Thunderbird Club

[Miles_ONeal]

Ah. Somehow I thought you had a mid 60s 'Bird.
I've never held a P. Just looking at them, I know they'd kill my left hand. Looks kinda similar to my Epi NR 5er neck, which I didn't like at all.

I feel your pain…

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I saw him with his band 'The John Entwistle Band' in a little club in Mass in 1999, then the next night in Providence RI. The stage in Worcester was about 2' high and I got there early and stood maybe ten feet in front of him along with most of the other bass players from the area. I used to play in that place a lot. He sounded just like you'd think, played with both fingers and a pick. Did Boris the Spider which was the highlight for me, did a long solo and the breaker tripped in the middle for his amp which actually happened several times during their set. The next night they took half the stuff into the club which was bigger, they sounded great in Worcester.

Love, love, love Boris!

 

[GonePlaid]

I've been busy the last couple of days building myself this cigar box guitar, which I actually started work on 28 years ago.

I had this very badly bent neck which I de-fretted that I put on there, so I can get my Seasick Steve vibes going.
View attachment 4666309 View attachment 4666310
I just recorded a song using that silly thing and here it is.
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That's pretty cool.

 

[GonePlaid]

@GonePlaid Regarding the neck on the NR. I didn't get the '64 out, but if you grab your '67 about or in between the 4th and 5th fret you will be close to feeling what the neck feels like at the nut of the new NR. But the NR is/seems slightly more shallow (less thick front to back). I did this on a VP and that was doggone close to the feel of it. I don't have any calipers to be more exact.

I 'preciate the effort. I really want one o' the 2021's, preferably Burgundy, but having just sent the IRS $5100, gear's gotta wait.

 

[BklynKen]

Thanks, I'm in love with it. Likely because I've had a thing for CAR for a long time. But you raise an interesting question.

This is CAR-ish, if that was a color in '63-64. Interestingly enough it has a gold base-coat and black under that if I recall. I figured it was from a refin not going about it correctly. I don't think they ever used black as an under-coat either. It had the refin done many decades ago. Long enough it actually looks original with the wear. It's no longer bright in most places and has something of a copper hue to it in a certain light and angle, and that slightly greenish pick guard from that time. You can see the gold and black where the forearm wear is.

Like this (refinished) one?

 

[bobyoung53]

No, it's CAR or something that looks like it but faded. Yes, I always thought they had white underneath. I think mine was from a refin at some point. Thus I could afford the bass in the first place. Sounds fantastic with Pyramid Gold Flats.

I bet it does, it looks almost exactly like mine, I had a '66 Jazz neck on mine for most of the time I owned it.

 

[GonePlaid]

Thanks, I'm in love with it. Likely because I've had a thing for CAR for a long time. But you raise an interesting question.

This is CAR-ish, if that was a color in '63-64. Interestingly enough it has a gold base-coat and black under that if I recall. I figured it was from a refin not going about it correctly. I don't think they ever used black as an under-coat either. It had the refin done many decades ago. Long enough it actually looks original with the wear. It's no longer bright in most places and has something of a copper hue to it in a certain light and angle, and that slightly greenish pick guard from that time. You can see the gold and black where the forearm wear is.

Weird. Pix aren't coming up.???

 

[Border]

Good evening folks, I hope everyone's week is going well. I will be glad to see Friday arrive. Finally got the straplocks on my new NR, so couldn't resist taking it to both rehearsals this week. Tuesday night is the cover band rehearsal. No amps, just going straight to the PA. We are tuning up for our first gig in awhile. We are playing for Bloomsday. A very large marathon. Literally thousands of people stream past. At rehearsal, both pickups and tone all the way up, great fun, great sound.
Wednesday night was the middle eastern ensemble. Playing through the band leaders old Peavey. Very little bridge pickup, tone rolled off some. Again, couldn't be more pleased with the tone and overall experience. Compliments from members of both groups. Very glad I decided to order the bass, very happy with tone, feel and overall vibe of the instrument. Only decision is which Bird to take to the gig on the 1st...
I hope everyone has a great weekend. Take care.

 

[Adriblues]

Hello and welcome to Talkbass and the Thunderbird Club Adriblues, that's a beautiful new Non Reverse you have there - and very pictures as well! We invite you to join us in a long conversation about Thunderbirds that goes on here, if you'd like a club number just let me know - Cheers!

Thank you for the warm welcome! (Everybody thanks!) sure thing! I want to be a part of the family! Cheers

 

[JIO]

Thanks, I'm in love with it. Likely because I've had a thing for CAR for a long time. But you raise an interesting question.

