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Thunderbird Club

#126,941
gidbass said:
With the strap extender, i think a hard case is out, so what gig bags do you guys use? I'm googling now to see what options are but would prefer some real world input.

EDIT: considering this one https://www.amazon.com/Extra-Thick-Thunderbird-Bass-Guitar/dp/B00915I8R2#customerReviews
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Not sure if anyone here has tried the Gator ProGo with the Vintage Pro, but I can't recommend this soft case highly enough. There's a little room at the top of the headstock on my 2013 Gibson, so there's a chance yours will fit with it's longer headstock.
 
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#126,942
bylar13 said:
Awesome! Glad it worked out for you! With regards to the Babicz, I have one on my 2014 T-Bird and when I installed it, I used the included bridge shim.

After seeing other T-Birds that had Babiczs I noticed none had the shim plate. I emailed Babicz and they told me that it is not necessary. I was told it was included for other, older Gibson 3-point bridge replacements that required the extra height. If yours has it installed, it can be removed to bring the bridge lower. FYI.
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Brilliant! I forgot all about the shim. I just took it out. Its absence improves the gap, and like @GBassNorth said, adds some break angle when the saddles are reset to the proper height. :hyper:

And for the weight-watchers among us, my Thunderbird, with HipShot mini cloverleaf tuners, Lollar pups, and the Babicz shim removed, is now 7.8lbs.

Insanely light weight, and I had to recheck my cooking scale. It’s correct, showing over 10lbs form my Thumb Bass, and 9.8lbs for my Geddy Lee Jazz. Those are my two heavyweights.

So ironic since I actually don’t have any problem, and kinda like the bulk of heavy basses. :bag:

Sorry for the multiple edits:
Last one.

I think I may just be wishing my way to improving the pickup height gap. The shim removal actually did improve the break angle at the saddle, but once the string action was back up to where I like it (~2.5mm), and resetting the distance from the strings to the pups, it’s a net zero. :wacky:

The neck is the constant around which the other measurements are adjusted, so the saddles and pups have to still raise up to meet the string height as it relates to the neck.
 
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#126,944
BklynKen said:
Not sure if anyone here has tried the Gator ProGo with the Vintage Pro, but I can't recommend this soft case highly enough. There's a little room at the top of the headstock on my 2013 Gibson, so there's a chance yours will fit with it's longer headstock.
Click to expand...
Do you have a link to the one you are referring to?

I checked amazon and there are a few ProGo's...I assume this one, but wanted to be sure.

https://www.amazon.com/Gator-Ultima...lja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1
 
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#126,945
Goatrope said:
The neck is the constant around which the other measurements are adjusted, so the saddles and pups have to still raise up to meet the string height as it relates to the neck.
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Exactly. The only way to decrease the gap between the strings and fully raised pups would be to shim the neck, which you can't do on a neck through bass. IIRC you have the thinner profile pups so raising them too high brings the bottom of the pup out of the route, which isn't good. If you have trim rings for the pups you could buy some black pickguard material and use your trim rings as templates to cut out some spacers that would go under the trim rings and allow you to raise your pups higher.

BTW - Aren't Thumb basses great! Love my 1998 B05 and limited edition Dirty Blonde, very unique and authoritative sound, but for a relatively small body they are heavy and ergonomicly challenged.
 
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#126,946
gidbass said:
Do you have a link to the one you are referring to?

I checked amazon and there are a few ProGo's...I assume this one, but wanted to be sure.

https://www.amazon.com/Gator-Ultimate-Standard-G-PG-ELECTRIC/dp/B00I6JGOBG/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=gator+progo&qid=1567968676&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFaQUdDREIzSTdPUkgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAxMzc3NTgxODVQMDRKMVU2VEw0JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1Mjg1NTEyVzczMVNDRUxTM1RKJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1
Click to expand...
Yup, that's it. The only other ProGos I know of are for other instruments. Keep in mind that to make a Thunderbird fit, you will need to remove the bottom inside cushion. It's held in with Velcro.
 
