Thunderbird Club

[GonePlaid]

I'm really fond of the trapezoids some Les Pauls and the current SG Bass have.

Or parallelogram. Or an oblate spheroid.

 

[fleahead]

Lovely basses all. That Rick brings back some fond memories for me. Happy to add you to the club if you like.

A club? Shore. Tell me more.

 

[RayWithFlats]

I'm really fond of the trapezoids some Les Pauls and the current SG Bass have.

I really like the smaller rectangular inlays on '70s SGs. Did Gibson ever put them on any basses?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Categorically confirms acid and other such substances were influencing music prior to the late 60s.

I've known people naturally like that.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Yah, SM is a very talented guy. He first hit the performing scene in the '70s doing multi-entertainment (comedy, banjo) during The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's stage breaks. Although he wrote for the Smothers Brothers in the late '60s, SNL provided his springboard into a broader TV audience and the rest is history. It's cool that he's more known now as a consummate banjo player. (been playing since he was 17)

i only knew him as a comedian until Helen drug me to see the Steve Martin Mull Revue. And we all went bowling and to eat.

 

[dagrev]

Or parallelogram. Or an oblate spheroid.

Is that a test to determine if you need Preparation-H?

 

[TBird1958]

A club? Shore. Tell me more.

We just keep a list of members that I post, so nothing to very official. A posted pic of your Thunderbird is all we ask
There's one otherwise fine Canadian fellow that might suggest an initiation ritual involving watermelon helmets - nothing could be further from the truth.

 

[MCF]

I always liked the Ramones version:

Live, Joey would obviously trash his voice, but they knew how to deliver:

On the plus side, even I could sing that. I don't sing.

 

[MCF]

I fully agree--if the blocks are big and square (no offense to anyone). Something smaller and more tasteful with something nice at the 12th fret maybe. Not really thinking like the birds on Paul Reed Smiths either. Just something Gibson should experiment with, but it may never work. Shoot, even just something cool at the 12th fret might be enough.

I've always thought a Tbird inlay at the 12th would work. So maybe for the 60th anniversary edition?

 

[GonePlaid]

I've always thought a Tbird inlay at the 12th would work. So maybe for the 60th anniversary edition?

Facing which way? Head toward the headstock or toward the body?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Two new versions of the Miles' Pick. I'm thinking one hole might do it.

Have you ever tried drilling a pick while having to hold it? If this works well, I'm going to need to find a better way to hang onto them. Sidecutters or something maybe.
View attachment 3909435

Both of these work for me. The one big hole has a slight edge, but it's much harder to drill. I dont have a clamp system that works for a pick.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

We just keep a list of members that I post, so nothing to very official. A posted pic of your Thunderbird is all we ask
There's one otherwise fine Canadian fellow that might suggest an initiation ritual involving watermelon helmets - nothing could be further from the truth.

yes. The truth involves a grass skirt, coconuts, and fried chicken, unless you don'e eat meat. In that case it involves tofu wrestling. Extra TB forum points for creative coconut use and Thunderbird involvement.

 

[JIO]

Well CCR wasn't from anywhere close to the Bayou...

San Leandro CA - East Bay

 

[Engle]

On the plus side, even I could sing that. I don't sing.

Joey was more of a vocalist than a singer

 

[JIO]

I fully agree--if the blocks are big and square (no offense to anyone). Something smaller and more tasteful with something nice at the 12th fret maybe. Not really thinking like the birds on Paul Reed Smiths either. Just something Gibson should experiment with, but it may never work. Shoot, even just something cool at the 12th fret might be enough.

 

[Engle]

San Leandro CA - East Bay

Is East Bay Ray at least from East Bay?

 

[GBassNorth]

I fully agree--if the blocks are big and square (no offense to anyone). Something smaller and more tasteful with something nice at the 12th fret maybe. Not really thinking like the birds on Paul Reed Smiths either. Just something Gibson should experiment with, but it may never work. Shoot, even just something cool at the 12th fret might be enough.

I've often thought about converting a TBird over to a Southwest American Indian type theme. With a turquoise and red coral Thunderbird inlay at the 12th fret, the bass body painted kind of a flat terra-cotta color and a black pickguard with a turquoise Thunderbird with red coral accents, all black hardware and turquoise capped control knobs. Top it off with a nice black leather and conch strap with some turquoise and coral beads for accents.

Both of these work for me. The one big hole has a slight edge, but it's much harder to drill. I dont have a clamp system that works for a pick.

No clamp, no problem. All you need to do is keep the pick from spinning. So get a scrap board and glue or screw two boards on top of it that are set in a V shape that approximates your pick shape. Drop the pick in place nestled tightly in the V and drill away, it shouldn't spin.

 

[Count Bassie]

Nice! Looks just like the first Thunderbird I ever saw in person, played by Gail Greenwood from Belly in '93/94-ish, she had matching white jeans, too. Showbiz!

She's still playing a white 'bird nowadays but I don't know if it's the same one.

She put her hand on the small of my back once when walking past at Club 333s in Newport. I was thrilled and energized for a couple days.

 

[dagrev]

Both of these work for me. The one big hole has a slight edge, but it's much harder to drill. I dont have a clamp system that works for a pick.

With the single hole, you can always tell where the pick is in your fingers or if it's moving out of position as you grip it.

 

[dagrev]

I've often thought about converting a TBird over to a Southwest American Indian type theme. With a turquoise and red coral Thunderbird inlay at the 12th fret, the bass body painted kind of a flat terra-cotta color and a black pickguard with a turquoise Thunderbird with red coral accents, all black hardware and turquoise capped control knobs. Top it off with a nice black leather and conch strap with some turquoise and coral beads for accents.


No clamp, no problem. All you need to do is keep the pick from spinning. So get a scrap board and glue or screw two boards on top of it that are set in a V shape that approximates your pick shape. Drop the pick in place nestled tightly in the V and drill away, it shouldn't spin.

That sounds like a great plan. However, I'm not a fan of Terra-cotta anything, but I can see where it would look great. When do you get started?

Good idea about the little jig. I feel stupid I didn't think of it...... Not the first time, so I'm used to it by now. Could even get by with about three screws as well.