Thunderbird Club

[bobyoung53]

True. If someone was to give me a green 2021 NR, I could afford to have it refinished...Maybe...Prolly not.

I like that green better than the real bright ones although actually I've seen a couple of really nice green reverse T-Birds here.

 

[JIO]

I got into The Who after the "I Can See For Miles" single. I was always able to do a good Entwistle and used to do a lot of Who stuff during the 70's.

Geese Louise ... we are brothers of another mother... that was the first WHO song I was drawn to! The overall dynamics including the explosive drums of Keith Moon, much like Mitch Mitchel's drumming w/the JHE was like a magnet! Magic Bus was another, but primarily because at that time I had a gf that lived a bus-trip away and that song resonated with me.

 

[PhR75]

"I Can See For Miles" is one of the greatest Who songs from the 60's. Especially the mono 7" version.

But a pickup question? How big difference is there with the Firebird and Thunderbird pickups? Or were, when both models were introduced?
I wouldn't call the T-bird pup a minihumbucker but is it?

 

[PhR75]

Just asking because of this:
Ian Anderson as a bass player

 

[JIO]

He was one of my big ones too, I say McCartney because I was 10 in 1964 when the Beatles first broke and took over the radio, TV, newspapers and the country and heard 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' and I just had to play one of those 'humming' guitars. Man, what a time that was, there has been nothing like it since, in fact that whole decade, they were a phenomenon that hasn't been repeated.

No, and that innocence is long gone and will never happen again. It's why it can't fully be explained to people who have never experienced this. I sincerely wish it was possible to translate, but some things can only be imagined in retrospect. If one allows themself to be completely open to the 'intent' of music of a specific genre/era... you can at least come close to understanding where it was coming from.

 

[JIO]

"I Can See For Miles" is one of the greatest Who songs from the 60's. Especially the mono 7" version.

But a pickup question? How big difference is there with the Firebird and Thunderbird pickups? Or were, when both models were introduced?
I wouldn't call the T-bird pup a minihumbucker but is it?

WADR, a '60s gen1/2 T-bird "hum-bucker" pu would not be considered a "mini"-anything. It was a true two-coil pu that canceled "hum". The '70s version was a "side-winder" - still hum-cancelling... but different. All modern T-birds have "hum-bucking" pu's regardless of variety. (as in, "soap-bar" pu's are still hum-bucking... I've not heard them referred to as "mini" HB's)

 

[KaraQ]

.....
But a pickup question? How big difference is there with the Firebird and Thunderbird pickups? Or were, when both models were introduced?
I wouldn't call the T-bird pup a minihumbucker but is it?

AFAIK, the Firebirds (at least, the originals) have p90 pickups, which as I understand it, are single-coil?

Thunderbirds, on the other hand, are dual-coil humbuckers.

 

[GBassNorth]

"I Can See For Miles" is one of the greatest Who songs from the 60's. Especially the mono 7" version.

But a pickup question? How big difference is there with the Firebird and Thunderbird pickups? Or were, when both models were introduced?
I wouldn't call the T-bird pup a minihumbucker but is it?

I’m sure others with more in-depth knowledge of the original Tbird pickups will chime in with good info. All I can offer is this tidbit about Gibson mini humbuckers…
Gibson EB bass mini humbucker (1960s/70s)
Yes, Gibson did make a mini humbucker but to the best of my knowledge it was never fitted into a Thunderbird body by the factory. The mini humbuckers I have in my SG basses (at the bridge positions) sound nothing like any Tbird pup I’ve ever heard. Not nearly the heft and thickness of my Tbird pups.

I do believe Epiphone used guitar pickups on some of their limited edition Tbird basses (the silver burst one comes to mind). I don’t know if those are the same pups used in the Firebird guitar however.

 

[RedVee]

AFAIK, the Firebirds (at least, the originals) have p90 pickups, which as I understand it, are single-coil?

Thunderbirds, on the other hand, are dual-coil humbuckers.

Kara, the Firebirds also have mini hum buckers. I guess to be different to the Les Paul & SG etc.

 

[RedVee]

Well, sure. But those were mini-concerts. I watched tons of those and if they showed videos like the one referenced, I can't recall them. And I mentioned the Beatles movies. Those and the Monkees tv shows were the closest things to what we think of as music videos as I can recall.

Well, sure. But those were mini-concerts. I watched tons of those and if they showed videos like the one referenced, I can't recall them. And I mentioned the Beatles movies. Those and the Monkees tv shows were the closest things to what we think of as music videos as I can recall.

Miles, The Beatles also made promo films of songs when they became a studio band. Strawberry Fields etc.

 

[Klondike]

That was beautiful! Great interview, always have loved Procol even if I didn't underestant what the hell they were talking about. I was pretty young when Sg Pepper came out, lol.

 

[dasherf17]

I just read that one should give some spring sun to the T-Bird pickup equipped basses. It really helps with the neck dive, clears the mud and snaps the snapped headstock back into it's place.
Of course I snake oiled the fretboard that it won't get too tanned...View attachment 4619400

...here's whatcha need to make you feel bed-der, here's whatcha need to make y feeeel...

 

[WillyW]

That was beautiful! Great interview, always have loved Procol even if I didn't underestant what the hell they were talking about. I was pretty young when Sg Pepper came out, lol.

Kinda like a Justin Hayward interview..

 

[WillyW]

View attachment 4655027
...here's whatcha need to make you feel bed-der, here's whatcha need to make y feeeel...

 

[WillyW]

Tweetchie Zone. Love the red; Green, OK(I guess).

I'm going to get a pic of the 21 NR Burgundy and Inverness Green, next to the Embassy Burgundy, and Wanderlust Green.

I figured out how to use my camera.

First impressions are the Burgundy's are pretty similar, but the Greens are miles and miles apart....

 

[dagrev]

Where did people see these videos back in the day? I mean, there were movies (The Beatles) and TV shows (The Monkees) but where would one have seen this?

I've always wondered that as well. With Youboob I've seen vids of bands that I've never seen or heard of before. And we did have electricity.

 

[dasherf17]

View attachment 4655048

(...I like it...)

 

[PhR75]

Help me out here:
Ian Anderson as a bass player

 

[dagrev]

Kara, the Firebirds also have mini hum buckers. I guess to be different to the Les Paul & SG etc.

And they "kinda" sound like a pickup intended to fit the sonic space right between a humbucker and single coil. To me they sound like a fat single coil pickup.

 

[MCF]

I can't justify either one right now.

But you can justify getting a Non-reverse.