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Many Just Don't Get IT, Gibson Thunderbird

#421
Personally I think it's great to see renewed interest from several manufacturers in what I think is a classic shape.
 
#422
Dr. Eagle said:
leonaskin.jpg


KLINK! Ve haff a transport plane with your name on it at Stalingrad!
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You guys are making me understand why there's a market for basses with Maltese crosses on them... :ninja:
 
#423
davidprice said:
you can hear a good quality live recording of it here: http://kiwi6.com/file/h973p8r2l1
Kind of an odd-ball recording as it was backing an older singer from Mississippi doing blues and we threw in this more straight-up rock arrangement of a tune that would be familiar to the Euro-audience but was totally foreign to the singer - but he was game and obviously got into it. It's this bass with just the neck pickup (finger style - I don't use a pick) through my Walter Woods amp. I might have also had a Sans Amp BDDI so that might be coloring it a bit.
I love the B3 solo on it (it's a real one) and the kind of cheesy '60s vibe he gave it. Worth noting he's in his 70s! (and kicks my *ss as a bass player)

That said, I played the t-bird on a gig the night before last through a new GK MB200 and Schroeder 1212L and could not have been happier with my tone. One of the biggest bands in Poland (where I am now), oddział zamknięty, was there and they went completely ga-ga over it - it really stands out as it is probably the only one in Eastern Europe (or one of very few).
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OT:
I start regretting I do not have so much spare time to follow David's concerts... Amazing performance!
By the way, rock people in Poland might finally start equipping themselves with the new GK's ;)
More OT:
David, I recommend you use some of your time to go to Sopot and try some gear from Box Electronics. See: Invalid Link Removed
Tom Bowlus tells me they make top-notch bass effects, time to find out if their amps/cabs are equally good. These guys are completely unrecognized in Poland, exporting whole their production. Give it a try, David! Pity I've really heard of them just recently (Tom used to mention them some time ago, now, Rock'n'Roll network considers domestic distribution of BE Tauruses...)

On topic:
I've just extinguished my G.A.S. ... but I feel some spark smouldering. My next bass if any could be the T-bird!

Has any of you tried palm muting on T-Bird with a pick? Not any bass is really convenient for that.
 
#424
AntekStalich said:
OT:
I start regretting I do not have so much spare time to follow David's concerts... Amazing performance!
By the way, rock people in Poland might finally start equipping themselves with the new GK's ;)
More OT:
David, I recommend you use some of your time to go to Sopot and try some gear from Box Electronics. See: Invalid Link Removed
Tom Bowlus tells me they make top-notch bass effects, time to find out if their amps/cabs are equally good. These guys are completely unrecognized in Poland, exporting whole their production. Give it a try, David! Pity I've really heard of them just recently (Tom used to mention them some time ago, now, Rock'n'Roll network considers domestic distribution of BE Tauruses...)

On topic:
I've just extinguished my G.A.S. ... but I feel some spark smouldering. My next bass if any could be the T-bird!

Has any of you tried palm muting on T-Bird with a pick? Not any bass is really convenient for that.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Antek!

I played through a Taurus amp at a club in Zielona Góra and it sounded really good! I also tried a preamp peddle they had which was excellent (I think Felton Crews picked up one when he was here) and their compression peddle (like Wojtek Pilichowski uses) is really good, too! Yes, they could be a strong international player in amps and effects. Also on Polish products, I really like the Presto/Eurosonic strings for upright (their electric strings don't impress me though).

I'm not very adept at playing with a pick but it seems to work really well palm muted on the tbird (if I have the covers off, obviously) but others here could answer that better than me.

Pozdrawiam!
 
#425
bluewine said:
I have been around playing bass longer than a lot of you, I think I started my first band in 1966, I was in the 6th grade.

I finally got to the point where I could aford a Gibson T-Bird, I traded up from my undesirable Epi Bird to a nice 1991 Gibson Thunderbird.

Back east when I was coming up, if a guy came out on stage with a Gibson Thunderbird you knew it meant serious rock. At the time they were the icon bass for ultra cool rock look.

I told a few of my buddies about my new aquisition, and all I got was,"why did you by that" and "I never got into those".

I guess the apeal of thses bass is not universal. I play in a Pop Rock band and the whole experience of using the my new Thunderbird is awesome.

Too bad for you guys that don't get it.
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They look cool, and some people make them sound good, but they're not for me. Doesn't mean they're bad instruments, just not my cup of tea. A great instrument, just not one made for me.

I understand that, loving Rickenbacker basses as I do. Lots of people don't "get it" with them, either.

Keep rocking the T-bird.
 
#428
AntekStalich said:
OT:
I start regretting I do not have so much spare time to follow David's concerts... Amazing performance!
By the way, rock people in Poland might finally start equipping themselves with the new GK's ;)
More OT:
David, I recommend you use some of your time to go to Sopot and try some gear from Box Electronics. See: Invalid Link Removed
Tom Bowlus tells me they make top-notch bass effects, time to find out if their amps/cabs are equally good. These guys are completely unrecognized in Poland, exporting whole their production. Give it a try, David! Pity I've really heard of them just recently (Tom used to mention them some time ago, now, Rock'n'Roll network considers domestic distribution of BE Tauruses...)

