- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,904
- 142,307
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
You got it!
Check the list above, you'll be #580. Please be welcome here, did you chrome out the blue NR?
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
- Start date
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- Tags
- club thunderbird
You got it!
Check the list above, you'll be #580. Please be welcome here, did you chrome out the blue NR?
No, I didn't chrome it out. I bought it as you see it from a TBer in the Midwest. He had had the Babicz bridge, Thunderbucker PUs, and the Hipshot mini-tuners professionally installed. It's a great axe.
Sorta jumped the gun xD (but it's all good, the varnish has cured nicely)
I'll get better pictures once it's set up after the keys arrive. But man, this bass just pops even more & my bridge pickup works!! 13.80K at the bridge, 13.90k at the neck. I think it's pretty good. + with the added .047uf capacitor, i'm sure to get a bit more bite out of the tone.
I'll get better pictures once it's set up after the keys arrive. But man, this bass just pops even more & my bridge pickup works!! 13.80K at the bridge, 13.90k at the neck. I think it's pretty good. + with the added .047uf capacitor, i'm sure to get a bit more bite out of the tone.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,904
- 142,307
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Looking great Andii!
Looking great Andii!
Here you go Count Bassie. Easier to post the pics again then figure out which number post it was. This thread moves fast! May look a bit odd at first but I can guarantee you it works really well. Removed the strap knob that was mounted at the heel of the neck, put the rear screw for the strap hook
That looks very handy indeed. Nice job man!
Leon Wilkinson of Lynrd Skynrd had a similar jig on his Thunderbird so he could play after recovering from the plane crash. It was not quite as tidy as this, but it served him well I think.
Neat. Nice bass too!
Thank you my Queen
Honestly, it feels better now than it ever has been. The neck is just the right profile & since i slimmed down the width a touch, the strings can be a lot closer spaced which facilitates my playing. That bone nut looks better than the black plastic as well, more true gibson. I'm also going to make a new truss rod cover using an old 3 ply black/white/black pickguard i kept from a bass i've refurbished for a friend (he didn't need it anyways). But now this week, i'm going to be cleaning my room top to bottom getting rid of stuff for a pre-spring cleaning 
I've seen some bent out of shape 3 points before (not my own, just pictures on non thunderbirds), but never seen just a crack in the bridge like that. & it could be, but it seems very weird cause the two back posts should sit lower than the front one to give the strings a break angle. I'm sure someone else will chime in on the situation 
Best of luck.
I've also been thinking about this: I've never seen a roadworn thunderbird bass as much as i see Jazz & precisions worn to the bone & i think i know why:
1-The worn thunderbirds are probably broken & unfixable
2-Most play 7enders than gibson basses (kinda understandable since IMO it has a better fanbass (ha puns) than gibson)
3-Thunderbird players aren't ones to beat up a thunderbird as much as they'd beat up a F3nder (which i'm sure applies to us )
Best of luck.I've also been thinking about this: I've never seen a roadworn thunderbird bass as much as i see Jazz & precisions worn to the bone
& i think i know why:1-The worn thunderbirds are probably broken & unfixable
2-Most play 7enders than gibson basses (kinda understandable since IMO it has a better fanbass (ha puns) than gibson)
3-Thunderbird players aren't ones to beat up a thunderbird as much as they'd beat up a F3nder (which i'm sure applies to us
)
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
I put a Babicz on the '91 as part of the chroming project. I learned about them when I had an EB, which it looks like I'll be getting back pretty soon. I find them easy to adjust, rock solid, and they may or may not increase sustain. If they don't increase sustain, they sure don't hurt it any. I personally think the Babicz looks better than a Hipshot, but that's splitting hairs. It fit perfectly, and installation was a breeze. The 2015 came with one, so no need to swap anything out on that one. I'm debating putting one on the bolt-on Epiphone, even though the bridge would add about 50% to the amount I paid for the bass, including its case.Ok fellow bird lovers,
I'm tired of fighting with this 3 point bridge and my E string in particular and was wondering how many of you have replace the stock 3 point with either the:
Hip Shot Supetone
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Babicz FCH 3 point
and if so how you are liking the change?
by the by i also recently pick up an Epi T-Bird Classic Pro but no need to give me a number as i already have one
So, yeah, I like Babicz bridges.
And, FWIW, I thought about buying another 1991 with a Hipshot that was installed when the original 3-point cracked. Apparently, it happens.
