Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

Ok, I just checked out the Babicz spacer plate and it is indeed flat, it is also nearly twice as thick as the Eppi shoulders are high. Unfortunately, the bolt holes in the spacer are sized for a slip fit of the Eppi/Gibby bolts threaded section only. To clear the Eppi shoulders the Bab spacer holes would need to be at least .625" diameter. If you tried to drill out the spacer holes to fit over the Eppi shoulders you'd quickly run out of meat on the spacer plate (see pic below).

In other words, the Babicz bridge will not work on the Eppi unless you intend on mounting it above the body on top of the Eppi shoulders, which leaves a 1/8" air gap and kind of defeats the purpose of having a full contact bridge. Stick to the Hipshot on the Eppi and the Babicz on the Gibby.

View attachment 3696471

Thank you for looking at that! It’s what I suspected from looking at it installed, but wasn’t sure and didn’t want to undue mine just to have a look. My ‘15 works so well I’m hesitant to mess with it.

I’m going to wait on the Hipshot for the Silverburst from the seller I ordered it from as I got a reply from him today. He’s promising it should be in from Hipshot any day and then out to me. Forty bucks saved is, well, forty bucks. But next time I’m ordering direct....

 

[Miles_ONeal]

The whole purpose of calipers is extreme accuracy. A good set of Starrett calipers will last a lifetime with normal care and usage. I'm not fond of the digital type (seems like the battery always goes out at the most inconvenient time). Get the dial type. Make sure it has inside, outside and depth functions and comes in a hard case. Store it in the case and it won't matter if you drop it. I've had mine for nearly 50 years.

Apparently their less expensive sets are made in China and are not up their old quality. Have to start looking up the food chain to find something I can trust. Thanks.

 

[MCF]

Status on this THUNDERBIRD is now changed. For Sale/Trade - Gibson Thunderbird Nonreverse

 

[TBird1958]

Status on this THUNDERBIRD is now changed. For Sale/Trade - Gibson Thunderbird Nonreverse

Sweet........(It wants chromey bits real bad!)

 

[MCF]

Sweet........(It wants chromey bits real bad!)

Thanks! (It does. That’ll be on the back burner until I give up on Epi doing a VP one.)

 

[PillO]

recessed..
View attachment 3696352

no, just realized you guys are talking about the Babicz...the pic is of the HS..I'm so FIRED!!..

We wouldn't fire you for that. Keeping you around and reminding you of it occasionally is way more entertaining. Sort of like why @JJR58 and I are around.

 

[PillO]

On none of my Epi birds (IV, VP IV, Pro IV) have I been able to raise my pickups as high as I want to try. They all start flopping around; there's not enough foam under them to get them as close as I think I would like to the strings.
Do y'all find you can crank them way up, out of the box? Or do you have to add foam? I'm not sure why they went with foam vs springs to begin with, but I know a lot of the club members seem to like foam. Bonus question: why do you prefer foam?

In theory, foam should apply a more even pressure, but I think that is at best a theoretical point. Both will deform over time; the springs will see the spring constant decrease over time lessening the pressure applied. Similarly, the foam will see the polymer fibres fail over time likewise decreasing the pressure exerted. To my mind, six of one, half dozen of the other. Use what you like/know.

 

[Gaolee]

They're South East Asian metalheads -- always maximum shred.

That is why you need an amp with a "liquefy" setting. It serves to keep that kind of thing under control.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

We wouldn't fire you for that. Keeping you around and reminding you of it occasionally is way more entertaining. Sort of like why @JJR58 and I are around.

and all this time I thought it was JJR58’s looks and your watermelons..

 

[Gaolee]

the only thing I don’t like about the Artcores is their f holes. They seem a bit fat around the middle... I really should like that.

Life and everything is all about the f-holes.

 

[PillO]

and all this time I thought it was JJR58’s looks and your watermelons..

That too.

 

[PillO]

Life and everything is all about the f-holes.

Ahem.

 

[PillO]

Life and everything is all about the f-holes.

 

[Gaolee]

I have (had) springs on my 2015 bird pups. Hated them, replaced with high density foam.

I frequently anchor my thumb on the pickups, and when equipped with Springs the pup moves all over the place, drives me nutz. With good high density foam (the type you can get from the hardware store for weather stripping) I can get the pups up nice and high and rock solid.

If you use ordinary foam rubber it will be too squishy, try some of the adhesive backed weather stripping type foam, it works great. BTW - I keep my pups up as close to the strings as I can get them without the strings touching when depressed at the last fret (exception being the 2015 bird, it's a totally different beast when it comes to pup height).

The pickups are as low as possible on the 2015, unlike any other Thunderbird.

 

[MCF]

I have (had) springs on my 2015 bird pups. Hated them, replaced with high density foam.

I frequently anchor my thumb on the pickups, and when equipped with Springs the pup moves all over the place, drives me nutz. With good high density foam (the type you can get from the hardware store for weather stripping) I can get the pups up nice and high and rock solid.

If you use ordinary foam rubber it will be too squishy, try some of the adhesive backed weather stripping type foam, it works great. BTW - I keep my pups up as close to the strings as I can get them without the strings touching when depressed at the last fret (exception being the 2015 bird, it's a totally different beast when it comes to pup height).

“Springs” that are in the ‘15 are crummy blobs of silicone that are a PITA. An insult to real springs everywhere. Just another Gibson mystery like the too thin 2 cent TR cover.

 

[fasterpussycat]

Was just pondering how to get the JC out of the house in its case (ie not a gig bag) without 1. arms falling off, 2. a lift from someone and discovered the BackAxe (BackAxe Home Page). The Epi Bird case is prolly too clunky and long for comfort -- unless you want to be 9 feet tall.

 

[dagrev]

On none of my Epi birds (IV, VP IV, Pro IV) have I been able to raise my pickups as high as I want to try. They all start flopping around; there's not enough foam under them to get them as close as I think I would like to the strings.
Do y'all find you can crank them way up, out of the box? Or do you have to add foam? I'm not sure why they went with foam vs springs to begin with, but I know a lot of the club members seem to like foam. Bonus question: why do you prefer foam?

Yes. On the white VP the neck will tilt forward if I max it out. Foam must be more on the bridge side, but I have yet to take is out and see what's going on. But to get it as high as I want the bottom of the can will pop out on the bridge side of the PU and I have to work with it to get it leveled and not floppy. The bridge PU is where I want it. The burst VP I have PUs a little lower intentionally so it's not an issue.

 

[dagrev]

To much tension. Otherwise love them myself.

I use the light set and they work fine for me, and I don't like stiff bridge cables at all. So I set these nice and low and they work just fine for me. Of course the gauge of strings is not the same as tension, but going lighter gauge helps me enough.

 

[PillO]

Was just pondering how to get the JC out of the house in its case (ie not a gig bag) without 1. arms falling off, 2. a lift from someone and discovered the BackAxe (BackAxe Home Page). The Epi Bird case is prolly too clunky and long for comfort -- unless you want to be 9 feet tall.

I think a better idea is to get a car. Something that the mod would approve of.

 

[dagrev]

In theory, foam should apply a more even pressure, but I think that is at best a theoretical point. Both will deform over time; the springs will see the spring constant decrease over time lessening the pressure applied. Similarly, the foam will see the polymer fibres fail over time likewise decreasing the pressure exerted. To my mind, six of one, half dozen of the other. Use what you like/know.

I like foam for the even pressure you mentioned. Springs never feel right much of the time. And with foam you can put more in different places if needed.