Thunderbird Club

[gaffster]

Pair of '76rs getting out for a quick check. Have a gig 2nite, guess I will leave these home. NYE is usually crazy enough.

 

[PillO]

It looks like it was previously glued in (as mentioned previously). If you can't pull it out with your fingers alone, the strings are not pulling it out. My back of the envelope numbers are likely off by up to 25% but still come up with a force of only about 12 lbs pulling on the post. You should be able to do that with fingers alone.

Nope, fingers not doing it. So you figure it's not actually a problem then?

Yeah you guys're right, was glued in. Looks like kind of a slack job too. But if it won't go any further, I'll leave it. Never noticed until now anyway.

My first thought looking at the picture was that someone had tried to secure things with snot.

Until @Chucky Stiletti shows up to do some vector math, I am sticking with force exerted by strings is somewhere in the range of 9-15lbs. If you can't pull it out with your fingers, it should have no trouble holding. If in doubt, do a full set up and then measure movement periodically.

It looks glued and if you can't get it out with finger strength, I think it is stable. You can lift 10+lbs with 1 finger right (less than a bag full of groceries)?

 

[MCF]

The good old reliable GP. Really, you can slap any bass, should you want to. A Thunderbird might bite you back.

The kid I posted about a bit ago that I met at a Sam Ash and introduced to a VP slapped away on it like mad. He was really good at it (I’m certainly not). It didn’t bite back, but the pickups sounded angry.

 

[PillO]

I've had my 'Bird now for about 5 days and I won't even look at my other basses for now. It'll come back I'm sure (Jazz basses are like old slippers to me), but for now, it's 100% 'Bird, as I'm working to relearn the band's set list on it. No more ergonomics issue, thx to advice provided here, experimentation and a darn good strap.

But... what is it with that Thunderbird voodoo exactly ?
I was asked by a sales clerk in a local shop recently (I was strap-shopping and wanted to try one, so I asked for a 'Bird to be lowered from a higher display) and by my father, who doesn't understand much about music, let alone TBirds except when you get to cars. I answered as best as possible, but still, I don't think I got it just right. When you get to it, it's not the most known bass ever, true that it has its distinctive sound but it doesn't fit everywhere, the shape is also distinctive but not appealling comfortable for all and it hasn't played on trillions of hits like J's and P's, although it's had its share and doesn't have X-Files type stories like Jaco's Bass of Doom and Jamerson's Funk Machine. But some of us are drawn to it, like rabbits to carrots, like devotees to a cult.

So.... ?

I don't know. It's got its mojo,its sound. But I do dub reggae, mashup jazzy/funk, 80s pop and whatever with it, and it flies. No compromise.

Jazz Bass, Ric, most any solid body will get you something you can use once you coax it out.

There is a great deal of prejudice, especially amoungst those that are followers of Church of Leo's Holy Relics. Read what Geddy has said about birds. He teased Pete Way when they toured together, but since doing the BBoB he discovered how great birds are in low mids and wishes he had known that years ago.

It was interesting at my Local L&M one time that I was talking with one of the bass players on staff. He had never tried a JC. I said that I love mine for the low mids and growly tone I get out of it. He hadn't thought that possible with a semi-hollow. He pulled one off the wall and plugged in. Was really surprised at the rock sound he got out of it. And then was impressed with how it sounded doing slappity poppity. The older bass player on staff later said that he had discovered the JC a while back and it was in high rotation for him for its versatility.

It is I think simple prejudice that keeps people using narrow categories for their basses. Because why bother thinking when you can just assume.

 

[MCF]

Pair of '76rs getting out for a quick check. Have a gig 2nite, guess I will leave these home. NYE is usually crazy enough.
View attachment 3649546

Wow! Didn’t realize you had so many birds. Plan for day off tomorrow is to work on the Silverburst action to get it lower. Have a great gig tonight!

 

[FlyingPigSound]

Can you describe the tonal difference?

Hard to say having rounds on the CP and flats on the VP. To be honest, I’m pretty much only playing my new Gibson T-Bird Santa brought...love that nitro feel

 

[MCF]

So just for redundancy sake, any incidental thoughts or notes about pulling a post out of a Thunderbird, for the purpose of re-setting it?
View attachment 3649531

Block of soft wood... prybar... mostly concerned about tear-out around that post.

