Thunderbird Club

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Going back and forth between BEAD and EADG?

 

[Markamb1]

Cool....I couldn’t figure it out.

I will have someone look at it.... playing bead was just a temp fix till I brought it to him but now I like it. Was just asking chuck if he changed anything but bridge or saddle height. The gauge of string is going to change that a bit too. I like as light as I can get away with. The black bird has 95-40

 

[Markamb1]

Never...would be a mess... one is staying in bead....the double brutal bc rich zombie.... the blackbird standard.... if I ever get the Ampeg Amb1 I’ll half step the blackbird and standard the ampeg.

Oh and I bought the GEDDY LEE BIG BEAUTIFUL BOOK B@§§ at Costco for 52 Canadian dollars!

Problem is I can’t open it until tomorrow because if she bought it for me then I will have ruined another surprise..... have to wait in case I have to take the one I bought back

 

[GonePlaid]

Killing two birds(sorry) with one stone, so to speak the newest complete addition to the flock is Ginger and some of you will remember Ol Blú ol Blú has finnaly been fully modified with Gibby Tbird pups with nickle covers and rings the spacer for the bridge pup has been made out of wood and painted to match. Great sounding bass, this is definitely a work horse of a bass View attachment 3259123 View attachment 3259124 View attachment 3259125 View attachment 3259126

 

[Nocturnal]

But what the hell is an optigrab handle I still have no idea what that’s for. You could route your patch cord from I put back through that handle then back through the strap but that has nothing to do with optimal grab...


Christmas porn is looking similar. Can we say porn? Sure as hell cant say $HIT.

That Christmas pick is from last year. this is the new version:

You stick your pinky in the optigrab

I never used the OptiGrab for my pinky unless I was sitting down. Then it was only if the bass was starting to move away from me. I removed it from my BlackBird when I added the Hipshot but left it on my other Gibson Sixx.

 

[GonePlaid]

You stick your pinky in the optigrab

And hope the strap doesn't break.

 

[Markamb1]

That Christmas pick is from last year. this is the new version:

View attachment 3259268
View attachment 3259269



I never used the OptiGrab for my pinky unless I was sitting down. Then it was only if the bass was starting to move away from me. I removed it from my BlackBird when I added the Hipshot but left it on my other Gibson Sixx.

View attachment 3259270

Who has the most thunderbird shaped objects here?

 

[RedVee]

That Christmas pick is from last year. this is the new version:

View attachment 3259268
View attachment 3259269



I never used the OptiGrab for my pinky unless I was sitting down. Then it was only if the bass was starting to move away from me. I removed it from my BlackBird when I added the Hipshot but left it on my other Gibson Sixx.

View attachment 3259270

I’ve read 2 rationales.
1. To anchor when using a pick near the bridge.
2. Stabilise the end of the bass when swinging it around on stage

I think it’s a tribute to “The Jerk”...

 

[Markamb1]

Oh yeah and tuning up and down between BEAD and EADG would eat the nut until I had the buzzing problem that the guy a couple pages ago has. My source for that “information” is the white dust or specs I can see sitting on the fret board and headstock, plus a basic understanding of physics and friction. In case anyone wants to know. Lol

1976 price went down some I think.

Gibson Thunderbird Bicentennial Black 1976

 

[Nocturnal]

Who has the most thunderbird shaped objects here?

Probably Our Queen @TBird1958 or @godofthunder59. I have 12 but pretty sure they have more.

 

[PillO]

Probably Our Queen @TBird1958 or @godofthunder59. I have 12 but pretty sure they have more.

Perhaps @Basvarken or perhaps his is just the most diverse Gibson collection. I also don't know if Geddy Lee ever pops in here...

 

[PillO]

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

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:

View attachment 3259065

great detail, thx.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Thanks. That's my Rhode Island Elder (mob boss) impersonation.

yeah saw you with Buddy down in Federal Hill......

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

That Christmas pick is from last year. this is the new version:

View attachment 3259268
View attachment 3259269



I never used the OptiGrab for my pinky unless I was sitting down. Then it was only if the bass was starting to move away from me. I removed it from my BlackBird when I added the Hipshot but left it on my other Gibson Sixx.

View attachment 3259270

nice! no NRs?..

 

[Count Bassie]

yeah saw you with Buddy down in Federal Hill......

Eh, yeah, well you know we don't really hang too much no more.

 

[Basvarken]

Perhaps @Basvarken or perhaps his is just the most diverse Gibson collection. I also don't know if Geddy Lee ever pops in here...

Definitely not me. I have only two Thunderbirds. And not that many Gibsons.
Most of the basses in the Gibson Bass Book belong to a nice gentleman in Frankfurt.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Eh, yeah, well you know we don't really hang too much no more.

 

[godofthunder59]

Probably Our Queen @TBird1958 or @godofthunder59. I have 12 but pretty sure they have more.

To be honest I am not sure, I'll have to go count.

 

[Haji]

How would one slightly raise the action on the E String? I have Fret buzz at Fret 1.

Billy Sheehan said he fixed a too deep cut G string nut slot by shimming it with a little piece of paper. Temp fix but it doesn't cost you anything. Most of the longer term fixes involve super glue and shavings dust or a nut upgrade. A nupgrade.