Thunderbird Club

[dagrev]

The guy who graduated bottom of the class is still called 'doctor'.

My uncle used to always say that when you go to a doctor you have no way of knowing if they graduated at the top of his or her class...or just barely made it. They are all called doctor. Once you've been involved with a situation involving multiple doctors, you come to realize they can sound very certain and often convincing by themselves--until the next doctor comes in and disagrees and seems to logically justify a different approach. I've never put it bluntly or rudely, but have suggested that both can't be right. Both can be wrong, but both can't be right.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

An original, unmolested ‘64.
No breaks. At Rudy’s here in NYC.

View attachment 4455944

is the stock claw placement meant to be that far away from the saddles?

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I need a vacation too. I’m taking next week and going to the beach. It’s been a heck of a stressful week with work and buying a house to retire to…got to decide where the Thunderbirds will go.View attachment 4455856View attachment 4455849 View attachment 4455857View attachment 4455858 View attachment 4455859View attachment 4455860

nice pad! congrats M!

 

[dagrev]

is the stock claw placement meant to be that far away from the saddles?

Got me to thinking... You're right. Mine is pretty close. Good eye Chuck!

 

[Engle]

Honestly sounded and played great.

Is there a Dimarzio that fits in a Tbird PU route?

 

[Engle]

My uncle used to always say that when you go to a doctor you have no way of knowing if they graduated at the top of his or her class...or just barely made it. They are all called doctor. Once you've been involved with a situation involving multiple doctors, you come to realize they can sound very certain and often convincing by themselves--until the next doctor comes in and disagrees and seems to logically justify a different approach. I've never put it bluntly or rudely, but have suggested that both can't be right. Both can be wrong, but both can't be right.

I wouldn't want to be a doctor. How a particular person's body reacts to any particular med or procedure is quite variable.

 

[PillO]

My uncle used to always say that when you go to a doctor you have no way of knowing if they graduated at the top of his or her class...or just barely made it. They are all called doctor. Once you've been involved with a situation involving multiple doctors, you come to realize they can sound very certain and often convincing by themselves--until the next doctor comes in and disagrees and seems to logically justify a different approach. I've never put it bluntly or rudely, but have suggested that both can't be right. Both can be wrong, but both can't be right.

Buying a house, car, or even dinner, people will put in more work understanding their choices than they do with healthcare. Always been a mystery to me why anyone would be so cavalier with their most important asset.

I wouldn't want to be a doctor. How a particular person's body reacts to any particular med or procedure is quite variable.

Based on undergraduate grades and a few other things, it was suggested I apply to medical school as I would easily be accepted.

But

I already had a deal with the army for my undergrad. Renegotiating that deal would have cost me in time; in my estimation quite substantially.

And

I really have no desire to get gooky stuff on my hands. In other words, I already knew that I was academically suited to the studies, but not well suited to the job. I always say - I hate people, although there are some individuals of whom I am quite fond.

 

[GBassNorth]

An original, unmolested ‘64.
No breaks. At Rudy’s here in NYC.

View attachment 4455944

is the stock claw placement meant to be that far away from the saddles?

no expert here, but didn’t that year also have a tug bar? If so, the guard isn’t original. And if the claw has been moved the body would have been refinished to hide the holes. So what we might have here is a potential ‘64 bird with a potential refin and newer pickguard and non original pup. If that’s the case I’m holding firm on my $2500 max offer, but would probably opt for a new NR first.

edit - upon closer inspection, the claw has not been moved, the bridge has been bumped up closer to the neck. You can see the stud holes that have been filled with dowel, and Yes, the body has been refinished. I’m backing my offer down to $2000.

 

[GonePlaid]

Got me to thinking... You're right. Mine is pretty close. Good eye Chuck!
View attachment 4456096

Here's mine:

 

[JJR58]

Is there a Dimarzio that fits in a Tbird PU route?

Makes this scenario even worse looking.
If routing was done.

 

[JJR58]

is the stock claw placement meant to be that far away from the saddles?

I think George just called it in a earlier post.
Something is def up with that bass.

 

[GBassNorth]

Here's mine:
View attachment 4456151

The difference in bridge placement between yours and Dagrev’s is pretty dramatic. Your bridge studs are just slightly north of your bridge volume pot. Dagrev’s are just north of his tone pot. Looks like at least an inch difference between the two basses. Interesting.