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#126,948
GBassNorth said:
Exactly. The only way to decrease the gap between the strings and fully raised pups would be to shim the neck, which you can't do on a neck through bass. IIRC you have the thinner profile pups so raising them too high brings the bottom of the pup out of the route, which isn't good. If you have trim rings for the pups you could buy some black pickguard material and use your trim rings as templates to cut out some spacers that would go under the trim rings and allow you to raise your pups higher.

BTW - Aren't Thumb basses great! Love my 1998 B05 and limited edition Dirty Blonde, very unique and authoritative sound, but for a relatively small body they are heavy and ergonomicly challenged.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I’m just clearing the route on the bridge pup. I’m using some high density foam blocks in the middle of the routes, which has made both pups very tight, meaning, they don’t flop around. I may eventually be adding wood underneath.

The Thumb! I’ve got a German NT4 I bought in 2013. It’s a work of art, and sounds great too. Not a good fit for the stuff I’m playing out now, so it doesn’t come out but a few times per year.
 
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#126,951
PillO said:
Judging by your set list, there are several songs for which throwin' the goat would be appropriate - Buffalo Soldier, Mama Mia, Proud Mary. Or am I doing it wrong?
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I'm not really a metal-guy, but my friend is and I went to a show with him just for fun. There was a big crowd and everyone in line waiting to enter had black t-shirts with metal band graphics. (I wore a light coloured striped t-shirt and felt like a sore thumb!) Anyway, once the music started to the end (5 bands!) everyone did the devil-horns non-stop! It cracked me up as I'd never really been in the middle of such. There was a 'mosh-pit' on the floor (we were in the balcony - a big old place in SF called The Regency, right on Van Ness) and it was fun watching the swirling action. It was very polite actually - more frenetic dance than brawl. There were a few women and although they were bumped and shoved, it wasn't violent.
 
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#126,952
and time to address the nut as I find it high...This is going to take a while but i see white residue so something is coming off...;)

GetAttachmentThumbnail
 
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#126,954
gidbass said:
and time to address the nut as I find it high...This is going to take a while but i see white residue so something is coming off...;)

GetAttachmentThumbnail
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If you make one flexible thickness guide - it's pretty easy to slip it below the nut and file each slot until it is at that level. For reference, think 'zero fret' - it is a fret at the same height that all strings rest on the correct height above the first fret. StewMac sells such guides but it's easy to make your own.
 
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#126,955
JIO said:
If you make one flexible thickness guide - it's pretty easy to slip it below the nut and file each slot until it is at that level. For reference, think 'zero fret' - it is a fret at the same height that all strings rest on the correct height above the first fret. StewMac sells such guides but it's easy to make your own.
Click to expand...
ah, i think i get what you are saying...i think i have some feeler gauges i can use. I just need to make sure that the feeler gauge is "higher" than the 1st fret...correct, then just but it up to the nut?

EDIT: Yeah, i think i understood...;) Using the feeler gauge as a guide it is going faster.

EDIT#2: yup, already through the E and it feels awesome now...time for dinner then the rest!

Thank you for the suggestion!
 
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#126,960
gidbass said:
ah, i think i get what you are saying...i think i have some feeler gauges i can use. I just need to make sure that the feeler gauge is "higher" than the 1st fret...correct, then just but it up to the nut?

EDIT: Yeah, i think i understood...;) Using the feeler gauge as a guide it is going faster.

EDIT#2: yup, already through the E and it feels awesome now...time for dinner then the rest!

Thank you for the suggestion!
Click to expand...
Right on! Getting the nut slots right makes a significant difference if they were too high. It's well worth the time and effort:thumbsup:
The way I was taught, you press down the string between the first and second fret, then tap the string onto the first fret. It should just barely move before it hits. If it's too high, it takes too much effort to tap it down. If it's too low, it will be touching the first fret.
I know this sounds hard to quantify, but try it as you are working with the gauges and check your other basses this way. You'll get the idea.
 
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