Christine

It's probably the knot in your stomach as you drive through

That's it.

That actual bridge I'll be using but the tail piece where the strings attach with the bend in it wouldn't look good in a Thunderbird. I've seen one for sale somewhere but can I find it!

Well bugger, Aretha Franklin has died. I might do something on one of them with her in mind, I was a fan

Oh no, it's her again! Time to move on to the next builds, very much in the planning stage but this is where I'm at: Broadly they will be based on the Gibson Thunderbird which is as we'll all agree the sexiest bass on the planet, and that statement is beyond contestation, Moses had it as the 11th commandment but that bit broke off when the stone tablet toppled over and.. yeah well, it's a popular myth like many others Through neck with the traditional Gibson Vee joint to the wings. Neck angle will be 4'5 degrees. Trussrod, probably a double action again but this time with a spoke wheel adjustment at the heel to save weight and strength at the headstock Fretboards will be Rocklite Ebano but there is a possibility one might be made from Satinwood as a treat for me Pickups, one Mike Lull neck pickup ala Thunderbird II Bridge looks like being a Warwick again but with a different tail piece/stopbar, a screw in one not one held by inserts. I'm having difficulty finding one at the moment so I mat well end up making my own and getting it chromed. Headstock, well I think it will be a modified version of the one on the twins but with features of the Thunderbird standard. Tuners? Probably Hipshot Ultralites again but possibly with the modern Y shape rather than the clover leave given the probable shape of the headstock. Wood will be African Mahogany again, it's already sat in the workshop waiting. So there we have it, I'm just waiting for my foot to get better as I've damaged it again then I'll be on it but I shall probably get it all drawn out early next week and hopefully the neck laminate ripped up to settle. I have a few ideas to hopefully improve on the original design slightly, not easy because the original was so good despite the knocking it gets Oh and as you may have guessed from the title, I'm building three of them

I'm sure it's a pleasure to drive through

Looking good, it might be something I'll be copying for my next build, I doubt I'll find cases for them. OOH yes, next build, the wood in in the shop and as soon as my foot is better I'll be starting them Well the twins a re a week in and still need a lot more drying, sorry

Spectacular!

Waiting for me? I do hope you're not holding your breath Ideal case for a Gothic Thunderbird

OOOH! Now that is sexy! I like that a lot, I'll send them an email later. Thank you

Thanks, I have seen those but I really don't want a bridge that uses those inserts or has no individual vertical saddle adjustment. To me a bridge needs to be screwed down firmly and solid as a rock but with full adjustment. The best I have found is the Hipshot D style but I can't find one of those in the UK and importing is just too expensive for me with duty etc.

I take it the join doesn't have to be ultra tidy and binding will take that up when it's applied, fill and hide any tiny messy bits on the very edge?

Moving on to the next build: I did post a question in the forums but no replys. It was this: Hiya, I really need to find some of these stopbars, I don't want the bridge; they need to be screw in not the ones with inserts ala Gibson. Preferably from the UK Anyone have any ideas where I might find them? Thanks I really could do with finding one asap so I can at least draw out my next builds, I plan on using it with the Warwick bridge but I want a more traditional tailpiece but until I know I can get one I can't proceed, I've looked high and low which is annoying because I have seen them somewhere, maybe in the States but any port in a storm

Not for me, I understand, actually good idea, it's a handy tip

The offset fence technique? Like a vertical jointer? that's a new one on me

Hiya, I really need to find some of these stopbars, they need to be screw in not the ones with inserts ala Gibson. Preferably from the UK Anyone have any ideas where I might find them? Thanks

Don't do it

More wood ordered today for the next project

The neck angle is nice, it puts your hands in a more natural position, the two basses I mostly play are one of my Tbirds and my Jazz, when I swap between them it is very noticeable. To me and I know we're all different and of different opinions, actually I'm not going there but I feel like shimming the Jazz neck and bridge to give it some neck angle, I won't because it will make a mess of the screw holes in the neck and do more harm than good. Patience my .....! I'm dying to get them sanded and polished and some hardware on them, it's all I can do not the put the bridge and tuners on just to get them looking something like

Same here so all my PGs are white too

Soaking it in real coffee for a few days will do that

Last update for a while, here's the twins upright on stands just to get a better look at how they look. They are now hanging in an old wardrobe until they have hardened enough to be safe to handle without risk of marking the lacquer, somewhere between a week and eight weeks, I really don't know until they get there.

Noooooo!!!! Stick a Rosewood left handed Jazz neck on it and stick in some Chinabuckers, make a proper vee bridge

I find myself coming back to look at this quite often, it's a lovely looking build. But.... how does it sound?

I hate to go with the flow but.....black