Thunderbird Club Pt 6

[lfbassguy]

TBIRD, I was watching some of your videos on youtube of you guys, (love the band, btw) and I was watching "addicted to love". You were using a white Thunderbird and I just loved the tone. Can you tell me a little about that one?

Thanks!!

 

[Dave W]

I have also found that I don't like all my amps with the T-bird. However, my Hartke lh1000 sounds better with this bass than any other of mine. It just seems like its opposite of everything else I have. LOL! Which I love!!

That's funny! Before I bought this one I was checking one out in a local store with a Hartke of some sort and I thought it sounded friggin' awesome.

 

[Dadagoboi]

I hear the pickups should be relatively close to the strings?

Raise the Pickups and Raise Hell!

 

[TBird1958]

Yes, raise your pickup height, DR stainless are gonna give a bit more hi mid and top than the Rotos regardless of their age.

 

[Geezer79]

I have an Epiphone pro IV and a Peavey mark 8 with an 8/10 cab. Ernie Ball slinky's for strings. I have the bridge pickup pretty high ( maybe 3/32) and the nck pickup I started low and brought it up until it was just a little louder than the neck and with all controls neutral. I EQ cutting mids a little. Kindof a gentle V giving a little extra to the bottom. It thumps hard and sounds great. I play old metal and hard rock. Wouldn't mind trying DR's. Don't know what truck get. Rotos are too bright for my taste and eat fretts to fast. Suggestions?

 

[lfbassguy]

That's funny! Before I bought this one I was checking one out in a local store with a Hartke of some sort and I thought it sounded friggin' awesome.

Must be something to that. Even that guys in the band and soundman notice when I use my Hartke. They say it makes that T-bird just really stand out.

 

[Dave W]

Actually, every time I go to that store and try out a bass I plug into the Hartke and I think it always sounds really good. I've never owned one, and I'm not sure that I would ever need to, but I do really like the way they sound in a solo setting for sure.

Okay...update!

The windings of the Rotos were indeed sitting on the bridge saddles. They were also a little on the dead side, despite what I thought previously. I just slapped on a new set of D'Addario nickels and it was a night and day difference. SO much better than before!
The pickups were already pretty high, but I messed around with height a little anyways. I ended up raising them even more. It sounds good now! Sorry to be "that guy" that said it sounded muddy.

It's going to be getting it's inaugural gig on Saturday. I'm still not 100% convinced I can pull this thing off, looks wise, but I'll give it a go!

 

[TBird1958]

TBIRD, I was watching some of your videos on youtube of you guys, (love the band, btw) and I was watching "addicted to love". You were using a white Thunderbird and I just loved the tone. Can you tell me a little about that one?

Thanks!!

Ahhh.....That one.
It's a Burny Thunderbird, set neck made in China. I bought mine thru a Japanese dealer, in the video and this pic it's pretty much stock except for the checkerboard PG. It's a pretty nice player, very light - but it definately has an enormous headstock! It does want to neck dive, but because the whole bass is so light it's no issue at all. Since the video was shot I've added some of Mike Lull's Polished Nickel covers to the pickups so they match up to the rest of the bass' hardware.
That was a fun night! Totally pro sound guys and lights, had a lot of mugging for our photog too

 

[BklynKen]

I made an executive decision and just ordered the SuperTone. $89 shipped from Musician's Friend with their current sale. Really looking forward to narrowing the string spacing.

 

[Dave W]

I made an executive decision and just ordered the SuperTone. $89 shipped from Musician's Friend with their current sale. Really looking forward to narrowing the string spacing.

I've got one on another Gibson bass of mine, I like it. If I decide to stick with black hardware on mine, I'll switch them and put it on the T bird instead.

If I go with chrome I might end up grabbing another one.

 

[BklynKen]

I've got one on another Gibson bass of mine, I like it. If I decide to stick with black hardware on mine, I'll switch them and put it on the T bird instead.

If I go with chrome I might end up grabbing another one.

Cool. Hipshot makes really nice products. I have their Ultralites and A Style bridge on my Carvin. I think that two-piece bridge would look really hot on the T-bird, but this is a drop-in.

 

[lfbassguy]

Ahhh.....That one.
It's a Burny Thunderbird, set neck made in China. I bought mine thru a Japanese dealer, in the video and this pic it's pretty much stock except for the checkerboard PG. It's a pretty nice player, very light - but it definately has an enormous headstock! It does want to neck dive, but because the whole bass is so light it's no issue at all. Since the video was shot I've added some of Mike Lull's Polished Nickel covers to the pickups so they match up to the rest of the bass' hardware.
That was a fun night! Totally pro sound guys and lights, had a lot of mugging for our photog too

Ahh, thanks!! Sure is a nice looking and sounding bass. Seems to nail a good Thunderbird tone. Do you think its pretty close?

