Thunderbird Club

[Engle]

Fantastic! Just might become your fav Thunderbird.

I have a similar stress crack on my burst. It's more than in the finish, but is just fine. As long as the strings are on it's held nice and tight. Even off, it doesn't open up unless pressed. For the heck of it I tried getting a little glue in one day, but the crack is so tiny even under stress I'm not sure I did. I have no worries. Got mine (the burst) at a crazy low price and if the neck gives up, I've got some killer PUs for the Gibson!

The pick looks horrible zoomed in so much, but if you don't think about it you don't notice it when playing. I since smoothed it out a little.

View attachment 4020718

Having been around upright basses for the last couple of years, I realized many have repairs for cracks/breaks far worse than that.

If it moves, you can get glue in there. I would go with thinned hot hide glue myself. I’m pretty sure there’s a good tutorial on the Stewmac site.

 

[dagrev]

Having been around upright basses for the last couple of years, I realized many have repairs for cracks/breaks far worse than that.

If it moves, you can get glue in there. I would go with thinned hot hide glue myself. I’m pretty sure there’s a good tutorial on the Stewmac site.

Thanks! I just tried some wood glue I had when bored one day. But couldn't get much if any in the crack opening under the nut, even with some pressure. I'll need something thin like water to get it in the crack. My next time of being bored will be late next year with moving going on.

 

[PillO]

thinned hot hide glue

Sounds like a euphemism for something... Just not sure what.

 

[TBird1958]

Jim Lea is one of the best bassists of the era, certainly equal to Entwistle, JPJ, Squire etc. in my book. It's been a long lonely road being a fan in the states, though our Queen does appreciate them.

Just one more thing we have in common, Scott. While I listened to pop music in the '60s and early '70s it wasn't until 9th grade in '73 that I really started paying attention, I met a guy that let me listen to his copy of "Slayed", it was the turning point, I just really liked them, everything about them, they were a major influence of me as a band, maybe Dave Hill and his utterly extrovert behavior more than Jim Lea, but the loud guitars and driving drums we nothing like the pop drivel here in the States - I loved it! I agree Jim Lea was certainly as capable a player as the better known guys, they never connected with an audience here in the U.S. and were not alone in that, Status Quo suffered similarly.
Dave Hill was likely a bit more of an initial influence on me, I wanted that "Rock Star" image so badly as a young teenager, by 1974 I had successfully pestered my folks into letting me get a bass guitar and some lessons (with the proviso that if I didn't play it they would sell it) needless to say, I drove them crazy playing daily after school, trying to learn songs off the radio or my albums. None of my chums really got Slade, they were much more into LZ, The Who, Pink Floyd, stuff that got played to death on Seattle FM......

Dave ("H") Hill

The silver boots and skirt are not coincidence.

 

[Marky83dam]

Jim Lea is one of the best bassists of the era, certainly equal to Entwistle, JPJ, Squire etc. in my book. It's been a long lonely road being a fan in the states, though our Queen does appreciate them.

Yeh if u like slade you’ll like the sweet if u not heard them go check em out I’m not big fan not my generation I listened to tgem thru my dad playing the stuff but blockbuster is a classic of that genre oh and ballroom blitz and before he was jailed for liking kids to much of u know what I mean Garry glitter was massive in that era some excellent heavy songs but can’t listen to him when u know what he’s done to children just feels wrong enjoying his music u no

 

[MCF]

Just one more thing we have in common, Scott. While I listened to pop music in the '60s and early '70s it wasn't until 9th grade in '73 that I really started paying attention, I met a guy that let me listen to his copy of "Slayed", it was the turning point, I just really liked them, everything about them, they were a major influence of me as a band, maybe Dave Hill and his utterly extrovert behavior more than Jim Lea, but the loud guitars and driving drums we nothing like the pop drivel here in the States - I loved it! I agree Jim Lea was certainly as capable a player as the better known guys, they never connected with an audience here in the U.S. and were not alone in that, Status Quo suffered similarly.
Dave Hill was likely a bit more of an initial influence on me, I wanted that "Rock Star" image so badly as a young teenager, by 1974 I had successfully pestered my folks into letting me get a bass guitar and some lessons (with the proviso that if I didn't play it they would sell it) needless to say, I drove them crazy playing daily after school, trying to learn songs off the radio or my albums. None of my chums really got Slade, they were much more into LZ, The Who, Pink Floyd, stuff that got played to death on Seattle FM......

Dave ("H") Hill
View attachment 4021163

The silver boots and skirt are not coincidence.
View attachment 4021164

I didn’t understand their lack of radio play in SoCal either. Lack of promotion by their label. My buddies who were into Kiss, Aerosmith ... you think would have been into Slade which was better than both IMO. But nope. The only album I have is Slayed? which I got in 8th or 9th grade. But TBO, there were so many great albums that came out in that time period I’m afraid it kinda got ignored.

Run Runaway, from 10 or so years later, is a song I’ve always liked. Gonna have to revisit them now....

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

I went measuring.
Because I needed to know

Was gonna measure from the end of the fretboard, but the bolt-ons don't touch the body there, making what little accuracy I was trying for more difficult than necessary

So, I measured from the pickup side of the 20th fret wire, to the edge of the pickup closest to the fretboard.
With a ruler
So accuracy is not on par with what is used in the aerospace industry

The somewhat surprising one for me was the Pro V...

