Thunderbird Club

[TBird1958]

Mark are you talking the DR Hi-Beams? I've been a Roto fan for years but like you say have a low fret life and tend to chew up frets. I have the DR neons on my TBird, initially for the neon green on black effect but have noticed
they do have a longer life span. I may try the DR Hi-Beams on my Mockingbird when it's time to pull the Rotos off.

Yep! I like DR Stainless Hi Beams

 

[MorphBass]

Hey guys, how come it's so difficult to find an ebony epiphone thunderbird?

 

[jd56hawk]

Hey guys, how come it's so difficult to find an ebony epiphone thunderbird?

One on ebay right now...not a Goth, not a trans black.
Custom shop, ebony with white pickguard...$229 current.

 

[Larry V]

Flip that 'B' saddle around Larry. Also reverse the saddle in it to get the correct break angle and you'll be able to intonate fully.

That's what I do with my 4 string bridges to get more travel in less space

It worked like a charm! Intonation perfection has been achieved!

Thanks, Dadagoboi!

Just curious, is your "handle" on this BB a play on, "The Dago Boy"? If so, molto grazie!

 

[Nocturnal]

John at Bluesman Vintage has worked his magic for me. May I present: Purple Haze.
View attachment 436032

Love the racing stripes on there!!! Great looking bass!!!

 

[Nocturnal]

I like being a conversation starter, so here's an interesting one...

What other basses do you own which aren't Thunderbirds?

I mostly have Thunderbirds (3 Gibson, 3 Epi, 1 Bach, 1 Warmoth) but I also have:
Gibson RD Novoselic that I heavily modified
198? Fender Jazz Special
1982 Hamer Blitz Bass
Hamer Slammer LP double cut style short scale
ESP/LTD LP double cut style with MM pickup
Carlo Robelli LP double cut style 8 string w/EMG MM pickup
And I'm thinking seriously about buying an early 80's Hamer Cruisebass because I've been GASing for one of those lately.

 

[hillerup]

Hey guys, how come it's so difficult to find an ebony epiphone thunderbird?

It's because they are limited editions, which are out of production, and have been so for a while...

They've been available in two versions - One with black hardware like the regular Vintage Sunburst Epi, and one with chrome hardware like the limited edition TV Silver one.

The one with chrome hardware is the most recent one, and was made available with limited editions in Alpine White and Vintage Sunburst ones also with chrome hardware a couple of years ago.

The one with black hardware was made available in 2007 together with limited ones in Alpine White, Metallic Red and Pelham Blue.

You can find them all on Ebay from time to time...

 

[hillerup]

I mostly have Thunderbirds (3 Gibson, 3 Epi, 1 Bach, 1 Warmoth) but I also have:
Gibson RD Novoselic that I heavily modified
198? Fender Jazz Special
1982 Hamer Blitz Bass
Hamer Slammer LP double cut style short scale
ESP/LTD LP double cut style with MM pickup
Carlo Robelli LP double cut style 8 string w/EMG MM pickup
And I'm thinking seriously about buying an early 80's Hamer Cruisebass because I've been GASing for one of those lately.

Nice collection!

 

[hillerup]

It worked like a charm! Intonation perfection has been achieved!

Thanks, Dadagoboi!

View attachment 437445

Just curious, is your "handle" on this BB a play on, "The Dago Boy"? If so, molto grazie!

I can for the love of God, not figure out how you adjust these bridges... How do you adjust the individual saddle back- and forwards when there is no adjustment screw like on a three-point bridge and a Fender style bridge?

 

[Nocturnal]

Nice collection!

Thanks!!

 

[Al Florenzo]

aww geezz. thanks for all the suggestions everybody! i did have chromes on my p bass, but it didn't really work for me.. i still have them around, so i think i'll try putting them on the bird. i did absolutely love the feel they had, so i guess it'd be worth a second chance! i tried EB's once but didn't like their sound, DRs i remember liking but i always broke one of them in a few weeks. weird. ill keep DRs in mind if i cant tweak the chromes to my liking, also will have a closer look at a steel leather. thanks a lot guys, a much better place to start then messing with the pups!

