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Thunderbird Club

#109,741
GBassNorth said:
The previous owner had the action set exceptionally high. With the bridge plate in place the Babicz rotational saddles were nearly at their lowest setting. So in addition to limiting my ability to drop the action, the saddles had very little break angle on them. Break angle helps with intonation, sustain and resonance. So out she came. It dropped the bridge by about 1/8 of an inch, which is a pretty big drop on saddle height.


Surprisingly, there are very few YouTube clips on the 2015. I only found a couple and only one of them was truly informative. It's a Japanese clip but has little if any talking so it's easy to follow.


If your action is ok I wouldn't mess with it. Mine was probably 3/8" above the 12th fret. I got it down a bunch but it's still just a bit high for my liking. I'm gonna give the neck some time to adjust and probably put different strings on it. The ones it currently has are kinda dead. Some Cobalt flats or Helbourg rounds will be the first things I try.


It raises the bridge. Not sure if it's needed on the Gibson bird. I took it off and may not have needed to but so far so good.


Makes sense.


So far it's a blast.


I also have a 2013 EB5. It's a tone beast and is what got me thinking about the 2015 bird. After I get the right set of strings on the Bird I'll do a comparison of the two. Right now it's looking to me like the TBird might be a bit brighter, a bit more resonant and has a more lively body (I'm thinking this thing would love high tension strings or heavy large gage strings).
Click to expand...
That's all pretty interesting. I have no experience with the Babicz, but although the Hipshot looks like it's higher than the Babicz, I need the saddles pretty much as high as they'll go to get it set up properly, and I like super low action.
 
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#109,745
GBassNorth said:
I also have a 2013 EB5. It's a tone beast and is what got me thinking about the 2015 bird. After I get the right set of strings on the Bird I'll do a comparison of the two. Right now it's looking to me like the TBird might be a bit brighter, a bit more resonant and has a more lively body (I'm thinking this thing would love high tension strings or heavy large gage strings).
Click to expand...
Funny thing is that I have the exact opposite thoughts about my 2015 'Bird and 2013 EB. Both are beasts. I haven't strung them with the same strings, so all comparisons are skewed by that factor. I have DR stainless rounds on the EB and Black Beauties on the '15, as I recall. It would be a worthwhile experiment to put the same strings on both and see what happens. Not that I'll ever get around to it.
 
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#109,750
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#109,751
Inky13 said:
The sun! What is it?
It’s a huge hot ball of gas at the center of our solar system.
But that’s not important now.
Click to expand...

Best weather in the country is here in Seattle today.......80 degrees, unbelievable. I may get drunk and pass out on the front lawn for dinner.
 
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#109,752
Dr_Feelgoood212 said:
Smart move, you can go down a pretty deep rabbit hole on YouTube.
Click to expand...
That’s a hole I spend way to much time in. It usually begins by chasing a rabbit I get introduced to by one of my Spotify mixes. Next thing I know it’s midnight and I’m still chasing (and no, not Grace Slick’s kind of rabbits). Lots of good stuff in there for music lovers.
 
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#109,753
TBird1958 said:
Best weather in the country is here in Seattle today.......80 degrees, unbelievable. I may get drunk and pass out on the front lawn for dinner.
Click to expand...

So let me get this right. You pass out on the front lawn, and i show up for dinner. What kind of impression is that going to make?

A good one. :D
 
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#109,754
TBird1958 said:
Best weather in the country is here in Seattle today.......80 degrees, unbelievable. I may get drunk and pass out on the front lawn for dinner.
Click to expand...
It is a fine day for that kind of thing. I broke out the charcoal on Sunday and might do it again this evening.
 
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#109,755
TBird1958 said:
Best weather in the country is here in Seattle today.......80 degrees, unbelievable. I may get drunk and pass out on the front lawn for dinner.
Click to expand...
Gaolee said:
It is a fine day for that kind of thing. I broke out the charcoal on Sunday and might do it again this evening.
Click to expand...
I had to brush off the car and contemplate snow tire rotation.
You know I say this with love, humor and sarcasm. But....
Suck it.
 
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#109,756
Gaolee said:
Funny thing is that I have the exact opposite thoughts about my 2015 'Bird and 2013 EB. Both are beasts. I haven't strung them with the same strings, so all comparisons are skewed by that factor. I have DR stainless rounds on the EB and Black Beauties on the '15, as I recall. It would be a worthwhile experiment to put the same strings on both and see what happens. Not that I'll ever get around to it.
Click to expand...
I’ve gone back and forth between hybrid Slinkies (because that’s what Nikki Monninger usually uses on her birds; I love that girl) and Black Beauties because that’s what one of you suggested a while back. The BBS’s I have don’t have many hours on them and I’m getting inspired to try them again. I don’t think I left them on long enough to get to know them very well. I like how the Slinkies sound, but they go dead pretty quickly IME. But they are cheap...
 
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#109,760
GBassNorth said:
The previous owner had the action set exceptionally high. With the bridge plate in place the Babicz rotational saddles were nearly at their lowest setting. So in addition to limiting my ability to drop the action, the saddles had very little break angle on them. Break angle helps with intonation, sustain and resonance. So out she came. It dropped the bridge by about 1/8 of an inch, which is a pretty big drop on saddle height.
Click to expand...
I have it on good authority that regardless of how low your action is, windmills are NOT recommended with a Babicz.
 
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