The Last Bass Outpost

So the 1990 Thunderbird I bought is a true Gibson, because it has some unpredictably strange parts. When I got it, the pickups both sounded really good (the bridge pickup is the best TB bridge pickup I've ever heard) but there was a huge volume drop with both pickup volumes at max. Worse, the volume went to almost zero as you rolled the tone off. But no matter, I thought, I wanted to change the electronics to master volume-blend-tonestyler (a multi-cap pot I like). The problem persists even there. After handing it to my luthier, we've concluded the pickups themselves are this way. While it sounds like I'm describing a phase issue, they most certainly aren't out of phase. Their impedance readings are a bit unusual: about 7.1 neck, 7.5 bridge. They both sound perfectly fine solo'd. They're kind of behaving out of phase though because they're canceling out a lot of signal, magnified when the tone pot adds further resistance.

So long story short, any suggestions for what I should do? Here's some options you may ponder:

1) Leave as is, change blend knob to neck-or-bridge solo switch, keep tonestyler. I almost always play my other Thunderbirds either 60/40 neck or 40/60 bridge. I very rarely solo one pickup, so it would be quite different playing-wise.

2) Get new pickups. Gibson sells TB+ replacements now and there are a couple very expensive options besides. I really do like the sound of these pickups though: a little clearer and less aggressive than the TB+ in my 2004 Thunderbird. I could sell the old ones, but who would want them?

3) Leave as is, revert to Volume-Volume-Tone. Go back to stock and just deal with the volume drop.

For reference, TB1958 asked what they looked like and these are the culprits:

Hey all, long time no post. Glad to see a lot of familiar faces around here from 10 years ago!

Just wrapped up this project, I converted an Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat bass into a bass VI.

Most six string basses of this type are all Fender Bass VI clones with the same trappings. I wanted a six string bass, but I'm a Gibson guy and plunky single coils and wonky Fender tremolos were just not doing it for me. The Epiphone Allen Woody bass is a sharp looking instrument; kind of a semi-hollow Les Paul set up like a Hofner Cavern. It has a very airy kind of sound and no worries about feedback since it lacks f-holes. Looking at some of the specs, it lines up very well with the Fender Bass VI: Scale: 30.0", Nut Width: 1.68". It's got a mahogany sandwich body, mahogany neck, maple top, and the wood looks ok for the money. I got the bass with the case for about $380.

My parts list:
- Hipshot GL0C Locking Guitar Tuners (The low E and A tuner string holes are routed by Hipshot for up to .100 string gauge)
- Black Tusq XL nut
- Gibson Les Paul Deluxe mini humbuckers. These are the blade pole piece pickups from the 2015 models. No pole pieces make the different string alignments no issue.
- Gotoh Tune-o-matic Bridge and Tailpiece. This is the wide post model to grab more wood and buck the tension from the heavier strings.
- CTS 500k pots, Mallory .033uf cap, Switchcraft jack, metal jack plate, PRS knobs, chrome screws (to replace all the gold ones).

I hired a luthier to plug and paint the old tuning peg and bridge post holes and install the new parts. He did a great job aligning the new bridge and intonating it. The stock mini humbucker rings needed some filing to work with the Gibson pickups, the Hipshot tuners have short posts so they needed to be mounted to the wood directly instead of with the mounting kit, and Epiphone used a mini pot for the Tone knob so the route had to be extended a little bit to accommodate three full size pots, but otherwise there weren't any snags in the process. The paint matching didn't need to be great for a utilitarian like me, but it turned out better than I expected. I sold all the old gold parts and stock pickups on reverb and made back about $125.

The sound is really wide frequency; the bass really thumps on the low strings, which surprised me, but the high end sings in a really clear, jazzy kind of way. A bass amp makes it sound like a bass, and a guitar amp makes it crunch like a guitar. Going to take some getting used to the string spacing since I've only ever played bass and piano, but it's a great machine.

http://www.lollarguitars.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LGP&Product_Code=267&Category_Code=thunderbird-bass-pickups

And why, pray tell, for the Epiphone model specifically? 

