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Thunderbird Club

#14,701
I'll leave this here.........
I lifted it from our Thunderbird Brother GodofThunder59 (Scott's) FB page, what a super cool take on the bridge for a modern or vintage Bird! I really like how it looks - like it belongs there! A great replacement for a three point that still has that vintage look, fits Epiphone Classic Birds and of course Gibson.
Devoted genius at work here!

Bravo, Scott! Bravo!

badbird2.1_zpscz5z27nk.jpg
 
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#14,702
I'm having the PU's replaced on my Epi Pro 5er with some massive/passive SD soapbars, I was going to yank the electronics too BUT my tech told me I can leave them and he is going to install a push/pull volume pot so I can have "the best of both worlds" sez it should work, just have to figure out "how" ALSO he sez that bridge has saddles that accomodate Piezo transducers? You guys ever hear of this? He sez some models have it?
HMMM news to me, I told him to go for it, see how it turns out, keep you posted on that one.

Also was talking to GC today & they said they can order me a Gibson or Epi Lefty although I would have to pay 100% up front since it's a "special order" so I triple dog dared em!!!!!~Keep you posted on that one too...
 
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#14,703
TBird1958 said:
I'll leave this here.........
I lifted it from our Thunderbird Brother GodofThunder59 (Scott's) FB page, what a super cool take on the bridge for a modern or vintage Bird! I really like how it looks - like it belongs there! A great replacement for a three point that still has that vintage look, fits Epiphone Classic Birds and of course Gibson.
Devoted genius at work here!

Bravo, Scott! Bravo!

badbird2.1_zpscz5z27nk.jpg
Click to expand...
That looks great! I want one.
 
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#14,704
Gaolee said:
Especially when it also includes a power drill, a bass guitar, screws, wire, a soldering iron...

Actually, my 1991 has been the victim mostly. It was bone stock but really well used when I got it. Since then, I have installed chrome clover tuners that required reaming out the tuning peg holes and drilling holes in a different location that the original screws that set the tuners in place. I have installed a bridge cover and pickup cover. The first location of the bridge cover was pretty much where Gibson would have put it in the 1960s or 1970s, but it didn't look quite right with the Babicz bridge I also installed. So, two more holes and it's in the right place. It's got HongKong Bucker pickups on it, and those have pickup trim rings. I used a drill bit that had too small a diameter when installing the neck pickup ring, so the screw heads twisted off where it screws into the middle hardwood laminates. The other pickup ring went in without issue since I used a bigger bit.

So, it actually did end well if you don't ever take anything apart and see what's underneath. No beer was involved. The refrigerator held it for me at the time.
Click to expand...

So, did you use the Hipshot mini-clover tuners, or did you fit regular sized tuners on it, and do they touch each other when they're lined up?
 
#14,705
TBird1958 said:
I'll leave this here.........
I lifted it from our Thunderbird Brother GodofThunder59 (Scott's) FB page, what a super cool take on the bridge for a modern or vintage Bird! I really like how it looks - like it belongs there! A great replacement for a three point that still has that vintage look, fits Epiphone Classic Birds and of course Gibson.
Devoted genius at work here!

Bravo, Scott! Bravo!

badbird2.1_zpscz5z27nk.jpg
Click to expand...

That is making me think about a tail piece for my bling bird.
 
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#14,706
TBird1958 said:
I'll leave this here.........
I lifted it from our Thunderbird Brother GodofThunder59 (Scott's) FB page, what a super cool take on the bridge for a modern or vintage Bird! I really like how it looks - like it belongs there! A great replacement for a three point that still has that vintage look, fits Epiphone Classic Birds and of course Gibson.
Devoted genius at work here!

Bravo, Scott! Bravo!

badbird2.1_zpscz5z27nk.jpg
Click to expand...
Thanks so much Mark, really a labor of love. I am very pleased with how it came out. I love the look of the 60's spec tailpiece. Designing something to fit the three point foot print is a exercise in compromise. I think the Badbird II captures the look and functionality of the 60's bridge. It's not all about looks. The Badbird II provides better string tension (always a problem with the three point), No more floppy E string! Another added benefit is the saddles don't fallout if you break or remove the string! The bridge is made of machined brass and nickle plated. To install the bridge you will have to commit to the tailpiece, this concept has been used with good results by Orville, Greco and Ibanez. This bridge cost quite a bit to make but I am going to price it very competitive even though it is a short run made in USA product. Please feel free to PM me for details or look up Badbird on fb.
 
