Thunderbird Club

[Border]

Just spitballing here, but you could probably try removing the pickups and trying Goopoff and if needed, followed with some fine metal polish.
As for the stock strings, I assumed they were 45-105 Gibson nickel roundwounds. They stayed on mine for a hot minute before I installed Dunlop Marcus Miller stainless steel Superbrights. I dropped the action down on mine so I didn’t have to adjust pickup height. I don’t know what the adhesive looking stuff might be.

Have I said how much I love mine?

Thanks much MCF, I appreciate the suggestions. I am wondering how long to wait for the strings to settle down, and if the clank will lessen. Seriously considering Ernie Ball Cobalt flats for this bass. I have them on my 2014 and love the way they sound and feel. I have been reading posts discussing pressure wound strings, which I have never used but might be worth a try.
Sooo glad tomorrow is Friday. Have a good evening folks.

 

[JIO]

TT

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Very nice in the Bay Area also - low 60's, sunny, low wind. I got a ride in also.

It was a steady 32 from just after sunup to after sundown, when it went up to 35 for a few hours. Still supposed to hit 26 by sunrise. Saturday should hit 54; I'll probably go for a ride. At the least a hike.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I’ll check mine again. Thought I had 9.2 and 10.1

Anyone notice a sound difference, or was that my imagination? I have the neck pickup in the middle position at the moment. It seemed to have more growl. But it hard to say using hammered strings and a pine body. The mahogany body isn’t ready yet

I would expect more growl. Isn't the standard bridge pickup hotter wound to bump its volume level with less vibration distance up to the neck pickup's volume?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

just got this from Sweetwater…
View attachment 4550431

If you need a high tech device to test your banana's continuity, you have a problem.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Or… 3 pickups?

And a whammy bar?

That would be the Thunderbird VIII. The VI would have two pickups and the Vibrola whammy setup.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

On West Coast time, this showed up today, two days late, but one day earlier than FedEx said it would.
Happy Thunderbird Thursday!

View attachment 4551319

Congrats again!!!!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Greetings from the North,

Not sure if this has been covered yet but has anyone here played an Ashdown TBird?
I tried to link to their site but I wasn't successful. Its under their bass guitar Products section.

Rezdog

@Chucky Stiletti

yes, at 2019 NAMM, loved it.. went through an EVOII brick into a 1x12…very P type (C?) neck with a beautiful maple fingerboard…tone and general feel modern , dynamic, generally brighter (TB+ type pups) than other available TBird type buckers…beautifully balanced as well…factory set action (steel rounds) a little too high for my taste but all in all, delinquent in not owning one since I’m a big fan of maple fingerboard/humbucker equipped basses….

 

[RedVee]

The BlingBird finally makes it on Thunderbird Thursday, sorry about the poor pics, no good light this time of day…
View attachment 4551567
View attachment 4551568

Pretty much all together now, mostly just strings and setup left.

First impressions (with totally shot black beauties temporarily installed and no time for a set up) She sounds awesome! The neck pup is as expected nice and creamy and very hot (a real Jack Bruce tone), the center pup is throaty with punch (not far off the Greco in vibe) and the bridge pup is actually very useable (sounds exactly like Chris Squire’s tone on Owner of a Lonely Heart). All three pups full on is a very full content rich sound. All in all - I’m very pleased with the initial preliminary results. Once the Optima strings are on and the set up is complete with pup heights properly adjusted to balance each output she should be a real gem.

Odds and ends left to do - Install a string tree (on order), shim the neck, widen a couple of the claw grooves, install spacers under the trim rings (on order), install Optima Gold strings strings (delivered today) and do a good set up.

Gorgeous George!

So for a II with a Greco-like growl would you go that centre position with a 9.2? or would you opt for a 10?

 

[RedVee]

Oh no! Meatloaf died!

 

[GBassNorth]

Gorgeous George!

So for a II with a Greco-like growl would you go that centre position with a 9.2? or would you opt for a 10?

Thanks, it’s been a fun build.

If I was budget minded I’d go with the 10k Chinabucker on a Tbird II. It’s kind of the 80 for the 20 proposition, you get about 80% of the Greco at 20% of the cost.

Budget concerns aside, If I were building a single pup bird I’d first try to find a used Greco IV with chrome or nickel pups and yank the bridge pup out of the Greco as a donor to the Tbird II build and I’d replace the Greco bridge pup with a Chinabucker since I don’t use the bridge pup that much on most of my basses.

Failing that, I’d probably try a Thunder on the Tundra Tbird neck pickup (12.5k). https://www.joshparkinguitars.co.uk/bass

My third choice would be a VP or Embassy pickup (if you can find one)

 

[Larry V]

So a Thunderbird VI is the missing link. It would have 2 pickups and block inlays.

The math is simple enough.

A II has one P/Up
A IV has two P/Ups
A VI has (?) P/Ups

George is building a VI as we speak.

On West Coast time, this showed up today, two days late, but one day earlier than FedEx said it would.
Happy Thunderbird Thursday!

View attachment 4551319

Again, congratulations! May she bring you a lifetime of joy and gnarly low-end!

 

[KB5]

YouTube
YouTube

Thanks for the effort but for some reason I get an error message when I click the links.

