Thunderbird Club

[Stevis]

Yep thats the one, when I say "warped" as the tech said, it only means that you can shove a thin piece of paper under the brass (I think that's the material) plate. To be honest, it is barely visible from up close and doesnt affect sound or playability any way. Might be a quality issue, but not one I am ever going to be concerned about.
Are the wings on yours korina? :O

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It's too bad that you had to deal with a turd, who treated you so shabbily. Hopefully, you can find someone in the local music community there to recommend a more competent luthier. I am a complete tool with tools. So, I put a lot of trust in my guy, as I am afraid of going near a truss rod, for fear of messing up a neck. Its like me and auto mechanics. I know how to fill the car with gas and put air in the tires.

You noted that you bought the bass as NOS. Do you folks think that it is possible a combination of string tension and sitting in a room for a period of time, with fluctuations in humidity, could have contributed to pulling the bridge away from the body? I had that happen on an old Kramer Ferrington acoustic/electric bass, where the body actually started to bow in bridge area. But that is not a solid body bass, as is yours.

 

[Count Bassie]

I fixed the wire thing, it wasnt the culprit. I really have no experience with the matter, but those 4 screws seem to be able to hold it to the body rock-solid, the bridge wasnt flexing even when I pushed hard. Well 50% of the bridge has full contact, so it seems you're right, that some sanding could fix it, but it seems harmless, I so I just leave it as is.
Really satisfied with the sound of this bass though. It is both "boomy" and "zingy" at the same time, cuts through the mix quite well

If you like what you're getting from it, then the bridge thing zeros itself out of the scene. Sometimes keeping all the little ducks in a row isn't going to get them home any better. If, down the road, it comes out of the wash that it's a problem, well, you'll fix it!

 

[kat888]

As a matter of interest does anyone know what the bridge on the PRO actually is?

 

[Count Bassie]

As a matter of interest does anyone know what the bridge on the PRO actually is?

Never have heard mention of that. I had a Pro IV, and as far as I know it was a bridge spec'd by and milled for Epiphone, by some manufacturer... you'd probably have to have inside access to Epi for that answer.

As always, I'm happy to be wrong!

 

[kat888]

Briefly contemplated replacing the black hardware with chrome, but the black/chrome mix doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Mike.C.]

I love my Pro IV bridge - the bulkiness of it, color, etc.

 

[hillerup]

Think there are only 5 breeders in Aus, one of them is a 20 minute train ride away. They are half siblings, and their father was half Danish as it happens. The lilac colour is very new and even if you could find one it would be even more expensive than the blue kittens.

The father could very well come from the breeder in Denmark, as they travel worldwide with their cats for breeding.

 

[DerekW]

The father could very well come from the breeder in Denmark, as they travel worldwide with their cats for breeding.

Sounds legit, I've driven all the way from Canada to Orlando Florida for basically the same purpose.

 

[Nocturnal]

As a matter of interest does anyone know what the bridge on the PRO actually is?

BLACK BASS BRIDGE PIEZO B41

CHROME BASS BRIDGE PIEZO B41

Looks pretty close to me. I swear I have seen the 5 string version available as well.

 

[hillerup]

BLACK BASS BRIDGE PIEZO B41

CHROME BASS BRIDGE PIEZO B41

Looks pretty close to me. I swear I have seen the 5 string version available as well.

Looks similar to the ones on the Pro-IV/V - Except for the piezo pickups...

Alternatively a Hipshot A-bridge would be a suitable replacement: Looks almost identical....

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

...and comes in 4-7 string versions in several colors as well...

 

[veebass]

The pair of GK Neo 212ii I bought recently have now had their first big hit out with the Fusion 550. ( I have gigged that head with a 4 Ohm GK Neo 410 for the last three years or so and never had cause to complain)
But OMG- the GK Neo 212ii s are so loud and huge sounding with the Les Paul Double Cut and my Chinabuckered TBird!! The Double Cut is one great bass BTW. It doesn't cut through the mix- it absolutely smashes through (some compressor adjustment coming up).
My first reaction is that the GK Neo 410 is tighter but the pair of 212s is just amazing. I think it also makes a difference having some speakers at chest level as well!