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#14,707
godofthunder59 said:
Thanks so much Mark, really a labor of love. I am very pleased with how it came out. I love the look of the 60's spec tailpiece. Designing something to fit the three point foot print is a exercise in compromise. I think the Badbird II captures the look and functionality of the 60's bridge. It's not all about looks. The Badbird II provides better string tension (always a problem with the three point), No more floppy E string! The bridge is made of machined brass and nickle plated. To install the bridge you will have to commit to the tailpiece, this concept has been used with good results by Orville, Greco and Ibanez. This bridge cost quite a bit to make but I am going to price it very competitavley even though it is a short run made in USA product. Please feel free to PM me for details or look up Badbird on fb.
Click to expand...

I take it from what you say the tail piece and Badbird II are a big improvement over just a three pointer, Scott.
I have a Greco TB II. I think it plays better than my Gibson, which doesn't have a tail piece. The Gibson plays fine but the Greco feels better.
Do you think I would see an improvement in the feel of my Gibson if I left a three pointer on and added the tail piece? At the very least, seems a good way to improve the break angle and get the silk out of the saddles.
 
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#14,708
veebass said:
I take it from what you say the tail piece and Badbird II are a big improvement over just a three pointer, Scott.
I have a Greco TB II. I think it plays better than my Gibson, which doesn't have a tail piece. The Gibson plays fine but the Greco feels better.
Do you think I would see an improvement in the feel of my Gibson if I left a three pointer on and added the tail piece? At the very least, seems a good way to improve the break angle and get the silk out of the saddles.
Click to expand...
You will definitely feel a impovment by adding a tailpiece !
 
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#14,709
hillerup said:
So, did you use the Hipshot mini-clover tuners, or did you fit regular sized tuners on it, and do they touch each other when they're lined up?
Click to expand...
I used the Hipshot mini-clovers that they make specifically for 'Birds. They work perfectly and they look the part. Bravo to Hipshot for making them for us.

That Badbird tailpiece has me kinda wishing the '91 didn't have a chrome Babicz on it already.
 
#14,712
Your Hipshots look just like mine...except mine are totally different. :D

I love how weird this thing is. It'd be a great gigging bass...but I'd have to think about refinishing it in some wacky glowing color.
CUSTOM THUNDERBIRD BASS WITH KAHLER TREM!
 
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#14,713
Haji said:
Your Hipshots look just like mine...except mine are totally different. :D

I love how weird this thing is. It'd be a great gigging bass...but I'd have to think about refinishing it in some wacky glowing color.
CUSTOM THUNDERBIRD BASS WITH KAHLER TREM!
Click to expand...

I'd rock it, but i'd do some extensive clean up first: Removing the pickguard, cleaning up the neck & pocket (cause that looks like a hackjob mess) & giving it a good clean polish. I'd probably make a glow in the dark design which would be cool.
 
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#14,714
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#14,716
Got the strings on the '08 Tbird IV, and man I love that Tbird tone. The V has been cool with the P/Js, but I have missed those 2 hbs.....we even cranked the Scrambler today before our session! Oh, I should mention my guitarist/singer/songwriter was over this AM and we laid down some tracks. I have to add bass and drum loops tomorrow and Thurs as he will be back Friday to lay down some vocals and leads after the drums and bass are done. Our method is rhythm guitar to metronome, then scratch vocals to give me the structure for drums and bass. Then he comes back, redoes the vocal and adds the lead guitar and solo. THEN, we make what I like to call our tasty bits tracks where he adds flavor to the song... THEN, it's all on me to get it right in SONAR....

gotta take a new avatar photo with the IV instead of the V, as the V is on the block.
 
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#14,720
It's ALIVE!!

10361063_10208872782598330_2424978070761506302_n.jpg


Picked up the SWR Goliath II cab this evening & man is it heavy (no car & no cash for a taxicab, so walking all the way down to the metro station up/down stairs, & during rush hour no less) Little bit of work that i want to do to make it look better (clean up the carpet lining & fix the bottom portion of it underneath - separated somehow) Also, the top left speaker isn't moving so i gotta check that out next time i'm at my friends place (since he's holding the rig for the time being) Hopefully it's just a bad connection, but if not it's no biggie to find a replacement speaker. 4x10 is what i love to have, The peavey head packs a lot of bass, so i might try & find a 1x15 (but not for now, i'll have to see after many gigs :P ) In 2017, i'll be making myself a roller base to carry this cab due to the heaviness & i'll probably remove the grill & SWR logo, so i can paint my band logo onto the grill & reinstall it. Already found my amp settings too & I got to play my thunderbird through it.

Verdict, it needs a pickup swap (Emg TBHZ) & i'm probably going to add a stacked preamp to have more definition to it's tone. Gonna try & keep the killswitch cause that's always handy.
 
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