LBO's...
I have an Orville Thunderbird that is ready for paint... FTR, I'm having it professional done.
I'm going with Pelham Blue, but am curious about two things;
1. Where is a reputable place to find what would be considered "Gibson" Pelham Blue?
2. Is there a "Vintage" shade of Pelham Blue available?
I ask because some Vintage Pelham Blue Gibson's I have seen have almost a greenish tint to it.
As seen here;
(http://www.davesguitar.com/product/C183117.JPG)
(http://www.rocknrollvintage.com/prodimages/1965%20pelham%20blue%20sg%20junior%20small%20front.jpg)
Thank you all for your input!
Curt
Those have yellowed due to the nitro clear coat turning them yellow.
Pelham has more of a steal blue tint to vs Lake Placid Blue
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/396681_Body-Front.jpg)
http://www.gibsonbass.com/GibsonColours.php
You can't get more reputable than that!!!
It was a Dupont color: Pelham Blue 4038L (color code).
Also some good info here:
http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibsonc.html
Excerpt from the above site:
"Lacquer is no longer available, and unfortunately many of the original Gibson automotive lacquer colors were not translated to the new low VOC paint formulas. There are some alternatives though. For example with Pelhem Blue, the color "Astra Blue Mica" as used on 1992 Iszuz vehicles is an excellent match, Sherwin Williams color code 718/B204 and Dupont ChromaBase H-9623K. Ernie from the Gibson Custom Shop claims that after extensive research by Gibson this is the equivalent to the original Pelhem Blue."
I have used the astra mica blue and it is great . I got it in a 12 oz spray can .I also top coated with tinted clear coat. http://www.paintscratch.com/cgi-bin/search_codes.cgi ( Astra Blue Metallic Clearcoat 718/B204)
Laquer is still available. There is a company called Tower Paint, I think they are in Wisconsin. One of their specialities is producing laquer touch up paint for cars of the Fifties. They can mix paint from the codes on the provide.net pages, and put it in spray cans. Two cans is more than enough for a Thunderbird. If you want paint call them, their website isn't all that great. http://www.towerpaint.com
This is a very informative site:
http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibsonc.html (http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibsonc.html)
And BTW - hubba hubba! That green-ed Pelham Firebird is sweet!
Here is an old non reverse in Pelham
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/body-frt-2-web.jpg)
Yeah, greened pelham is just lush. Thinking about getting a battered '69 EB3 done in that colour. With a slightly yellowed clearcoat of course.
Check this thread
http://reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.php?t=16042
The Blue's nice, but the greend blue is even better.
Using those original paints and yellow-ish clear coat would be nice.
Is this close?http://reranchstore.stores.yahoo.net/shergreenmet.html
I have used the Reranch amber tint on a few things to give it that old look, especially on binding. If you have seen old Melody Makers in the blue or just been around a lot of vintage guitars, you will really see the age thing when you give a pass or two. It is subtle but really takes you there. Works great on the cherry red. A little goes a long way on an SG/EB red. Makes the binding and side dots on the neck really look right.
Then you could go whole hog, and start smacking the edges with a set of key, and sand-through here and there.
My Melody Maker:
(http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/2549/mmpico2ac7.jpg)
This is my Orv done in Astra Blue Mica ( Chroma Base not lacquer ) top coated with nitro lac ( no tint )
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b65/bassVI/PelhamBlueOrville63-65clone002-1.jpg)
It's not quite as " blue " in person, a little more " steely " ..........
Good luck it's a great color,
S.
Scott, that's sure a great looking bass! ;)
It really is a pleasure to paint with vs. laquer.
One thing I have noticed with the Orville's...
Is it me or does the raised center section taper off and blend into the body sides by the fret board?
I wasn't sure if it was due to "oversanding" when striping off the old finish, or if this was by design?
...anyone know?
Thanks again... these posts and pictures have been more than helpful!!!!
Curt
Quote from: dc10bass on July 20, 2008, 11:26:44 AM
One thing I have noticed with the Orville's...
Is it me or does the raised center section taper off and blend into the body sides by the fret board?
I wasn't sure if it was due to "oversanding" when striping off the old finish, or if this was by design?
...anyone know?
Thanks again... these posts and pictures have been more than helpful!!!!
Curt
By design, since the Orvs are set neck instead of neck through, the body to neck joint is a little different ( the neck angle is at the neck tenon as opposed to being built in to the neck itself ) .........hmmm....that makes perfect sense to me, but I realize it's probably a terrible explanation.
