Thunderbird Club

[Chucky Stiletti]

He has. IDK if he does.

nah...still at it...prolly (alongside with gigs) my retirement activity...
BEAUTIFUL Canadian design......8 MO KT88s.....

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I have a Model Two that still has the original zip cord and two prong plug. It's a zap hazard if you aren't careful with it, but it sounds phenomenal. The reverb is one of the best subtle reverbs I have heard. It's also not particularly loud, which makes it especially useful down in the basement. It has its original tubes, original speaker cone, original everything. I think it spent its time from 1962 to 2017 in a closet somewhere, under a cover. It wasn't even dusty when I got it a couple years ago.

Model Two has tremolo. Model Twelve has reverb. The three prong cord mod is simple and shouldn’t be very expensive.

 

[Gaolee]

Model Two has tremolo. Model Twelve has reverb. The three prong cord mod is simple and shouldn’t be very expensive.

I stand corrected. That's exactly what it is, and it sounds fantastic. It's not over the top, so if that's what you want, look elsewhere. If you want subtle perfection, it does it.

I may take a look at a schematic and think about doing the mod. Taking it to somebody else with actual knowledge is probably a much better idea. There's a difference between doing the occasional mod with altered parts and values or building a pedal and actually messing with grounding and caps.

 

[Nocturnal]

Hey folks. I'm thinking about putting the Hipshot bridge on my Epi Classic Pro. I have a brand new set of DR Hi Beams on it now. Do I have to replace the strings?

When I need to loosen the strings on a Bird, I fold a paper towel a few times and use painters tape (or masking tape) to wrap it around the fretboard at the nut. Then I loosen the strings until I can slide them out of the slots on the bridge. The paper towel and tape keep the strings attached at the headstock so I don't need to completely remove the strings.

New owner of a Epiphone Classic IV. Considering straplocks. I'm concerned about replacing the original strap button that's screwed in through the neck plate.

I had the same issue. I fixed it by placing the original screw in a drill and “sanding the head down to fit in the lock body.

I have used this same method on a couple neck screws, but I used a wheel grinder. That allowed the original screw to stay in place and there was enough of the head left hold the straplock in place. I have only tried this with Dunlop straplocks, not other manufacturers straplocks.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

...

I may take a look at a schematic and think about doing the mod. Taking it to somebody else with actual knowledge is probably a much better idea. There's a difference between doing the occasional mod with altered parts and values or building a pedal and actually messing with grounding and caps.

Look here under Modifications.
Kalamazoo Amp Field Guide (frames)

 

[PillO]

Nothing to work on... just saw them at GC yesterday and was struck by 1. the fact that they were a matching pair and 2. how cool the idea/ implementation is, even if the sound is comparable to that of a transistor radio

It has tubes, therefore it must sound better than a transistor radio. Right?

 

[TerribleTim68]

It has tubes, therefore it must sound better than a transistor radio. Right?

I dunno man, everybody says we're going down the tubes.

 

[PillO]

nah...still at it...prolly (alongside with gigs) my retirement activity...
BEAUTIFUL Canadian design......8 MO KT88s.....
View attachment 3641285

Canadian design? How do you change the maple syrup? That Vermont stuff just isn't as good as Canadian. It's like replacing your synthetic motor oil with 10W40.

 

[GonePlaid]

I've had a strange road to get to here. I started out as a restaurant dishwasher, worked my way up to line cook and then switched to drywall finishing where I worked my way up to foreman on some large union commercial projects. After tearing my knees up doing that drywall thing I got to go back to school and studied drafting. From there I spent a decade at an Architecture firm, starting as entry level drafter and working my way up to CAD Manager, running the entire drafting department before shifting gears to my current gig where I design commercial kitchens. So I've kind of circled my entire career back around itself, combining my love of cooking with my love of construction and design. We design pretty much any facility that has to do with feeding people or serving drinks; everything from school kitchens and cafes to hotel bars and restaurants to corporate dining to casino buffets and everything in between.

I do still miss being in the field, but my knees don't miss it one bit. I have an undying love of building things with my hands.

Hmm. Build a THUNDERBIRD ?

 

[gaffster]

It has tubes, therefore it must sound better than a transistor radio. Right?

