Thunderbird Club

[PillO]

I must be the only one that likes that reverse reverse non reverse reverse look...

No. I think it looks interesting and I would rock that.

 

[PillO]

Interesting. The background or surface it's sitting on is medium brown (same surface as the one in my avatar). Same as this...
View attachment 3750945

Taupe...

 

[JIO]

Looks OK to me. Calibrate your monitor!

[requires specialized tools (colourimeter), you probably just have to live with it]

For sure I will live with it - so low on my priority list.

 

[JIO]

Taupe...

Always liked taupe.

Sahara Taupe - Fender International Series - early '80s

 

[GBassNorth]

I must be the only one that likes that reverse reverse non reverse reverse look...

Count me in as well.

I have heard of multi-family garage sales. This was a multi-family house xmas party gig. Their lil 20 Amp breaker was no match for my thunderbird. I had to cut some lows and the party continued.
View attachment 3750974

Awesome pic!

Just my personal take on it - being an owner/player since around '73, I've drawn all possible versions backwards and forward attempting to create a T-bird of a feather... (without success)

I've always considered the NR the most attractive of the birds. Not as fond of a protruding lower horn but of all those basses that have them the Gibby bird is my favorite.

 

[Gaolee]

As long as the neck is sound, nothing wrong with bolt-ons. And there’s the benefit of being able to shim the neck if need be for lower action. Mod On Dude! And post pics, of course.

It will be a while, but it has to happen.

 

[Gaolee]

Just came in the mail...
View attachment 3750094
... Unfortunately to my sister's house who lives in Connecticut. I asked her to order it for me. I thought it will be easier then order one from Europe and pay insurance and possible duties.
Because overseas shipping is limited these days (SARS Cov19), I am gonna have to wait for her to visit us sometime in July this year to put these on my VP.
Hope the whole world situation will improve by then so she can make this trip.

Sorry about the delay, but those covers will really turn it into what it should be. As if it was not already...

I like covers a lot.

 

[Gaolee]

Hi everyone, I have decided to say goodbye to talkbass. I only have one Thunderbird ( an Epi ), and I really have nothing to usefully contribute honestly. Lol.
This has been a great group though. Take care everyone and stay healthy!

Glenn

Does any of the rest of us contribute much more than that? Stay well and maybe we will meet again somewhere.

 

[JIO]

Count me in as well.
Awesome pic!
I've always considered the NR the most attractive of the birds. Not as fond of a protruding lower horn but of all those basses that have them the Gibby bird is my favorite.

That's understandable because you also admire/play Fenders, at least in the past - and the oddly named non-reverse version is more aligned with a conventional "Fender-esk" design. I hear that. I like both for their independent design - each is a good design for a number of reasons aesthetic and functional. (to lesser or greater degree's) On this specific topic I could go on and on.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

As long as the neck is sound, nothing wrong with bolt-ons.

My experience with neck-through guitars is limited to a sample size of one, a Ric. Solid maple neck-through is an idea that sounds good, but this Ric's dead spots are the worst of the five basses I own. And so, I'm now free of my 40 year old infatuation with that idea.

My working theory (good enough for me but with this admittedly limited experience), is that a bolt-on has a greater discontinuity in the properties of the vibrating object right there, and that reduces the whole-object vibration because that energy isn't conducted as fluidly back and forth through that joint. While one could imagine reasons why that might be bad, I don't like dead spots and I'll take this deal, if it's true.

What about those very expensive neck-through basses (with presumably no dead spots)? Maybe they've learned over time, something about the way the grain lays or something, something that Ric has never noticed or won't incorporate (maybe because the bass would then have to *look* like one of those others).

And there’s the benefit of being able to shim the neck if need be for lower action.

Yes, and I feel better being free to replace the neck too.

 

[GonePlaid]

It looks dark green on my screen, especially sitting on a neutral grey background.

Yeah, me too also.
ETA: It looked like a color I recently found that turns out to be Philadelphia Eagles green.

 

[JJR58]

I must be the only one that likes that reverse reverse non reverse reverse look...

You're not the only one.

 

[RedVee]

Well thanks, my Factorbird is essentially a Gen1 T-bird body with added ergonomic sculpting and headless Kubicki X-Factor neck/tuner-bridge. I took exact measurements off my '64 to create it and slavishly cut it out of 3 pieces (of Koa) with the exact same V joint as the original. What I meant otherwise is using distinctive elements of both T-bird models in a variety of combinations attempting to discover a"pleasing result". That's the stickler - it's not that I couldn't construct (conceptually) a few ok designs based on the two T-bird models, but I didn't discover one that looks really cool - a pleasing result in my eyes. There are many designs someone likes, or could like out there - but it always comes down to a design that nails it in all aesthetic and functional ways. (for me) I'm not throwing in the towel yet - eventually I may stumble on a design I can feel good about based on the mighty Thunderbird.

View attachment 3750992

The white one is cool too

 

[JIO]

The white one is cool too

THUNDERBIRD

 

[RedVee]

THUNDERBIRD

View attachment 3751092

That’s the one

 

[JIO]

That’s the one

Thanks! If interested - Saunders

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Hi everyone, I have decided to say goodbye to talkbass. I only have one Thunderbird ( an Epi ), and I really have nothing to usefully contribute honestly. Lol.
This has been a great group though. Take care everyone and stay healthy!

Glenn

Gonna miss you, sir!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Got my Epi TBPV back yesterday. This thing is a blast! Plays really well and has some great rock tones! Long live the Guillotine!

I have a bunch of other basses to review, but this is definitely in the queue.

No photos showing for me.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Day one of California Confinement...

First - Deep cleaned two of my Warwick basses (slathered bees wax on the bodies and necks, let it soak in for a few minutes then buffed it off, hydrated the fretboards, cleaned the frets, polished all the hardware, air blasted the control cavities and pots, removed the pups and air blasted those cavities as well). They look and sound good as new. I'll probably do about two basses a day, so that should keep me busy for the next few weeks.

Second - reshaped the headstock on the FrankenGoth to more of a NR shape and reset the tuners to an extreme angle similar to a Warwick bass. This was per my daughters instructions (the new owner of the bass)....
View attachment 3750837
She's still playing around with unique pickguard ideas, might post a couple of them to see what others think.

Gorgeous!

 

[GonePlaid]

No photos showing for me.

O-K! So I'm not the only one.