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Thunderbird Club

#167,402
scuzzy said:
alright, I suppose I'm in, and I need some advice.

I bought this off FB marketplace. full transparency....listed at $300. After inspection in a dark walmart parking lot, I found these cracks that I knew to search for. I told the guy I wasn't interested unless there was a steep discount and he said he would work with me. I offered $200 and he agreed. After some thorough setting up and re-seating these 3-point bridge posts, I have a player. Not set on these taper-core Dean Markley SS strings though. Time will tell.

Basically, tell me your thoughts on these neck/headstock cracks. all seems very solid, could be just the finish, but might be more. I knew if I purchased, a resell would be much harder...impossible. my thought was use it for tinkering and for the USA pickups.

oh, the best part....literally zero neck dive. can't believe it actually.

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It "may" not be more or much more than finish cracks. Even if more than that the strings should hold it nice and tight and in place. When you take the strings off you may be able to figure out if it's more serious if it opens up. I have an Epi VP that has some crackage in that area and it's held fine for going on two years or more now.
 
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#167,404
dagrev said:
It "may" not be more or much more than finish cracks. Even if more than that the strings should hold it nice and tight and in place. When you take the strings off you may be able to figure out if it's more serious if it opens up. I have an Epi VP that has some crackage in that area and it's held fine for going on two years or more now.
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thanks, that is what I explained to him, and what I was understanding from these basses. might be finish, might be more. it honestly feels solid. who knows. time will tell. I will rock it for now.
 
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#167,405
scuzzy said:
thanks, that is what I explained to him, and what I was understanding from these basses. might be finish, might be more. it honestly feels solid. who knows. time will tell. I will rock it for now.
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I wonder about poly finishes when stressed, that may indeed just be from the headstock being flexed. Even in the worst case scenario you could make a dang cool 7enderbird out of it. Well worth the money you spent.
Happy to add you the club, just let know :)
 
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#167,408
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#167,412
scuzzy said:
thanks, that is what I explained to him, and what I was understanding from these basses. might be finish, might be more. it honestly feels solid. who knows. time will tell. I will rock it for now.
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I wouldn't worry about it, especially for that price. Looks cosmetic, not structural.
 
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#167,414
MCF said:
That’s why I jumped on my NR a year ago and the recently added short scale. When one comes up at a fair price gotta be ready to jump. I hope to add a burst NR in the future, but not at the prices asked now. Here’s a beautiful PB on the bay: gibson non-reverse Thunderbird | eBay.
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WillyWonka said:
soo glad I don’t have money right now...

so pretty...
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That's more than twice what I paid for my minty one just a couple of years ago. Glad to see that my basses are accruing value. :thumbsup:
 
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#167,415
Chucky Stiletti said:
was looking at some Bird pricing online and this came up......does the rarity of that white and the fact it’s not just a Bicen but a 76 warrant such a price? :eek:
don’t know why the link says natural..
Gibson Thunderbird Bicentennial Natural 1976 | Reverb
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14K! I'm thinking not for anyone that wants to gig with it unless they happen to be really well off and as an investment, that has to be a price that's well north of the going rate. From what I've seen, 9-10K would be about right.

On last Monday's episode of Pawn Stars, a guy traded in a player's TBird, not abused, '79 Bicentennial in natural finish for $7,500... the expert that they called in said it was worth 9K.
 
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#167,417
scuzzy said:
alright, I suppose I'm in, and I need some advice.

I bought this off FB marketplace. full transparency....listed at $300. After inspection in a dark walmart parking lot, I found these cracks that I knew to search for. I told the guy I wasn't interested unless there was a steep discount and he said he would work with me. I offered $200 and he agreed. After some thorough setting up and re-seating these 3-point bridge posts, I have a player. Not set on these taper-core Dean Markley SS strings though. Time will tell.

Basically, tell me your thoughts on these neck/headstock cracks. all seems very solid, could be just the finish, but might be more. I knew if I purchased, a resell would be much harder...impossible. my thought was use it for tinkering and for the USA pickups.

oh, the best part....literally zero neck dive. can't believe it actually.

