Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

It does, what caught my attention was this:

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A poor tbird active transformed into a V. Not a bad thing, just kinda weird. IMO, the bird headstock doesn't fit the V style body.

'A' for effort in concept/approach. Separate/remove the wings at the laminate and add new 1/2 V wings - ingenious really. Begs for a 'convertible' model w/detachable-attachable wings w/different electronics.

 

[TBird1958]

'76s aren't of the same ilk as the '60s ones, none the less few were made, and that is a super clean one with all it's parts. Glad I have the 3 I need!

 

[Nocturnal]

Haven't had a chance to post a pic of the latest arrival. Never thought I would ever be able to buy a Hamer FBIV but everything just fell perfectly in place for it to happen. I had to part with my beloved Gibson Blackbird to make the deal happen, but I can always buy another one of those down the road. This bass sounds fantastic!! Neck is wider than I prefer (it feels more like an Epi neck than a Gibson) but it won't be a problem adjusting. I'm thrilled to be able to add this one to the collection

 

[TBird1958]

Cool Andy!

That's a great looking bass, congratulations!






I'll be doing some nice gravel like that in my side yard in a couple weeks - You're a bad influence!

 

[ThaCoast]

Haven't had a chance to post a pic of the latest arrival. Never thought I would ever be able to buy a Hamer FBIV but everything just fell perfectly in place for it to happen. I had to part with my beloved Gibson Blackbird to make the deal happen, but I can always buy another one of those down the road. This bass sounds fantastic!! Neck is wider than I prefer (it feels more like an Epi neck than a Gibson) but it won't be a problem adjusting. I'm thrilled to be able to add this one to the collection

Lucky you!!! Always thought they were pretty cool. And very rare as i've never seen any for sale. You pretty much have Nikki's 1st-2nd era crue basses. B.c. Rich to Hamer love the explorer. red, just like Sixx hahaha. Tone wise, how can you describe it? Low end, high end, all the in betweens xD

 

[Haji]

I was gonna say that's a rare 'bird; I didn't know they existed. If you've been around TB member Dan Knowlton (my brother) for a while, you know how bad his puns are. They rubbed off me; apologies for silly stuff I'm gonna post in the future. It's his fault!

It has begun; there's no turning back now! Not that I would; these mods are pretty simple, really. At any rate, this is how much paint you can remove from an Epi TBird neck in 86*, 42% humidity, and one Lacuna Coil recording (Broken Crown Halo) and one caffeine free diet Mountain Dew. I wouldn't have lasted that long except that there's a really nice breeze goin' today. I'm probably going to use Tru Oil on it since I can get it at Wal Mart. I'm going to wait to clean up the headstock end of the neck until it's reprofiled. Not sure if I'll do that myself of have someone do it. I've done that kind of wood work before, but I don't already own the right tools.
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[Nocturnal]

Cool Andy!

That's a great looking bass, congratulations!

I'll be doing some nice gravel like that in my side yard in a couple weeks - You're a bad influence!

Thanks!! I enjoy hearing that I am a bad influence even if it is just for landscaping I love having the gravel because you never need to mow it

Lucky you!!! Always thought they were pretty cool. And very rare as i've never seen any for sale. You pretty much have Nikki's 1st-2nd era crue basses. B.c. Rich to Hamer love the explorer. red, just like Sixx hahaha. Tone wise, how can you describe it? Low end, high end, all the in betweens xD

Both Hamer's sound pretty similar with the PJ setup, and that covers the "all the in-betweens". I tend to favor the P pickup with the J dialed back to 7-8. I don't have an 80's B.C.Rich yet. That is on the list tho.

 

[TBird1958]

In AZ you don't have to waste water on the gravel!

 

[TBird1958]

Here's some pix from last weekend (6/27, 28 and 29) as part of Seattle's Pride.

Friday night at Cal Anderson park, it was chilly and had been raining, my first time wearing a coat onstage, weather dictated taking the cheapies, I left the Fenderbird out in the cold for at least an hour pre show.

Saturday we played on a nice stage set up on Broadway - had a great time! we attracted quite a few peeps and got them dancing. The weather improved so I used my Jackson......

Not the best sound, but here's the last song of the eve.


Sunday came all to soon, I was at the venue by 9:45am in drag! Here we are on a very large stage at The Mural Amptitheater on the Seattle Center grounds, one leg of the famous Space Needle is behind us It was quite a weekend!

 

[Haji]

I gotta get a Kelly one o' these days. I just keep coming across them at financially inconvenient times!

What's the story of the Fenderbird? Diggin' that reverse headstock!

 

[TBird1958]

I gotta get a Kelly one o' these days. I just keep coming across them at financially inconvenient times!

What's the story of the Fenderbird? Diggin' that reverse headstock!