It's on like honkee dong!?
No...
It's on like Honghummer Kongbucker!
No...
It's on like Honghummer Kongbucker!
Ok fellow bird lovers,
I'm tired of fighting with this 3 point bridge and my E string in particular and was wondering how many of you have replace the stock 3 point with either the:
Hip Shot Supetone
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Babicz FCH 3 point
and if so how you are liking the change?
by the by i also recently pick up an Epi T-Bird Classic Pro but no need to give me a number as i already have one
I have the Hipshot on two of my three thunderbirds and like it a lot. I installed both before the Babicz was available or I might have tried it, but I'm happy with the Hipshot. Not a lot of difference in tone, but a lot easier to adjust.
I finally got around to pulling the Chinabuckers out of my G&L-bird and adding more foam to the underside to raise them as far as I could. Made a huge difference in output and got the neck pickup around the same as my stock Classics. The bridge pickup still isn't close enough to make much difference other than being "on" or "off" and thinning out the overall sound of the neck pickup when it's "on." I'm ok with that though, I suppose, since I mostly play with the neck at 100% and the bridge rolled back a hair. Sounds fantastic, so I'll probably leave it as is but get some longer screws to make sure they don't vibrate out over time. (Currently only a couple of threads into the wood.)
I still want to get a Squier '51P body to drop one of these Chinabuckers into. I think that would be pretty rad, but I need to make sure the chrome ring will cover the P route. Not sure it will as is.
I still want to get a Squier '51P body to drop one of these Chinabuckers into. I think that would be pretty rad, but I need to make sure the chrome ring will cover the P route. Not sure it will as is.
To raise the pickups, you can also use the hose for aquarium like this :
and mount it on the screws between the wood and the PUs.
and mount it on the screws between the wood and the PUs.
Besides, I wonder why Pickups manufacturers do not respect CURRENT PUs dimensions of the Thunderbird ?
Aside (to my knowledge) Seymour Duncan and EMG, no one else has the exact size...
Or so we are obliged to install the ring....
Aside (to my knowledge) Seymour Duncan and EMG, no one else has the exact size...
Or so we are obliged to install the ring....
For the price and quality (looks and sound) of these Hong Kong humbuckers, I don't mind making them fit. I used (a LOT) of weather stripping foam.
[edited to add] These went into an Epiphone body, so many Tbird pickups require a little wood removal.
[edited to add] These went into an Epiphone body, so many Tbird pickups require a little wood removal.
When I installed the pair of 9.2s in my 08 Gibson recently, I packed under them with 5 mm high density foam sheeting- I used 2 pieces for each pickup. As a result, the neck pickup is no problem- plenty of adjustment either way and can get as close to the strings as I like. I have set it at 4 mm at present (this is where the TB Pluses were set and the pickup in my Grecobird) . The neck pickup sits higher out of the body to get close enough to the strings (this was the case issue with the TB pluses anyway), currently the bottom of the bridge pickup is level with the ring around it and that gives me 5mm to the strings with current setup. I am getting enough bridge for me.
I reckon I can lower the action at the bridge a bit, but haven't bothered because I have a chrome three pointer (and some chrome Grovers) on the way and I will give the bass a full set up when I change the bridge.
Also waiting for Thunderbucker Ranch to get some ring spacers back in stock, as those will raise the rings a little (mainly aesthetic). This is going to work well!
As @Mike A says sourcing some longer pickup screws wouldn't hurt either.
I used three different kinds of foam on P-build. A 1/8" low density, a 1" high density, and chunk of grey round weather stripping! It's a disaster in there! Sounds fine though!
Oh, and I stole the springs out of a pair of identical pens from my insurance agent for the pickup crews.
Oh, and I stole the springs out of a pair of identical pens from my insurance agent for the pickup crews.
I've just set up the thunderbird (with the 3 original tuning keys E-D) & as much as the bridge is "high" compared to many i've seen here (& possibly from before i took it apart but it's hard to remember when it was months ago) it plays great thanks to the reshaped neck profile & the narrower string spacing at the nut jumping from string to string is a breeze as is playing elaborate grooves! But i'll do another set up once the new keys arrive & it'll be toped off with a new Truss Rod Cover.
A couple of years ago I sent a friend the base plate of a Gibson 3-point because his cracked down the center. It does happen but you don't hear about it very often.
