I haven’t tried to remove them, but there appears to be plastic or hot glue residue at the base of those nuts on my bridge.
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
The VP saddles are set from the factory to match the fretboard radius. The only way to adjust the string height is to raise or lower the bridge studs on either side of the bridge. Unfortunately, the saddles in the VP were not designed for user removal, unlike the three point saddles that will even sometimes remove themselves.
I've looked closely at the design and as far as I can tell the intonation screws are either force fit into the retaining nut on the front of the bridge or they are held in place with a locktite type adhesive. There is a small nylon washer to reduce friction between the nut and the bridge.
I'm not aware of anyone actually attempting to remove those nuts on the intonation screws, so Toptube may be blazing the trail for us. It might go incredibly easy if done with locktite or it might be a disaster if it's a press fit. If it were my bass I'd ultimately raise the E side to the desired point then reslot the A string saddle to lower it where you want it. But first I'd try a different brand or set of strings to see if it's really a problem.
@Toptube keep us posted. Also, don't forget the Eppi Embassy uses the same bridge. You might get real lucky and find a damaged embassy (or one of the ones with the intonation problem) at a relatively low cost, I think I've seen damaged ones on eBay for as little as $250. BTW - I'm not aware of any drop in replacements for this bridge, unlike the 3 point which has a couple of options.
I bought one for $215 to part out, but it was too nice to part out. If you bugger up your bridge, I could be persuaded to let mine go and replace it with a Supertone 2, or you could just do that.
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The Hipshot D (.750) looks like a drop-in, but I would have to flip it around so the adjustment screws faced the fretboard- and it still might not help. Ugh. The bridge parameters are my only complaint with this bass.
I was under the impression the supertone 2 wasn't a match for the bridge stud locations on the VP. If it's truly an option that would be good news.
Proof that Fenders and Gibsons can coexist...
...and that neither requires tort to look good.
PS - more confirmation that I have a Humbucker fetish.
...and that neither requires tort to look good.
PS - more confirmation that I have a Humbucker fetish.
Supertone studs are on 3.25 centers. VP is 3.625, AFAICT.
Looks like a call to Hipshot is in order. The original Supertone goes out to 3.31"
Just lost out on bidding on a mint classic pro in fleabay. Oh well.
Don’t know about the D Type, but I can confirm the 2 point bolts on, but does not work on a VP:
But that looks like it might work if you moved the claw back about an inch or just took it off. Of course that would leave exposed screw holes which isn't really desirable. Is there proper room for intonation if one were to use the two point on a VP?
Edit - just noticed, the string spacing on the G and E strings of the Hipshot looks to be quite a bit less than the spacing on the slots of the VP claw. Interesting.
Those look cool. But I'm a bigger fan of the Coronado's tone.
The vintage Coronados are nice but I liked the sound (and the price) of the Modern Player Coronado better. I almost bought one until I played it against the Starcaster modern player. The Coronado did sound more woody and hollow body than the Starcaster, but the Starcaster had a lot more balls in the deep end was a better match to my Telecaster Modern Player in sound. If I were going to use Tapewound strings and shoot for more of an upright sound I'd definitely buy the Coronado modern player.
If your recollection is correct, then the 0.75" D style bridge is a drop in fit.
My lead guitar player plays a Firebird...sexy guitar!
what finish are you looking for?
- Mar 13, 2008
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- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
New dress day - it turned into a beautiful afternoon, time to sit outside with a drink!
My PF-350 just crapped out...
I played this afternoon with no trouble. This evening, I turned it on to play and nothing, no lights.
I'll call my local L&M tomorrow and see what they can do for me (service wise) and what to do about an interim solution. Fortunately, they are "open" in the sense that they are doing service and curbside pickup. I'll have to wear the corona virus protection helmet I guess.
I played this afternoon with no trouble. This evening, I turned it on to play and nothing, no lights.
I'll call my local L&M tomorrow and see what they can do for me (service wise) and what to do about an interim solution. Fortunately, they are "open" in the sense that they are doing service and curbside pickup. I'll have to wear the corona virus protection helmet I guess.
The like is for the picture, not the PF-350. Although, I seem to recall a number of TB'ers having problems with that amp. Maybe Chucky can shed some light on it.
Beautiful! Did the same today, minus the dress, with a couple of friends, properly-distanced. It was so nice.
As much as I like my PF350, they aren’t very sturdy amps. Mine got cold once and now it just sort of works.