I did it on the previous Goth. Slow and steady wins the race. Careful not to twist it. I was able to pull it up with the fingers. Used a tiny amount of glue; it held fine for the few more months I had it. It was the wonky neck I finally gave up on....

 

[Count Bassie]

There is a great deal of prejudice, especially amoungst those that are followers of Church of Leo's Holy Relics. Read what Geddy has said about birds. He teased Pete Way when they toured together, but since doing the BBoB he discovered how great birds are in low mids and wishes he had known that years ago.

It was interesting at my Local L&M one time that I was talking with one of the bass players on staff. He had never tried a JC. I said that I love mine for the low mids and growly tone I get out of it. He hadn't thought that possible with a semi-hollow. He pulled one off the wall and plugged in. Was really surprised at the rock sound he got out of it. And then was impressed with how it sounded doing slappity poppity. The older bass player on staff later said that he had discovered the JC a while back and it was in high rotation for him for its versatility.

It is I think simple prejudice that keeps people using narrow categories for their basses. Because why bother thinking when you can just assume.

I have always treated hollow body basses with a little more paranoia than solid bodies.

 

[Count Bassie]

I did it on the previous Goth. Slow and steady wins the race. Careful not to twist it. I was able to pull it up with the fingers. Used a tiny amount of glue; it held fine for the few more months I had it. It was the wonky neck I finally gave up on....

For now I'm going with the fact that I can't pull out the insert with finger strength, and my hands are pretty good. I did see a small arc of dried glue sitting on the body though, by the raised insert, after pulling away the bridge. So, glued...

 

[Count Bassie]

Just to be an overkiller, the fact that the insert has begun to pull out (and subsequently glued... may be part of why I found it at GC, for so cheap) brings me to consider a new bridge idea.
Re-setting the post, going to a bridge without the potential for pulling out will take more time than I have th these days, and if what I have works, I chalk it up to funky functionality. But the overkiller in me goes there.

 

[MCF]

I've had my 'Bird now for about 5 days and I won't even look at my other basses for now. It'll come back I'm sure (Jazz basses are like old slippers to me), but for now, it's 100% 'Bird, as I'm working to relearn the band's set list on it. No more ergonomics issue, thx to advice provided here, experimentation and a darn good strap.

But... what is it with that Thunderbird voodoo exactly ?
I was asked by a sales clerk in a local shop recently (I was strap-shopping and wanted to try one, so I asked for a 'Bird to be lowered from a higher display) and by my father, who doesn't understand much about music, let alone TBirds except when you get to cars. I answered as best as possible, but still, I don't think I got it just right. When you get to it, it's not the most known bass ever, true that it has its distinctive sound but it doesn't fit everywhere, the shape is also distinctive but not appealling comfortable for all and it hasn't played on trillions of hits like J's and P's, although it's had its share and doesn't have X-Files type stories like Jaco's Bass of Doom and Jamerson's Funk Machine. But some of us are drawn to it, like rabbits to carrots, like devotees to a cult.

So.... ?

They fit me perfectly. Easiest to play seated and no issues standing once I got the right straps, height and angle figured out. The tone can be distinctive. But like most basses, they’re really versatile once you learn the settings on the VVT knobs and variations in plucking hand placement. The ‘15 with the taps is the most versatile bass I own.

 

[GBassNorth]

All the British English speaking people here pause and say 'more tea vicar?'

My wife was quite relieved to hear I'm not slapper. Although in a fit of rage she will occasionally call me a wanker, but then what guy doesn't fit that description from time to time.

So just for redundancy sake, any incidental thoughts or notes about pulling a post out of a Thunderbird, for the purpose of re-setting it?
View attachment 3649531
Block of soft wood... prybar... mostly concerned about tear-out around that post.

All bets are off if it's been previously glued. As long as the other rear post is sound you're probably ok. I'd just leave it as is and keep an eye on it to make sure it's not getting any worse.

At most I would take an exacto knife and carefully cut the portion of the glue around the insert that looks like it's touching the finish (cut above the finish, not at the finish - just to break any bond the insert might have with the finish of the bass). That way if it does pull out by itself it hopefully won't take any of the finish with it.