 

[Larry V]

The BlingBird finally makes it on Thunderbird Thursday, sorry about the poor pics, no good light this time of day…
View attachment 4551567
View attachment 4551568

Pretty much all together now, mostly just strings and setup left.

First impressions (with totally shot black beauties temporarily installed and no time for a set up) She sounds awesome! The neck pup is as expected nice and creamy and very hot (a real Jack Bruce tone), the center pup is throaty with punch (not far off the Greco in vibe) and the bridge pup is actually very useable (sounds exactly like Chris Squire’s tone on Owner of a Lonely Heart). All three pups full on is a very full content rich sound. All in all - I’m very pleased with the initial preliminary results. Once the Optima strings are on and the set up is complete with pup heights properly adjusted to balance each output she should be a real gem.

Odds and ends left to do - Install a string tree (on order), shim the neck, widen a couple of the claw grooves, install spacers under the trim rings (on order), install Optima Gold strings strings (delivered today) and do a good set up.

Congrats, George! It looks amazing and once you get the Optimas on, it'll be off the chart!

I was just imagining a non-pickguard in the usual PG location on the wing... something that doesn't cover that beautiful woodgrain but is a nod to the traditional PG.

A sheet metal, gold-plated PG that is just the curved outline with nothing along the raised center section. Match the width of the rings which looks to be about 3/16" on the screw sides. No Thunderbird.

Screwed down to match the rings.

 

[Bent77]

The BlingBird finally makes it on Thunderbird Thursday, sorry about the poor pics, no good light this time of day…
View attachment 4551567
View attachment 4551568

Pretty much all together now, mostly just strings and setup left.

First impressions (with totally shot black beauties temporarily installed and no time for a set up) She sounds awesome! The neck pup is as expected nice and creamy and very hot (a real Jack Bruce tone), the center pup is throaty with punch (not far off the Greco in vibe) and the bridge pup is actually very useable (sounds exactly like Chris Squire’s tone on Owner of a Lonely Heart). All three pups full on is a very full content rich sound. All in all - I’m very pleased with the initial preliminary results. Once the Optima strings are on and the set up is complete with pup heights properly adjusted to balance each output she should be a real gem.

Odds and ends left to do - Install a string tree (on order), shim the neck, widen a couple of the claw grooves, install spacers under the trim rings (on order), install Optima Gold strings strings (delivered today) and do a good set up.

All hail the ThunderPimp!!

 

[dagrev]

yeah got way too many instruminks now, I have absolutely no need for another one…

Nonsense.

 

[dagrev]

The BlingBird finally makes it on Thunderbird Thursday, sorry about the poor pics, no good light this time of day…
View attachment 4551567
View attachment 4551568

Pretty much all together now, mostly just strings and setup left.

First impressions (with totally shot black beauties temporarily installed and no time for a set up) She sounds awesome! The neck pup is as expected nice and creamy and very hot (a real Jack Bruce tone), the center pup is throaty with punch (not far off the Greco in vibe) and the bridge pup is actually very useable (sounds exactly like Chris Squire’s tone on Owner of a Lonely Heart). All three pups full on is a very full content rich sound. All in all - I’m very pleased with the initial preliminary results. Once the Optima strings are on and the set up is complete with pup heights properly adjusted to balance each output she should be a real gem.

Odds and ends left to do - Install a string tree (on order), shim the neck, widen a couple of the claw grooves, install spacers under the trim rings (on order), install Optima Gold strings strings (delivered today) and do a good set up.

Speechless. Complementary words would be insultingly inadequate. I'll just say, that's likely the best looking bass I've ever seen.

 

[dagrev]

I couldn't play the ThunderP/ThunderJ/T5 for a couple of weeks, went to Hurricane UT and Mesquite NV 28 Dec. Las Vegas 29 Dec, on 1 Jan came down with Omicron. Wife drove us back to Mesquite 3 Jan (2nd home). On 12 Jan I was finally able to drive back to Syracuse UT. Bottom line, it didn't feel particularly mild to me, energy is still not where I like it but at least I finally went to practice and fondled the ThunderP yesterday.

Glad the worst is over. Hope your recovery picks up speed.

 

[GonePlaid]

The BlingBird finally makes it on Thunderbird Thursday, sorry about the poor pics, no good light this time of day…
View attachment 4551567
View attachment 4551568

Pretty much all together now, mostly just strings and setup left.

First impressions (with totally shot black beauties temporarily installed and no time for a set up) She sounds awesome! The neck pup is as expected nice and creamy and very hot (a real Jack Bruce tone), the center pup is throaty with punch (not far off the Greco in vibe) and the bridge pup is actually very useable (sounds exactly like Chris Squire’s tone on Owner of a Lonely Heart). All three pups full on is a very full content rich sound. All in all - I’m very pleased with the initial preliminary results. Once the Optima strings are on and the set up is complete with pup heights properly adjusted to balance each output she should be a real gem.

Odds and ends left to do - Install a string tree (on order), shim the neck, widen a couple of the claw grooves, install spacers under the trim rings (on order), install Optima Gold strings strings (delivered today) and do a good set up.

Looking good. Nice work.

 

[GonePlaid]

Thanks for the effort but for some reason I get an error message when I click the links.

Try it/them again. YT had made some requirement changes since those were posted. I think I fulfilled them(?).