Thunderbird Club

[Butcherboy]

TT….View attachment 4515008

TT in black…

 

[RedVee]

When my dad would see a car all rusted like that he would always say, "Wonder what kind of wax they use?"

Did he ever say, “that’ll buff right out”

 

[Blazer]

I'm not whining and it just is what it is. But I've noticed in the last couple of decades a lot of famous players have horded instruments on an unheard scale. Guys always bought plenty, but now you have had so many (more than ever before it seems) with more money than they could ever spend and they hunt, scourer and buy just about anything decent in sight. Many have admitted to have crew hunting for them to buy what they can. I forget how much space Joe Bonamassa leaves open on tour just for what he buys to bring home. Not only that but he searches the web for them. One guitarist said his wife has accounts and does the searching and buying for him on line. As these people begin to "decline" there may be a flood of great instruments hitting the market.

Heh, and then we guys like Foo Fighter Pat Smear, who to his own admission has a "Pile of Japanese made copy guitars" and lets his wife come along to guitar hunting trips so she can pick them out so they match his outfits.

To quote the Rick Springfield song "Where can I find a woman like that?"

 

[D.M.N.]

I'm not whining and it just is what it is. But I've noticed in the last couple of decades a lot of famous players have horded instruments on an unheard scale. Guys always bought plenty, but now you have had so many (more than ever before it seems) with more money than they could ever spend and they hunt, scourer and buy just about anything decent in sight. Many have admitted to have crew hunting for them to buy what they can. I forget how much space Joe Bonamassa leaves open on tour just for what he buys to bring home. Not only that but he searches the web for them. One guitarist said his wife has accounts and does the searching and buying for him on line. As these people begin to "decline" there may be a flood of great instruments hitting the market.

One can only hope, because they have certainly bought up the dwindling supplies and driven prices up...

 

[Gaolee]

I'm not whining and it just is what it is. But I've noticed in the last couple of decades a lot of famous players have horded instruments on an unheard scale. Guys always bought plenty, but now you have had so many (more than ever before it seems) with more money than they could ever spend and they hunt, scourer and buy just about anything decent in sight. Many have admitted to have crew hunting for them to buy what they can. I forget how much space Joe Bonamassa leaves open on tour just for what he buys to bring home. Not only that but he searches the web for them. One guitarist said his wife has accounts and does the searching and buying for him on line. As these people begin to "decline" there may be a flood of great instruments hitting the market.

Is is bad to hope they pop off before I do?

 

[GBassNorth]

Glad to! Looks like the VP is not exactly like the 60s. On the 60s the bridge is also moved toward the neck a little. Might be part of why VP can lack a little low-end.
View attachment 4515249
View attachment 4515250

With that info, here’s the pup spacing across a number of Tbirds:

Measurement from 12th fret to the Centerline of each pickup
1990 Greco IV 10-7/8” and 14-1/8” (note 33.5” scale)
Gibson 2013 Tbird 10-1/4” and 14-5/8”
BaCH II 10-5/8”
1977 Greco II 11” (note 33.5” scale)
Epiphone VP 11” and 14-7/8”
Epiphone Goth 10-3/4” and 14-5/8”
Gibson 1964 Tbird 10-7/8” and 14-3/8”
Gibson 2015 Tbird 10-1/4” and 14-1/2”
Spector Rex5 Pro 12-3/8” and 15-3/8” (note 35” scale)
2019 Epiphone CP 10-1/4” and 14-1/2"
1988 Greco TB-70 10-7/8” and 14-3/8”
1960’s Gibson NR 10-11/16" and 14-3/16"

 

[WillyW]

That could work…

 

[GBassNorth]

One can only hope, because they have certainly bought up the dwindling supplies and driven prices up...

Actually the vintage/collectible Tbird market will probably follow the same path as the vintage car market.

As owners of interesting collections pass away, the estate sells all or parts of the collection via special auction houses where the remaining collectors enter into a bid frenzy to snap up nice stuff that wasn’t previously on the market. In essence the premium stuff continues to consolidate into fewer and fewer hands and the remaining private collections get bigger and bigger.

Eventually the truly premium stuff will be owned by a handful of international collectors with very deep pockets. If we’re lucky (and still alive) we’ll be able to pay an admission price to go into a collection house and view the really cool stuff that we could have afforded to buy 10 years ago but will never be able to afford again.

Unfortunately, once in the hands of a private mega collector, very little is ever let loose at a reasonable price for the GenPop to purchase. The only bright side is there are still plenty of small collectors and individuals with an abundance of gear that may decide to sell stuff off every now and then. As long you have funds on hand and can move quick there’s a chance you can still find some nice gems, but it does get harder every year.

 

[dagrev]

Did he ever say, “that’ll buff right out”

Ha! No, but I could picture him saying something just like that.

 

[GBassNorth]

I think I read specs on my Greco it’s maple neck and basswood body? Rosewoodish fretboard

Just checked my 1977 Greco II - it’s absolutely mahogany wings and a mahogany center block. The neck is also positively mahogany looks like it might be 5 pieces up at the headstock, probably only two pieces for the main part of the neck.
Also checked my 1990 Greco where it has a couple of paint chips down to the wood. Doesn’t look like basswood, it’s much darker and much harder than any basswood I’ve seen, might be mahogany. The neck looks like the same material and construction as my 1977 as well.

 

[dagrev]

Heh, and then we guys like Foo Fighter Pat Smear, who to his own admission has a "Pile of Japanese made copy guitars" and lets his wife come along to guitar hunting trips so she can pick them out so they match his outfits.
View attachment 4515519
To quote the Rick Springfield song "Where can I find a woman like that?"

