Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

I wondered if anyone was going to get to what it is. What you buy for pools etc. is very diluted and still very dangerous. I too am amazed it is still sold anywhere (especially California). I think the chlorine used in pools is now is much safer but still very dangerous.

It's the best PH reducer. Chlorine doesn't effect PH. And an acid wash of the plaster is way more effective than a chlorine wash.

 

[MCF]

I used it(hydrochloric acid) with great results on my rust stained bricks and mortar back in 2014.

That was the year I redid all and I mean all the landscaping around our home... we bought this home in 2012 when it was 8 years old. I moved the sprinkler heads further away from the side of the house to avoid the previous owner's mistake.

View attachment 4365539

View attachment 4365540

It didn't take long and those little bushes filled right in and now need to be maintained.

I used goggles and thick heavy rubber gloves and wore clothes I didn't care about while I scrubbed the brick with a long handled, stiff bristled brush. That stuff ate holes in my blue jeans and long sleeve shirt with every droplet that flicked off the bristles. I came out unscathed but those fumes were pretty bad and had me holding my breath while scrubbing. If I were to do something like this again, I'd get the appropriate canister filter breather unit.

View attachment 4365541

I widened the landscape beds where necessary and pulled all the rotting woodchips and enough soil to lay broken Spanish Tile about 3 to 4 inches deep over weed block fabric. Seven years later and the landscape beds look almost as good as the day they were rehab'ed and upgraded.

Why don't you come on down for awhile. We're needing to redo our landscaping. I have Thunderbirds!

 

[TBird1958]

I bet. I love my '13. Can't wait for the new one to get here. Can you tell any difference between the pickups on it and the other modern pickups?

I'm really liking how they sound so far, I've left the stock strings on for now, the pickups seem bright and full, plenty of low end and mids. I played for about 30 minutes standing up last night I found that it balanced really well using one of my straps that is normally set up for a Reverse, it did hang a bit lower than I care for so I'll set up a specific strap just for this bass. I'm quite impressed so far, the quality is very good, Sweetwater did a pretty respectable set up on it, I'd note that the neck has very little pitch to it and it's a much bigger neck than ANY of my Reverses, regardless of manufacturer, though it seems very related to my Studio Bird.

 

[MCF]

I wonder if it is "grandfathered". If it weren't, prop65 probably wouldn't have passed given the number of backyard pools in California.


the hand is still encased in plaster and will be until next week. I can move the fingers targeted by the surgery, so I think the outcome is positive. But another week of immobility to allow the tendons to heal (there was fancy splicing done). Next week I'll get to scratch that persistent itch.

Please take it slow my friend. I hope you can work in some playing as part of the exercise regimen.

 

[godofthunder59]

don’t ever recall seeing mics with your live setups and you seem to play big stages, ever go to through the FOH? DIs?

There is almost always a miced cab. The only place I don't mic is the Isquare stage, the PA is pretty much capable of vocals only, it should have subs but it doesn't.

 

[Larry V]

Why don't you come on down for awhile. We're needing to redo our landscaping. I have Thunderbirds!

Haha... I am so that guy. I did 20 yards of Spanish Tile with a wheelbarrow and shovel dumped into a huge pile in my driveway. Started on June 13th and finished on July 30th according to my Facebook Landscape 2014 Photo Album.

...and yes, If we lived close by and you had cold beer and Thunderbirds, I'd help you out.

 

[BklynKen]

I'm really liking how they sound so far, I've left the stock strings on for now, the pickups seem bright and full, plenty of low end and mids. I played for about 30 minutes standing up last night I found that it balanced really well using one of my straps that is normally set up for a Reverse, it did hang a bit lower than I care for so I'll set up a specific strap just for this bass. I'm quite impressed so far, the quality is very good, Sweetwater did a pretty respectable set up on it, I'd note that the neck has very little pitch to it and it's a much bigger neck than ANY of my Reverses, regardless of manufacturer, though it seems very related to my Studio Bird.

I guess it's most similar to your Studio since they're both set neck. The Studio has TB+? How would you compare the pickups?

 

[TBird1958]

You mutilated that poor bird…

Hardly, now it looks like it's supposed to, and since Gibson has shipped some with the knobs arranged this way I'd say it was not "mutilated".

Here's some reference photos.

 

[TBird1958]

I guess it's most similar to your Studio since they're both set neck. The Studio has TB+? How would you compare the pickups?

I think the new ones are not TB Plus with chrome covers, they don't sound quite like that, or the Epiphone 760's. I'm going to try to do a little video.... No promises tho!

 

[GBassNorth]

I know it's Wednesday, but who really cares....
View attachment 4365452

Darn, and it could of been a Ruby Tuesday.

 

[Goatrope]

I'm really liking how they sound so far, I've left the stock strings on for now, the pickups seem bright and full, plenty of low end and mids. I played for about 30 minutes standing up last night I found that it balanced really well using one of my straps that is normally set up for a Reverse, it did hang a bit lower than I care for so I'll set up a specific strap just for this bass. I'm quite impressed so far, the quality is very good, Sweetwater did a pretty respectable set up on it, I'd note that the neck has very little pitch to it and it's a much bigger neck than ANY of my Reverses, regardless of manufacturer, though it seems very related to my Studio Bird.