I tried to " oversand " the wings on mine to make it appear a little more like the Gibson. The center section pretty much disappears about a half-inch from the edge on my black Orville.
S.
Check this picture...
I circled the area I'm talking about... you can see where the pickguard is higher than the center section on this bass near the fretboard.
Is this true to all Orville's or an example of oversanding?
THANKS!!!
All three of mine are that way, if you look at most other Gibsons with set necks you will see that the body at the neck joint has a little "fall-away" like that. It's easy to spot on a set neck 'Bird because of the raised center section.
Sorry to resurrect a near dead thread (though always nice to look at Phelham Blue examples IMO...),
The question about how "the raised center section taper off and blend into the body sides by the fret board" got me thinking, I've seen '60s reverse birds both ways (with taper and without) that looked legit in all other regards (including finish).
Anyone know what the straight story is on that? One way on the early ones and the other on the later ones?
My '64 (refin) and '65 (original fin) both blend into the body at the neck edge, the '65 a little more than the '64.
Thanks, Carlo,
that's the same as on my '64. I had another '64 which I think was the same (but sold it in the mid '90s so don't recall exactly) and that was unbroken and the finish original.
An interesting re-read on this thread, I had to go back and check the dates, I'm pretty sure that this is the Orville that I bought from Curt (unless he had two that he was refinning) and it ended up being a much more Surf Green color.
It was on the road with me this past weekend and as you can see I had every intention of playing it, after one song tho, one of the pup screws was loose ( like falling out loose) and I couldn't quickly fix it onstage between songs so I defaulted to my backup, the beater "Fenderbird" that I'd brought along just for laughs.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/esprit1.jpg)
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/fbird1.jpg)
Quote from: TBird1958 on May 23, 2011, 03:07:07 PM
An interesting re-read on this thread, I had to go back and check the dates, I'm pretty sure that this is the Orville that I bought from Curt (unless he had two that he was refinning) and it ended up being a much more Surf Green color.
It was on the road with me this past weekend and as you can see I had every intention of playing it, after one song tho, one of the pup screws was loose ( like falling out loose) and I couldn't quickly fix it onstage between songs so I defaulted to my backup, the beater "Fenderbird" that I'd brought along just for laughs.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/esprit1.jpg)
Yup... that was my Orville.
Hot, and the bass looks good as well. ;)
Curt,
That's a fantastic bass! Everything that Baz Cooper says about the pickups is certainly true, growly wonderful tone with a pick ;D
Quote from: TBird1958 on May 23, 2011, 03:07:07 PM
An interesting re-read on this thread, I had to go back and check the dates, I'm pretty sure that this is the Orville that I bought from Curt (unless he had two that he was refinning) and it ended up being a much more Surf Green color.
It was on the road with me this past weekend and as you can see I had every intention of playing it, after one song tho, one of the pup screws was loose ( like falling out loose) and I couldn't quickly fix it onstage between songs so I defaulted to my backup, the beater "Fenderbird" that I'd brought along just for laughs.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/esprit1.jpg)
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/fbird1.jpg)
noticed the GK. What happened to the traynor tube amp??
"noticed the GK. What happened to the traynor tube amp??"
I still have it, but don't take it to shows/venues that don't have a good FOH, much as I love how it sounds up to about half volume it honestly runs out of breath and gets way too "furry" for my taste when I push it a bit hard - and strangly so, it doesn't really make my 2 pup basses sound all that good either. However at larger venues I can run it at a relaxed volume with a single pup bass ( My Bach's, Lull and Greco) and just get a really nice tight, creamy vintage growl that I love. So I use the GK at smaller venues with no P.A. support, lots of headroom and good tone with all of my basses.
GK's are awesome. But....have you ever considered a ....HIWATT???? or even a Sound City????
Quote from: Baz Cooper on May 24, 2011, 04:59:18 PM
GK's are awesome. But....have you ever considered a ....HIWATT???? or even a Sound City????
I did have Mike Lull's Hiwatt DR103 for about three weeks and really liked it, no questions there, great amp, better than my Traynor, and he's thinking of selling it - I'm only sorry I can't afford it!
But the GK gets silly loud (mind you at half volume it's painful ) and can work a small to medium venue without any FOH support, and of course it works well at bigger places too.