Thunderbird Club

#306,701
GBassNorth said:
Looks like an Epiphone CP. if so, an excellent bass for anything under $700. Frequently mislabeled by sellers as an Eppi IV and priced at around $400, which is an awesome deal. Look for the special year 2012ish model where the neck pickup is located closer to the bridge than the one in your photo…(note the neck pup screw on this model year is well below the center screw on the pickguard)…
View attachment 7086069
That special pup placement tightens up the TB+ pickup nicely and makes an already sweet sounding bird sound even better. Love love love the way mine sounds.
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Pu placement is where the rubber meets the road -
 
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#306,702
JIO said:
For shipping a guitar/bass only - the key is keeping the box as small/efficient/protective as possible. Oversized = $$$. Then it's two layers of heavy cardboard - reversed bias to form the box. Then it's bubble-wrap - the bigger bubbles the better. It should surround the bass like a pillow and fill the inside of the box.

A bass w/HSC doesn't require as much exterior padding - I've received a bass shipped in a HSC w/o box! (case taped shut) I would never do that, but the bass inside the case should be surrounded by bubble-wrap (small bubble version) and especially if the bass is not a tight fit in the case. Detune strings at lease a half-step and have a thin piece of foam sheet between the strings, fb & pu’s. Make sure nothing moves inside the case once it is closed.

Not a 100% guarantee it will arrive safely (I have stories...) but doing this will give it the best chance of getting to where you send it unscathed for the least amount of money. Oh, and always insure it for replacement value - always.
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Great tips. I do a good bit of that, so seems I'm not doing to badly there. But I will never use a larger box than necessary again. I even cut it down hoping it would not be classified as larger than standard. Obviously didn't make it. If a bass has movement I will place the body in a t-shirt or other soft material to protect the finish. I don't use anything plastic near the finish. Same with the headstock if needed. I always ask about detuning given it seems to be a preference, and tension or not in a HSC shouldn't be much of a factor, I wouldn't think. I personally don't want it done. Necks are designed to hold positive tension which is their normal state for life, and as far as In know, instruments ship tuned from factories. Maybe wrong on that. But I understand some prefer it, thus I always ask and will do what the buyer wants. On a sale, I always state basic shipping, if the buyer wants more than that, they can ask and pay for that. But in your situation I would definately insure the item.

Oddly enough the lady said with the extra size it qualified for $100 of insurance if I wanted it. I politely laughed and said that's fine, but that doesn't even cover the cost of shipping let alone the contents of the box!
 
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#306,703
JIO said:
Wow! What bygone era/decade was that? ;):roflmao: Today, (here in the Mission SF) the Fed Ex guy would leave it on my porch in plain view and within minutes it would be stollen by a porch-pirate. no - joke
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FedEx's next step at speeding up delivery is to just open the truck and throw the item in the direction of the address. You know there are drivers who considered it.
 
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#306,705
From a Sunday afternoon drive. A small park in Brandenburg, Ky.
1732628104692.png
 
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#306,706
saltymonkey said:
You can open a UPS My Choice Premium account online for $20 a year. You can print your own labels and drop off any package at a UPS facility, including UPS stores, for shipping. You can also have incoming packages diverted and held at your local UPS store for pick up when you're not going to be home to receive. W/o the membership this costs $5 per delivery. And you definitely save on shipping over taking the package to a UPS store and having them weigh, label and ship. Those stores are privately owned businesses only affiliated with UPS. They're adding their cut to the total. I get my $20 worth every year.
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I do the same. It takes some of the headache of shipping stuff out of the equation.
 
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#306,707
dagrev said:
There's one they took of me at the post office of me pooping my pants when they told me the shipping. But I don't think that was was what your were thinking.

Here's one I took for one of the interested individuals. Much better the the PO pic.
View attachment 7085913
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My warped mind sees all kinds of things in those reflections. I avoid psychologists as much as possible. It is better that way.
 
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#306,709
dagrev said:
Great tips. I do a good bit of that, so seems I'm not doing to badly there. But I will never use a larger box than necessary again. I even cut it down hoping it would not be classified as larger than standard. Obviously didn't make it. If a bass has movement I will place the body in a t-shirt or other soft material to protect the finish. I don't use anything plastic near the finish. Same with the headstock if needed. I always ask about detuning given it seems to be a preference, and tension or not in a HSC shouldn't be much of a factor, I wouldn't think. I personally don't want it done. Necks are designed to hold positive tension which is their normal state for life, and as far as In know, instruments ship tuned from factories. Maybe wrong on that. But I understand some prefer it, thus I always ask and will do what the buyer wants. On a sale, I always state basic shipping, if the buyer wants more than that, they can ask and pay for that. But in your situation I would definately insure the item.

Oddly enough the lady said with the extra size it qualified for $100 of insurance if I wanted it. I politely laughed and said that's fine, but that doesn't even cover the cost of shipping let alone the contents of the box!
Click to expand...
Minimal de-tuning compensates for temperature swings. I usually do a half-turn down which isn't much, but yes - much conjecture on the topic.
 
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#306,712
JIO said:
Minimal de-tuning compensates for temperature swings. I usually do a half-turn down which isn't much, but yes - much conjecture on the topic.
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That's a good point. Going from one significant temp to another (or through), could be a good application. Your minimal detuning is definitely the way to go either way. Near designed tension is still present but provides some room for changes. I have received a couple used basses completely detuned--as in floppy strings laying on the FB. That just makes no sense under any circumstances. I like you plan much better.
 
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#306,713
JIO said:
Minimal de-tuning compensates for temperature swings. I usually do a half-turn down which isn't much, but yes - much conjecture on the topic.
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I’m playing it safe with loosening the strings for shipment on my flight to Germany, I’ve got them packed pretty well. Cause I know what they could possibly be in for once I check them in.
Fingers crossed they make it, and in one piece.
 
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#306,717
dagrev said:
That's a good point. Going from one significant temp to another (or through), could be a good application. Your minimal detuning is definitely the way to go either way. Near designed tension is still present but provides some room for changes. I have received a couple used basses completely detuned--as in floppy strings laying on the FB. That just makes no sense under any circumstances. I like you plan much better.
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Yah, floppy strings = a misguided person.
 
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#306,718
Last edited:
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#306,719
JJR58 said:
I’m playing it safe with loosening the strings for shipment on my flight to Germany, I’ve got them packed pretty well. Cause I know what they could possibly be in for once I check them in.
Fingers crossed they make it, and in one piece.
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They'll make it - I shipped a bass to Rudi Salm (Rudolf Rock - SWIK) in Hamburg and it got there fine.

A snug fitting case helps...
1732649099313.jpeg
 
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