Author Topic: The Badbird II has landed!  (Read 5669 times)

godofthunder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6636
  • Keep On Rock'n !
    • View Profile
    • Johnny Smoke
The Badbird II has landed!
« on: March 22, 2016, 07:09:22 AM »
   It's here! Installed on my 2001 Gibson Thunderbird.  Works great very pleased with the end product. I can't post pictures from my phone 😕 and my pc and photo bucket are not cooperative.  Maybe someone can grab some pictures from my fb page?
Maker of the Badbird Bridge, "intonation without modification" for your vintage Gibson Thunderbird

gearHed289

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4434
    • View Profile
    • Book of faces...
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2016, 07:39:58 AM »
Looks great man!






Granny Gremlin

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2942
    • View Profile
    • Granny Gremlin home page
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2016, 08:10:58 AM »
That does look nice.  Looks like it can go quite a bit lower than an actual 3 point.
Robert Plant and Jimmy Page (drummer and bassist of Deep Purple, Jake!)

uwe

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 21416
  • Enabler ...
    • View Profile
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2016, 09:04:40 AM »
Defender of the Holy Immaculate Trinity as I am, this does look good indeed. Gut gemacht, Scott!
We've taken too much for granted ... and all the time it had grown ...
From techno seeds we first planted ... evolved a mind of its own ...

godofthunder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6636
  • Keep On Rock'n !
    • View Profile
    • Johnny Smoke
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2016, 09:38:18 AM »
That does look nice.  Looks like it can go quite a bit lower than an actual 3 point.
You can definitely get the action super low, much lower than the original  three point.
Maker of the Badbird Bridge, "intonation without modification" for your vintage Gibson Thunderbird

Dave W

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 22236
  • Got time to breathe, got time for music
    • View Profile
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2016, 02:38:39 PM »
I'm happy for you that it turned out so well. Hope it sells for you.

neepheid

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 325
    • View Profile
    • The Inevitable Teaspoons
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2016, 03:55:01 AM »
If it can get down lower than the original 3 pointer then I may well be tempted to try one (minus the tailpiece) on my Ripper - the three pointer is pretty much on the deck but I think I would still like it a bit lower yet.
Basses: Epi JC Sig 20th Anniversary - Epi Les Paul Standard - Epi Korina Explorer - G&L CLF L-1000 - G&L Tribute LB-100 - Sire D5 - Reverend Triad - Harley Benton HB-50
Band: The Inevitable Teaspoons

drbassman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6699
  • Gone but not forgotten
    • View Profile
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2016, 04:33:41 AM »
A beautiful and more functional piece of hardware!  Nice job Scott.   :thumbsup:
I'm fixin' a hole where the rain gets in..........cuz I'm built for a kilt!

uwe

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 21416
  • Enabler ...
    • View Profile
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2016, 09:39:02 AM »
If it can get down lower than the original 3 pointer then I may well be tempted to try one (minus the tailpiece) on my Ripper - the three pointer is pretty much on the deck but I think I would still like it a bit lower yet.

Your saddles are too high then, probably the vintage type they originally used on the three point.
We've taken too much for granted ... and all the time it had grown ...
From techno seeds we first planted ... evolved a mind of its own ...

chromium

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2316
    • View Profile
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2016, 02:17:52 PM »
Your saddles are too high then, probably the vintage type they originally used on the three point.

Those early 3-points I've had used two *really tall* saddles in the A&D slots, and that narrow radius it creates makes it hard to get a good setup.

I usually reorder the saddles so that the two highest ones sit under the E&A string, and the two lower ones are in the D&G slots... and then tilt the base accordingly using the outer studs.  Wonky? Yes!

Here's one I did last night.  Might shim the D up just a bit, but otherwise it setup nicely after "the tilt":






And back on the Badbird subject, that looks mighty fine.  Congrats on your accomplishment, Scott!  8)
« Last Edit: March 23, 2016, 02:23:39 PM by chromium »

Basvarken

  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 6876
  • hobby luthier. gibson bass nerd
    • View Profile
    • www.enkoo.nl
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2016, 03:10:50 PM »
Those saddles don't look right. That notch on the G saddle looks way too wide.
And the saddle heights look like a mess too.

chromium

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2316
    • View Profile
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2016, 03:37:17 PM »
Those saddles don't look right. That notch on the G saddle looks way too wide.
And the saddle heights look like a mess too.

There is slop in the G notch, but surprisingly it doesn't cause me any grief with the center screw hiked up a bit. I like it better than the stock saddle arrangement- since the radius imposed by the saddles doesn't jive with the radius of the board (A&D string action ends up noticeably higher).  Other option would be to cut the A&D notches extra deep, but that ends up looking goofy too...

I tried a set of newer saddles on a 70s bridge recently.  They fixed the radius issue on those, but I had to shim the bottoms of each so they would seat correctly in the older base.

Dave W

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 22236
  • Got time to breathe, got time for music
    • View Profile
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2016, 03:41:28 PM »
There is slop in the G notch, but surprisingly it doesn't cause me any grief with the center screw hiked up a bit. I like it better than the stock saddle arrangement- since the radius imposed by the saddles doesn't jive with the radius of the board (A&D string action ends up noticeably higher).  Other option would be to cut the A&D notches extra deep, but that ends up looking goofy too...

I tried a set of newer saddles on a 70s bridge recently.  They fixed the radius issue on those, but I had to shim the bottoms of each so they would seat correctly in the older base.

Just ditch it and buy a Badbird II.  :)

uwe

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 21416
  • Enabler ...
    • View Profile
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2016, 03:53:52 PM »
Vile propaganda by a man with a two-point apologetic track record.

We've taken too much for granted ... and all the time it had grown ...
From techno seeds we first planted ... evolved a mind of its own ...

Dave W

  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 22236
  • Got time to breathe, got time for music
    • View Profile
Re: The Badbird II has landed!
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2016, 08:40:49 PM »
Vile propaganda by a man with a two-point apologetic track record.



I've heard that North Korea is desperately short of pot metal and that Kim Jong Number Un has demanded that all Gibson and Epi three-point users turn in their bridges to be melted down.  :P