 

[Larry V]

I can for the love of God, not figure out how you adjust these bridges... How do you adjust the individual saddle back- and forwards when there is no adjustment screw like on a three-point bridge and a Fender style bridge?

You just need to loosen the set screw and nudge the saddle for or aft during the tuning process. Then tighten the set screw to hold the saddle's position.

I like this better than the 3 point on my TBird with the screw that's under the string though their wasn't any issue with adjusting the saddles there either.

 

[hillerup]

You just need to loosen the set screw and nudge the saddle for or aft during the tuning process. Then tighten the set screw to hold the saddle's position.

I like this better than the 3 point on my TBird with the screw that's under the string though their wasn't any issue with adjusting the saddles there either.

This may seem that a stupid question then: If the set screw is the one under the string - then how do you tighten the screw on the E saddle, which is completely covered by the string?

That seems a bit akward to me...

 

[Larry V]

It was. But from my RC airplane flying days, I have complete sets of Metric and English ball end hex wrenches which allow you to come in at an angle. Pretty handy for tweaking my bridge saddles.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LX9121&P=ML

Link Removed

 

[hillerup]

It was. But from my RC airplane flying days, I have complete sets of Metric and English ball end hex wrenches which allow you to come in at an angle. Pretty handy for tweaking my bridge saddles.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LX9121&P=ML

Link Removed

Thanks for settling my curiosity...

Although none of my current basses have these bridges I've always wondered how to adjust them, in case I should get one some day.

 

[awilkie84]

You just need to loosen the set screw and nudge the saddle for or aft during the tuning process. Then tighten the set screw to hold the saddle's position.

I like this better than the 3 point on my TBird with the screw that's under the string though their wasn't any issue with adjusting the saddles there either.

Spector uses this setup on their Euro & Legend basses. I despise it...It is better than the 3 point with the dumb FLATHEAD screw positioned under the string. -_- Can't wait to order a Supertone.

 

[Dadagoboi]

It worked like a charm! Intonation perfection has been achieved!

Thanks, Dadagoboi!

View attachment 437445

Just curious, is your "handle" on this BB a play on, "The Dago Boy"? If so, molto grazie!

You're welcome, looks great!...No comment on my handle. The Studio bridge is different from mine. The lock screws are in the side of the saddle,not under the strings...no problem getting to them.

 

[GemJam]

I like being a conversation starter, so here's an interesting one...

What other basses do you own which aren't Thunderbirds?

1974 Fender Jazz
1974 Rickenbacker 4001
2000 Musicman Sterling
2005 Fender Precision w/1987 Jazz neck
2012 Fender Kingman
and of course my 2013 Gibson Thunderbird

in the works, from scratch: Warmoth '51 P bass body in mahogany with an All Parts '51 P bass neck, loaded with Aguilar OBP-1 preamp and Aguilar AG 4M pickup

 

[hillerup]

1974 Fender Jazz
1974 Rickenbacker 4001
2000 Musicman Sterling
2005 Fender Precision w/1987 Jazz neck
2012 Fender Kingman
and of course my 2013 Gibson Thunderbird

in the works, from scratch: Warmoth '51 P bass body in mahogany with an All Parts '51 P bass neck, loaded with Aguilar OBP-1 preamp and Aguilar AG 4M pickup

Nice collection, covering all the bas(s)es with that...

 

[ThaCoast]

I mostly have Thunderbirds (3 Gibson, 3 Epi, 1 Bach, 1 Warmoth) but I also have:
Gibson RD Novoselic that I heavily modified
198? Fender Jazz Special
1982 Hamer Blitz Bass
Hamer Slammer LP double cut style short scale
ESP/LTD LP double cut style with MM pickup
Carlo Robelli LP double cut style 8 string w/EMG MM pickup
And I'm thinking seriously about buying an early 80's Hamer Cruisebass because I've been GASing for one of those lately.

Family pic would be nice to see all those basses xD Also, what did you do to the Novoselic RD bass? Curious to know