Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

Ask and you shall receive. My usual disclaimer; I didn't write this so I don't take credit or blame for it.


1. Screw down the bridge evenly over all three screws till you have an action around the 15th and higher frets that is comfortable for you without any or too much buzz (some players don't mind a little buzz or even like it, that is a matter of taste). Keep the front stud a little higher for best string to saddle pressure. Retune the bass, don't worry about buzzing in the lower registers at this point.

2. Now you've got your bass retuned with a lower action at the high frets. Your lower frets will now either buzz (see 2a for the subsequent steps) or the action will still be too high even in the low registers (see 2b for the subsequent steps).

2a: Low Register buzzes: You need to loosen the truss rod. Take off the truss rod cover and insert an allen wrench in the allen nut (the cheaper Epis generally have allen nuts). Don't detune the bass for that, rather lift the A and the D string to the side to the slots of the G and E string to have room for turning the allen wrench. With the bass' butt resting on your toes (clean those sneakers!) and the strings/fretboard facing away from you, you - while standing up and looking down - will now turn the allen wrench <--- counterclockwise <---. Epi truss rods move easily (if noisily), turn it and immediately look to find out how the action of the bass has altered and buzzing has become less or disappeared. Don't be scared of overdoing it - it is impossible to break a truss rod by loosening it as you are releasing tension. That said, one or two "one third turns" counterclockwise should do it. sometimes you will need a few more of those to actually adjust the bass if the neck is too straight or even curved away from the fretboard.

2 b: Low Register has too much action: Same as 2a, except that you have too tighten the truss rod now which is done by turning the allen wrench ---> clockwise --->. You will also have to be more careful as you can break a trussrod by overtightening it. But Epi truss rods are hardy and can certainly survive one full turn or even more as your bass is probably a virgin as regards truss rod adjustment.

3. After a combination of either steps 1 and 2a or steps 1 and 2 b you should have a relatively or even totally buzz free bass with good to reasonable action. If there is still some persistent buzzing at some places then raise the bridge a little. Raising the front stud will raise all strings, raising the lower hind stud more the D and G string, raising the upper hind stud more E and A. No radical set ups please! (Like one stud real low and the other two very high.)

4. (optional) Is all buzzing just on one string (while the other strings are buzz-free) and you have to raise the bridge considerably to make it go away even though you could stay much lower if it were just for the other strings? Try this then: I assume that on your Epi too the saddles for the four individual strings do not all have the same height, but that there are two higher and two lower ones. If the persistently buzzing string is on a lower saddle, then exchange that saddle against a higher saddle.

Perfect! Thx!
@barrt

 

[dagrev]

Geez you had bring in Cory? Here’s the ear worm eraser for that:

BTO

 

[dagrev]

So far the only downside to having dedicated straps is that a week ago, while switching guitars in the Room of Requirement, I whacked the ceiling with the VP headstock. Twice. Had I not been pulling it over my head that wouldn't have happened.
Probably.
Very slight ding at the end of the hadstock with embedded "popcorn" goop I need to remove. I hate popcorn ceilings. Really dumb idea. Probably invented by the spider lobby. They give the little ones so many more places to fasten their webs.

I was playing my '64 Sunday. Got all plugged in and turned to walk back to my tuner and whacked the headstock on a protruding corner. Hadn't done that in a long time. Not real hard but hard enough I stunned myself and had an internal conversation. Fortunately the 30 yr repair is solid, so no headstock popping off. Still, it was unnerving.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I was playing my '64 Sunday. Got all plugged in and turned to walk back to my tuner and whacked the headstock on a protruding corner. Hadn't done that in a long time. Not real hard but hard enough I stunned myself and had an internal conversation. Fortunately the 30 yr repair is solid, so no headstock popping off. Still, it was unnerving.

"Hey, buddy! Watch it! What's wrong with you, anyway? What if I whacked your head on a corner?"

(Headstock popping off)

 

[dagrev]

"Hey, buddy! Watch it! What's wrong with you, anyway? What if I whacked your head on a corner?"

(Headstock popping off)

Yes, something exactly like that! You've had that internal conversation as well, huh?

 

[Engle]

A real fanatic could build a "folded" hallway with full sheets of plywood.
But seriously folks, an extension cabinet at some distance would probably work.

With the quality of plugins available, it’s much simpler to record dry and add reverb.

 

[Count Bassie]

View attachment 3737494

3 confirmed and active cases, 20 minutes away from you. Be safe, Roger.

Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS

Thanks man, we're good here, same at you Larry.
A friend of mine posted that stat sheet on fb, since the CDC has been slow to procedure...

 

[Engle]

a shag rug? How delightfully 70’s

If it was orange or green...

 

[Count Bassie]

With the quality of plugins available, it’s much simpler to record dry and add reverb.

...then you can assign busses and get that "room sound" for rhythm guitar, backing tracks, stuff you dub in later... I miss mixing my yackety crazy tracks on CEP-2...

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Yes, something exactly like that! You've had that internal conversation as well, huh?

All. My. Life.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

With the quality of plugins available, it’s much simpler to record dry and add reverb.

I wasn’t thinking of recording, but even there it can add unique characrer.

 

[PillO]

With the quality of plugins available, it’s much simpler to record dry and add reverb.

Nope, easier to just play louder.

My solution to all problems - play louder.

 

[GBassNorth]

Nope, easier to just play louder.

My solution to all problems - play louder.

That and play it again.
If you make a mistake, just repeat it then it sounds normal. Works for jazz players.

 

[Bassmike62]

Geez you had bring in Cory? Here’s the ear worm eraser for that:

CF Turner.
The rock on which BTO was built on, IMO. Solid playing, voice made for rock music. Held the BTO flame for a long time. From what I read, he was in the band even before he knew it, Randy Bachman wanted him so bad.

He and Dusty looked somewhat similar at one point in their careers.
4 string-brothers from different mothers.

And what's that behind him...

 

[Miles_ONeal]

CF Turner.
The rock on which BTO was built on, IMO. Solid playing, voice made for rock music. Held the BTO flame for a long time. From what I read, he was in the band even before he knew it, Randy Bachman wanted him so bad.


...

View attachment 3739567

Some truly fine rock and roll.

 

[Bassmike62]

Some truly fine rock and roll.

Amen.

 

[JIO]

What's in a name?

That's entertainment!

 

[Gaolee]

We need video. Does your singer have any?

Unfortunately, there is no record. It would have been a YouTube winner for sure.

 

[Gaolee]

Footage from the basement of bad ideas?
View attachment 3739347
View attachment 3739348

I admit nothing.

 

[Gaolee]

That and play it again.
If you make a mistake, just repeat it then it sounds normal. Works for jazz players.

If it sounds funny, play it three times and call it jazz.

- Charles Mingus