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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
I kinda see the logic in the Hipshot design.
They had to put the recess in to compensate for the Eppi shoulder anchors. Would be nice if they provided a set of varying thickness washers to make the mounting method a little less problematic or at least warn you about it in the instructions.
But IMHO the real culprit is the Eppi anchor style. It's drastically different from the Gibson design, which seems to work just fine. The splines on the Eppi anchor are much less grippy and easily lifted (not so easily turned). If they just put a slight spiral on the splines (maybe a quarter turn at most) they'd still be equally grippy on the rotational force plus much more grippy on the lifting force.
On my reinstall this morning I was getting zero spinning of the anchor in the hole so I didn't bother to install any new dowels, I just applied fresh titebond and pressed and hammered the anchors back in place. We'll see if that approach was adequate now that all lift from the bolts has been eliminated. If this doesn't do the trick I'll set the darn thing in with liquid nails, if that fails I'll go all Fender on it's a$$ and use countersunk bridge screws to hold it down.
I like the basic low tech fast set up concept of the three points so I don't normally look for opportunities to replace them. The two piece bridge like the VP has is still my favorite on traditional birds.
That said, the Hipshot is a much more elegant and refined design than the three point, and in my opinion by far the best looking bridge for the Goth. The black satin sleek and smooth Hipshot looks much more homogenous on the Goth than the clunky jagged gloss black three point.
To me, the Hipshot has a very sleek top end Italian type look to it, kind of a Ferrari of TBird bridges. The Babicz bridge is also very nice and just reeks of over engineering, kind of a Porsche of bridges. The three point on the other hand is very basic, does what it needs to do, and works when it works but can literally fall apart if everything isn't perfectly in place type bridge - Maybe the Yugo of bass bridges. The VP bridge on the other hand is a rock solid and no frills performer with classic lines, maybe a Shelby Cobra of bridges.
Like I said, success or failure with the installation of this bridge in its stock unmodified form (sans spacers) will be determined by the degree of friction in your anchors force fit and the amount of torque you apply when tightening it down.
They look like the same color silks as nickel Rotosound RS66.
Being ground wounds they won't be smooth like real flats. I just don't know how they compare to the D'A version. Those are grabby and feel something like....Cobalt Flats in that the groves can be felt. But the Cobalts are more smooth. It's just that they......Well, never mind.
The Babicz has those sharp edges just ready for some blood letting. Isn't that more "goth"?
I’m not entirely sure of the origins of those pickups. Some have said the ones in the Silverburst, and the LE CS birds were originally guitar PUPs.
They sure make some fun looking replicas. And by most accounts from reviews I’ve read, they’re generally pretty good basses. Not sure how the ergos on that one are. But it sure looks cool.
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Back at you!
You know others are secretly longing to be qualified to preform the secret hand sign from the PF Club.
Thunderbird, kind of.
I was away so long before I began playing again, I was able to start fresh with what I think is decent technique. Still struggling with the pick though.You are never too old to learn something new.
Well, maybe there are exceptions...
I experienced that same playing, not playing, playing again situation as you. Back then the ability to learn a song with no music and remember it seemed way easier and the hands were more quick. Now those things are degraded some but my thinking as to what to play and when is much, much better now. Well, better than it was anyway. I'll take now over then.
I started later in life. So I am patient/disciplined enough to work on technique (whereas I likely wasn't as a teen/young adult).
I only use a pick to do Motorhead (with lots of distortion). And, yeah, I could use some practice with a pick, but it just doesn't seem to important.
Huh. Maybe they’ll get a go on the PB Epi when it’s due for a change.
They are all jealous of us...
On the pipe (and bass), Donald "Duck" Dunn.
Did someone say Anvil?
No? Just the voices in my head then.
I finally got round to learning this one; not that it is difficult, just that there is only so much time...
No? Just the voices in my head then.
I finally got round to learning this one; not that it is difficult, just that there is only so much time...
And Steve Cropper I think.
I need a bit of a refresher: What's the consensus on going rate for an OG Non-reverse II, refin'd, original pup, but new guard and pots, assuming a repaired neck/headstock?