 

[Count Bassie]

The pair of GK Neo 212ii I bought recently have now had their first big hit out with the Fusion 550. ( I have gigged that head with a 4 Ohm GK Neo 410 for the last three years or so and never had cause to complain)
But OMG- the GK Neo 212ii s are so loud and huge sounding with the Les Paul Double Cut and my Chinabuckered TBird!! The Double Cut is one great bass BTW. It doesn't cut through the mix- it absolutely smashes through (some compressor adjustment coming up).
My first reaction is that the GK Neo 410 is tighter but the pair of 212s is just amazing. I think it also makes a difference having some speakers at chest level as well!

Nice.
Yep, stoopid loud, if you want to go there. Easy delivery of the goods you mean to deliver at reasonable volumes, if you don't need to kill medium-sized animals...
Can't wait to play some rock N roll through mine.

 

[Count Bassie]

BLACK BASS BRIDGE PIEZO B41

CHROME BASS BRIDGE PIEZO B41

Looks pretty close to me. I swear I have seen the 5 string version available as well.

I miss that top-loading bridge that was on the Pro IV.

 

[Haji]

" if I want to go there?" Don't be silly. Of course I want to go there.

One of the email newsletters I get (No Treble) posted the new 2016 Gibson EB Bass T. Timely, considering our recent discussion of Gibson basses. Two things I noted: they seen to finally be making use of owning Tobias, and it's got the headstock that the Thunderbirds should have. Dang, I dislike the cheese knife shape!
Gibson Unveils 2017 EB Bass T Model

 

[DerekW]

" if I want to go there?" Don't be silly. Of course I want to go there.

One of the email newsletters I get (No Treble) posted the new 2016 Gibson EB Bass T. Timely, considering our recent discussion of Gibson basses. Two things I noted: they seen to finally be making use of owning Tobias, and it's got the headstock that the Thunderbirds should have. Dang, I dislike the cheese knife shape!
Gibson Unveils 2017 EB Bass T Model

Kinda fenderish headstock.

The body shape is definitely Tobias inspired as well. Not sure why they didn't just give it a new name? Perhaps something fully "new" might have made it more exciting.

 

[Dadagoboi]

I miss that top-loading bridge that was on the Pro IV.

These are very similar, I actually use them as the guts for my bridge/tailpieces.

Chrome Bass Bridge | Allparts.com

Here's the Fiver version unmodded. Also available in black.

 

[JIO]

Last night at The Showdown/Downtown SF (the Tenderloin) with SMF

 

[Stevis]

Kinda fenderish headstock.

The body shape is definitely Tobias inspired as well. Not sure why they didn't just give it a new name? Perhaps something fully "new" might have made it more exciting.

I am not familiar with the EB model. They have a four-string version on MF.com listed at $999. It has a swamp ash body and looks like the same pups as on my 2015 Gibson bird. It comes in two (arguably uninspired) finish options, with a gig bag (didn't see the V model listed there). If it says Gibson, does that automatically mean it is American made?

I noticed that there are also THREE 2017 Gibson Firebird options, ranging from $499 up to $1499 (in different body styles and colors). And the details for the $499 model states: "made in USA". And to be clear, I am not trying to suggest something made outside of the U.S. is necessarily an inferior guitar. It is just odd as this is usually the rationale for charging more for an instrument and companies (PRS, Gibson, G & L, etc.) differentiate lines based on this.

Weird. Couldn't they do some sort of limited run of a bare-bones bird bass at $999, with that same blue color as on the new Firebirds?

 

[TBird1958]

They, (Gibson) at least up to this point want to keep everything with the name on the headstock U.S. made if for no other reason than the "Brand's" cachet as an American made guitar - If you're from outside North America U.S. produced goods of all kinds do seem to be valued differently than they do domestically.

 

[DerekW]

Yeah, I saw those Firebirds, and thought the same thing $500 for a US made guitar is unheard of these days.
A true non-reverse too, looks
Literally flipped upside down from a traditional reverse.