This is CAR-ish, if that was a color in '63-64. Interestingly enough it has a gold base-coat and black under that if I recall. I figured it was from a refin not going about it correctly. I don't think they ever used black as an under-coat either. It had the refin done many decades ago. Long enough it actually looks original with the wear. It's no longer bright in most places and has something of a copper hue to it in a certain light and angle, and that slightly greenish pick guard from that time. You can see the gold and black where the forearm wear is.

Yes, black as a deliberate undercoat wouldn't have happened. The red in a CAR finish is semi-translucent to allow a 'metallic' base coat (either gold or silver) to give it light reflective 'shininess'/depth/richness. I've used a gold base under dark wood graining (like walnut) to give it some of that light reflective quality that actual wood has in its grain/fibers.

 

[JIO]

Thank you for the warm welcome! (Everybody thanks!) sure thing! I want to be a part of the family! Cheers
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Welcome!

 

[GBassNorth]

Not sure if this has ever been posted (forgive me if it has) but it popped up in my YouTube feed.

Neat A/B comparison. It’s definitely what I’m hearing with mine as well, the 2015 is generally a bit brighter with more detail in each note than my 2013.

However, correct me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression the 2015 toggles were to cut from full humbucker to single coil on each individual pickup, not to go from series to parallel as implied in the YouTube clip. Also, sounded like the YouTuber recorded two sets of both/neck/bridge examples for the 2015 but he called both examples “series”. So not only is he mistaken about the switch functions but he didn’t correctly call out which example is which switch setting. Knit picking aside, it did accurately represent what I hear with my 2015 vs my Anniversary bird.

And now the interesting and odd ball quirk that I have with both my 2015 Tbird and my 2013 EB5 (which has the same pups) - if I play either bass for more than an hour straight I get a ripping migraine headache. None of my other basses have that effect on me even if I play them longer and louder. It’s really bizarre. Can’t explain why it happens. I sometimes wonder if there’s some sub sonic or possibly super high frequency or microphonic noise emitted from those pups or maybe a unique pressure spike at a specific frequency that I can’t readily hear but that somehow stresses out my ear drums. Doesn’t seem to effect my wife at all, just me.

The good news is I haven't heard any voices in my head yet telling me to buy more Thunderbirds.

 

[Adriblues]

Congratulations one your first Thunderbird and getting the very cool non-reverse (NR in these parts)!
I have had mine about three weeks and am still string trying for that perfect match in a live setting. Thus far Roto 66 Nickels have sounded the best by far.

Sweet SG, BTW.

I'm not a photographer by any means.
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Thanks for the Strings tip! Have a nice day!

 

[RedVee]

Thanks, I'm in love with it. Likely because I've had a thing for CAR for a long time. But you raise an interesting question.

This is CAR-ish, if that was a color in '63-64. Interestingly enough it has a gold base-coat and black under that if I recall. I figured it was from a refin not going about it correctly. I don't think they ever used black as an under-coat either. It had the refin done many decades ago. Long enough it actually looks original with the wear. It's no longer bright in most places and has something of a copper hue to it in a certain light and angle, and that slightly greenish pick guard from that time. You can see the gold and black where the forearm wear is.

I have read somewhere that Sparkling Burgundy was a ‘cover over’ colour. So if a ES335 or something had a blemish they’d turn it into a Sparkling Burgundy.
They were gold underneath I think.
I just like it.

 

[godofthunder59]

NBD…

View attachment 4666416

Beautiful! Where did you find that?

 

[KaraQ]

........
The good news is I haven't heard any voices in my head yet telling me to buy more Thunderbirds.

Isn't that what we're here for?

 

[godofthunder59]

NBD…

View attachment 4666416

That bass is actually a direct descendant of this NR I built in 2008. Cataldo was influenced by my build, I supplied him with patterns and measurements to build NRs. Both basses used my '68 Thunderbird II I bought in '77 as a pattern.

 

[PillO]

Thank you for the warm welcome! (Everybody thanks!) sure thing! I want to be a part of the family! Cheers
View attachment 4666720

You have a broom growing out of your head, better get that looked at by a doctor.

Excellent bird.

Spoiler

Soon...

 

[dagrev]

I 'preciate the effort. I really want one o' the 2021's, preferably Burgundy, but having just sent the IRS $5100, gear's gotta wait.

Ouch! But we all appreciate your donation.

 

[dagrev]

Like this (refinished) one?

Exactly like that one!