The Last Bass Outpost

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-ThunderBird-Bass-Pickup-Set-w-pots_W0QQitemZ110507172765QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item19babda39d#ht_500wt_1182

So now that I have the 4001 all set up and sounding great, I'm wonder if there's a certain style strap you guy use. The pins on the Ric are different than those on all my other basses and actually look smaller. Will a regular strap tend to drop the bass? I sure don't want THAT to happen! 

If I hadn't just bought that Ric I'd go look at this. Looks like a cross between a fretless Dano and an Ampeg scroll bass.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/msg/1635368001.html

No affiliation with the seller...
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/msg/1628249346.html

Check out the comments after this article. The pure idiocy of some of the posts are shocking. Well, maybe not...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100301/sc_afp/chinaarcticbusinessenvironmentresearch

This has to be some kind of unusual these days.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-GIBSON-HARDSHELL-BASS-CASE-fits-Grabber-Ripper_W0QQitemZ150417015697QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item23058d8391#ht_500wt_1072

Sarah graduated with a masters degree in December and this morning landed a job teaching at the school where she did student teaching while in school. She will be substituting for a woman going out on maternity leave and will be there from early/mid April through June. Sure, it's short term but she will get invaluable experience plus more to put on her resume. Whoo hoo!

Kinda neat but from all those pics on his attached link, it looks to me like the necks on JAE's Fenderbirds were from P-basses.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/msg/1593380597.html

FENDERBIRD Bass a'la John Entwhistle, The Who-RARE & Mint! - $2500 (Upper West Side)

Date: 2010-02-09, 2:52PM EST
Reply to: sale-gbnkm-1593380597@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE AD BEFORE CONTACTING ME!
I am selling a custom made Fenderbird bass with the body specs EXACTLY as John Entwhistle's (The Who) early '70s Fenderbird basses were made!
Here's a little history on the Fenderbird for those of you who have no clue what this rare bass is about...
John Entwhistle of The Who loved playing Fender Precisions and Gibson Thunderbird basses back in the late '60s to early '70s, but he really wanted the best of both
those basses, thus he came up with the idea to hybrid a bass from a '70s Fender P-bass maple neck/fretboard, and a body and electronics of a Gibson Thunderbird, only he had the luthier
make a hybrid T-bird body by slightly changing the body horns, and the overall thickness of the body and backside contour to match that of a P-bass giving the hybrid T-bird
more body mass, with more comfort. He had two of them made (one black, one orange). Have a look at John's Fenderbirds on this link and scroll down
http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/equipment/bass/equip-entwistlegear-71-74.html
This hybrid bass was dubbed, "Fenderbird" by John E. It was a brilliant idea, and it's a brilliant and unique bass that sounds, looks, and plays AWESOME!
I approached Ron Coups (the luthier and owner) of HMR Guitars about making me a custom made Fenderbird. Ron had gotten the actual specs of John E's Fenderbird body and pickguard, and he provided only
the mahogany wood, and his expertise to make the complete body and cut the pickguard.
Here's the kicker......I had to provide ALL the other necessary parts to send to Ron for him to complete my bass project. That took months of searching the internet on ebay, forums, and other links to find
ALL the necessary parts for my Fenderbird! My bass is RIGHT HANDED, so please excuse the pics which make it look like a lefty.
Here's what I was able to come up with to complete my one of a kind Fenderbird bass:
-a Fender 1972 Telecaster bass neck in superb condition dated Sept., 23, '72 (A neck like this is hard to come by and NOT CHEAP!)
-Contacted Seymour Duncan Custom shop to make their heralded '60s Reproduction Thunderbird bass pickups to spec! (that will put you back $400 delivered!)
-Electronics came from a recent Gibson EB-3 in mint condition (same specs as a T-bird)
-Early '70s new old stock Thunderbird pickup covers and pickup rings.
-'78 Fender Jazz bass, 3 hole "F" neck plate to accommodate the 3 hole '72 Tele bass neck, and a micro-tilt plate to make this bass neck fully adjustable
-I had a custom made '60s repro T-bird bridge by one of two guys that could make this kind of bridge. (not cheap!)
-I bought an uncut pick guard sheet in white pearloid & all necessary mounting screws, and Gibson style cherry red stain from Stewart MacDonold online.
-Ron had to charge me for the mahogany wood (a gorgeous and resonant piece!), and to shape the body with all routs, translucent paint job with polyurethane, and to put together ALL the parts I sent him
which is NOT a cheap undertaking! My Fenderbird, after all is said and done, is worth $3,500, and my bargain price of $2,500 is FIRM!!!!! The bass is less than a year old, and played out with only once! It's MINT!
The pics I took with my Macbook cam so it doesn't fully do this beauty full justice. A must see and play in person to fully appreciate this work of art! I have gotten my share of compliments with this unique, one of a kind bass.
No case or gig bag is included, so don't ask. I have more pics. ONLY SERIOUS INQUIRIES with CASH ready need reply! If you live far away, then have a verified paypal account, and buyer pays for ALL ship costs!
NO LOW BALLERS, NO TRADES, NO BULLSHIT!
Cheers!