On topic:
I've just extinguished my G.A.S. ... but I feel some spark smouldering. My next bass if any could be the T-bird!

Has any of you tried palm muting on T-Bird with a pick? Not any bass is really convenient for that.
Click to expand...

imho Tbirds are great for pick and palm muting. Sick as a dog in this one but lots of palm muting going on.
 
#431
Sartori said:
They look cool, and some people make them sound good, but they're not for me. Doesn't mean they're bad instruments, just not my cup of tea. A great instrument, just not one made for me.

I understand that, loving Rickenbacker basses as I do. Lots of people don't "get it" with them, either.

Keep rocking the T-bird.
Click to expand...

This is fair. And I love Rickenbackers too! I have a 4000 and a 4001C64!
 
#432
davidprice said:
You guys are making me understand why there's a market for basses with Maltese crosses on them... :ninja:
Click to expand...

I hated that "celtic cross" on my goth tbird. I was watching my local tech work on it (new pots), and I said out of the blue "is there any way to get rid of the iron cross without damaging the plastic pickguard? I just don't like it"

He turned and looked at me appraisingly, then nodded and said "I think that's a good idea" and removed it, free of charge. Buffed it off with some oil (lubricant) and a buffing wheel. Decal came off easily and now the bass is much classier.

Ever since he's been a true gent to work with :D
 
#435
Legattabass said:
I hated that "celtic cross" on my goth tbird. I was watching my local tech work on it (new pots), and I said out of the blue "is there any way to get rid of the iron cross without damaging the plastic pickguard? I just don't like it"

He turned and looked at me appraisingly, then nodded and said "I think that's a good idea" and removed it, free of charge. Buffed it off with some oil (lubricant) and a buffing wheel. Decal came off easily and now the bass is much classier.

Ever since he's been a true gent to work with :D
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+ 1 to both of you guys. I can't stand those decals.

The fenderbirds, look a little better to me but honestly it's not the neck our headstock that bothers me, it's the shape of the body. Id totally rock a bass with those lull pickups for the tone variation. This thread is starting to make me understand the IT factor...

Furthermore, if I ever needed to play in a band that requires playing with a pick I'd consider playing a Tbird. Consider!! Lol
 
#436
davidprice said:
You guys are making me understand why there's a market for basses with Maltese crosses on them... :ninja:
Click to expand...

Legattabass said:
I hated that "celtic cross" on my goth tbird. I was watching my local tech work on it (new pots), and I said out of the blue "is there any way to get rid of the iron cross without damaging the plastic pickguard? I just don't like it"

He turned and looked at me appraisingly, then nodded and said "I think that's a good idea" and removed it, free of charge. Buffed it off with some oil (lubricant) and a buffing wheel. Decal came off easily and now the bass is much classier.

Ever since he's been a true gent to work with :D
Click to expand...


As I mentioned before, I'm not a Nikki Sixx fan but I love my Blackbird based on the feel, output, and tone. That said - I dig the Iron Cross inlays. As far as I know - it was the first production 'Bird to have anything other than plain dots. What's funny is - I've had a couple people tell me that they really like the "Bird" inlays. Apparently from a distance some people think they are Thunderbirds, not crosses. :smug:

I think it's a shame that Gibson hasn't dressed a Thunderbird up in a similar manner to the Firebird with Trapezoid or Block inlays and a bound fingerboard.

Invalid Link Removed

Invalid Link Removed
 
#437
Well, the OP has maybe 5-6 years on me is all, and I played a 76 Tbird reissue in a rock-abilly band in 1978-1980. Looked cool on stage but I NEVER touched that thing for practice. Its the kind of "cool" design that could hold you back as a player due to God awful ergonomics. I give you Tbird players big props though; its like going up to bat with the doughnuts still on the bat.

And yeah, I do get it, 110%.
 
#438
stiles72 said:
As I mentioned before, I'm not a Nikki Sixx fan but I love my Blackbird based on the feel, output, and tone. That said - I dig the Iron Cross inlays. As far as I know - it was the first production 'Bird to have anything other than plain dots. What's funny is - I've had a couple people tell me that they really like the "Bird" inlays. Apparently from a distance some people think they are Thunderbirds, not crosses. :smug:

I think it's a shame that Gibson hasn't dressed a Thunderbird up in a similar manner to the Firebird with Trapezoid or Block inlays and a bound fingerboard.
Click to expand...

Eh, those cross inlays don't do it for me either. I don't mind my roman numeral 12, but I'm glad that's it.

Nothing personal. I'm just not Prussian, Celtic or ... other ... IE groups that use the symbol. Also, never underestimate the level of respect you can get from techs, store staff and teachers by removing the "metal" imagery. ;)
 
#440
:smug:

I got it.

Two more of my many 'Birds.

The Iron Cross makes a little more sense for me as I'm of mostly German descent.

T_Bird_Tat_resized.jpg


cayenne.jpg
 

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