Thunderbird Club

[fasterpussycat]

Makes sense. I love my T Birds, but don’t need a roomful of em. Too many other ways to annoy the neighbors

Trusty theremin > EHX POG > RAT > preferred amplification. Set and forget.

 

[fasterpussycat]

I had an Epi EB3L. Sounded great but the body's not enuff to counterbalance the extra neck length. Hadda sell it.(FWIW, JME)

That's what light weight tuners were invented for. If I had a superfan/wealthy benefactor and was invited to pick the JC or EB3L ... I'd prolly go for the JC.

 

[BadBassDrummer]

 

[GonePlaid]

That's what light weight tuners were invented for. If I had a superfan/wealthy benefactor and was invited to pick the JC or EB3L ... I'd prolly go for the JC.

Since it was my 'bad weather'* bass, I didn't feel like putting much into it. The guy that bought it was surprised what good condition it was in.
* heat/humidity outdoor gigs. Florida year-round

 

[BklynKen]

Trusty theremin > EHX POG > RAT > preferred amplification. Set and forget.

No vuvuzela?

 

[GonePlaid]

No vuvuzela?

A fart with too much high mids.

 

[ToddOfThunder]

I lived in the Bay Area for 6 years when I was in my 20s and loved it. I miss it sometimes too, but I also won't live there again. I live in another expensive place with traffic problems (Honolulu), but if I ever leave here it will be for a place with cheap houses to retire.

I hear ya!

 

[fasterpussycat]

No vuvuzela?

Now we're talking.

Vuvuzela > @dukeorock's flashest ribbon mic > POG >--- splitter

A > MIKU!!!! > Amp 1

B > RAT >>>> Amp 2

 

[BklynKen]

No we're talking.

Vuvuzela > @dukeorock's flashest ribbon mic > POG >---

POG Out A > MIKU!!!! > Amp 1

POG Out B > RAT >>>> Amp 2

I can't like that enough times. Unless I'm your neighbor, of course.

 

[JIO]

View attachment 3428491

Is it just a coincidence that your kick-stand has a groomed resting place?

 

[MCF]

This is what it looked like aug 2018 when we viewed property, moved n mid jan 2019 and the lawn is more like a jungle now, also adjacent to north sea so nature takes care of watering. Will take a pic tomoz n post.

Congrats on you new place! Love Yorkshire. Heading to Britain for vacation in mid July. Unfortunately won’t stopping close to you. God’s own country.

 

[JJR58]

Now we're talking.

Vuvuzela > @dukeorock's flashest ribbon mic > POG >--- splitter

A > MIKU!!!! > Amp 1

B > RAT >>>> Amp 2

I can't like that enough times. Unless I'm your neighbor, of course.

That's alien talk.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

That was even more painful than the original.

 

[Gaolee]

Day late and a dollar short. Went to find it, but struck out. Thought I’d get it shipped down here and keep it if the neck was good and try my hand at a Re-Ranch refin in Pelham Blue. Hope someone here got it...

It is gone already? Somebody got a screaming deal. Yes, the neck is just fine. It is even set up well.

 

[dukeorock]

That's what light weight tuners were invented for. If I had a superfan/wealthy benefactor and was invited to pick the JC or EB3L ... I'd prolly go for the JC.

Same, knowing what I know now, I would too. Though I have owned a JC before. It was ok. The EB3L is slightly neck divey, but nothing terrible. Plays great, just haven’t dialed in the sound

 

[Gaolee]

Note: just updated post 117205 to reflect new string selection and set up completion on the 2015 bird. It now reads as follows:

2015 Gibson Thunderbird = 2 to 8 slight lower mid hump, massive punch
2013 Gibson Golden Anniversary Bird = 3 to 7 no mid hump, slight scoop, good punch
2017 Epiphone Gibson Thunderbird VP = 3 to 9 slight high mid hump, strong punch
2017 Epiphone Goth Thunderbird stock = 4 to 6 significant mid hump, no punch
2017 Epiphone Goth Thunderbird modded = 1 to 9 significant mid hump, strong punch

I was in fact able to drop the action quite a bit with the new strings and at the same time was also able to raise the pickups closer to the strings without imparting too much unnecessary magnetic pull on the strings from the pickups. The action is now 1/16" clearance from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the E string (that's about half of what I was able to get with the Cobalt flats). The neck pickup has also been raised to a 5/32" clearance on the E string side.

Yes, I'm still getting a bit of phase/chorus on the G string but not anywhere else. Because of that I'll probably not reach for this bass as a first choice on orchestra, jazz and quiet passage type work where I might need to be spot on lockstep with a keyboard or other high octave instrument. But this thing just flat out screams bloody murder as it punches a crater in your chest. Perfect for Rock, reggae, alternative, club dub, electro trance, disco, country and so many other settings. Still not convinced the R Coccos are the best string for this bass but I've come to the conclusion that a light or medium gauge round or flat nickel or tape that's not overly prone to be drawn into magnetic fields is the right choice for these pickups.

Maybe it is time to try tapes on the '15 and save the Cobalt flats for something else.

 

[Gaolee]

Trusty theremin > EHX POG > RAT > preferred amplification. Set and forget.

More proof of twinness.

 

[fasterpussycat]

Same, knowing what I know now, I would too. Though I have owned a JC before. It was ok. The EB3L is slightly neck divey, but nothing terrible. Plays great, just haven’t dialed in the sound

Don't really need to tell you the JC is more attractive to me simply because I already have three solid-body humbucker equipped basses. I have played one in a shop but never bothered to plug it in. It was nicely resonant (probably howls like a three year old if you run it through a RAT).

 

[GBassNorth]

Maybe it is time to try tapes on the '15 and save the Cobalt flats for something else.

I suspect you're right. I've invested so much time futzing around with the setup and strings on this bass I'm gonna leave well enough alone for a while. Get some more play time with it in different settings and make sure the strings settle in ok.

Interestingly enough, while I was scratching my head and trying to understand why my favorite Cobalts just weren't cutting it, I decided to slip a metal ruler between the strings and pickups. It was an "Ah Ha" moment. The ruler was nearly glued down to the pup poles with a tremendous amount of pull from the magnets and all the chorus/phasing instantly went away. Overall volume dropped just a tad but string to string volume became near perfect.

I surmise that these magnets are much stronger than our normal pup magnets and the large oversized poles are probably creating an overlapping magnetic field that the string is oscillating through, resulting in the chorus or phase cancelation effect.

I've toyed with the idea of putting metal covers on these pups and the more I think about it the more I'm convinced it's exactly what should be done. But first, get some quality time with the strings that are on it. Then give some LaBella Black tapes a try. Then decide on the cans.

 

[dukeorock]

Don't really need to tell you the JC is more attractive to me simply because I already have three solid-body humbucker equipped basses. I have played one in a shop but never bothered to plug it in. It was nicely resonant (probably howls like a three year old if you run it through a RAT).

I used my old JC with dirt...don’t remember any issues, but it’s been a minute. Hollow body is a good call in your case, for sure, IMO