- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,211
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- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
That's a good price for a rare Thunderbird, lovely!
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
That's a good price for a rare Thunderbird, lovely!
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
They are around. And they are great bass guitars. There are several of us who have them, and I don't know that any of us will ever give one up. But they do pop up for sale now and then. There's only one thing to know, aside from the fact that you need one: If you have a 2015, the official modification is to swap the pickguard with a black one that has a gold Thunderbird logo on it. There's three or four of us who have done that. Somehow, it is fitting on a 2015 in a way that it isn't on any other Thunderbird.
You might be right about the Chromes. What I posted was just my initial impressions and doesn't really reflect much more than about 15 minutes of play time after the setup. I'll check the setup on the BaCH once more today and make any final adjustments before running it through its paces in numerous genres of music.
I usually run a battery of several songs in four sets of music...
1) classic rock, country, funk, club dub, reggae (Black Beauties did good on this bass - strong, deep)
2) jazz, swing, big band, waltz, orchestra (Black Beauties were lacking here - slow, muted)
3) piano tracking (Black Beauties were ok here)
4) solo. (Black Beauties were ok here - dark but clear, minimal finger noise, muted top end)
That's usually enough to highlight any short comings or strengths the strings have on a given bass. It's important to note that strings may be fine on one bass but lackluster on a different bass.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
So I've got a question for you guys - I'm thinking of installing a three-way pickup selector in my main Thunderbird. I don't blend pickups much, opting to use one or the other most of the time. Original idea is I'd install it under the pick guard and have the switch somewhere on the guard. Do you all think this would damage the integrity of the instrument in any way? Is this HERESY? I don't ever plan on selling it, so resale value isn't a thing...
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,211
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
You'd be doing a fair bit of routing, I'd suggest a 3 position switch underneath the bridge pick up volume knob, there's plenty of room in the cavity, far less work too.
This bass was set VVTT with a 3 position micro switch, no routing needed.
Nothing wrong with that idea. I wonder if there is a push/pull volume pot you could use that would engage or disengage each pickup. That would completely eliminate the need to drill any holes in the bass. @JIO would probably know.
If you go the push/pull kill switch route, here is a link to others that have done this.
Push/pull pot as a killswitch
Push/pull pot as a killswitch
If I were doing that, I would probably install a 3 way switch (neck both bridge) in one of the existing pot holes and have only volume & tone.
But, that is just me.
Those of us living here think the rest of you are living in opposite world...
I'd go Volume Volume and kill the Tone knob. But, that is just me.
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hmmm... Thinking I may go this route. Thanks!
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
It wouldn't be enough. That is all.hummmm..... (cold shower)
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Drilling on a Gibson is irreversible and... Liberating! I enlarged the tuning peg holes in the headstock of my '91. It also got drilled to install covers and pickup rings. And now it has been refinished. There is no heresy around here.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,962
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Having installed a bridge pu in my '64 T-bird II (plus another pot) in the late '80s, I'm less likely to care about damaging the 'integrity' of any instrument that you plan on keeping/playing. Saying "...never planning on selling it" is all you need to know - do whatever you wish in the most useable way you want to adapt it. Why hide it here or there - just determine where you want it that will work best for you and do it.
It may be hard to believe but at one time no one talked about "vintage", (worth/value) or at least it wasn't as prevalent as it is now. Players did all kinds of mods on the basses - adding pu's, stripping the finish, different parts - whatever made it a better player for that person. If one is 'flipping' basses - leave it... if it's yours - do what you want.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,211
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Becker isn't Chrissy Hynde........and I've posted this before.
I thought about that, but then realized that it is some kind of left-handed witchcraft.
No routing required...
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