Thunderbird Club

[Count Bassie]

Indeed he did - and in a very cool color as well:

View attachment 909447 View attachment 909448

Looks like a DiMarzio Model 1 at the bridge, yes?

 

[Gaolee]

Hi all! Been a while.

I know this question has been addressed, but I think I want to chrome out my 2012 Thunderbird; "vintage" it. What are the parts I need?

• I was going to go with Thunderbuckers for the pick-ups.
• Hipshot Supertone or a two piece for the bridge?
• What are the 70's knobs? Those gold reflectors?
• Is there a vintage tuning peg replacement that'll fit the holes? Or do I need to mod the headstock? Tuner suggestions?

Thanks all!

Make sure you get rings to go with the chrome pickups. I think Thunderbuckers come with rings, but I don't remember.
I used a chrome Babicz for my chromed out '91. A two piece with a stop bar would be outstanding.
I don't know what those knobs are. You can probably get just about anything you want somewhere on the internet. I didn't think much about knobs.
If you use Hipshot Ultralights, you have to call them to get the special clovers they make for Thunderbirds. You do need to drill, but it's worth it.

One thing I discovered is that screw heads will shear off if you don't predrill the center section of the neck with a big enough bit. The screws go OK into the mahogany, but the walnut (?) center section is clearly harder and denser. I have two headless screw stubs to extract one of these days. They are under a cover, so it's not a huge deal. Fortunately, I started with the neck pickup and switched to a bigger bit for the bridge pickup where everything is visible.

If you can get along with covers, I think covers are one of those details that really makes it pop out and look completely the part. I'm even going to put a bridge cover on the 2013 EB when I get around to it.

 

[Gaolee]

Looks like a DiMarzio Model 1 at the bridge, yes?

Sure looks like one, although Model Ones are usually black. I wonder where the chrome cover came from. Or maybe it's just hard to see what's going on in that picture.

If there's somewhere you can get chrome covers like that for Model Ones, I would be all over a couple of them.

That bass looks like it has all kinds of one-off stuff going on with the electronics. It looks like there are a bunch of switches scattered around on it.

 

[TBird1958]

Hi all! Been a while.

I know this question has been addressed, but I think I want to chrome out my 2012 Thunderbird; "vintage" it. What are the parts I need?

• I was going to go with Thunderbuckers for the pick-ups.
• Hipshot Supertone or a two piece for the bridge?
• What are the 70's knobs? Those gold reflectors?
• Is there a vintage tuning peg replacement that'll fit the holes? Or do I need to mod the headstock? Tuner suggestions?

Thanks all!

He's alive!

 

[veebass]

I can dig it. But, they were a very talented bunch back before their plane crashed in the Everglades back in '76. "That Smell" has a brilliant 3-guitar jam. Leon was a fine player as well, dig his bass intro to "Gimme Back my Bullets"...
Don't care for them anymore myself, ended for me a long time ago. But again, great band back in the day.

"That Smell" was one of my favourites of theirs.

 

[mistergoats]

He's alive!

Sort of!

 

[Count Bassie]

Yeah I thought it might not be a Model 1, but sometimes digitally taken/edited/uploaded photos look a little wrong... gonna study up the bass some more.
I'm on a similar page about the Model 1, I like them, could do up a Bird with a pair too.

 

[Loretta]

"Hello darling, did you have a nice day? Wha...oooh, yes, it is...ermh, yes, you're right...no, I don't need another bass guitar, that's right, I just...I just wanted it, you know...but...but, look...have a look at it - isn't it a beauty?"

"Oh of course you are beautiful, but that's something different, you know, I ...no, it wasn't expensive, we still can go on holiday...anywhere you'd like to...may I have it with me?"

 

[Loretta]

Someone said something about birds of a feather aso - here's another proof:

They're all Epi IVs, the alpine white and the black one are made in Korea, the VSB somewhere else, no home on the neck plate.
Half a year ago I didn't even look for TBs, but now I'm so glad and it really works! Do some mods and here we go!

cheers

 

[Count Bassie]

"Hello darling, did you have a nice day? Wha...oooh, yes, it is...ermh, yes, you're right...no, I don't need another bass guitar, that's right, I just...I just wanted it, you know...but...but, look...have a look at it - isn't it a beauty?"
View attachment 909729 View attachment 909731
"Oh of course you are beautiful, but that's something different, you know, I ...no, it wasn't expensive, we still can go on holiday...anywhere you'd like to...may I have it with me?"

That was entertaining. Nicely rendered!

 

[Loretta]

That was entertaining. Nicely rendered!

Let's see - I haven't told my wife yet...

 

[TBird1958]

Room for one more on the club?

Epiphone classic IV with Hipshot bridge and tuners. Just finished the wirings: volume (CTS 500k linear), blend (Bourns M/N 250k ungrounded) and tone (CTS 500k audio no-load with .022 orange drop).

BTW: nick is T-Bird in Finnish

Thanks for being so patient, I've been away on a trip with the band and back to work now. Please be welcome here tlintu you're club #597, you get to spend some time next to our honorary member Lemmy. Share some pics, ask questions and give us some of that famous Finnish good humor.







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tlintu #597
Lemmy #666
kat888 #888

 

[TBird1958]

Let's see - I haven't told my wife yet...

I was thinking that with your username that it was the other way around!

As usual, I'm wrong.

 

[DerekW]

Indeed he did - and in a very cool color as well:

View attachment 909447 View attachment 909448

No neck dive issues with that setup, lol

 

[Gaolee]

Let's see - I haven't told my wife yet...

Just say you have been chosen. 'Birds choose who they want to be played by, and if you are one of the chosen, you have to just go with it.

(not that my wife thought that was a convincing reason for needing another one...)

 

[Count Bassie]

I was thinking that with your username that it was the other way around!

As usual, I'm wrong.

I thought so too... lol. You can be whatever you want to be!

 

[Bassic Playing]

There is an EB13 nearish to me for a good price...

 

[Mosstone]

Room for one more on the club?

Epiphone classic IV with Hipshot bridge and tuners. Just finished the wirings: volume (CTS 500k linear), blend (Bourns M/N 250k ungrounded) and tone (CTS 500k audio no-load with .022 orange drop).

BTW: nick is T-Bird in Finnish

Another happy Classic IV owner! Welcome!

I've thought about doing the blend knob mod a number of times (on a number of instruments), but I like how the tone kinda opens up when you roll the volume back a notch on one of the pickups. Do you lose that effect with the blend knob?

BTW, I like the 'cooker knobs'.

 

[Gaolee]

There is an EB13 nearish to me for a good price...

Those have 7enderish ergonomics but the punch of a Gibson. I have one that I let go but fortunately got back.

 

[RedVee]

Another happy Classic IV owner! Welcome!

I've thought about doing the blend knob mod a number of times (on a number of instruments), but I like how the tone kinda opens up when you roll the volume back a notch on one of the pickups. Do you lose that effect with the blend knob?

BTW, I like the 'cooker knobs'.

How does the blend work? A detent at 0 for 100% each pup? Turn either way to increase/decrease the mix on each pup?

So you could have master volume, blend, master tone utilising the 3 knobs, just add the blackbird on/off switch to kill both pickups?