 

[dagrev]

Buying a house, car, or even dinner, people will put in more work understanding their choices than they do with healthcare. Always been a mystery to me why anyone would be so cavalier with their most important asset.
...
I really have no desire to get gooky stuff on my hands. In other words, I already knew that I was academically suited to the studies, but not well suited to the job. I always say - I hate people, although there are some individuals of whom I am quite fond.

Indeed. People just tend to go to the person their doctor recommends. Maybe it's because they are good or in the "approved" system, maybe because they are friends. Seen all the above happen.

You aren't fooling anyone here. You know you love us.
And we love you back.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I seriously doubt you being a lower sphincter, but do agree with everything you said. Normally they get the cat from Cow Town Guitars and he seems to know his stuff.

All "experts" and techs are not created equal. I bought my '64 Pbass through a friend selling it for Teddy Gentry (Alabama). His friend not mine. When I got the bass and took it apart it had 67 PUs and pots in it. I told him about it and he said that he had had the guitar inspected by a very reputable tech in Nashville and I found that hard to believe. I sent him pics and said, well he might've looked at everything but he didn't look at the pot codes or the back of the PU. I told him, as you can imagine, the electronics are as important as about anything else as far as Valley goes. He finally sent some money back to offset it not having original pick ups. Also asked if he would mind getting something signed by Teddy Gentry proving that it was he was his. (Knew it was because I knew they were friends and worked together on documented projects.) Got the money never got the note from Teddy he said he would be glad to get.

I didn't buy the base because Heady owned it, I just wanted one that here and seem like a decent price and I like the color--mainly because it was in a Sunburst. I didn't care for the pick ups at all in it and eventually sewed the pick ups in the wiring harness which more than paid for the new Klein vintage pick ups that do sound fantastic and correct year pots. It's got some Pyramid Gold flats and sounds absolutely fantastic. The 67's were thin sounding and nasally. It went from the worst sounding bass I owned to definitely one in top-tier.

It's actually a crossover year. The neck is a late '63 and the body early '64.

View attachment 4455719

Most subtle sunburst ever.

 

[dagrev]

no expert here, but didn’t that year also have a tug bar? If so, the guard isn’t original. And if the claw has been moved the body would have been refinished to hide the holes. So what we might have here is a potential ‘64 bird with a potential refin and newer pickguard and non original pup. If that’s the case I’m holding firm on my $2500 max offer, but would probably opt for a new NR first.

edit - upon closer inspection, the claw has not been moved, the bridge has been bumped up closer to the neck. You can see the stud holes that have been filled with dowel, and Yes, the body has been refinished. I’m backing my offer down to $2000.

It is awful shiny. Has some old cracking in the finish so I wonder if it was oversprayed at some point.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

what line up tonight?…..hmmm..

or?….decisions…decisions….

 

[dagrev]

Most subtle sunburst ever.

Ha! That's just the way I like them. Nonexistent.

 

[dagrev]

what line up tonight?…..hmmm..
View attachment 4456187
or?….decisions…decisions….

View attachment 4456191

Option #2 please!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Oh man! That story makes me sick at my stomach just thinking about it.

I don't like going to the dentist if there's anything significant that needs to be done. Regular stuff I don't mind and even the cavities fine. I had a bicycle accident when I was a kid and broke off my two front teeth cracked another and scraped the crap out of my face. My mouth was kind of in shreds from the accident. They couldn't even do anything at first until my mouth healed up some. I'm not scared about going to the dentist or anything, but really dislike having anything more than a cavity filled. Fortunately my root canal was painless. I had been hurting for weeks and it was getting worse and worse. But as soon as I got a few shots to numb it, I never felt a thing again from that tooth. In that respect, that root canal was fantastic and enjoyable!

When I started going to a dentist again, I got NOX even for a cleaning. Then for anything more than a cleaning. Now only for major work, but knock me out for an extraction. That’s a privilege in today’s society, because those things rack up even higher bills than the high cost of the work itself. For years I couldn’t afford it, which added to my dental avoidance, which is why I ended up with root canals and now the occasional extraction.

My THUNDERBIRD VP, CP, IV, Rumble 100, and pedalboard setup cost less than I have spent on dental work this year.

 

[dagrev]

The difference in bridge placement between yours and Dagrev’s is pretty dramatic. Your bridge studs are just slightly north of your bridge volume pot. Dagrev’s are just north of his tone pot. Looks like at least an inch difference between the two basses. Interesting.

NRs must be a little longer maybe since everything seems positioned up a little?