That headstock is enormous.....

 

[Showdown]

Generally, using a GK 700RBII, I have bass at noon or slightly less, low mid at 1:00, hi-mid at noon, treble at noon.

Those are exactly the settings I use for my '76 birds on my GK MB200. My short scale bird sounds completely different though, it has a ton of bass, and kind of scooped tone in comparison, so my settings are treble 11:00, high mids 1:00, low mids 1:00 and bass 11:00. That puts it in the same ballpark.

 

[BklynKen]

Those are exactly the settings I use for my '76 birds on my GK MB200. My short scale bird sounds completely different though, it has a ton of bass, and kind of scooped tone in comparison, so my settings are treble 11:00, high mids 1:00, low mids 1:00 and bass 11:00. That puts it in the same ballpark.

Hah. I have been playing through my MB150-112 combo lately and they're all around 1:00. I haven't gotten to use it with my MB500 yet.

 

[TBird1958]

Ahh, thanks!! Sure is a nice looking and sounding bass. Seems to nail a good Thunderbird tone. Do you think its pretty close?

That headstock is enormous.....

It's a boat paddle!
Tonewise the pups are similar to current Gibson, it's a set neck so it's a little tighter, shorter note decay, little darker too. I like the bass a lot, but the new Epi Pro Classic actually a better buy, it's less expensive and really is a nice 'Bird for the $$$. But hey a variety is good

 

[lfbassguy]

Actually, every time I go to that store and try out a bass I plug into the Hartke and I think it always sounds really good. I've never owned one, and I'm not sure that I would ever need to, but I do really like the way they sound in a solo setting for sure.

Okay...update!

The windings of the Rotos were indeed sitting on the bridge saddles. They were also a little on the dead side, despite what I thought previously. I just slapped on a new set of D'Addario nickels and it was a night and day difference. SO much better than before!
The pickups were already pretty high, but I messed around with height a little anyways. I ended up raising them even more. It sounds good now! Sorry to be "that guy" that said it sounded muddy.

It's going to be getting it's inaugural gig on Saturday. I'm still not 100% convinced I can pull this thing off, looks wise, but I'll give it a go!

I am on my second Hartke. I used one years ago for a long time and just always loved the way it sat in the mix. Actually my SVT, Bassman blackface 100, and GK 400rb would just sit at home and it was all I ever used. Over the years I've tried many other things and it seems like I'm back at Hartke for awhile.

Enough thread high jacking and back to Thunderbirds

 

[Liam McMonigle]

Has anyone tried Invalid Link Removed They have Burny Thunderbirds on there and are a good price, i am considering it!

 

[snaverb]

I've noticed recently when playing the D string I could hear the saddle vibrating, I couldn't figure out what it was, and I only heard it while playing the bass unplugged.

I was changing my strings tonight and when I removed my D string I discovered that my bridge is cracked open.




I'm not sure when this happened or what caused it. But I will call Gibson customer service tomorrow and hopefully this is covered under their lifetime warranty. The bass was purchased new in 2003.

Anyone ever had 3 point bridge break in two like this?

 

[sigmundklaus]

Hey guys,
I'd like a second opinion from you

I need pickups for a T-Bird that is being made for me by a young luthier.

A set of Lollar or Thunderbuckers would cost between $320-400... and with shipping and all the taxes that come with it in Europe maybe even 35-40% more...

My idea is to buy an Epiphone Classic IV. And those come with USA TB+ PUs... for $499 (these cost roughly the same in Europe)

How much could the TB+ PUs be worth ? ... compared to the two PUs mentioned above let's say $200-250?

this way I'll have original TB PUs to put in the T-Bird that is being made for me aand a brand new, neckthrough T-Bird (though chinese :S ) for a later project or experimenting for $250...

is this good thinking?

 

[TomStuart]

I just acquired a Gibson blackbird in a Craigslist trade. All the black paint has been sanded off to the natural finish. It looks and sounds stellar and there are no chips, dings or scratches. I know this effects the value of the guitar but can anybody tell me how much? I traded a new EBMM stingray for it and got a bunch of cash too. I am planning on dressing it up as a regular thunder-chicken. Any tips or opinions would be appreciated.