Thunderbird Club

[GonePlaid]

Playing my bass like a bass again...

 

[GonePlaid]

I own and play a lot of basses and love them all, but there's something about that one that checks all the boxes for me. Because of the twin steel beams in the neck (no tr) its only drawback is a bit of neck-dive as it is a long bass. Other than that - if I could find another I'd get it to see if it's just that bass or if that model was a winner.

Check this out - if I would have seen it when it was on Reverb (years ago) I would have done anything to nab it. 57yrs old brand new. (100% original w/OHSC) My late '60s Coral was basically this same Dano bass rebranded.


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Cool bridge cover.

 

[JIO]

Cool bridge cover.

It is! It was missing from mine, so I made a moquette and had a metal fabrication shop here in SF make one of stainless steel. I used various solvents and heat to get it to look 'aged'. Stainless isn't as warm as nickel plating so it's not a perfect clone... but close enough for Jazz. It's held in place by only two screws on the control-cavity size. I don't leave it on - for photo-ops only.

 

[BklynKen]

nope....waiting on a master cylinder delivery from Blighty.

Master brake cylinder? A great upgrade we did back in the day with our E30 M3s was to install the MBC from much heavier 7 Series, which gave much better braking force.

 

[Gaolee]

Asked mrs. slo if building a non reverse Tbird bass with a blue flower of pink paisley finish like on the old telecaster basses would be good. She said it would be just wrong. What say you Talkbass Tbirders?


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You have seen my Flamingo? You know the answer. It is not just right, it is probably mandatory that somebody does it now.

 

[BklynKen]

Thanks for all the help everyone and taking time to answer my questions. This seems like a friendly place. I’ll continue the hunt and report back on what I come up with. May pop back in for more questions prior to making a purchase.

Cheers

Don't you play left-handed? If so, pretty much the 2013 and 2018 Gibson Thunderbirds are your only options.

 

[GonePlaid]

Master brake cylinder? A great upgrade we did back in the day with our E30 M3s was to install the MBC from much heavier 7 Series, which gave much better braking force.

Does that make the headstock fly farther?

 

[BklynKen]

these folks take their sales seriously...
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I had to ask my Sweetwater rep to stop sending the candy. I don't really eat anything like that so it was a waste. They did honor that.

 

[donahue]

Don't you play left-handed? If so, pretty much the 2013 and 2018 Gibson Thunderbirds are your only options.

Thanks but I’m probably going to string a righty left handed and have kind of a non reverse thing going on. Not all basses are flip-friendly but Thunderbird looks to be IMO. Plus that gives me A LOT more options.

 

[JIO]

The pickguard seems original and has the SS# very lightly marked on it--as if the bass was apart at one time and to match it back up. Purely conjecture. Could be all faked to make it look original. Your PG looks way better than normal given it's age. None of the usual shrinkage. It has had the typical headstock repair which was before my time. Possibly the TRC was replaced, I just don't know. I don't think I've ever noticed the string spacing on the nut before. I'm almost certain it's original, so it must have been a thing at the factory for some reason. It takes more than that to affect my marginal playing, so it's never bothered me or felt odd. But it might now!

AS for the PU, it is more like chrome. From what I recall it looked the same as the neck on the back and seemed equally old. It could be a replacement, but I'm not sure if there was such a thing in 1981. I've had it since then or early '82. Scott saw it and thinks it might be a PU from later NR or possibly they grabbed a Epi PU and mixed them to complete the bass (both of those PUs were chrome). Scott said it wasn't uncommon for there to me some mixing of components at times. Whatever the case, it sounds so good I have no intention of changing it. But I was talking to RS Guitar Works and was going to drive over one day and have them replace the chrome can with a nickle one so it would match. If I ever get around to that, Scott has dibs on the old chrome PU can. In the end, many questions may remain. But none having to do with how it plays or sounds!

That is interesting - neither my '63 or '64 had the serial # stamped on the pg's. Never heard of that before. The nut discrepancy never effected playing - I just changed to even spacing because I felt it made it more like all other basses I've ever owned and thought it must have ben a fluke. I'll have to start noticing that detail looking at pics of early birds.

I didn't even notice the size difference in your pic between the '64 and Epi VP - I'm assuming it's an illusion as the original is already big/long, and why would Epi make it even bigger/longer.

