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Thunderbird Club

#197,441
JIO said:
off an '80s Ibanez Roadstar - I have another set on my Dano P
View attachment 4577867
The (SX?) P-style neck and generic (but nice light ash! :thumbsup:) 'loaded' P-style body was given to me for some friend work so I built it up with some nice parts; '80s Roadstar tuners, a Fender PV63 P pu, a Kent Armstrong lipstick pu and custom 250k/100k stacked V pot and T pot. I may install a Tonestyler tone pot eventually. I redefined the 'hooked' hs (looked more Fender-esk), cut a bone nut for it, stripped the amber clear-coat off the neck (left it on the fb) and shot it with satin nitro. For a cheap neck (a new SX bass costs a little over $100) - it's actually very good and the frets had no wear. A nice light 'no worries' bass that plays and sounds good! (for small change)
View attachment 4578025
The lighter colored maple fb looks like binding after stripping the amber finish off.
View attachment 4578057 View attachment 4578033
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Very unique!
 
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#197,443
White-bird Wednesday

Original configuration (12 yrs ago?) generic 9v pre with push-pull active/passive V/T/V/T, kill switch and mid-sweep knob. It sounded ok.
upload_2022-2-9_16-34-55.jpeg

Love the radical grain-pattern on the maple neck. '8' was the number of basses I had at that point, and sideways was infinity. Also visually tipped a hat toward Pete Townshend's numbered guitars.
upload_2022-2-9_16-51-18.jpeg

Now (from about 7 yrs ago) - the awesome Fender Kubicki 9v pre , weight-reducing chambering under pg and back-side.
upload_2022-2-9_16-41-13.jpeg

Major chambering under the yellow/blk covers. Scalloped the upper body for comfort/ergonomics. String-thru added also - works well with the Hipshot Supertone bridge.
upload_2022-2-9_16-57-28.jpeg
 
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#197,446
PillO said:
I saw him many years ago before he went full bat shiznit crazy... Before he joined Damn Yankees and played the kind of music he said he would never play...
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I also saw him in the late 70s and again around 80ish. Wasn't a big fan, just knew he could play and concerts were on fire. Other than acting like a 15yr old, he can flat play.
 
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#197,449
GBassNorth said:
I originally posted the tractor. It was in jest at the time, don’t remember the context of the discussion going on, but to the best of my very limited knowledge on the subject, it is a Gibson tractor from way back, no affiliation with Gibson guitars that I’m aware of. IIRC someone had posted a pic of a vintage (Ford) Thunderbird.
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Hiya GBass...yes, it was you, I remember...
Thanks for clearing that up for me...as I told Bob, I come from the country originally, my Dad and friends having restored old Iron like that.
 
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#197,453
KaraQ said:
Not sure when the Custom Shop 'birds ended, but if the serial numbers are to be believed, my Custom Shop "Redbird" is an '06, made in Korea (Saein).
My '08 Blackbird was made in China (DaeWon); the '07 burst I used to have was, apparently, one of the early production Chinese models (Unsung).

I kind of wonder if, at least some of?, the Custom Shop Thunderbirds were a bit of Epiphone clearing out the last of the Korean parts, as they shifted production to China?
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Could have been. My Korean (sparkling) Pelham Blue and Silverburst are very well made Thunderbirds. My MIC Goth is fine, but it is a step below the quality of the LE Custom Shops.
 
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