Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

Welcome to the Princess Fingers club. You are #3.
View attachment 4016205

In due course you will receive an encrypted email containing the secret handshake and several other need to know details.

EDIT: PillO got there first.

A third member of the Princess Fingers Club maybe? You'd get to flash our gang sign! I formally make the motion. PillO has to second.
View attachment 4016255

I appreciate the open arms, but dont sign me up just yet. I need to get the action down a bit so I can rule out simple finger fatigue from unnecessary fretting pressure.

The big question is - do I set the shim to raise the headstock, or do I set the shim to lower the headstock? I don't recall for sure which way decreases the action. I suspect lowering the headstock will result in a Ned to back off the truss which would increase the action, whereas raising the headstock might allow me to put a bit more back bow on in the truss for a flatter neck and lower action. Is that right?

I don't have any single frets driving the action height, so probably no raised fret issues. But I haven't leveled the fretboard and don't really have any tools for that anyway. Should that be done before even looking at a shim solution?

All this thinking out loud is confusing. I just gonna go play the damn bass for a while and see if my fingers hurt. Later Gators!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Duplication is good, we need to drive the issue, I need contact info for Gibson so I can give them a few kernels of wisdom, I mean c'mon I've been a T Bird player longer than Mr. Brown (no offense intended) and have the pulse of the buying community.

What's our membership? I'm sure each of us represents at least 100 THUNDERBIRD players.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I plan on having two Thunderbirds on stage. Rather than unplugging/plugging, I'm thinking I'll use an AB switch. I just need something basic (one in, two outs, no circuit in the path), but I need something rock solid. What do you like? Honestly, I don't even care if it has an LED, although it's fine if it does. If I had a small, dead pedal I'd just wire one up in that...

 

[GBassNorth]

I plan on having two Thunderbirds on stage. Rather than unplugging/plugging, I'm thinking I'll use an AB switch. I just need something basic (one in, two outs, no circuit in the path), but I need something rock solid. What do you like? Honestly, I don't even care if it has an LED, although it's fine if it does. If I had a small, dead pedal I'd just wire one up in that...

Here's what I use when I need to A/B something...

Rock solid, Dead quiet, has LEDs so you know what's live, can run one input to two outputs or two inputs to one output, also toggles from A to B or both A and B. It does require a power source but can run on a battery as well.

 

[GBassNorth]

I plan on having two Thunderbirds on stage. Rather than unplugging/plugging, I'm thinking I'll use an AB switch. I just need something basic (one in, two outs, no circuit in the path), but I need something rock solid. What do you like? Honestly, I don't even care if it has an LED, although it's fine if it does. If I had a small, dead pedal I'd just wire one up in that...

Not sure exactly what you're trying to do but this is the best invention since sliced bread when you have to be wired up directly to the amp and don't want to deal with popping and other obnoxious noises when switching basses...

It's a Planet Waves (now D'Addario I think) switched instrument cable. Simply push the mute button, unplug, plug in the next bass and push the mute button again. Works great, been using this one almost daily for nearly 10 years now and no issues with it ever.

 

[KaraQ]

I plan on having two Thunderbirds on stage. Rather than unplugging/plugging, I'm thinking I'll use an AB switch. I just need something basic (one in, two outs, no circuit in the path), but I need something rock solid. What do you like? Honestly, I don't even care if it has an LED, although it's fine if it does. If I had a small, dead pedal I'd just wire one up in that...

I have one of these I use at home, so I can leave my main T-bird plugged in, and use the other cable for whatever else I'm working on/testing/etc.(no power cord needed unless you want the LED to work):

 

[PillO]

What's our membership? I'm sure each of us represents at least 100 THUNDERBIRD players.

That is a bit of a dodgy way to estimate demand.

A better estimate:
There are more than 900 members here. Each would buy two unless all three of Pelham Blue, Inverness Green, and Burgundy Mist Metallic are offered in which case each member would buy three. So bottom end sales at least 1800 and if the extra colours are offered then 2700.

I don't have a formula for the Thunderbird inlay at the 12 fret.

 

[Larry V]

<snip>The ones I took off were cheap crap, and got chucked.<snip>

That's such a New England style term to use.

Any chance you grew up somewhere between Maine and Pennsylvania. If not, I just haven't heard anyone say chucked for throwing something away in years and years, at least not since I landed in Michigan from New York.

edit: That word is also interchangeable with, "threw up".

- I heard you may have had too much to drink last night.

- Yeah, I chucked.

 

[KaraQ]

That's such a New England style term to use.

Any chance you grew up somewhere between Maine and Pennsylvania. If not, I just haven't heard anyone say chucked for throwing something away in years and years, at least not since I landed in Michigan from New York.

edit: That word is also interchangeable with, "threw up".

- I heard you may have had too much to drink last night.