Well my old Peave-me transistor amp had a pre section that was a pretty good AM receiver. Mostly Spanish language stations.

 

[Gaolee]

Look here under Modifications.
Kalamazoo Amp Field Guide (frames)

That looks simple enough.

 

[GBassNorth]

I'm wondering if the strap button screw that would be supplied with the strap lock would be a different length and/or diameter. If the diameter is larger, would it fit through the existing hole in the neck plate? And would a different screw effect the integrity of the neck attachment. Looking for anyone with experience adding a straplock at the neck plate.

It's really best to use the original neck screw if possible. If your neck plate does not currently have a strap lock or it has a strap button you'll probably find that the screw provided with the new strap lock is both smaller in diameter and shorter in length than your existing neck screw. If that's the case it's an easy fix.

First, you'll probably need to increase the size of the hole in the male portion of the strap lock that mounts to your bass. If so, Just drill it out a bit (not too much) so the original neck screw threads can slide thru the male end of the strap lock body.

Second, you'll probably find that now the screw threads slip thru the strap lock but the neck screw head is too big to fit down in the body of the strap lock like it's supposed to. To fix that problem, simply chuck the neck screw up in a power drill, turn it on and gently touch the edge of the screw head to the concrete floor in your garage. Looks like this...

It does not take but a second of contact to remove enough of the screw head material to allow it to fit down inside the male strap lock body. Don't over do it.

Now install the male strap lock end on your neck plate using the modified original neck screw and you're good to go.

 

[PillO]

Well my old Peave-me transistor amp had a pre section that was a pretty good AM receiver. Mostly Spanish language stations.

Were you playing a made in Mexico 7ender at the time? I'm working on a hypothesis...

 

[PillO]

That looks simple enough.

I think we have discussed that before (but that doesn't negate discussing it again). As I recall, there is a half-wave rectifier for the power supply and the frequency response is far enough above 60hz that it doesn't hum.

 

[PillO]

It's really best to use the original neck screw if possible. If your neck plate does not currently have a strap lock or it has a strap button you'll probably find that the screw provided with the new strap lock is both smaller in diameter and shorter in length than your existing neck screw. If that's the case it's an easy fix.

First, you'll probably need to increase the size of the hole in the male portion of the strap lock that mounts to your bass. If so, Just drill it out a bit (not too much) so the original neck screw threads can slide thru the male end of the strap lock body.

Second, you'll probably find that now the screw threads slip thru the strap lock but the neck screw head is too big to fit down in the body of the strap lock like it's supposed to. To fix that problem, simply chuck the neck screw up in a power drill, turn it on and gently touch the edge of the screw head to the concrete floor in your garage. Looks like this...
View attachment 3641543
It does not take but a second of contact to remove enough of the screw head material to allow it to fit down inside the male strap lock body. Don't over do it.

Now install the male strap lock end on your neck plate using the modified original neck screw and you're good to go.

I want video of the sparks flying!

Or maybe just a video of someone pouring liquid oxygen on a barbeque.

 

[TerribleTim68]

I want video of the sparks flying!...

In super-slo-mo too, right?

 

[JIO]

View attachment 3640097


Doing a little practice with my Epiphone long scale EB 3
I bought it new from Sweetwater.Love the stock strings but every time I play it my left hand fingers load up with black oil..guess it’s time to put some Rotosounds on it.

Anybody else experience this with new instruments?

I've experienced that - some strings more than others, but always when new. It eventually disperses. Just some manufacturing residue I suppose. No biggy.

 

[dagrev]

I read on the internets* that Epiphone will be bringing out a VP NR some time in the next year or so. I also heard** that at winter NAMM, they will be showing prototypes.


* The source might be this forum.

** it might have been the voices in my head that said that.

I'm afraid those voices are likely as close to reality as we may get. But keep listening and reporting back just the same.

 

[dagrev]

You have to install microwave ovens?
Custom kitchen deliveries?

That's good!

 

[Gaolee]

I think we have discussed that before (but that doesn't negate discussing it again). As I recall, there is a half-wave rectifier for the power supply and the frequency response is far enough above 60hz that it doesn't hum.

It doesn't hum if I lick my fingers before poking around in the chassis.