Christine Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 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 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Looking forward to these builds as I don't quite agree with your statement (Ducks and takes cover!!) But you made a believer of me re the Les Paul twins so let's see what happens?!? 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Sounds like my perfect bass! Can’t wait to see these. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share Posted August 16, 2018 Well bugger, Aretha Franklin has died. I might do something on one of them with her in mind, I was a fan 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Very exciting that we have a new build on the board! Not sure what you mean ref the Warwick tailpieces using inserts, @Christine ? Presume you mean this type? https://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_bridge_30118_4c.htm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share Posted August 16, 2018 9 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: Very exciting that we have a new build on the board! Not sure what you mean ref the Warwick tailpieces using inserts, @Christine ? Presume you mean this type? https://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_bridge_30118_4c.htm 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Just now, Christine said: 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! Ah - OK. Thought you meant the fixing method. Yes - it's a bit of a departure shape-wise. So, you're looking for a straight (Gibson-ish?) stop bar but that screws in rather than sits on pegs? I'm slow, but I think I got there in the end 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share Posted August 16, 2018 5 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: Ah - OK. Thought you meant the fixing method. Yes - it's a bit of a departure shape-wise. So, you're looking for a straight (Gibson-ish?) stop bar but that screws in rather than sits on pegs? I'm slow, but I think I got there in the end That's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Ooh looking forward to seeing these 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 Likewise. More super caprentry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share Posted August 16, 2018 It's a bit of a sad day, on a par with the day David Bowie left us, we lost Aretha Franklin today one of the greatest voices of the 20th century. A bit daft maybe but I think I'm going to inlay a small AF into one of these, somewhere out of the way. Now could someone remind me about this when I'm cutting Mother of pearl in a few weeks please? Anyone or everyone Thanks 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted August 16, 2018 Share Posted August 16, 2018 18 minutes ago, Christine said: It's a bit of a sad day, on a par with the day David Bowie left us, we lost Aretha Franklin today one of the greatest voices of the 20th century. A bit daft maybe but I think I'm going to inlay a small AF into one of these, somewhere out of the way. Now could someone remind me about this when I'm cutting Mother of pearl in a few weeks please? Anyone or everyone Thanks That's a fitting tribute to a legend! 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 Not much of a start but this is the wood I have in for these builds, messy workshop, I will have a good clean up before I start work again. I'm going to call CapitalCrispin on Monday and see what they can do in the way of constructional veneers for use as contrasting laminates in the neck. Gibson use Walnut or black Walnut as it's known over here but I'm tempted to go for something like Beech or Maple/Sycamore. Again Gibson use four Walnut laminates, I think I'm going to add another one dead centre to make it a total of 11 laminates for the centre section So without further ado.... the wood!! Doesn't look like three new basses does it? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 Some thoughts on one I'm building for myself, it will probably be having a Satinwood fretboard (think ancient maple with aged nitro for colour). I want a transparent red finish on the front but I've been thinking maybe I could veneer the fronts of the body in some fort of quilted Maple then rather than bind them I could blend them into the rounding over then do a candy apple over the sides and maybe the back but over gold not silver do it's a sort of candy apple burst. How does that sound? I'm actually having a lot of difficulty visualising it, I can usually see these things clearly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 If you are doing 3, and the one with a satinwood f/b is yours, that begs the question what is happening to the other 2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 18, 2018 Author Share Posted August 18, 2018 Selling them I hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryer Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 (edited) Do you need to borrow my chainsaw to cut that wood to the right shape ? Edited August 19, 2018 by fryer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 19, 2018 Author Share Posted August 19, 2018 26 minutes ago, fryer said: Do you need to borrow my chainsaw to cut that wood to the right shape ? It looks that way yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 32 minutes ago, fryer said: Do you need to borrow my chainsaw to cut that wood to the right shape ? And if it goes wrong you could always turn it in to a seat 😁 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 19, 2018 Author Share Posted August 19, 2018 I got a little done today, just prep work. Ripped up the neck laminates and took a bit of wood off the wing blanks with the planer/thicknesser. There are a couple of patches on the wing wood that are a bit plain looking so they will go into mine as that will be veneered so it will never be seen. I've stacked them on sticks to breath and settle for a few days until the constructional veneers arrive (which I'll order tomorrow) I did re stack the wing blanks better than that, I just laid them out like that to show you 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 Wow! Not much else to say, really. But I'll say it again. Wow! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 19, 2018 Author Share Posted August 19, 2018 4 minutes ago, Andyjr1515 said: Wow! Not much else to say, really. But I'll say it again. Wow! It was only half an hour's work! Joys of a circular saw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted August 19, 2018 Author Share Posted August 19, 2018 9 hours ago, Jimothey said: And if it goes wrong you could always turn it in to a seat 😁 I hope you don't mind, I pinched this image for the Talkbass forum/Thunderbird club. I did credit you for it if that's OK, I should of asked first I know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimothey Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 3 minutes ago, Christine said: I hope you don't mind, I pinched this image for the Talkbass forum/Thunderbird club. I did credit you for it if that's OK, I should of asked first I know I just got it off Google images so of course I don't mind as it's not mine anyway I just thought it was quite apt 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabba_the_gut Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 Hi Christine, Looking forward to seeing this build thread progress. I've always liked the Thunderbird shape but I've never actually tried one. I keep thinking of building myself one with a pair of EMG's pickups but there's always too many other things to do - I'll make do watching this for now! Do you mind me asking where you source your wood for bass projects? Cheers Jez 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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