting the bridge cover would be flipped with the wide end facing the neck. Again, not sure how factual that is but it's what I've been told by an old timer that played back in the 50's and 60's and passed away in the 70's.
Click to expand...
I can see that, whether intentional or not. Unfortunately the finish is now marred by that bridge cover orientation so there's no going back.....all good, mutes are over rated anyways..:thumbsup:
 
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#94,252
The new project is coming right along. We're doing 90s rock covers: Nerdvana, Alice in Chains, Weezer, Foo Fighters, et and cetera. Much of that is standard tuning or half step down, but Nerdvana especially used drop tunings. So, I decided to restring, retune and set up the 88 Charvel 4B for standard-ish tunings and my ETBIV, already set up for Drop C, for the drop tuned songs. It has a far deeper voice than the Charvel and just fills the room with my Ampeg 3-Pro and pair of Hartke 410XL's. I've got the TB strung with Dunlop Heavy Cores (which may have been discontinued; haven't been able to verify that yet) and it has kind of a woody, stand up bass kind of tone.
 
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#94,254
Dr_Feelgoood212 said:
I'm thinking of doing the Nikki Sixx Hamer bass look
View attachment 3158908
Click to expand...
Measuring now...
...just mic'ed the bolt pattern on one of my Fender basses and my Goth bass. Both are close enough they should work. The overall Neck plate size is also nearly identical.

The question might be - are the Eppi neck holes dead perpendicular to the surface of the heel as it rests in the pocket, or are they slightly canted. The Fender neck has screw holes dead perpendicular, for some reason I was thinking the Eppi neck sat at a slight angle in the pocket (almost as if it had a shim under neck near the end of the pocket closest to the bridge). Or it might be that the holes in the neck are perpendicular but the holes in the body might be at a slight angle to match the pocket which might also be canted back slightly to give the neck a proper tilt. As long as the holes in the neck are perpendicular you should be ok.
 
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#94,255
GBassNorth said:
Measuring now...
...just mic'ed the bolt pattern on one of my Fender basses and my Goth bass. Both are close enough they should work. The overall Neck plate size is also nearly identical.

The question might be - are the Eppi neck holes dead perpendicular to the surface of the heel as it rests in the pocket, or are they slightly canted. The Fender neck has screw holes dead perpendicular, for some reason I was thinking the Eppi neck sat at a slight angle in the pocket (almost as if it had a shim under neck near the end of the pocket closest to the bridge). Or it might be that the holes in the neck are perpendicular but the holes in the body might be at a slight angle to match the pocket which might also be canted back slightly to give the neck a proper tilt. As long as the holes in the neck are perpendicular you should be ok.
Click to expand...
If not perpendicular, at least at a 90 degree angle to the surface:smug:
 
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#94,256
GBassNorth said:
Not sure how factual it is, but I was told by an old Tele player that back in the day they used to glue foam under the narrow end of the bridge cover. So if the cover had the narrow end pointing towards the neck the strings were being muted. To play without muting the bridge cover would be flipped with the wide end facing the neck. Again, not sure how factual that is but it's what I've been told by an old timer that played back in the 50's and 60's and passed away in the 70's.
Click to expand...

It is true.
 
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#94,257
GBassNorth said:
Measuring now...
...just mic'ed the bolt pattern on one of my Fender basses and my Goth bass. Both are close enough they should work. The overall Neck plate size is also nearly identical.

The question might be - are the Eppi neck holes dead perpendicular to the surface of the heel as it rests in the pocket, or are they slightly canted. The Fender neck has screw holes dead perpendicular, for some reason I was thinking the Eppi neck sat at a slight angle in the pocket (almost as if it had a shim under neck near the end of the pocket closest to the bridge). Or it might be that the holes in the neck are perpendicular but the holes in the body might be at a slight angle to match the pocket which might also be canted back slightly to give the neck a proper tilt. As long as the holes in the neck are perpendicular you should be ok.
Click to expand...
Thanks!

I'll cross that bridge when I get to it :roflmao:
 
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#94,260
Dr_Feelgoood212 said:
So I'm finally thinking about getting around to fixing that broken Epi Goth sitting in my closet for the past year.
I have a question for you Goth owners, will a cheap 7ender style neck plate fit on a Goth? Same goes for the screws.
Click to expand...

I measured my Goth and Epi NR neckplates and they were both 2.5 inches top to bottom. Same measurement on my St. Blues P bass. Can't speak for all neckplates but those matched up.

CleNdnA.jpg


Dr_Feelgoood212 said:
I'm thinking of doing the Nikki Sixx Hamer bass look
View attachment 3158908
Click to expand...

@wolfkeller created a Hamer-Type finish on one of his Birds. Turned out nice. I say go for it!!
 
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