Now I have a Thunderbird too!
Now I have a Thunderbird too!
And it’s white, my favorite color nowadays!
Someone on a local music forum was selling this used Tokai TB48 Thunderbird last week and I grabbed it right away since I’d always wanted to lay my hands on a T-Bird but didn’t want to buy a Gibson. That kind of money could only be spent on a Rickenbacker! Besides, Tokai had a good reputation of making decent instruments.
The asking price was very attractive: the equivalent of $223 USD. She came with a B.C. Rich gigbag and I couldn’t believe how mint she was when I opened the package. No scratches or dings and all. Then I changed the factory strings to D’Addario EXL 170 (45-65-80-100”) and tweaked the neck to dead straight with an overall string height of just a hair over 1/16” at the last fret. She plays and sings nicely now.
I have a question for our Thunderbird owning fellow forumites: to correct the head-dive phenomenon that’s inherent to practically all T-Birds, I’ll have a luthier friend move the front strap buttons to behind the neck joint and the rear button up to a higher position as depicted in the pic below. Has anybody done this? Does it work? I need your enlightments.
If the strap button location mod is to be carried out, I’ll surely have him plug the old holes and touch up with white paint.
Someone on a local music forum was selling this used Tokai TB48 Thunderbird last week and I grabbed it right away since I’d always wanted to lay my hands on a T-Bird but didn’t want to buy a Gibson. That kind of money could only be spent on a Rickenbacker! Besides, Tokai had a good reputation of making decent instruments.
The asking price was very attractive: the equivalent of $223 USD. She came with a B.C. Rich gigbag and I couldn’t believe how mint she was when I opened the package. No scratches or dings and all. Then I changed the factory strings to D’Addario EXL 170 (45-65-80-100”) and tweaked the neck to dead straight with an overall string height of just a hair over 1/16” at the last fret. She plays and sings nicely now.
I have a question for our Thunderbird owning fellow forumites: to correct the head-dive phenomenon that’s inherent to practically all T-Birds, I’ll have a luthier friend move the front strap buttons to behind the neck joint and the rear button up to a higher position as depicted in the pic below. Has anybody done this? Does it work? I need your enlightments.
If the strap button location mod is to be carried out, I’ll surely have him plug the old holes and touch up with white paint.
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
Nice!
I keep thinking of Mike Lull's T-Bird that I played at NAMM 2010.
As to the neck dive issue, here is a possible solution.
One advantage is you won't have to drill new holes for the strap buttons.
I keep thinking of Mike Lull's T-Bird that I played at NAMM 2010.
As to the neck dive issue, here is a possible solution.
One advantage is you won't have to drill new holes for the strap buttons.
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
My white Thunderbird doesn't have neck dive. Maybe just a little bit of whip-lash if you really stomp on it.......
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
That's a lovely white T-Bird, Todd.
Thanks for the suggestion, Jeff. Over my dead body!
Thanks for the suggestion, Jeff. Over my dead body!
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
i love white basses!! and that 2-tone headstock,too! nice one,Paul!
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
So do I. I wouldn't mind this one.woodyng wrote:i love white basses!!
- rickenbrother
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Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
Paul, congrats and enjoy the T-Bird! Very nice!
Hey Jeff, I got to speak to Gerald Marleaux at great length at the past NAMM show. He is a super nice guy. Very nice basses. HUGE price tags though! There were Asian copies of his basses in the basement, that he was grateful that went back to his booth to let him know about. I kept watching this particular booth for RIC copies, because they had copies of EVERYTHING else!
Hey Jeff, I got to speak to Gerald Marleaux at great length at the past NAMM show. He is a super nice guy. Very nice basses. HUGE price tags though! There were Asian copies of his basses in the basement, that he was grateful that went back to his booth to let him know about. I kept watching this particular booth for RIC copies, because they had copies of EVERYTHING else!
The JETGLO finish name should be officially changed to JETGLO ROCKS!
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
Gerald is a truly nice guy; I spent time talking with him at the 2010 NAMM. We talked about his prices in the US, he is not thrilled about it but that is what happens with the exchange rates, shipping, etc. I guess Europeans pay a much lower price for these. Did you play any of his Sopran "basses"?
- rickenbrother
- RRF Moderator
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Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
Yes and a few others too!jps wrote: Did you play any of his Sopran "basses"?
The JETGLO finish name should be officially changed to JETGLO ROCKS!
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
Back to the topic on hand!
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
Beautiful bass. i am extremely jealous
Are you sure it's a TB48? I was trying to do some research and the only description I could find says bolt on neck
Are you sure it's a TB48? I was trying to do some research and the only description I could find says bolt on neck
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
Thanks for the kind words, Woody and Joey.
Marc, I believe the TB48 used to be bolt-on necked. Tokai changed to set neck a couple of years ago. Check out these dealers' pages that have the updated infos:
http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/products ... _black.asp
http://www.guitarbitz.com/1171.htm
http://www.slavetothebeat.co.uk/store/d ... 383&cat=12
Marc, I believe the TB48 used to be bolt-on necked. Tokai changed to set neck a couple of years ago. Check out these dealers' pages that have the updated infos:
http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/products ... _black.asp
http://www.guitarbitz.com/1171.htm
http://www.slavetothebeat.co.uk/store/d ... 383&cat=12
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
Here is a really cool looking Thunderbird that a guy in Monterey has.
Re: Now I have a Thunderbird too!
I played one of these last year at Mike's booth at the NAMM show, if it weren't so much $$$ I'd buy one.