How do YOU make a Tbird sound good?

middlecislowe · #1 05-31-2011, 05:14 PM

I'm mainly a P-bass guy. They're the best basses I've ever played. But not to sound shallow, Tbirds are probably the coolest looking bass ever created. I rarely ever bring one out by itself, but sometimes if it's not too much of a hassle I'll bring it as a second and play it on a song or two. But the sound just pales in comparison to the P. I've swapped pick-ups, got it set up low and have my own voodoo I do on the amp eq and even the basses own tone controls to get the best sound I can. But it never sounds as good as I want it to. It just has this hollow sound with lazy attack. I wish I could make it sound more like a P. Great attack and a fat tone that just hangs there. Just wondering if anybody has any tips,,,

**ddbassGA** · #2 05-31-2011, 07:08 PM

Trade it for a P-bass.

Jeff Scott · #3 05-31-2011, 07:10 PM

Glass packs.

BigOldHarry · #4 05-31-2011, 07:11 PM

First, there are T-birds then there are T-BIRDS - just as there are P-basses and there are P-BASSES.

A US made T-bird is a fine instrument with a distinct sound, as is a US made P-bass. All others are subject to debate.

**SamanthaCay** · #5 05-31-2011, 07:14 PM

Have you tried compression? That should help with attack and sustain at least.

Ric5 · #6 05-31-2011, 07:21 PM

How do YOU make a Tbird sound good?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Slap on a Fender neck, change the pickups, and put in a preamp.

MRDOOM · #7 05-31-2011, 07:22 PM

Boost low mids and highs on the amp and favor the bridge pickup slightly on the tone controls for the bass. That's how I do it.

MetroBass · #8 05-31-2011, 08:26 PM

Get a SVT, turn the master all the way up, gain to your liking and play it like you stole it. All these p-bass guys think "no one" (that matters) ever played a t-bird. They're wrong. It's got a extremely unique sound and a fast neck. It is rock n roll!

knigel · #9 05-31-2011, 08:35 PM

Or, if active basses aren't your thing, slap on a Fender neck, throw in a DiMarzio and a Peavey T40, and make some thunder.

will33 · #10 05-31-2011, 08:57 PM

I too find them to make a thundery hollow mud type of sound. Applicable in rare cases I guess but one couldn't be gigging workhorse at all.

davidprice · #11 06-01-2011, 12:18 AM

What BigOldHarry said.

It so depends on the era of t-bird. The 60s ones sound totally different from the 70s ones and both sound totally different from the later ones. The 70s ones are my least favorite as the pickups sound anemic to me (and I'm not a fan of the 3-point bridge - though I like those basses otherwise). The 60s ones are my personal favorite bass pickups and can sound more P-bass than my P-bass. I'm lucky to have great examples of both: a 59 P-bass (early 59 so still with a maple neck and somewhat unusual as it is blonde so it has an ash body rather than the more typical alder - I've had many vintage Ps and this is the one I've kept) and a 64 t-bird. I love them both but reach for the t-bird more often - and when gigging with it, even if just plugging in direct, it gets constant comments from the sound engineers of being one of the best sounding basses they've ever worked with - and I've had other musicians specifically ask for me to bring that bass. What can you do, short of getting a 60s one or finding original 60s pickups?
These:
T Bass Parts
ThunderBucker Ranch

OP: is the bass a Gibson or an Epiphone? Or something else? The "lazy attack" thing makes me wonder if it might be one of the bolt on Epis - my Gibson doesn't have that at all - it has strong attack and great resonance and I think the neck-through, multi-lam construction is a big contributing factor to that. If the bass doesn't sound good unplugged, I don't know that any pickups can really correct that.

Plstrns · #12 06-01-2011, 02:08 AM

Real, vintage Gibsons are ok. They look cool, but I think the expression "There's something for everyone" came from Gibson basses. Well, it could've been Rics, but regardless...

It really takes a special player to make either sound really good, and look easy to play. JMO

Plstrns · #13 06-01-2011, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric5

How do YOU make a Tbird sound good?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Slap on a Fender neck, change the pickups, and put in a preamp.

I'd play the hell out of those Tbirds. Nice job

Jirishman · #14 06-01-2011, 07:27 AM

Since the 60s Tbirds are way out my price range, I've found that replacing the stock pickups/parts on the newer birds can make a decent bass sound fantastic.
I took a mid 2000s white tbird and replaced all the black hardware with chrome, and a set of pickups from an Orville tbird (lucky find). The new pickups really did the trick, it sounds incredibly rich and can do it all - clear, rich lows, punchy mids and the trademark growl.
The Hipshot bridge helps with resonance and the overall balance of the bass too, if only it was standard on all tbirds. If you just do a bit of tinkering and customizing, these basses sound like no other.

Din Of Win · #15 06-01-2011, 07:52 AM

+1 to an Ampeg SVT!! Nikki Monninger from the band, Silversun Pickups uses a T-bird through an SVT and her tone is sweet!! YouTube - ‪Silversun Pickups - Substitution‬&rlm;

Food for thought, though; if you really like the Tbird look and P bass sound, you could get a T-bird body with a P pickup route from Warmoth.

carlos840 · #16 06-01-2011, 08:29 AM

My way is o get a gritty amp (it sounds best with my Orange Bass terror) and to boost the mids a bit!
Most of the Tbirds character is in the mids i think.
Although i usually like to play finger style i really feel that the Tbird sounds best when played with a pick!

Doug Parent · #17 06-01-2011, 08:36 AM

Bartolini pickups and pre-amp.

davidprice · #18 06-01-2011, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jirishman

I took a mid 2000s white tbird and replaced all the black hardware with chrome, and a set of pickups from an Orville tbird (lucky find). The new pickups really did the trick, it sounds incredibly rich and can do it all - clear, rich lows, punchy mids and the trademark growl.

+1 on the Orville pickups. They're great. Hard to find though.

GreggBummer · #19 06-01-2011, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knigel

Or, if active basses aren't your thing, slap on a Fender neck, throw in a DiMarzio and a Peavey T40, and make some thunder.

Wow. Do you have a sound clip somewhere? I'd love to hear that thing.

Really good looking bass.

davidprice · #20 06-01-2011, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Parent

Bartolini pickups and pre-amp.

That works though it makes it into another animal altogether as they don't have the characteristic tone of a (good) t-bird - but it will have the look.