Merry Christmas! Or Winter Festival or whatever!
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
- Start date
-
- Tags
- club thunderbird
In my experience with downtuning, if you use standard gauge but downtune, before I put the bass away for the night, I would tune it back to E Standard.
On my basses that have heavy downtuned, I just leave the because the tension is about the same as if it were standard gauge standard tuning.
Well, you have played the NR,so how’s the reach on that?
- Jul 1, 2005
- 4,291
- 21,932
- 79
- Disclosures
- CataldoBasses: Designer/Builder ThunderBuckerPickups:Consultant
My 1964 UK Vox with stock 2 position pup selector switch lever (either pickup only,not both) and my clone with similar shop built selector knob on a blend pot. My '70s Italian made Phantom had the same lever.
ThunderBucker Ranch bridge cover on the Cataldo. Ebony board on flame maple shaft on the Vox with real MOP inlay and ivory side dots...no wonder they moved production to EKO to actually make money.
ThunderBucker Ranch bridge cover on the Cataldo. Ebony board on flame maple shaft on the Vox with real MOP inlay and ivory side dots...no wonder they moved production to EKO to actually make money.
A little JB Weld into the roughed-with-sandpaper nut-slot (Ahem), then the cured JB sawed back down with a small rat-tail file will get you where you want to be I think.
That if your action is good elsewhere up the neck...
I really like that lever knob!
So did you just turn down a small shaft of nickel and thread the end into a tapped knob? Very cool!
Totally see that with a V
always wondered how those Vox basses sound. never had the chance to play one...
- Jul 1, 2005
- 4,291
- 21,932
- 79
- Disclosures
- CataldoBasses: Designer/Builder ThunderBuckerPickups:Consultant
Super glue gel work also works as filler, either with or without nut dust.
Last edited:
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to the Tbird gang!!!!!
- Jul 1, 2005
- 4,291
- 21,932
- 79
- Disclosures
- CataldoBasses: Designer/Builder ThunderBuckerPickups:Consultant
No, I used a piece of 1/4" Al rod and a 1/4" hole drilled into the side of a Schaller chromed brass knob. Interference fit just like the originals...probably why a lot of them are missing the lever. I sliced the same rod into 1/16" tall cylinders to look like pole pieces on the handmade pup covers topping Duncan SCP quarter pounders.
The original UK Phantom had single coils very suspiciously like the first gen Precisions, only with 1/4" mags instead of 3/16" and overwound. HOT! In fact most of the bass except for the body/headstock shape is early Precision like. 1-3/4" nut, baseball bat neck profile, threaded saddle bridge and those pups. It also balances great on the strap. 8lbs.
Something got lost in translation when they moved production to Italy. Pencil necks, weak pickups, and super light body with a bunch of wood removed. Neck dive city. I used to play mine Wyman style because of that, even after pounding a bunch of lead fishing sinkers into the body wherever I could. The early EKO ones had that goofy Gretsch style back pad, by the 70s they'd ditched that.
As far as the sound of the UK one, sounds a lot like my vintage 'birds. If I was playing in a three piece it would be my weapon of choice...Tbirds are becoming a little too mainstream.
Here's the build thread on the two Phantoms I built:
1965 VOX Phantom IV Clones, two of them to menace.
This is the other one:
- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Phantombird! Holy cow, that’s awesome
I've honestly never had a problem with it. It was strange at first going from an EB-3 to the TBird-and back-at times, but from 73 through 84, playing 4 to 6 nights a week, I just got used to its extra length. I always did sling my bass low, even the EB-3, with the neck at about 40 +/- degrees so well within reach. BTW, I'm 5'8" with arms proportional.
On the this Christmas Eve. I’d like to wish the whole gang much love and peace to everyone. We all deserve a bit of that.
Last edited:
This just arrived three weeks late what do you think I should do with it? 
I already know what my brain is screaming as it came with no neck 
I already know what my brain is screaming as it came with no neck 
That’s cool.
Q: To all you handy types. If one was to build a 32” scale; how much would one reduce the body size by?
Same question for 30” scale. Both reductions against the body size of a 34” scale bass please.
Assuming nobody has answered lol, Im sure someone beat me to it but I would shim up the e saddle and if the nut is cut to deep that could be raised with some CA. I sure hope it isn't the plastic nut or maybe its a good thing and time for a nut upgrade. That sounded dirty didn't it
Edit: Do exactly what @GBassNorth said, his answer was far more complete than mine.
Last edited:
Assuming nobody has answered lol, Im sure someone beat me to it but I would shim up the e saddle and if the nut is cut to deep that could be raised with some CA. I sure hope it isn't the plastic nut or maybe its a good thing and time for a nut upgrade. That sounded dirty didn't it
AHEM!!
