Like I need another project

daan · February 06, 2012, 06:43:47 PM

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Epiphone-Thunderbird-Ltd-Ed-Bass-Guitar-Body-Mahogany-/400274248173?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item5d323451ed

I'm trying to fix a stripped Epi SG, and while looking for parts for that, I ran across this. (Stripped Silverburst Epi THunderbird in case I hosed up the links) I've watched the various JAE-bird threads on here, and added this to my list of things I'd like to try. Not that I have time for it, but I can't do it if I don't have a body, right?
Didn't someone on here start with a body like this for a fender-bird project?
They're claiming this is mahogany. I've had enough plywood Epis but none of them were maho. ply. Have any of you run across this, or is it safe to assume it's "real" wood?
Maybe one of you should snag this if I don't since A: you guys do waaaay better work than me, and B:it might get finished this century yet.
Oh yeah, no affiliation to seller! Thanks for looking.

TBird1958 · February 06, 2012, 07:22:43 PM

I think mine was plywood!
I did make a 7enderbird of sorts with an Epi body........
The trick for me was to shave the sides and heel of the neck to fit the narrow pocket.

Nocturnal · February 06, 2012, 09:49:03 PM

My Goth doesn't seem to be plywood. The center raised section is a white wood (no idea what) but the body is a reddish brown wood. Everything that I routed or uncovered looked like solid wood, but I can't say that for sure. Inside the pickup cavities showed the thin white wood of the raised portion (less that 1/4"), but then red/brown under that. I don't think it is mahogany like they claim, but some loose family link to mahogany.

Actually, I did see inside of an added route of a Korean made sunburst T-Bird. Looked like the same construction method as the Goth, except the body wood wasn't red/brown. It looked like you would expect from alder or a similar wood. The only obvious ply in that section was again the raised part.

daan · February 06, 2012, 10:45:56 PM

Quote from: TBird1958 on February 06, 2012, 07:22:43 PM

I think mine was plywood!
I did make a 7enderbird of sorts with an Epi body........
The trick for me was to shave the sides and heel of the neck to fit the narrow pocket.

Yeah that's pretty much exactly what I wanted to buid. Did you have to monkey with moving the bridge or how deep the neck pocket went into the body? And did you shave the neck down because it was easier than enlarging the neck pocket or for another reason?

dadagoboi · February 07, 2012, 04:51:19 AM

Neck pocket has to be recut to fit whatever neck you choose with the same angle as the Epi to work properly with a 3 point. IMO you're better off buying a complete Epi TBird for $200 and modding it. You're going to have more than that in a body once you add pickups and hardware

TBird1958 · February 07, 2012, 09:11:42 AM

Quote from: daan on February 06, 2012, 10:45:56 PM
Yeah that's pretty much exactly what I wanted to buid. Did you have to monkey with moving the bridge or how deep the neck pocket went into the body? And did you shave the neck down because it was easier than enlarging the neck pocket or for another reason?

Mine was a project bass, so far, my only one. I have a very limited selection of tools but wanted to do the work myself. One very important criteria was to not have to refinish the body - so routing the pocket was not an option for me. The logical choice was the work the neck, which I did, using small hand tools and a Dremel allowed me to carefully and slowly remove material until the neck fit. I used tape to mark all of the original fret locations so the bass would intonate without having to move the bridge. A took away a lot of wood from the heel, allowing the fretboard to "float" about the body, and as the bass came together found that the pockect needed a little bit shim for proper relief. My best advice on the bridge is to remove the Epi ferrules and replace them wiith Gibson ones as they countersink and allow the bridge to sit a full 1/8th" lower. Anyway here's some pics.

stiles72 · February 07, 2012, 02:50:23 PM

According to Epiphone, the Goths, Nikki Sixx, and the Limited Silverbursts were "mahognay" as opposed to the regular Epi's that have Alder bodies. However, my Limited Blue Bird has a dark reddish brown wood similar to the Silverburst you have posted. It wouldn't surprise me if a few other mahogany bodies show up in the other lines.

Here's a few other pics I've found that show different wood types in Epi T-bird bodies:

Epi NR Body:

Dave W · February 07, 2012, 10:41:49 PM

Whatever they are using as "mahogany" you can bet it's not a genuine mahogany.

Pilgrim · February 08, 2012, 10:39:15 AM

Mark - nice work on that neck and bridge ferrules.