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Thunderbird Club

#10,601
Larry V said:
I was never worried that the neck would snap. I was more concerned with the finish checking which would be a major downer for me. Others seem less concerned especially when they conclude that their basses cannot be kept at a reasonable temp and humidity at all times. It's part of their ownership experience.

I'd be interested in hearing how gigging bass players deal with loading in and out and whether they ever leave their gear in their vehicle in a cold garage overnight if they're to beat to unload once home again.
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All right. I need a car anyway when I gig again, but aslong as we don't have material to fill a set of originals this will take time. Now I'm worried about snapping necks and a damaged finish. :P
 
#10,602
I never leave an instrument in the van overnight, or any longer than I have to for that matter. I'm not a gigging musician in that I only play out a few times a month at most anyway. But, there have been plenty of instances where I have to haul the upright or a bass guitar when it's really cold out or raining, or really hot out. The van doesn't pre-warm or pre-cool itself. What I do is leave the instrument in its case or gig bag the entire time it's in the vehicle and being carried around outside. Then I let it warm up a bit in the case or bag whenever possible. So far, so good. No problems of any kind with anything. When it's a bit cold, the strings shrink and tuning goes sharp. Then as it warms up, it goes flat if I retuned. That's not a big problem.

And to repeat, I never, ever leave an instrument in a vehicle overnight or all day. There are times I have to go straight to a gig from work, and I carry whatever I'm playing that night into work with me and park it in the corner. It makes for some odd looks in the elevator, especially when it's the upright. It takes up a lot of room, and most people don't know what it is or care. It's just in their space. To heck with 'em! I clearly don't do this to impress anybody.
 
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#10,603
Off-Beat said:
I really hate this board. Before I was a happy guy having two bass guitars never worrying about anything bass(tech)related. This place gets me paranoid.

Does this happen frequently? How can I avoid it? How long has the exposure to be to endanger my bass? At what temperature differences? Never seen it, never heard it, but I don't know many bass players personally tbh. I of course noticed that the neck changes with temperature, but I set up my AW Epi in summer at ~30°C/86°F and it changed by 0,2mm(1/120th ") at 12°C/53°F
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Larry V said:
I was never worried that the neck would snap. I was more concerned with the finish checking which would be a major downer for me. Others seem less concerned especially when they conclude that their basses cannot be kept at a reasonable temp and humidity at all times. It's part of their ownership experience.

I'd be interested in hearing how gigging bass players deal with loading in and out and whether they ever leave their gear in their vehicle in a cold garage overnight if they're to beat to unload once home again.
Click to expand...

LOL well i figured out why the truss rod is wrapped: it's to prevent it rattling inside the neck itself. Has nothing to do with either it breaking, or breaking the neck hahaha. & for temp changes, i don't worry much. I don't own a car so it's never left in one. & if i'm on my way to a gig, i usually get there an hour or so before hand & the temp doesnt change it drastically (although i'm sure it does). But all my gear stays inside my room where i control the temp. Right now my room is pretty cold, so i gotta boost the heat a little bit & then i'll be setting up every one of them in a day or two cause they all need it: new strings for my guitars cause bass is too expensive & they're not dead yet, 2- i've got some parts coming in for my acoustic guitar & others so i'll fix those at the same time. But yeah.

temperature change doesnt drastically affect my gear at all.
 
#10,605
Gaolee said:
It makes for some odd looks in the elevator, especially when it's the upright. It takes up a lot of room, and most people don't know what it is or care. It's just in their space. To heck with 'em! I clearly don't do this to impress anybody.
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In the beginning, whenever I'd bring my bass into work for my lesson after work, I'd get the odd comment or two but I despised the, "He's got a gun!" comments from the dolts. Not funny and no one wants to hear that even if it's a joke.
 
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#10,607
Larry V said:
In the beginning, whenever I'd bring my bass into work for my lesson after work, I'd get the odd comment or two but I despised the, "He's got a gun!" comments from the dolts. Not funny and no one wants to hear that even if it's a joke.
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I wish it was a gun joke, most of the times it's: "So you play guitar. can you play a song for me?" The first few times I explained that it's an electrical bass guitar and it wouldn't be satisfying for the "audience". Now I just go along and say, "Yeah but it got no strings on".

Larry V said:
But Andii wasn't talking about sub-freezing temps nor super hot temps.
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Okay, de-pacifying. Back to paranoid hypochondric.
 
