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P BASS and THUNDERBIRD

#21
$Lindz$ said:
Also, +1 on the Lull pup.

I wouldn't get a "Lullibird", but I wouldn't mind trying those pickups! Is it a "plug and play" affair, or do you need to rewire for them?

Also, any "return policy"? Dropping a couple hundred coins on a pup that you can't readily walk into your local store and test is a little... well, crazy? I mean... I COULD go off of Mark's huge support of the Lull pups, but just in case I didn't like them in my Gibson, would he take them back (of course this is assuming nothing has to be modified on them to fit, wire, etc...).
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That I don't know...but there may be a certain TalkBasser who will be offering repros up soon as well...we shall see.
 
#26
xsogol said:
On why JE switched from Precisions to TBirds (from thewho.net):

John Entwistle: “Once you turn up the treble on a Precision, the bottom drops out.” “In big arenas, I wasn’t getting enough bottom end from the P-Basses when I had the treble all the way up.”
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Agreed. (well... you know.. my extensive arena experience and all). But I still prefer a reset headstock on a Gibson neck than destroying the neck-through-ness, and putting on a Fender neck (which I do not like the shape of anyways).

I mean, IF you like flat weird J necks, or fat puffy P necks, I guess that would be appealing. :help:
 
#27
John Entwistle wanted the thundering lows and mid to warm sound of the Thenderbird, but with the maple attack / snap (bolt on), treble & strength of a P bass, so he built Fenderbirds using a slab mahogany body shaped like a Tbird, T bird pups & bridges with bolt on maple P bass necks.

As many builders have discovered, Mahogany & Maple = great tone. It offers the best of both worlds.

Listen to "The Real Me" by The Who.

Fendbent.jpg
 
#29
But I still prefer a reset headstock on a Gibson neck than destroying the neck-through-ness, and putting on a Fender neck (which I do not like the shape of anyways)
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Its easier to use a Mahogany bodied Epi Goth bird or a Warmoth body.

The Goth bird is a Fenderbird by the way, with a tbird headstock/maple neck.
 
#30
$Lindz$ said:
Agreed. (well... you know.. my extensive arena experience and all). But I still prefer a reset headstock on a Gibson neck than destroying the neck-through-ness, and putting on a Fender neck (which I do not like the shape of anyways).

I mean, IF you like flat weird J necks, or fat puffy P necks, I guess that would be appealing. :help:
Click to expand...

I don't like the feeling of the J or P necks really either. That's why I'm going to build my own bass with a mahogany TBird-like body with 60s TBird repros and a maple/jatoba/maple/jatoba/maple neck (with a maple fretboard) based on the shape of my 1996 Peavey Fury neck. It should be killer!
 
#31
thehiros said:
How do the sounds on these two basses compare?
From what I hear, they both have a low end growl, but anything else specific?
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if you ask me,they really don't compare at all.for the gibson TB at least...the epi is WAY more like a P-bass,thick neck,deep midrange tone like a P.the gibson has a J bass like neck,and it's tone is almost ric like(if you can EQ your amp correctly to get the true tone out of it)but really,the gibson thunderbird and the fender precision= nothing alike
 
#32
Yeah, but then you have the Epi body (no, it isn't the same).

Also, i love the design of the Gibson headstock.




I'm just rattling cages, devils advocate, whatever you wanna call it. What do maple necks enhance? (lets assume for arguments sake that I can deal with a fender shape... which i can't, btw).
 
#33
$Lindz$ said:
Yeah, but then you have the Epi body (no, it isn't the same).

Also, i love the design of the Gibson headstock.




I'm just rattling cages, devils advocate, whatever you wanna call it. What do maple necks enhance? (lets assume for arguments sake that I can deal with a fender shape... which i can't, btw).
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Maple necks are a bit brighter and bolting a neck on makes the bass a bit more "punchy".
 
#34
xsogol said:
I don't like the feeling of the J or P necks really either. That's why I'm going to build my own bass with a mahogany TBird-like body with 60s TBird repros and a maple/jatoba/maple/jatoba/maple neck (with a maple fretboard) based on the shape of my 1996 Peavey Fury neck. It should be killer!
Click to expand...

This makes a lot more sense.



Amazing, instead of someone telling me for the millionth time that John Entwistle made some, therefore they are the best.

WHO cares about that?
 
#36
xsogol said:
Maple necks are a bit brighter and bolting a neck on makes the bass a bit more "punchy".
Click to expand...

Hm. I like the sustain and rumble of a neck-through so much more than a little extra punch (i assume in the mids/highs?)

I guess... i wouldn't call it "muddy" per se, but I like the way Gibson Birds... "ooze" out the notes.


Comparo:

Poppy, bouncy, Britney Spears or the sensual, fluid, twisting of a... ahem... "exotic dancer"? Give me the sleaze! Please.
 
#37
mrbungle said:
No way. I have a nice '77 Precision (and have had many other Precisions before), and 90's Tbird, and generally the Precisions have been more "muddy". Both TBirds and P-basses are similar in band context, and support a rock band really well. Thunderbird has emphasis in low middle growl, and P-bass in the high middles. Both leave space for distorted guitars, while keeping bottom end focused. The mid range character still prevents them from being buried in the mix.
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Here's a recording of my 90's (ebony fingerboard) TB in live band context: Link Removed
 

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