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Thunderbird Club

#19,302
Gaolee said:
Since when have we ever been able to ... Oh, look! A shiny squirrel!
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image.jpg1_zps6zstpruy.jpg
 
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#19,303
Mike A said:
Not to interrupt the sports talk and whatnot... but what's the story with the extra knob here on Mike Watt's Non Reverse Thunderbird (II?) here:

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mikewatt-nonReverseThunderb.jpg

1966 Gibson non-reverse Thunderbird II: bridge moved up slightly so it would intonate, post holes filled and re-drilled. Bartolini preamp with bass-mid-treb equaliser mini-switch for 200/400/800hz mid frequency. Chandler Thunderbird re-issue pickup (no longer made? checkthis out). Bone nut. Black Grover tuners. Output jack put on side and replaced with neutrik locking 1/4" jack. Headstock repaired and whole neck painted black.
From his Flyguitars interview.
 
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#19,309
Klondike said:
My Queen,
I see an output on the face and a Gibson TRC. So is she an EPI or a Gibby?
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EdO. said:
Probably not my place to reply to that question. However... Pretty sure it's a Greco, seen it posted before. Way cool color and look.
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It's an unbroken '76 Gibson Refin. When I started with Seattle Lighting I was transferred to our downtown Seattle store which is about 3 block from where Bass Northwest used to be ( I knew I was in trouble once they told me the news) and naturally I wandered over on my lunch hour. Sure enough, there's a Thunderbird in the shop, all beat to S%^t, even missing one of the original pickups and all the finish stripped off - at least the headstock wasn't busted! Anyway, I had a few basses to toss at Evan (Sheeley) plus some cash, ate Ramen for awhile and it was mine. Another 2K worth of time, paint and parts, a labor of love or stupidity, take your pick!
 
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#19,310
hillerup said:
Why not just get a Metallic Red Epiphone Thunderbird instead, and save yourself the trouble of doing a refin?
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It would seem to be the sensible option but when I was doing the candy apple red on my jazz headstock one of the colour stages I went through was in my eyes just amazing. Metalic silver was the backing colour then transparent red the top coats, while it took about 12 red coats to match the true righteousness of the Fender colour after 2 red coats the colour was truly luminescent red, shimmering and totally stunning, nothing like I had ever seen before, it just occurred to me that that was a perfect colour for a T Bird. The problem is that the reason Fender use so many coats is the more red you put on the easier it is to get an even coat and match the colour of each guitar but with just two coats the spraying needs to be very even, possibly beyond my skills with a rattle can. I think the biggest problem would be the transition between the sides and the face of the body, there might be a tendency for the paint to build up there and become a touch darker. I suppose the answer if it did happen would to create some sort of subtle red burst to try and disguise it?
 
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#19,311
Christine said:
It would seem to be the sensible option but when I was doing the candy apple red on my jazz headstock one of the colour stages I went through was in my eyes just amazing. Metalic silver was the backing colour then transparent red the top coats, while it took about 12 red coats to match the true righteousness of the Fender colour after 2 red coats the colour was truly luminescent red, shimmering and totally stunning, nothing like I had ever seen before, it just occurred to me that that was a perfect colour for a T Bird. The problem is that the reason Fender use so many coats is the more red you put on the easier it is to get an even coat and match the colour of each guitar but with just two coats the spraying needs to be very even, possibly beyond my skills with a rattle can. I think the biggest problem would be the transition between the sides and the face of the body, there might be a tendency for the paint to build up there and become a touch darker. I suppose the answer if it did happen would to create some sort of subtle red burst to try and disguise it?
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Do the silver yourself, then go to a custom audio paint shop for a couple coats of your red?
 
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