My first project, it was a new standard bolt on neck Epi, they did some limited colors a few years back, I trashed everything except the body. The pickups are Seymour Duncan '51 P bass types potted into '76 Gibson covers, bridge is Allparts, the neck was an ebay cheapie I deliberately choose, I shaved the heel and sides to fit it well into the Epi pocket. When everything was close, I took it to Mike Lull, he finished the wiring VVTT + switch and shimmed the neck to give it a bit of relief.
It sounds very Fenderesque - it was supposed to. There are times when I'm really glad I have it, as I said it got left out in the cold onstage for at least an hour - no ill effect, I didn't care!

 

[hillerup]

Here's some pix from last weekend (6/27, 28 and 29) as part of Seattle's Pride.

Friday night at Cal Anderson park, it was chilly and had been raining, my first time wearing a coat onstage, weather dictated taking the cheapies, I left the Fenderbird out in the cold for at least an hour pre show.

I feel tempted to do a modified "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" quote:

"A cock in a frock playing rock"!

 

[Haji]

Helpful hint: don't go to the music store when you don't have money. Went to the local place while on lunch break today. They had an Epi Thunderbird IV in a really dark 'burst (very much like the Thunderbird Pro IV on the Epi website) clearance priced at $199.00. Brand new, it's just been on the shelf for too long and they didn't want it to celebrate another birthday. So, even though it didn't really fit in the budget, I put it on layaway. Pics in three months when I pay it off.

Now I gotta figure in refinishing the Goth, AND getting a black Supertone bridge for the new TBird. Yeah, I hate the three point that much.

 

[JIO]

Golden Bird - (goes to XII)

 

[TBird1958]

That came out super cool!

 

[hillerup]

Golden Bird - (goes to XII)

Pretty nice... Is it paint or is it covered with gold leaf?

 

[hillerup]

Helpful hint: don't go to the music store when you don't have money. Went to the local place while on lunch break today. They had an Epi Thunderbird IV in a really dark 'burst (very much like the Thunderbird Pro IV on the Epi website) clearance priced at $199.00. Brand new, it's just been on the shelf for too long and they didn't want it to celebrate another birthday. So, even though it didn't really fit in the budget, I put it on layaway. Pics in three months when I pay it off.

Now I gotta figure in refinishing the Goth, AND getting a black Supertone bridge for the new TBird. Yeah, I hate the three point that much.

That is SO true... My birthday is coming up soon, and I'm looking into getting yet another 'bird...

I've been watching an ebony Gibson '05 T-bird in my classifieds for a while - pretty nice condition with a small ding on the lower part of the headstock, selling for $ 912 - And on my way home from vacation in Germany last sunday, I went past the Thomann music store where I tried a golden Gibson 50th anniversary T-Bird, which was selling for $ 1754 (mind you, these are European prices and don't compare to US prices)...

So here's the dilemma: Should I get a used ebony bird for $ 912 now, or should I save up for a longer time and get a golden one for $ 1754..?

The golden one is mighty pretty and probably collectable in a way, but also very gaudy and I would probably be nervous for scratching it... The ebony one on the other hand already has it's battlescars and would not be as collectable on the long run...

 

[JIO]

Pretty nice... Is it paint or is it covered with gold leaf?

Gold-leaf over a brown-burst Epi T-bird body. The body is from a from a few years back and the rest is from a current Goth Epi. This body is a pound lighter than the Goth body(!), and the whole bass weighs in at 8.8lbs - not bad considering my '64 weighs 9 lbs.

 

[ThaCoast]

So here's the dilemma: Should I get a used ebony bird for $ 912 now, or should I save up for a longer time and get a golden one for $ 1754..?

The golden one is mighty pretty and probably collectable in a way, but also very gaudy and I would probably be nervous for scratching it... The ebony one on the other hand already has it's battlescars and would not be as collectable on the long run...

I'd say get the ebony one. Considering that
1- it is cheaper than the 50th gold edition
2-you'd be less worried about it getting dinged and paint chipped perhaps if ever that were the case
3-As far as i've read/heard, and since i've played both a 50th gold and a general gibson burst tbird, they don't have a single difference in tone. I didn't notice much in regards of weight.

All in all, if i were in your shoes, i'd get the ebony bird and use the extra money for something else but good luck

 

[hillerup]

I'd say get the ebony one. Considering that
1- it is cheaper than the 50th gold edition
2-you'd be less worried about it getting dinged and paint chipped perhaps if ever that were the case
3-As far as i've read/heard, and since i've played both a 50th gold and a general gibson burst tbird, they don't have a single difference in tone. I didn't notice much in regards of weight.

All in all, if i were in your shoes, i'd get the ebony bird and use the extra money for something else but good luck

That is a pretty good advice Andii...

I'm trying to arrange a meeting with the seller of the ebony bird, but he lives very very far away from me - about a 4 ½ - 5 hour drive... And finding the time with a busy work schedule and family chores is not that easy...

I hope I can work something out before an important gig on the 5th of August - would be nice to bring a new bird to the gig...

The Bullion Gold bird would look nice together with the TV Silver I already have, though...