1967 NR Bird in Kerry Green

[OVERDRIVEN66]

And it still has a serial number?

  Yes, I purposely taped off the serial number to preserve it. It looks like it has survived the third refin in good shape. It was clearly visable when I refinned it Cardinal Red , and I never sanded over the SN, just got all of the old finish out of the numbers when I finished it in Kerry Green in 2002. I did a total re-strip to bare wood, not just a respray over the Cardinal Red.  The numbers looked nice and crisp. I taped off the SN when I finished it Kerry Green in  2002. Looks like whoever did the third refin just sprayed the color and clear over them and they are still clearly visable.  I hope this bass finds a good home. I modified the original case with a 3/4" X 3/4" riser under the neckrest to keep the tuners from bottoming out on the case and cracking the headstock. Most of you know that the reason why these basses were broken (Firebirds too) was because of the case, not because of the nature of the structure of the instrument. I made sure the SN was clearly preserved while I owned it.

[the mojo hobo]

That is cool. The serial number on mine was milled off to add a reinforcing back of some light colored wood and lost forever. I never thought to write it down before taking it in for repair. I still have the receipt from when I bought it but Farmers Music didn't write down the serial number either.

[OVERDRIVEN66]

     Three hours to go, and the old girl is 'SMOKIN !!!

[Dave W]

Went for $4500.

Tore, did you get it?

[tore00]

No, my budget was 2000 Euros

[mc2NY]

I got scared away from this bass with the added comments at the bottom by the seller, saying that the two NR wings had been sawed off...the bass converted to a Reverse model...and later converted back to a NR with the wings reattached?!?!?!

From some of the other comments here by other former owners of this bass...is the above even true or just additional info?

[Bionic-Joe]

You email me and I will tell you the story, Buddy. It was my first NR.

[mc2NY]

You email me and I will tell you the story, Buddy. It was my first NR.

Oh, GEEEEZZZZZ!!!!!! It was one of your's???

Now I KNOW that could be true.

You are one of the only people I know who would not think twice about sawing off the wings of a NR 'Bird to make it a Reverse

Didn't you saw off the wing of a mint '64 'Bird and glue on the top wing of a Flying V, so your son had a wooden "shark" to play with in the bathtub?

[OVERDRIVEN66]

     Yes, I converted the bass to a reverse body when I painted it Cardinal Red. I cut the center section 4" just like a 'real' reverse and made reverse wings from mahogany and put them on. Looked pretty damn good except the upper horn where it meets the neck was a little higher than a real one. I don't think I have any pix of it, but I'll look.
     I kept the NR body wings for all those years in my shop and re-attached them when I pulled it out from under the bed when I refinned it Kerry Green after it's long retirement. I see Joe mailed the seller to tell him about the 'conversion'....  I purposely left that out of my 'history' of the bass because I thought it would deter someone from buying what I knew was a killer bass. After the wings were re-attached, it was as good as original.  And it is a killer 'bird....checkered past or not. What a history, huh???  Great bass!!
     An interesting sidenote on the deal I made with Joe. We had an aggrement that if he ever wanted to sell it, that it would go to me.  Two weeks after our trade, he calls me to say 'dude, you are giong to kill me'...  I knew what happened. He traded it to Scott Silver at Chicago Music Exchange for I can't remember what.  He talked me out of that bass, but I knew I would get it back if he wanted to sell it....Scott said it 'wasn't for sale' because he had already promised it to Borden, so I'm told. I just wrote it off and got over it.   
     If I didn't already have the Frost Blue NR in my avatar, I would have bid on it to get it back. Props to the seller for disclosing it after Joe mailed him with it's history. I think 4.5K is all the money for it, it's history notwithstanding. The color is what sold that bass for that kind of money. Oh well, somebody got a fine bass. This is the classic case that you never know what could be going on under that Firebird or Thunderbird solid color refin!!!!!!

[mc2NY]

     
     An interesting sidenote on the deal I made with Joe. We had an aggrement that if he ever wanted to sell it, that it would go to me.  Two weeks after our trade, he calls me to say 'dude, you are giong to kill me'...  I knew what happened. He traded it to Scott Silver at Chicago Music Exchange for I can't remember what. 

Ahhh...so it IS true!

THAT's why I was busting Joe's ballz...both my Hamer 8-strings that I sold/traded to him he traded/sold shortly later...and then called asking if I had another, saying he missed it 

No basses ever seem to gather any dust at Joe's house

Great guy...and amusing!!

The odd part about sawing off the wings is that about six months back I called Joe to tell him that I was thinking of doing exactly that to a Hamer 8-string to add TBird reverse wings to it. We talked about if it would be easier to steam out the set neck and glue it into a new setneck body.

Hence, Joe's new Hamer 12 TBird creation.

But he never mentioned anything about that NR one with the clipped wings.

[TBird1958]

 Joe and the many Thunderbirds 

I *think* there's some regret at letting me have the big pinkie 8 string NR, on a regular basis my buddy Joe will phone me up to see if I'll let it go back to him...........He's persistant but I haven't caved in yet.

Joe, you're the best!   

[Highlander]

the big pinkie

 

[OVERDRIVEN66]

     Yup, Joe is a real character and I'm glad to have him as a friend. When we did the NR deal I stayed at his house and his family was just great to me, even having never met me before. The next day, he took me on a tour of all the Chicago guitar shops. He's one of those kinda guys that can aggrivate you at times, but you gotta just know that he will be there for you if need be. And he has been for me.
     If there was a 12 step program for 'Trade-A-holics' , Baz would be committed! LOL   Great guy, and a great bass player as well.  I'm still pissed at him as well for scoring a 'holy grail' flatback SVT cabinet for a few hundred bucks just recently. Good thing it didn't get trashed in the flood as well as his basses. 

[Bionic-Joe]

I've made some mistakes.....biggest one wa when I was 18, I traded a white p bass with a beautiful Bird's eye Maple neck (broken truss rod) to a vintage guitar dealer who was a known crook (I think He's dead now-Guitar Slim) plus $150.00 for a PERFECT Sunburst reverse II 1963/4 Thunderbird bass. A month or 2 later, while under the influence of POT, I traded it for a Billy Sheehan bass (p Bass Body-Tele Bass neck) with a Kahler whammy bar. I have kicked myself in the ass for the last 22 years about that one. I know, If there was a 12 step program I would be the founder!!!!!! Bass trader-a-holic. However...I have calmed down a bit. I do have my 2 Blue II and white IV 65' birds that I have had for a few years now. And now the Hamer Thunderbird 12. Now it's time to restore that Non-Reverse that I scored. Hey Jon...I thought you said that the Non-Reverse birds looked ugly...like Gumby??? Now you all of a sudden like them??? OK. Anyway, Jon and Tony are both great guys. The best!!! Although I do want my Red Cheap Trick thunderbird 8 sting bass back from Jon.

[Barklessdog]

Yes, I converted the bass to a reverse body when I painted it Cardinal Red. I cut the center section 4" just like a 'real' reverse and made reverse wings from mahogany and put them on. Looked pretty damn good except the upper horn where it meets the neck was a little higher than a real one. I don't think I have any pix of it, but I'll look.

Any pictures of it?