Very cool! Glad you’re lovin’ it.

Definitely has a large neck. Mine didn’t balance to my liking, hence the strap button relocation, but it’s fine now. Mine also was a pound heavier than my reverse. I felt it before, but now that it’s hanging in my preferred position, the extra weight seemed to have vanished.

Before it arrived, I figured I’d be swapping the bridge for a Babicz, like I have on my Reverse. Now that I’ve lived with it a bit, I’ll leave it as is. It ain’t broke.

 

[TBird1958]

Mine's pretty much just like your upper shot as well, and that angle seems fine for me so far, it's the hanging height that I need to adjust a little - shorter strap length. That said, I would unhesitatingly add another strap pin at the heel as you did if needed. I have to say again Sweetwater did a nice set up with the 3 point on mine, no bridge issues!

 

[GBassNorth]

I wondered if anyone was going to get to what it is. What you buy for pools etc. is very diluted and still very dangerous. I too am amazed it is still sold anywhere (especially California). I think the chlorine used in pools is now is much safer but still very dangerous.

Yep, muratic acid (even the diluted stuff used for pools) can be pretty nasty. My last house had a pool and I did all the water treatment myself. My pH reducer of choice was Sodium bisulfate, in powder form, little easier to handle than liquid form muratic.

 

[dagrev]

I wonder if it is "grandfathered". If it weren't, prop65 probably wouldn't have passed given the number of backyard pools in California.


the hand is still encased in plaster and will be until next week. I can move the fingers targeted by the surgery, so I think the outcome is positive. But another week of immobility to allow the tendons to heal (there was fancy splicing done). Next week I'll get to scratch that persistent itch.

Glad to hear things seem to going in the right direction.

 

[Goatrope]

Mine's pretty much just like your upper shot as well, and that angle seems fine for me so far, it's the hanging height that I need to adjust a little - shorter strap length. That said, I would unhesitatingly add another strap pin at the heel as you did if needed. I have to say again Sweetwater did a nice set up with the 3 point on mine, no bridge issues!

Cool. I’m definitely a SW fan. They’ve always done a great job with set-ups. I still tweak afterwards, but always a decent set-up.

I don’t know for sure if Gibson did my NR set-up, or it was done at GC’s distribution center, but it was unplayable for me. I did receive a photo with the NR on a bench. Maybe it was just resting.

 

[dagrev]

I used it(hydrochloric acid) with great results on my rust stained bricks and mortar back in 2014.

That was the year I redid all and I mean all the landscaping around our home... we bought this home in 2012 when it was 8 years old. I moved the sprinkler heads further away from the side of the house to avoid the previous owner's mistake.

View attachment 4365539

View attachment 4365540

It didn't take long and those little bushes filled right in and now need to be maintained.

I used goggles and thick heavy rubber gloves and wore clothes I didn't care about while I scrubbed the brick with a long handled, stiff bristled brush. That stuff ate holes in my blue jeans and long sleeve shirt with every droplet that flicked off the bristles. I came out unscathed but those fumes were pretty bad and had me holding my breath while scrubbing. If I were to do something like this again, I'd get the appropriate canister filter breather unit.

View attachment 4365541

I widened the landscape beds where necessary and pulled all the rotting woodchips and enough soil to lay broken Spanish Tile about 3 to 4 inches deep over weed block fabric. Seven years later and the landscape beds look almost as good as the day they were rehab'ed and upgraded.

Looks great! Worth driving up there to sit on the porch and tell lies!

 

[PillO]

It's the best PH reducer. Chlorine doesn't effect PH.

The chlorine used to be a hypochlorite solution IIRC, but newer, more predictable hypochlorites are now used for chlorination. pH is adjusted to get the right concentration of Cl2 in the water as it exists in a pH dependent chemical equilibrium.

 

[Toptube]

The official "Show your basses" thread part 19!

link to a post of an in-progress multi-scale non-reverse TB shape

 

[dagrev]

Darn, and it could of been a Ruby Tuesday.

Should have seen that one coming!

 

[Gaolee]

My granddad used to use it to clean out rusty old-car gas tanks.....





I've heard this mentioned before, that the CP & VP feel differently. Mine are essentially identical, other than the headstock (and electrics, of course!). Just going by feel, not sound (or balance ), they play the same to me - maybe because they're both Alpine White poly?

It's the VP's balance I don't like as much. I didn't like the way the neck felt, since poly is generally sticky to my hands, but a good scrub down with some fine sandpaper and that's not a problem any more. When it's been played enough to repolish the back of the neck, it will feel about like nitro anyway. I'm thinking about relocating the neck heel strap button from its location on the body to the actual neck heel. The balance is close, but not quite what I want it to be. Maybe once that's done, the balance will be more like a Gibson Thunderbird. Gibson Thunderbirds from the reissue years are the best balanced bass guitars I have ever played.