Very, very simple. Be rich and or famous. How many good looking wives have Mick and Keef had? Oh, they had "really nice personalities." One well known (and hated) NASCAR driver has a wife that approaches a model. If he worked at the bank--she would not have even gone out with him much less procreated with him. It's just a fact of life. I married up. Maybe she thought I was going to make it in the music business!

 

[dagrev]

Is is bad to hope they pop off before I do?

Ahhhh, well..... Ummm..... They have had a very full life!

 

[dagrev]

With that info, here’s the pup spacing across a number of Tbirds:

Measurement from 12th fret to the Centerline of each pickup
1990 Greco IV 10-7/8” and 14-1/8” (note 33.5” scale)
Gibson 2013 Tbird 10-1/4” and 14-5/8”
BaCH II 10-5/8”
1977 Greco II 11” (note 33.5” scale)
Epiphone VP 11” and 14-7/8”
Epiphone Goth 10-3/4” and 14-5/8”
Gibson 1964 Tbird 10-7/8” and 14-3/8”
Gibson 2015 Tbird 10-1/4” and 14-1/2”
Spector Rex5 Pro 12-3/8” and 15-3/8” (note 35” scale)

To Thunderbird nerds like us, this is interesting and great information! I bookmarked it.

Can you send this to Gibson? They seem to have lost some of this information and have been guessing.

 

[Bent77]

With that info, here’s the pup spacing across a number of Tbirds:

Measurement from 12th fret to the Centerline of each pickup
1990 Greco IV 10-7/8” and 14-1/8” (note 33.5” scale)
Gibson 2013 Tbird 10-1/4” and 14-5/8”
BaCH II 10-5/8”
1977 Greco II 11” (note 33.5” scale)
Epiphone VP 11” and 14-7/8”
Epiphone Goth 10-3/4” and 14-5/8”
Gibson 1964 Tbird 10-7/8” and 14-3/8”
Gibson 2015 Tbird 10-1/4” and 14-1/2”
Spector Rex5 Pro 12-3/8” and 15-3/8” (note 35” scale)

Thanks for taking the time to do this

The ‘90 Greco is your favorite out of the batch?

 

[WillyW]

Just checked my 1977 Greco II - it’s absolutely mahogany wings and a mahogany center block. The neck is also positively mahogany looks like it might be 5 pieces up at the headstock, probably only two pieces for the main part of the neck.
Also checked my 1990 Greco where it has a couple of paint chips down to the wood. Doesn’t look like basswood, it’s much darker and much harder than any basswood I’ve seen, might be mahogany. The neck looks like the same material and construction as my 1977 as well.

I’ll delve deeper into my 88 soon.

I have had basswood instruments, and yeah this 34 year old instrument has many fewer dings than I would expect from basswood.

some missing paint on the lower bout shows some darker than basswood wood.

I’ll check the control cavity and pickup routes for exposed wood.

if I add another pickup I’ll know for sure.

 

[WillyW]

So I won’t use rings for pickups on the pickguard, but I gots enough space.

 

[GBassNorth]

Thanks for taking the time to do this

The ‘90 Greco is your favorite out of the batch?

Just focusing on pickup sound alone, of all the Tbirds I’ve played the 1990 Greco is right at the top. However, I have not played a vintage Tbird from the 1960’s, which is supposed to be the holy grail of birds. The 2013 Anniversary bird is right at the top from a playability, fit and finish and feel standpoint and not far below the Greco in sound, similar lows and low mids but not as aggressive in the upper mids and top end. The VP is closer to the Greco in sound in the mids and highs but has a bit less on the bottom end. If I could have the Greco pickups in the Gibson 2013 anniversary bird at the Greco spacing I’d be in seventh heaven.

I’ll delve deeper into my 88 soon.

I have had basswood instruments, and yeah this 34 year old instrument has many fewer dings than I would expect from basswood.

some missing paint on the lower bout shows some darker than basswood wood.

I’ll check the control cavity and pickup routes for exposed wood.

if I add another pickup I’ll know for sure.

FWIW - I looked in my 1990 Greco control cavity but it’s fully painted in there as well, so no exposed wood to shed light on the topic. I haven’t removed any pickups, may be visible wood there.

The last basswood body I had was on a Musicman SUB Stingray. I did a pickup route in it and when done needed to remove a bit more wood for the wires under the pup. No joke, the basswood was so soft I actually removed the excess wood with a spoon (it was a test mule for P/MM bass build I was working on so sloppy wasn’t a problem).

 

[Miles_ONeal]

No Thunderbirds (or even basses), but some fun discussion and a peak at some of Rick Nielsen's insane guitar collection. He does reference "that guy in Led Zeppelin", whoever that might be.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

You know, I noticed that there's a lot of people here who love their Cheap Trick tunes.

Here's something cool to cater to those people.

Ha. I wondered if someone would beat me to it!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I'm not whining and it just is what it is. But I've noticed in the last couple of decades a lot of famous players have horded instruments on an unheard scale. Guys always bought plenty, but now you have had so many (more than ever before it seems) with more money than they could ever spend and they hunt, scourer and buy just about anything decent in sight. Many have admitted to have crew hunting for them to buy what they can. I forget how much space Joe Bonamassa leaves open on tour just for what he buys to bring home. Not only that but he searches the web for them. One guitarist said his wife has accounts and does the searching and buying for him on line. As these people begin to "decline" there may be a flood of great instruments hitting the market.

Unfortunately at far more than before because they were owned by The Great So and So.