 

[JIO]

They are that different! I suspect to insure unscrupulous sellers with some skills don't pass one off as a vintage in some way. Then again, it may not be that well thought out...

I noticed with the newer Gibsons that the neck PU is spaced farther from the bridge and the bridge PU.

Wow really? How long is the Epi VP? That is bizarre that they made it bigger. Now I really want to play one!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Woah, that size difference is...substantial. Thunderbirds are already such sizable basses, I wonder why on Earth they decided to up it that significantly. The pickguard/lower bout is already different enough to prevent one being passed off as vintage I'd think, but talk about a gargantuan bass, it dwarves the Gibson in that picture. Odd.

yeah, why i thought it may have been the photo....i have noticed optical illusions in some (particularly NR and headstock) T-Bird photos....

 

[BklynKen]

yeah, why i thought it may have been the photo....i have noticed optical illusions in some (particularly NR and headstock) T-Bird photos....

Look at the difference in spacing of the bridges and claw pieces, and the resulting positions of the bridges.

 

[JIO]

I miss that bass, am thinking I'll make a new one next year.

Gold-leafed with a trans-olive green tinted clear-coat? ...

 

[PillO]

Asked mrs. slo if building a non reverse Tbird bass with a blue flower of pink paisley finish like on the old telecaster basses would be good. She said it would be just wrong. What say you Talkbass Tbirders?


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Pink Paisley

 

[PillO]

Paisley NR ‘bird? Do it! I think the equation for that is

Awesome + awesome = awesome

Would you go for a clear guard? Clear backed with paisley material? I’m not too sure what the routing is like on a NR.

awesome + awesome = most awesomest

 

[dagrev]

That is interesting - neither my '63 or '64 had the serial # stamped on the pg's. Never heard of that before. The nut discrepancy never effected playing - I just changed to even spacing because I felt it made it more like all other basses I've ever owned and thought it must have ben a fluke. I'll have to start noticing that detail looking at pics of early birds.

I didn't even notice the size difference in your pic between the '64 and Epi VP - I'm assuming it's an illusion as the original is already big/long, and why would Epi make it even bigger/longer.

When I say that the SS# was marked on it, I mean like scratched into it with a awl or something. Very faint. Nothing factory about it.

The VP is 1.5 in longer than the '64, measuring straight from the tip of the HS to the strap button on the end at the center. Interestingly and surprising was that the VP is half an inch shorter measuring diagonally from the pickguard to the upper "arm rest." They are the same measuring directly across at the pickguard going straight up.

 

[dagrev]

Wow really? How long is the Epi VP? That is bizarre that they made it bigger. Now I really want to play one!

I wish we were geographically close, as I would let you borrow a VP to give one a go. You really need to give one a try. Once dialed in, they are awfully close to the 60s versions. I believe Scott said they are more like the late 60s NRs because they tended to be a little hotter.

 

[JIO]

When I say that the SS# was marked on it, I mean like scratched into it with a awl or something. Very faint. Nothing factory about it.

The VP is 1.5 in longer than the '64, measuring straight from the tip of the HS to the strap button on the end at the center. Interestingly and surprising was that the VP is half an inch shorter measuring diagonally from the pickguard to the upper "arm rest." They are the same measuring directly across at the pickguard going straight up.

I would like to know/hear Epi's thinking about this - their marketing philosophy. Because if I were commissioned to make an authentic '63-'65 T-bird it would be to exact measured specs off of mine. You may be correct that they made it bigger so it wouldn't be passed off as a legit early '60s bird, but I would like to hear them say that to make sense of it. G&L did a bang-on RI of their early L-1000/L-2000 series basses from the early '80's and I very much doubt they are BIGGER than the originals.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I would like to know/hear Epi's thinking about this - their marketing philosophy. Because if I were commissioned to make an authentic '63-'65 T-bird it would be to exact measured specs off of mine. You may be correct that they made it bigger so it wouldn't be passed off as a legit early '60s bird, but I would like to hear them say that to make sense of it. G&L did a bang-on RI of their early L-1000/L-2000 series basses from the early '80's and I very much doubt they are BIGGER than the originals.

it may be a Gibson copyright issue? As cool and close the BaCHs are to the 60’s NRs (definitely closer than the 12/13 RI) when compared side be side to a Gibby they are WAY off..bigger and heavier with similar proportional differences to those observed between that 64 and VP..