First up!
Epiphone Thunderbird IV #1
Year: ???? From: Korea?
Distance to neck p/u: 3 11/16"
Distance to bridge p/u: 7 1/2"
View attachment 4020915

Secondly!
Epiphone Thunderbird IV #2
Year: 2007 From: Unsung China
Distance to neck p/u: 2 7/8"
Distance to bridge p/u: 7 1/4"
View attachment 4020916

Third!
Epiphone Thunderbird Pro 5
Year: 2009 From: China
Distance to neck p/u: 3 13/16"
Distance to bridge p/u: 7 11/16"
View attachment 4020918

Penultimate!
Epiphone Thunderbird IV Classic Pro
Year: 2013? From:?????
Distance to neck p/u: 3 13/16"
Distance to bridge p/u: 7 11/16"
View attachment 4020919

The End
Epiphone Thunderbird Vintage Pro
Year: 2019 From: Indonesia
Distance to neck p/u: 3 13/16"
Distance to bridge p/u: 7 11/16"
View attachment 4020920

fin

I'm kind of amazed at these differences in measurements in all the Epi birds. I'm kinda wondering if there is this much variability in Gibson Birds.
You'd kinda think if they know how to build it, they'd have a common specification, construction jig, or use a CNC machine to do it. Makes me wonder.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Just an observation, but I think a little enthusiasm might be in order.

Ha! That's almost the direction I went at first!

 

[dagrev]

Ha! That's almost the direction I went at first!

We must share the same misfiring neuron condition!

 

[Flying B]

There you are, being all science-y with measuring and being engineer-y finding a metric that works...

I could not see any metric measurements there, only ancient elvish fractions...

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

wants to acquire the “knowledge”.....no biggie, it’s just a Trace Elliott.....

 

[RedVee]

I didn’t understand their lack of radio play in SoCal either. Lack of promotion by their label. My buddies who were into Kiss, Aerosmith ... you think would have been into Slade which was better than both IMO. But nope. The only album I have is Slayed? which I got in 8th or 9th grade. But TBO, there were so many great albums that came out in that time period I’m afraid it kinda got ignored.

Run Runaway, from 10 or so years later, is a song I’ve always liked. Gonna have to revisit them now....

Slade were well known if not huge down here. I have a best of CD which is really good. I concur on the early hits and the later Run Runaway being really good, and Merry Christmas Everybody is a great fun song.

There was some talk of Noddy replacing Bon in AC/DC. Not sure how that would have worked out.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Slade were well known if not huge down here. I have a best of CD which is really good. I concur on the early hits and the later Run Runaway being really good, and Merry Christmas Everybody is a great fun song.

There was some talk of Noddy replacing Bon in AC/DC. Not sure how that would have worked out.

no idea how big they were in the genpop but most of my rocker friends knew and liked Slade.

 

[dagrev]

wants to acquire the “knowledge”.....no biggie, it’s just a Trace Elliott.....
View attachment 4021439

You did give the speech about not using that liquid spray to clean anything while plugged in?

 

[Count Bassie]

Here's mine ! can I have a number please ?
Here's a trick to avoid heavy neck feeling and neck dive on my vintage pro , and the thread I created about it View attachment 4004182 View attachment 4004183 View attachment 4004184 :
Another anti neck dive trick for T Birds
View attachment 4004182 View attachment 4004183

I've been doing that for years! I don't (need to) do it on my T-Bird Classic Pro, but I have... I've still got that arrangement on my two other basses though.

 

[Marky83dam]

I didn’t understand their lack of radio play in SoCal either. Lack of promotion by their label. My buddies who were into Kiss, Aerosmith ... you think would have been into Slade which was better than both IMO. But nope. The only album I have is Slayed? which I got in 8th or 9th grade. But TBO, there were so many great albums that came out in that time period I’m afraid it kinda got ignored.

Run Runaway, from 10 or so years later, is a song I’ve always liked. Gonna have to revisit them now....

There were so many great bands it’s hard to find a new exciting band to get into there’s good bands but no bands like they used to be more a movement than a music group the early 2000’s were the last of the great guitar based bands like the killers the strokes kings of Leon before they turned into Coldplay that was you’d think the longer somethings been goin the better the quality. No doubt if you like slade you like TRex they were awesome if u not heard much go listen to electric warrior or go to one of there best of albums. I tell you who’s a great band from the 2000s not unlike slade, the darkness check black shuck out and get your hands of my woman quality English band

 

[PillO]

no idea how big they were in the genpop but most of my rocker friends knew and liked Slade.

They became popular for a year or two around the Toronto area as Q107 played Quiet Riot and then went on to explore some Slade as a result.

 

[PillO]

You did give the speech about not using that liquid spray to clean anything while plugged in?

Isn't it more fun to let him find out for himself?

 

[KaraQ]

There were so many great bands it’s hard to find a new exciting band to get into there’s good bands but no bands like they used to be more a movement than a music group the early 2000’s were the last of the great guitar based bands like the killers the strokes kings of Leon before they turned into Coldplay that was you’d think the longer somethings been goin the better the quality. No doubt if you like slade you like TRex they were awesome if u not heard much go listen to electric warrior or go to one of there best of albums. I tell you who’s a great band from the 2000s not unlike slade, the darkness check black shuck out and get your hands of my woman quality English band

You should check out The Warning, you might like them

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeZHVOA5rP9rHoa7zKCx7kQ

 

[PillO]

You should check out The Warning, you might like them

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeZHVOA5rP9rHoa7zKCx7kQ

That's interesting. I like what I hear. Will have to check them out more.