Here's the page I'll make to document it as it goes along. Because it is often true that nothing truly belongs to a man until he has f***ed with it, my beloved bird is going to have some modifications to make it a better instrument for me and my playing. Some of the upgrades are hardly necessary, but what the heck. I'll have plenty of pictures when its out of the shop. It is, as we speak, undergoing the blade and has to sit for a few weeks so the nitro can dry.

Here's the list of everything going to be done over the next couple weeks, and I'll check 'em off with pictures as I go! Yes, as uninteresting as it is I don't have anyone else to share my enthusiasm with so you guys will have to humor me.

Major Mods:

• The "Butcherbird" Cutaway - Saw it on this very forum and it was a revelation. It will greatly improve access to those upper frets. Whats cool is that the shop is a certified Gibson repair facility and can create this cutaway and still keep the sunburst finish "like it was custom made from Gibson." They're going to fit the pickguard to the new shape.
• Warwick Bridge (black) - Always loved this bridge when it came to neck through basses. It sits within the body to really get down to that low-neck angle thats often on neck through instruments. And stylistically, I think its a very modern take on the original 60's two-piece Thunderbird bridge. My setup on the T-bird right now is fine but adjusting intonation is a bear, and I've had my bridge fall onto the floor during a string change sending all my saddles a'flying! What a pain.

Minor Mods:

• done Gotoh Res-O-Lite Tuners (black) - Gotoh's tuner to compete with Hipshot. A classy heart-shaped tuning key and the same weight savings - a set of 4 is the same as 3 of the stock Grover tuners. Here's a picture
• done Switchcraft Jack (black) - Replaced the stock jack with a Switchcraft jack. Mouser sells them (Mouser# 502-151) and even in black if you talk to a sales rep. This actually did seem to clear up the tone in a very modest way, but maybe that's just me.
• done Warwick Security Strap-Locks (black) - Picked some up. These look and function almost the same as the Schallers, but I wanted the black to match. The snap to unlock it seems kind of ginger, but I don't think it'll be problematic.
• RS Guitarworks Super Pots - In my quest to leave no Thunderstone unturned, I'm going to replace the Pots too. One of my Gibson volume pot shafts is already a little wobbly after a year, so a big feature of the RS designed CTS pots were brass shafts. They advertise having "very smooth" volume transition, but we'll see. I'm going to use the wiring diagram for a '76 T-bird that uses 2 500k volume pots along with a 250k tone pot (I'm not sure if this is actually different from the modern Tbird wiring, anyone know?).
• Vintage Sprague .047 Cap - Using the '76 schematic, it called for a .047 capacitor. I got one on eBay cheap that tested very strong when I got it. The t-bird control cavity has all the room in the world for an old oil/paper cap, so what the hey. Anyone know what the original brand and voltage was on your stock '76 cap? The Spragues are 400w.
• New Nut - Suggestions needed - I was leaning to a Tusq nut based on how well I've seen them work on Fender basses, but does anyone have experience with a nut material other than that?
• Indicator Knob Washers - All guitars should have these!

Doing a little tinkering while I wait for the guitar shop to have time to work on my bass. Thought I'd put a switchcraft jack and some new pots in it, but what kind of input jack is this? Anyone replace it before and know what model to get?

Thanks as always.

Just picked it up! It's actually a prototype model made before full production of the Model T. It was quite possibly made when Sunn was still based in Portland. It's a very special and awesome sounding amplifier. I have many more photos left to take of it when its retubed next week.



I'm selling the 1971 Ampeg V4, but for a time it sure is great having both. (And yes I know the picture is ghastly too big, i'll resize it later)

I'm selling my 1971 Sunn Coliseum Bass head on eBay

http://cgi.ebay.com/1971-Sunn-Coliseum-Bass-head-Amplifier-LOUD-O-ROCK_W0QQitemZ270240665011QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item270240665011&_trkparms=72%3A552%7C39%3A1%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

I also have a few extra parts for it listed as well... a set of original knobs and an extra, clean, faceplate.

I'm in the studio now and I need the money. Help me by giving my favorite bass head a good home.

Didn't someone here do this? Can I see a picture? I'm bound and determined to do away with the 3 point bridge and especially delicious is the fact that Warwick bridges come in black hardware. Oh Outpost, hear my prayers!