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#10,608
Larry V said:
In the beginning, whenever I'd bring my bass into work for my lesson after work, I'd get the odd comment or two but I despised the, "He's got a gun!" comments from the dolts. Not funny and no one wants to hear that even if it's a joke.
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Nobody ever asks if it's a gun or makes jokes about it. If it was a gun, it would be a huge cannon! The funniest thing I ever heard about a bass case was about the big white fiberglass shipping cases for upright basses. My son's middle school jazz band director, who had a wicked sense of humor, was in an elevator with a girl who played bass. They had her bass in the shipping case with them. A couple rowdy kids got in the elevator with them, and one of the kids asked what the case was for. The band director said "It's where we keep the kids who don't behave." He could pull it off, and the rowdy kids got really quiet. It was the perfect reply, timed perfectly.

I don't have any good replies like that, unfortunately.
 
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#10,609
Larry V said:
I was never worried that the neck would snap. I was more concerned with the finish checking which would be a major downer for me. Others seem less concerned especially when they conclude that their basses cannot be kept at a reasonable temp and humidity at all times. It's part of their ownership experience.

I'd be interested in hearing how gigging bass players deal with loading in and out and whether they ever leave their gear in their vehicle in a cold garage overnight if they're too beat to unload once home again.
Click to expand...

Plenty of 3 am homecomings, including the beastly heavy and low-to-the-ground Ampeg PR410HLF, up the rough stone steps and into the house they all go, every time.

Our basement is pretty dry, and although it can get cold down there my axes see a pretty reasonably small and regular range of air quality and temp. Never sweat it, just have to look at set-up a couple times a year.
 
#10,610
Not sure if anyone here WANTS to see this as it happens but...

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I think it's ready for primer.

Also bought a three point bridge to replace the existing one today. Tuning machines are going to be ordered tomorrow.
 
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#10,611
Gaolee said:
Nobody ever asks if it's a gun or makes jokes about it. If it was a gun, it would be a huge cannon!
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The soft case for my Ibanez SR was just big enough for it and when I carried it by its mid-handle it did look like a rifle or shotgun case to the casual observer. Regardless, I didn't care for the comments when I was trying not to draw attention.

Now the soft case for my TBirds would never be confused for a long gun case. That think is ginormous.
 
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#10,612
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#10,613
Larry V said:
The soft case for my Ibanez SR was just big enough for it and when I carried it by its mid-handle it did look like a rifle or shotgun case to the casual observer. Regardless, I didn't care for the comments when I was trying not to draw attention.

Now the soft case for my TBirds would never be confused for a long gun case. That think is ginormous.
Click to expand...
As if you can carry a big ol' bass without drawing too much attention! With a 'Bird, that's a lost cause. An Ibanez, maybe, but a Thunderbird? Nope! An upright? Absolutely not!

I wouldn't be too happy if somebody thought it was a gun, though. The last thing I would want is to be carrying around something somebody thinks is a gun in downtown Seattle. On the other hand, I do get some really weird looks even with the Thunderbird. It's case says "Gibson" on the side. I guess there's a lot of people who don't know what that means and what that shape of case really is. We really are freaks, aren't we!
 
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#10,619
Gaolee said:
As if you can carry a big ol' bass without drawing too much attention! With a 'Bird, that's a lost cause. An Ibanez, maybe, but a Thunderbird? Nope! An upright? Absolutely not!

I wouldn't be too happy if somebody thought it was a gun, though. The last thing I would want is to be carrying around something somebody thinks is a gun in downtown Seattle. On the other hand, I do get some really weird looks even with the Thunderbird. It's case says "Gibson" on the side. I guess there's a lot of people who don't know what that means and what that shape of case really is. We really are freaks, aren't we!
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Where I work, we have a work "band", we practice during lunches and our main reason for being is playing at the company cookout every August. Pretty much a guitar army, 4 or 5 drummers, 2 bassists (myself and another guy). Typically we divide into two bands guitar and bass-wise and the drummers decide among themselves which songs they want to play on once we submit the list of songs we're doing. Anyway, most people are accustomed to us strolling in and out with guitar cases and gig bags but I've gotten the occasional "Machine gun?" comments and the one guy who every time I pass him, says, "El kabong!" EVERY time! Was funny the first couple of times... :)
 
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#10,620
You guys, I wandered into a shop yesterday and there was a '64 Gibson EB-2 sunburst sitting there. Holy crap! What a sound! It's of zero use to me in a band setting, but that one "mudbucker" and old flats on it... wow. I think I get the vintage appeal. I just don't have the vintage cash (right now). Almost barfed at the price.
 
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