neepheid

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1152333' date='Mar 7 2011, 11:11 AM']That's terrible, and probably good to know next time I get the urge to consider buying an Epiphone bass. Normally the fact that they're part of the Gibson "empire" and what Gibson did to Opcode in the 90s is enough to dissuade me! Does that mean that you'll be reshaping the lower horn to improve upper fret access? My experience with T-Bird shapes is that you can't reach all the frets that are there at the moment. And it just goes to show how differently people play. I have no use for front face fingerboard markers and just use the side dots. In fact on my Traben Phoenix Bass with it's extravagantly inlaid fingerboard, I find that if I look at the front of the fingerboard it puts me off. Good luck with build. I'll be following with interest as the Gibson Victory restoration was fantastic.[/quote] It's pretty bad, especially since I wasn't planning on using a neck plate but individual recessed bushings on the screws for a slightly less chunky heel area. Of course, you won't have this particular issue with any of Epiphone's set or thru neck offerings I will be reshaping the lower horn. I'm not sure exactly what shape yet but I have a couple of ideas rolling around in my head. I'll get a better idea once I get a neck fitted. I must confess that I look at the front markers from time to time when playing, I probably shouldn't. But it's also an aesthetic thing for me - guitars without markers don't seem completed to me. It's like someone couldn't be bothered putting them in. It doesn't look clean to me, it looks lazy

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1152305' date='Mar 7 2011, 10:42 AM']Looking good. What was the big hole in the neck pocket and the small holes under the bridge for? Also why aren't you using the Thunderbird neck with the head sawn off?[/quote] The big hole in the neck pocket was a dirty nasty one disguised by the neck plate which was probably used at the factory to hang the body from while painting. The small holes were from the previous owner's attempt to fit a Fender style bridge. A few reasons for not using the original neck - 1) I want 21 frets because it makes sense to me that a 4 string bass fingerboard should start with an E and end with an E. One doesn't sing "do-re-me-fa-so-la-te" without the last "do" does one? 2) I don't like fingerboards with no front markers, and I like even less ones with a single inlay at the twelfth fret.

Heh, if only I had money like that to throw at a silly project like this! Some quick and dirty phone pics:

[quote name='NURZE' post='1151937' date='Mar 6 2011, 09:55 PM']I've owned a grabber g3, two regular grabbers and two rippers. I always liked the grabbers the most. The g3's sounded brighter but the grabbers were just awesoms players. The rippers had only one decent setting... One thing I didn't like about the grabbers though was the muddy sound. And there was nooooooooooooo way that sound could be altered. For the style i was playing back then it was alright (loads of hardcore bands play grabbers) The newer version sounds brighter, and a lil punchier, and in my ears it sounds awesome. More like a fender P. The old bridge was just awful, it was made as cheap as possible so the 3-point upgrade was defintely a good move if you ask me. Al the features the grabber II has were things I hoped they'd placed on it 30 + years ago. Brian Cook from Russian Circles plays one now. And I think he used 1 (or 2) regular grabber(s) for over ten years... the ony thing i don't like about the grabber II is the headstock. the old one was cooler.[/quote] I think your assessment of the Grabber/G-3 bridge is harsh. "Just awful" without any qualification does paint a rather over negative picture. At least the old bridge allowed individual string height adjustment - the 3 point bridge only allows you to tilt the whole unit. No through body stringing either on the "reissue"? The old bridge was no different to any other Fender bridge of the day, except that it had walls which prevented side to side movement of the saddles. My only beef with it is the use of slotted grub screws - some of mine have broken at the slot. Despite that small niggle, I still feel compelled to register my disagreement with your statements that the original bridge is "just awful" and that the 3 point bridge is an "upgrade" - for balanced argument if nothing else.

Another +1 for a G&L L-2000. I have a Tribute L-2000 - it's my only "sensible" bass and despite owning some excellent weirdo Gibsons, if I only could keep one bass, it would be the G&L. The Tribute has a baseball bat for a neck too, which suits me

Quick late update - all neck pocket and bridge related holes have been drilled out, filled with mahogany dowel and trimmed almost flush. Yay, there's a lot of sanding in my near future, got all that matt black to get rid of. Still need a neck!