View attachment 4117239 View attachment 4117240 View attachment 4117242 View attachment 4117244
Click to expand...

scuzzy said:
thanks, that is what I explained to him, and what I was understanding from these basses. might be finish, might be more. it honestly feels solid. who knows. time will tell. I will rock it for now.
Click to expand...

Probably finish cracks and I have a feeling it has to do with the way the nut is mounted on these.

Mine is the exact same way (but the cracks are only about 1/4-3/8" long) and I asked the exact same question here when I got it spring/ summer of 2017. Did $200 include a case? I think you got a good deal. Mine was around there I think $220 maybe $240 but $220 rings a bell, with a hard case. 2013 serial number. While my cracks are smaller, mine has some major chips and dings on it, headstock, back, edges, front. It was definitely a player probably engaged in some heavy metal or punk stage antics. Compared to the Korean goth and a more recent Chinese TBIV in the ubiquitous tobbaco burst, this neck through was in a whole different league. I sold both of the other ones, but I do miss the goth (in avatar) sometimes, it felt more well made than the Chinese one even though it has a P width nut and I prefer the jazz width of this one and the chinabird. I used it in a system of a down tribute which I will have been out of 3 years come February. So no prospects of me using it in a band any time soon because in am keeping it set up for drop C with 115 strings and a lot of relief and high action because I hate fret buzz even though shavos sloppy sound has it. I feel the moment I put it back to normal is the moment that the need for drop C comes back haha.

And I am pretty sure they are just finish cracks. They haven't gotten worse in almost 4 years even though it has barely been played the last 3. And my case got stolen when my storage was broken into and it has been kept in a roadrunner gig bag that both the other 2 birds fit fine, but this one is about 1/2" longer and the headstock is stretching the bag and it is a pain to put it in, so there is always a little stress on the headstock and I have not had an issue.
 
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#167,418
ubernator said:
Probably finish cracks and I have a feeling it has to do with the way the nut is mounted on these.

Mine is the exact same way (but the cracks are only about 1/4-3/8" long) and I asked the exact same question here when I got it spring/ summer of 2017. Did $200 include a case? I think you got a good deal. Mine was around there I think $220 maybe $240 but $220 rings a bell, with a hard case. 2013 serial number. While my cracks are smaller, mine has some major chips and dings on it, headstock, back, edges, front. It was definitely a player probably engaged in some heavy metal or punk stage antics. Compared to the Korean goth and a more recent Chinese TBIV in the ubiquitous tobbaco burst, this neck through was in a whole different league. I sold both of the other ones, but I do miss the goth (in avatar) sometimes, it felt more well made than the Chinese one even though it has a P width nut and I prefer the jazz width of this one and the chinabird. I used it in a system of a down tribute which I will have been out of 3 years come February. So no prospects of me using it in a band any time soon because in am keeping it set up for drop C with 115 strings and a lot of relief and high action because I hate fret buzz even though shavos sloppy sound has it. I feel the moment I put it back to normal is the moment that the need for drop C comes back haha.

And I am pretty sure they are just finish cracks. They haven't gotten worse in almost 4 years even though it has barely been played the last 3. And my case got stolen when my storage was broken into and it has been kept in a roadrunner gig bag that both the other 2 birds fit fine, but this one is about 1/2" longer and the headstock is stretching the bag and it is a pain to put it in, so there is always a little stress on the headstock and I have not had an issue.
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With a roadrunner bag, no case.

Thanks for all the input folks. It is setup now with DR nickel Lo-riders. Really liking it.
 
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#167,419
scuzzy said:
With a roadrunner bag, no case.

Thanks for all the input folks. It is setup now with DR nickel Lo-riders. Really liking it.
Click to expand...
Congratulations. Sounds like you did really well with it. Here are a couple of things to to try with it, but of course your tastes will vary.

1. Raise the pickups really close to the strings.

2. Try the neck pickup on full and the bridge pickup rolled off a little from full.
 
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#167,420
JIO said:
nice
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thx, Bodega Bay over the break....
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D1C99CB9-57D1-4D21-9946-6ED722D4CC0E.jpeg
 
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