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Thunderbird Club

#209,101
PhR75 said:
If you don't like how it sounds with both pickups on try to reverse it and move it a bit towards the neck. In this bass of mine the E/A side coil is just a bit closer to the bridge compared to the regular P position and the D/G coil a bit closer to the neck. Still does a pretty good P sound but sounds better when both pickups are on. I just recently swapped the bridge pickup to a MM style humbucker and I think I like it more than the reverse P it had there too.
View attachment 4705460

I know, the routing is crude but it was already when I got the body and you should see the under-the-pickguard crater. I don't know what there was previously but I my kids can swim there in the summertime.

The P pickup is a regular Dimarzio DP122 reversed and in a custom enlargened cover. The bridge pickup was the same, here's one compared to a normal MM size.
Why did I want it like that and not just a reversed P? Well, I like big pickups and because of Neil Murray's old modded Tele P-bass.
View attachment 4705502

LTMwNjYuanBlZw.jpeg
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Honestly, it's a great sounding bass with what's in there now.
@JIO has a good point about retaining the ability to have that Precision tone.
I've got a Pure Vintage '63 in there, and that's the closest pick up I've ever heard that comes to an original early 60's Precision.
But I seem to be on a humbucker quest these days.
 
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#209,105
JJR58 said:
Honestly, it's a great sounding bass with what's in there now.
@JIO has a good point about retaining the ability to have that Precision tone.
I've got a Pure Vintage '63 in there, and that's the closest pick up I've ever heard that comes to an original early 60's Precision.
But I seem to be on a humbucker quest these days.
Click to expand...


I have one of those in my Am Hot Rod Vintage P/J, came stock with it, big sounding pickup.
 
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#209,106
bobyoung53 said:
"my left thumb" No I'm a righty, I think that was my …
incipient dementia …
sneaking through, I think I was thinking of my left digit which makes no sense, I know. :laugh:. Sprains take a long time to heal, I think they take longer than a break.
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There’s the best Band name of the week!

JIO said:
It's both good and bad news - good because less people, bad for various other reasons. I'll celebrate less people for now.
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As crowded as CA seems sometimes it’s not even in the top ten states for population density. However, with the huge influx of immigrants I’d imagine both CA and TX will both increase in population density. On the bright side, that’s more potential Tbird players! :D
 
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#209,107
GBassNorth said:
There’s the best Band name of the week!


As crowded as CA seems sometimes it’s not even in the top ten states for population density. However, with the huge influx of immigrants I’d imagine both CA and TX will both increase in population density. On the bright side, that’s more potential Tbird players! :D
Click to expand...
Freeway density is the killer. Didn’t Sammy have a song about that?
 
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#209,108
bobyoung53 said:
I have one of those in my Am Hot Rod Vintage P/J, came stock with it, big sounding pickup.
Click to expand...
They didn't call them that, but I believe that is what's in my '00 Fender Hotrod. Has the tapered poles like the Geddy Lee Jazz PUs. They sound great whatever they are. I put some in a MIM Jazz years ago and sure made it sound better.

The Hotrod... One fantastic sounding bass. The J PU is overwound. Everything is perfect on it. You'd think it was a Custom Shop order.
upload_2022-5-30_17-58-23.png
 
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#209,110
JJR58 said:
Honestly, it's a great sounding bass with what's in there now.
@JIO has a good point about retaining the ability to have that Precision tone.
I've got a Pure Vintage '63 in there, and that's the closest pick up I've ever heard that comes to an original early 60's Precision.
But I seem to be on a humbucker quest these days.
Click to expand...

Simple solution - another bass with buckers. :bassist:
 
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#209,112
Stealth57 said:
Freeway density is the killer. Didn’t Sammy have a song about that?
Click to expand...

Freeway density indeed. I moved to the Bay Area in '90, right after NorCals last big earthquake. A lot of people jumped ship - traffic was decent. Then it got progressively worse through the '90s peaking during the dot-com boom. Then the bust - back to decent traffic as all the young dot-com'rs left to go live with mommy & daddy somewhere else. Once again it returned to fully congested roads ... and then Covid hit. Traffic was the best yet as people weren't driving/staying shut in. It's growing again now that the worse of Covid is receding.., until the next earthquake, economy crash, epidemic, (fill in the blank).
 
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#209,113
dagrev said:
I'm obviously not Scott, but he told me several years ago that Thunderbuckers were at the top of his list of replacements for vintage sound. That may have changed and he didn't say if he ever tried Lulls. Just chiming in in case he's busy having that skinny Canadian carrying around stuff for him.
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I think that skinny Canuck was busy schmoozing Primus in hopes of a new roadie gig.
 
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#209,114
bobyoung53 said:
"my left thumb" No I'm a righty, I think that was my incipient dementia sneaking through, I think I was thinking of my left digit which makes no sense, I know. :laugh:. Sprains take a long time to heal, I think they take longer than a break.
Click to expand...
It's an age thing. When you are young, ligaments are all springy and settle back quickly. When you are older, not so much... And may require surgery to tighten up.
 
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#209,115
dagrev said:
I envision a great sitcom were the Thunderbird Club was stranded on a deserted island along the lines of Gilligan's Island. Everyone is too busy talking Thunderbirds and trying to make them from the trees on the island to build a craft or notice the ships going by that could effect a rescue. I think it would be better than the original. Clearly no laugh track would be needed.
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Some might get tired of eating watermelon, watermelon cream pie and making everything out of watermelons...
 
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#209,118
JIO said:
Freeway density indeed. I moved to the Bay Area in '90, right after NorCals last big earthquake. A lot of people jumped ship - traffic was decent. Then it got progressively worse through the '90s peaking during the dot-com boom. Then the bust - back to decent traffic as all the young dot-com'rs left to go live with mommy & daddy somewhere else. Once again it returned to fully congested roads ... and then Covid hit. Traffic was the best yet as people weren't driving/staying shut in. It's growing again now that the worse of Covid is receding.., until the next earthquake, economy crash, epidemic, (fill in the blank).
Click to expand...

During the height of Covid here in 2020 there were no private cars allowed on the road, we could only go out and walk for one hour a day for exercise, no busses, very few taxis and there was a (IIRC) a 7pm to 5am curfew. In a city of 12 million people it was as silent as if you were in the middle of the woods somewhere even during the day. The airport was closed, this was from about March 2020 until November 2020 when the government gradually began relaxing the curfews. We still have mandated masks here and have to show our vax cards to get in most public places like malls and supermarkets. It is considerable relaxed now though, you don't need masks in clubs for example although technically I think we are still supposed to. I wasn't able to do any gigs until about 3 or 4 months ago.
 
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