 

[MCF]

Hard to say having rounds on the CP and flats on the VP. To be honest, I’m pretty much only playing my new Gibson T-Bird Santa brought...love that nitro feel

And the smell of nitro when I open the case in the morning.

 

[MCF]

Just to be an overkiller, the fact that the insert has begun to pull out (and subsequently glued... may be part of why I found it at GC, for so cheap) brings me to consider a new bridge idea.
Re-setting the post, going to a bridge without the potential for pulling out will take more time than I have th these days, and if what I have works, I chalk it up to funky functionality. But the overkiller in me goes there.

Yeah, I have a touch of OCD. But I’ve learned to let some things be if they work instead of trying to “fix” everything halfway. Something like that would go on my rainy day list of things to do. Think about how to do it right, plan it out and not be in a hurry. It’s a CP, right? If it were mine, I’d fix the insert and go with the Babicz which has the more traditional look. But I forget, Do you windmill? The Hipshot seems to be a good choice too.

 

[gaffster]

Wow! Didn’t realize you had so many birds. Plan for day off tomorrow is to work on the Silverburst action to get it lower. Have a great gig tonight!

Thanks, you should check out this guy, there is always filing down the saddles too.
Dave's World of Fun Stuff

Back about 15 or 20 years ago, I figured buying a few third gen thunderbirds would be like money in the bank after I saw what happened to the 60's models. The red white and blue models are really pretty rare if you look at production numbers on that 'fly guitar' site. I swapped out the sidewinder pickups on one of them to get that 60's sound. The sidewinder sound is "modern", almost hi-fi to my ears unless I boost the mids and add some grit.

 

[GonePlaid]

Unfortunately there's zero indication from Epiphone that they will be releasing a NR VP, just a lot of hope and prayer from many of us VP and other TBird owners that it will happen in 2020. Fingers crossed.

The general hope is that if Eppi does another NR it will follow the lead of the VP and be fairly true to its vintage roots. That would mean it would be a Mahogany set neck body with one or two of the same pups that the current VP uses and would also utilize the same hardware as the VP. There's a lot of different desires as far as colors go but right now beyond the standard three options (black, white, burst) it seems like Phelam Blue and Burgundy Mist Metallic are leading the pack. I'm personally holding out for Pink Paisley to match my Fender Telecaster bass.


^this


With any luck we can will this thing into existence!


Both excellent choices. Personally, if I were looking at a new classic pro I'd just bite the bullet and step on up to a used Gibson TBird instead.
That said, if I had $1000 burning a hole in my pocket I'd jump on a new VP and have a nice wad left over for amp or cab upgrades.


I bought $700 worth of candy from them and they threw in a free Eppi VP bass.


You can slap just about any bass. Some may be easier to slap than others because of the Pickup locations or the string spacing or whatever. Also some may be specifically designed with electronics or controls that come in handy from an EQ standpoint when slapping. But the bottom line is, if you have the right skill level you can slap just about any bass.

I'm not a slapper at all, in fact I avoid even listening to it if at all possible. But I'd think the pup placement of a Warwick Thumb BO5 would be very handy for slappers. And I'd think the Marcus Miller bass would have a control layout that would benefit slappers.


Stay safe friend!


Just so long as you remember that if you slap a TBird the headstock will break off, but that's a good thing because the sudden loss of weight out at the far end of the neck will keep it from diving to the floor. Also remember, the TBird is a one trick pony so slapping it will sound like mud. (LOL - I think that's all the sarcasm I can fit in one post).

Well done.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I won't buy from Sweetwater any more. Last time I bought something from them, there was no candy included.

the amount of candy is usually proportional to the size of the purchase..

 

[GonePlaid]

Happens all the time (and much worse) on Epi Jack Casady’s. Nothing a little glue doesn’t fix

And a mallet.

 

[TerribleTim68]

the amount of candy is usually proportional to the size of the purchase..

Are we still talking about guitars, or are we back to exes?

 

[GonePlaid]

Yeah you guys're right, was glued in. Looks like kind of a slack job too. But if it won't go any further, I'll leave it. Never noticed until now anyway.

Put it back together then buy a bridge cover(my solution for[almost]everything).