Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

the high action thing may come from the the front bolt being too high.
As far as I (mis)understand, the front bolt should be set a tad higher than the two rear posts. This is to guard against the string tension pulling the rear bolts up out of the body.

please correct me people.

Yes. That is the consensus. But some on here, including our Queen I think, break that general rule. I’m not a three point fan, and ultimately won’t have them on any of mine. That being said, they can work well. I think the Bach design utilizing a claw and the three point is a very good solution. For me, either the Babicz or the Hipshot are the best way to go.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I still don’t have a solution to intonating the Vintage Pro with Cobalt Flats Rotosound 66s. The E and saddles are at their farthest extent. The A is super close to good but the E is just too sharp up the neck.

Does anyone know of a replacement for this Tune-o-matic with more adjustability lengthwise?

Would flipping it around work? The saddles would br backward. Would that deaden string vibration?

Tried to take a photo but this broken phone said no.

[Eit note: We've been discussing Cobalt Flats so much I brain farted and referenced those instead of the RS66s.]

 

[Miles_ONeal]

It's prolly been mentioned but does anyone happen to know the overall length of a VP 'Bird? asking for a friend.

About 50” to the end of the strap button and 51” to the point furthest from the headstock’s tip.

 

[GonePlaid]

About 50” to the end of the strap button and 51” to the point furthest from the headstock’s tip.

Thanks. I was sorta hoping the generic case I have would be long enuff. Nope. Kicking around the idea of getting a VP so I can 'retire' the 67 from the risks of playing out. I could use my Coffin Case, but that's where the 67 lives. Crap!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

the high action thing may come from the the front bolt being too high.
As far as I (mis)understand, the front bolt should be set a tad higher than the two rear posts. This is to guard against the string tension pulling the rear bolts up out of the body.

please correct me people.

funny, I’ve never seen a three point do that (only in non realistic looking photos) even with the center bolt adjusted considerably lower than the other two...

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Yes. That is the consensus. But some on here, including our Queen I think, break that general rule. I’m not a three point fan, and ultimately won’t have them on any of mine. That being said, they can work well. I think the Bach design utilizing a claw and the three point is a very good solution. For me, either the Babicz or the Hipshot are the best way to go.

I think that hybrid combo applies to Grecos.

 

[MCF]

La Bella Black Tapewound user here, currently have a set on my 2015 Gibby, my Fender Jazz V Deluxe, my Alembic Essence and at one time had a set on my Pedulla Pentabuzz fretless. An interesting sound on fretless, woody thump, very uprightish, but not as much mawh as rounds.


Just to set the record straight, I pretty much treated my Goth bass as a test bed for my other birds. So not too long ago I decided to test the three point raised front bolt suggestion to see if it really made any difference. Brought the Cobalt flats up to pitch, had a nice low action of just over 2/32" at the 12th fret on the open E. front bolt was about 3/8" higher than the back bolts, back of bridge was just off the body.

I dropped the front bolt all the way down to the body and retuned the strings to pitch. G string, ok. D string, ok. A string, ok. E string, pop! Out came the E string side back bridge anchor. No prior history of those anchors ever coming out or getting loose. So in my admittedly small sample size test I'd conclude - keep the front bolt higher than the back bolts (at least on an Eppi 3 point). It's an easy fix but I don't intend to try it on my Gibbys. YMMV

Yep. It’s a question of “are you feeling lucky, punk”

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Okay, any tapewound users here? Or was that plainly stated and I'm just being obtuse?
I want to put a set on a garage-production fretless. I've played Rotos and LaBellas, the LaBellas were my fav... GHS, D'Addario, and 7ender also make them...
Might get back into the Ken Smith Burners for the 'bird...

yessir! really digging LaBellas on this lately....

 

[GonePlaid]

yessir! really digging LaBellas on this lately....

View attachment 3920670

So, is it sounding as good as it looks?

 

[JIO]

A band I am in made a video for our new record. Kinda tough trying to coordinate all this during a pandemic. It is situation-ally-appropriate-low-budget!

It was all shot just as we were allowed back outside here in PA!

Reminded me ... the past decades always had "pick-up" lines... "what's your sign?", "where do you work out?, and now "I like your mask" (true!)

 

[Count Bassie]

yessir! really digging LaBellas on this lately....

View attachment 3920670

Yeah there's a sharp axe.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

So, is it sounding as good as it looks?

Better....way stoked.

 

[MCF]

I still don’t have a solution to intonating the Vintage Pro with Cobalt Flats. The E and saddles are at their farthest extent. The A is super close to good but the E is just too sharp up the neck.

Does anyone know of a replacement for this Tune-o-matic with more adjustability lengthwise?

Would flipping it around work? The saddles would br backward. Would that deaden string vibration?

Tried to take a photo but this broken phone said no.

This was discussed in the last couple of months? One of us on here wrecked the saddle by trying to flip it, but got it replaced by Epi. This can be an issue. My Recently acquired VP came with a set of heavy, terrible sounding ss rounds. But they were intonated. I hated them. They had to go. Replaced them with Super Slinkys, 45-100. I kept moving the saddles back, back, back. Finally got everything dialed in. But there isn’t much adjustability left for the E string. As far as I know, there is no solution, other than using strings that intonate within the adjustment parameters.

I think that hybrid combo applies to Grecos.

Correct. I was mistaken and got them mixed up. But It really does make sense to do it that way so the bridge doesn’t carry any load. We’ve been talking about both lately...

 

[MCF]

Thanks. I was sorta hoping the generic case I have would be long enuff. Nope. Kicking around the idea of getting a VP so I can 'retire' the 67 from the risks of playing out. I could use my Coffin Case, but that's where the 67 lives. Crap!

You pretty much need to get the Epi case. They were on sale with a bit of a discount off the usual $130. Have no recollection where that was...

 

[JIO]

You pretty much need to get the Epi case. They were on sale with a bit of a discount off the usual $130. Have no recollection where that was...

The Epi form-fitted HSC's are nice.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

This was discussed in the last couple of months? One of us on here wrecked the saddle by trying to flip it, but got it replaced by Epi. This can be an issue. My Recently acquired VP came with a set of heavy, terrible sounding ss rounds. But they were intonated. I hated them. They had to go. Replaced them with Super Slinkys, 45-100. I kept moving the saddles back, back, back. Finally got everything dialed in. But there isn’t much adjustability left for the E string. As far as I know, there is no solution, other than using strings that intonate within the adjustment parameters.

Correct. I was mistaken and got them mixed up. But It really does make sense to do it that way so the bridge doesn’t carry any load. We’ve been talking about both lately...

Not talking about turning saddles around. The whole bridge.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

You pretty much need to get the Epi case. They were on sale with a bit of a discount off the usual $130. Have no recollection where that was...

I had posted about that. Probably AMS.

 

[GBassNorth]

Not talking about turning saddles around. The whole bridge.

But wouldn't that put the saddle cut for a tiny G string in the position of supporting the much larger diameter E string? I'm assuming the saddles are cut for each of the approximate string sizes.

 

[Bunky]

Why won’t Gibson build the Thunderbird to the 60s specs anymore?

 

[Thumper]

Not talking about turning saddles around. The whole bridge.

Before you try this, have you measured from the neck side of the neck to the neck side of the bridge? It should be 34." On my properly drilled Embassies it is. I have noticed though that even on those, I am close to running out of aft adjustment.