- Yeah, I chucked.

Sorry, originally from the pointy end of TN

Although, my dad's family came over in the late 1600's to MA, and worked their way south through that area over the generations. They actually owned quite a bit of land in PA around the time of "the war of Northern agression" and moved southerly into VA after.

Or it could just be 'cause I've traveled the US a lot?

 

[Flying B]

Next project, thoughts on the block inlays for a fenderbird? I'm not sure...

 

[dagrev]

Not sure exactly what you're trying to do but this is the best invention since sliced bread when you have to be wired up directly to the amp and don't want to deal with popping and other obnoxious noises when switching basses...
View attachment 4016448
It's a Planet Waves (now D'Addario I think) switched instrument cable. Simply push the mute button, unplug, plug in the next bass and push the mute button again. Works great, been using this one almost daily for nearly 10 years now and no issues with it ever.

They are great. I've had one brand go bad at church for the guitar player, but they are wonderful.

 

[dagrev]

That's such a New England style term to use.

Any chance you grew up somewhere between Maine and Pennsylvania. If not, I just haven't heard anyone say chucked for throwing something away in years and years, at least not since I landed in Michigan from New York.

edit: That word is also interchangeable with, "threw up".

- I heard you may have had too much to drink last night.

- Yeah, I chucked.

Chucked is not uncommon in Ky. But it's "upchucked" for expelling liquids!

 

[GonePlaid]

That's such a New England style term to use.

Any chance you grew up somewhere between Maine and Pennsylvania. If not, I just haven't heard anyone say chucked for throwing something away in years and years, at least not since I landed in Michigan from New York.

edit: That word is also interchangeable with, "threw up".

- I heard you may have had too much to drink last night.

- Yeah, I chucked.

It may have originated up in the northeast, but with 20th century mobility, it migrated. I've heard it used as "tossed out" in FL since the 50's.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

It may have originated up in the northeast, but with 20th century mobility, it migrated. I've heard it used as "tossed out" in FL since the 50's.

originally from northern “old”’England...

 

[TBird1958]

Next project, thoughts on the block inlays for a fenderbird? I'm not sure...

View attachment 4016534

Yes! Do it! Hawt!

 

[MCF]

I appreciate the open arms, but dont sign me up just yet. I need to get the action down a bit so I can rule out simple finger fatigue from unnecessary fretting pressure.

The big question is - do I set the shim to raise the headstock, or do I set the shim to lower the headstock? I don't recall for sure which way decreases the action. I suspect lowering the headstock will result in a Ned to back off the truss which would increase the action, whereas raising the headstock might allow me to put a bit more back bow on in the truss for a flatter neck and lower action. Is that right?

I don't have any single frets driving the action height, so probably no raised fret issues. But I haven't leveled the fretboard and don't really have any tools for that anyway. Should that be done before even looking at a shim solution?

All this thinking out loud is confusing. I just gonna go play the damn bass for a while and see if my fingers hurt. Later Gators!

Generally, thick end sets at the base of the neck pocket, closest to the bridge. Go to YouTube and search (I know... none of us really like to do that...) for Stewmac guitar neck shims. There are a lot of different vids on how to do it properly depending on what’s going on with the neck. They really are a good product.

 

[GBassNorth]

That's such a New England style term to use.

Any chance you grew up somewhere between Maine and Pennsylvania. If not, I just haven't heard anyone say chucked for throwing something away in years and years, at least not since I landed in Michigan from New York.

edit: That word is also interchangeable with, "threw up".

- I heard you may have had too much to drink last night.

- Yeah, I chucked.

Sorry, originally from the pointy end of TN

Although, my dad's family came over in the late 1600's to MA, and worked their way south through that area over the generations. They actually owned quite a bit of land in PA around the time of "the war of Northern agression" and moved southerly into VA after.

Or it could just be 'cause I've traveled the US a lot?

Chucked is not uncommon in Ky. But it's "upchucked" for expelling liquids!

Yep, used "chucked" a lot in Kentucky and in Colorado. I always considered it more of a rual, farm boy, country kid type of slang. Ways I've used it...
"I chucked a rock at that rabbit"
"Didn't need it anymore so I chucked it"
"Chuck that idea"

Upchuck was something completely different.

 

[GonePlaid]

Yep, used "chucked" a lot in Kentucky and in Colorado. I always considered it more of a rual, farm boy, country kid type of slang. Ways I've used it...
"I chucked a rock at that rabbit"
"Didn't need it anymore so I chucked it"
"Chuck that idea"

Upchuck was something completely different.

We used "upChuck" a lot on our bowling team when it was Chuck's turn.(it got old purty quicklike)

 

[TBird1958]

Upchuck = Barf here in Washington State.

 

[GonePlaid]

Upchuck = Barf here in Washington State.

Same in FL.