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The Pedulla Club!

#2,301
AudioDwebe said:
Two questions to the group:

Have any of you played or heard a fretless Thunderbass? If so, what is your opinion of it.

Second, how do you think a defretted Thunderbass ET without the poly coating would sound?

Thanks.
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Like this?:
TBuzz02.jpg
It is actually called a Thunderbuzz although the rod cover just says Thunderbass.
Mike Pedulla claims that the poly helps it get the fretless "mwah". It certainly has that! I have played fretless with unfinished ebony boards. The Thunderbass gets the mwah with hardly any effort. Very inspiring. Amazingly low action. Very sweet bass.
 
#2,302
mtb777 said:
My ThunderBolt 6, I struggle with the tone quite a bit. Looking for fat tone at the bottom and it just all bright to me. I've got the old 3-knob electronics with Soapbars and to me it's really hard to get a nice dark fat bottom end. Now, it does a great grindy Marcus tone with the Pedulla tapered nickels on it. They are low but when I try to get fat, I get a middy P bass tone and the strings are a little clangy. Action is very low so that should be expected some, but I can't EQ that out even close. Anyone have similar results with the old electronics? I have to bass EQ the heck out of my amp(RH450) and have even picked up a Source Audio Programmable EQ which I love. The top end of this bass is spectacular. I love it. Just looking for some fatness.
Click to expand...

I was experiencing a similar issue with my Pentabuzz and switching to flats made a world of difference. In my, admittedly limited, experience Pedullas have a naturally modern, hi-end biased voice, and if you want a really warm, round, bottom end it takes some experimentation. I'd try a set of flats, and I highly recommend the Sadowsky Black Labels.
 
#2,303
inthebassclef said:
Yes indeed I have heard of a fretless thunderbass. Superb instrument. In fact there is one on ebay right now (no affiliation I promise).
Michael does all sort of things with de-fretting and coating if you wanted to go that route.
Just an FYI I have played a 6 string fretless thunderbass (ironically called the thunderbuzz). It was amazingly clear and articulate. Real gem just not a 6 string player or I would have snatched it in a heart beat.
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MasterMonkeyMan said:
Like this?:
View attachment 403075
It is actually called a Thunderbuzz although the rod cover just says Thunderbass.
Mike Pedulla claims that the poly helps it get the fretless "mwah". It certainly has that! I have played fretless with unfinished ebony boards. The Thunderbass gets the mwah with hardly any effort. Very inspiring. Amazingly low action. Very sweet bass.
Click to expand...

Thanks, guys.

Can either of you compare the Thunderbuzz sound with the Buzz's sound?

Can you take a jab at how you think an uncoated board might sound like on a Thunder?

Cheers
 
#2,305
I just had my Buzz refurbished by Mike. I decided to try a set of his strings. They are nickles and the bass is a fretless.

Probably the worst strings I've ever tried. Hard to explain why but they just didn't sound good. Lifeless and no character.

I saved the four month old TI Jazz Rounds that were on the bass initially. Much, much better. It's like the bass woke up.

I like to try the manufacture's strings on their bass (thinking maybe they're onto something) and I don't fell like I'm hyper critical of strings. There's a few sets I really like and most are decent. The way the Pedulla's sounded, I'd never use them.
 
#2,307
It had no character and complexity. It was just a very plain tone. Maybe it was a case of the strings needed to be broken it but I wasn't going to take the time to go thru that.

OTOH, TI Jazz Rounds are my strings of choice. I find them to be flexible, ware and articulate. I've never heard the combination of all three in any other string as much as with the TI's. I'm definitely biased in this direction.

As a reference, I also like DR round core strings, MTD SS strings and Sadowsky Blue Labels. The Pedulla's just did not work for me.
 
#2,308
Interesting. Pedulla's nickels sound great on my Thunderbuzz. I have used his strings on other basses too. Always liked em. I also tried the Ernie Ball Cobalts...very nice. Work well on my Thunderbass and Rapture. Nice feel and very consistent tone across the board. May try them next on the Buzz.
 
#2,311
One of my first serious basses was a Buzz about 25 years ago. It was one that I never should have let go and have always wanted to replace it. When one came up on TB at a very good price, I had to act.

The bass was made in 1987 and was advertised in very good condition with some of the lines near the end of the fretboard raising. It was noted that it should not cause a playability problem. I knew that grooves in the fretboard parallel to the strings was a cause for concern so I thought the raised lines would not be a problem.

The bass came and it was in very good condition with it being very lightweight at 7.9 pounds.

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The problem started when I tried to set up the bass. I spent hours along with the help of TB'er Fred and different sets of strings but could not get the bass to play correctly.

At this point, I realized that it was time to have the fretboard recoated. Based on what I paid for the bass, I was not upset at having to pay to recoat the fretboard. I figured I would still be out ahead. And I live close enough to Mike Pedulla that I could drop the bass off in person.

After talking to Mike for I while, I decided to have the entire bass refinished instead of just the neck. Feeling that the bass was a keeper, I though it to be money well spent.

The bass was finished this week and I picked it up. It not only looks amazing, it plays unbelievably. It was most definitely the raised lines that was the problem.

I have no regrets about the entire process.

Here's what it looks like now.

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#2,314

Sgroh87 said:
Right now I've got some basic Daddario rounds on my Thunderbolt 6 and I think that I'd like to try Pedulla strings when its time to restring. Any of you have experience with his strings? How do they play and feel? What about the steel strings?
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I currently have Pedulla medium steels on my Thunderbass, the first I'’ve used. I was previously using Ken Smith Rockmaster mediums, and my immediate reaction to the Pedullas was that they weren’t as bright as the Smiths. Naturally, after some use that won’t make a big difference. I typically detune a half-step after I finish playing, and this prolongs the usable life of the strings virtually indefinitely to that “happy place” between “new-and-bright” and “dead as wood.”

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club
Big Cabs Club #23
Pedulla Club #45
 
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#2,316

Marial said:
Interesting, I've never heard of this before. I'll have to give it a try.
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Yeah, I can easily get a year out of a set of strings, but then I typically only play a few times a month, if that. Your mileage may vary! :)

LeonD said:
The bass was finished this week and I picked it up. It not only looks amazing, it plays unbelievably. It was most definitely the raised lines that was the problem.

I have no regrets about the entire process.

Here's what it looks like now.

IMG_1081_zpse270b2a1.gif
Click to expand...
Wow, it's like having a brand new 1987 model! How cool is that?
t.gif


Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club
Big Cabs Club #23
Pedulla Club #45
 
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#2,320
Just the way it sits naturally with the tips of the horns horizontal. Heck , hang on a second let me try it horizontal. Don't really ever play it that way!

Tick tock

Tick tock

Tick tock

Ok with a 2 1/2" suede Levy 's strap without a shirt on, horizontal.... No dive, 5 degrees down..... No dive. Now, if I shaved my back, it might be different. (Hiding)
 

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