You have three fine Gibsons there, so I would say (as a fellow Gibson owner/player) that I would be disappointed by the Epiphone EB-3. That is not to say that all Epis are bad - I love my Epi Les Paul Standard and see no need whatsoever to get a Gibson of that kind. But having owned an Epiphone EB-3 in the past and long since sold it, I wouldn't want one back again, no matter how much I wanted some EB action in my life. Also, I'd find an old Gibson EB-3 and not the SG reissue. Gibson's current output is so uninspiring to me - half baked reissues which fall well short of the mark in terms of the spirit of the original basses they are supposed to be paying tribute to.

[quote name='icastle' post='1148314' date='Mar 3 2011, 01:15 PM']Yes, I was in two minds as to whether I should include the BT and BQ systems in there. It just seemed easier to include them to avoid 'early onset confusion'. [/quote] Yes, but the point is you CAN plonk any old thing into the "control"s, just not to the "system"s, and even if you end up with a system, just make your own arrangements for volume/blend/switching and feed the results of that into the control, I'm pretty sure that the EQ bit is identical. I have a BQC control in my Epi Les Paul - EMG pickups but going through 2 volumes and a 3 way switch then onto the BQC.

[quote name='icastle' post='1148291' date='Mar 3 2011, 12:50 PM']EMG active circuits are pretty standard and most of them even support the use of passive pups. The one's that you probably can't just plonk any old thing in are: EMG-EXG EMG-EXB EMG-BTC EMG-BTS EMG-BQC EMG-BQS[/quote] This is not entirely correct - you can use the BTC/BTS/BQC/BQS [i][b]control [/b][/i]with any pickup. It's the BTC/BTS/BQC/BQS [i][b]system [/b][/i]which mandates the use of EMG pickups - probably because of the blend control.

Boo to you all, this is reminding me how much I miss my old band

Cheers for all the input so far people, that's where these build threads really help, especially when you're attempting something a little mad Mahogany dowelling has arrived so I'll be able to get to work patching up the mess at the bridge end. Pickguard has arrived too - black with white T-bird logo. Just got to make its head disappear

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1145998' date='Mar 1 2011, 04:28 PM']Don't fancy picking it up and driving it down here do you? I'll give you that P neck for free [/quote] Wish I could man. If I was one of these mad, rich, eccentric types then I'd go for it. Road trip!

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1145954' date='Mar 1 2011, 04:03 PM']Apparently it's still in Aberdeen [/quote] <laugh="evil"> Mu-hahahaha! No basses enter or leave Aberdeen without my approval! </laugh> Only kidding.

[quote name='cliffyspliff' post='1145617' date='Mar 1 2011, 12:26 PM']Hi all, I have an I banez BTB450 guitar(4 string) that I want to use as a back up guitar to an Ibanez srx7000 that I currently use in my band......The problem is the volume output on the BTB is so low, you would never be able to hear it in the band mix.....we play loud usually covering heavy rock or metal......couple of questions.....If I were to only change the pre amp would this bring the sound level of the guitar up??......If I change the pickups would I need to change the Pre amp as well??....pickups in the guitar are Bartolini mk-1 and a standard 18v preamp(not sure of the model no.).......I like this guitar plays nice, sounds nice, its just too quiet....... Thanks in advance for any replys. Sean.[/quote] Obvious stuff first, have you tried fresh battery/ies?

The T-bird arrived today. A quick check to see that all is well with the pickups before complete dismantling. There will be some repair work to be done - the holes left by the posts for the three way bridge will need filling with mahogany dowel. That'll be the first job. Plus I'll get to work raising some project funds by selling the bits I don't need. I took a wee photo of the body with the bridge resting on it: Chunky

[quote name='fryer' post='1144716' date='Feb 28 2011, 05:57 PM']Without driving to Aberdeen and buying you two pints, do you know where I could get some from ?[/quote] The only stuff I can see on eBay is this stuff in the States: [url="http://musical-instruments.shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=headless+bridge&_sacat=3858&_ssn=fastsale123&_odkw=headless&_osacat=3858&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313"]http://musical-instruments.shop.ebay.co.uk...6.c0.m270.l1313[/url] That's the same unit that I've got. There's also eyewateringly expensive ABM stuff (around £380 from Allparts!) which you can get for about £200 before tax from the States.