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Thunderbird Club

#211,061
dagrev said:
Everyone knows I'm a VP fanboy...but it's for good reason. This side of several thousands of pesos (dollars are questionable at this point), VPs are as close to a '60s Thunderbird as you can get. The weakness in my opinion is that they can lack some of the bigness or bottom of the '60s. But amps have knobs and strings with a lot of lows do the trick for me. Boomers are great, Rotos, Dean Markley Blue Steels, EB Cobalt flats also sound really good for my purposes of big, fat and punchy with some clarity but not clank.

If I could not have my '64 and could have only one bass, it would be a VP.
View attachment 4724013
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I've yet to play one - I'm curios to see how it compares to my '64II (with added B pu - so a direct 2 pu comparison) Eventually.
 
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#211,062
dagrev said:
If going for angry piano I can see that a little, but there's no reason at all why they can't do it. Maybe this would be the best way to say it: They sound like the 60s version but with the vol and tone set about 5 on each. That may give you the best idea.
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Much of achieving "angry piano" has to do with a loud powerful amp. Pushed, any bass should be able to enter that territory. Didn't John Entwistle do 'Generation' with a P & flats? And you know he was strapped for bear on any stage he played output wise. That and technique - AP is coaxed out of a bass though right hand technique. (and a loud powerful amp)

It's like, just my opinion man...

upload_2022-6-18_14-41-27.jpeg
 
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#211,064
JIO said:
Much of achieving "angry piano" has to do with a loud powerful amp. Pushed, any bass should be able to enter that territory. Didn't John Entwistle do 'Generation' with a P & flats? And you know he was strapped for bear on any stage he played out-put wise. That and technique - AP is coaxed out of a bass though right hand technique. (and a loud powerful amp)

It's like, just my opinion man...

View attachment 4724405
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Certain strings ( Ken Smith's, DR's and SITs) and a .73 Totex pick are really helpful, I've never gotten "Angry Piano" playing fingerstyle. Some Thunderbird seem to "bloom" with volume, like my '76s and the '64 to some extant.
 
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#211,065
TBird1958 said:
Certain strings ( Ken Smith's, DR's and SITs) and a .73 Totex pick are really helpful, I've never gotten "Angry Piano" playing fingerstyle. Some Thunderbird seem to "bloom" with volume, like my '76s and the '64 to some extant.
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Yes, all of that too also. (as Mike would say) Thunderfingers showed it can be done! :bassist:
 
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#211,066
TBird1958 said:
Certain strings ( Ken Smith's, DR's and SITs) and a .73 Totex pick are really helpful, I've never gotten "Angry Piano" playing fingerstyle. Some Thunderbird seem to "bloom" with volume, like my '76s and the '64 to some extant.
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Yup. I must be an anomaly here, because with my 2013 and stock TB+ pickups, playing finger style, I'd be surprised if anyone described my tone as anything but aggressive.
 
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#211,068
JIO said:
Yes, all of that too also. (as Mike would say) Thunderfingers showed it can be done! :bassist:
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The purple '76 does "Angry Piano" pretty well and will be at Chucky's along with a couple different amps, I just have to remember to bring some picks.
 
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#211,070
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#211,071
Rehearsed (jammed really) with the stoner/doom band today, Epi CP into Tubezilla (Fender Bassman 300 Pro>Ampeg 810 fridge).
Tell you what, nothing is so dynamic for timbre, tone and volume as you move from register to register as a tube power section. Volume was relatively "low", but the response as you play is (edit) lively and forward.
I don't know yet if the tone is "better" than the Peavey MK-III or the Eden WT405, but it certainly seems more alive...
 
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#211,072
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#211,073
dagrev said:
Bummer. No sound.

I get the desire for a bass with a pre in that situation. Sure give you some control over tone. I use one of these as my DI only--doesn't color sound to the head, just the PA. Got it when I wasn't happy with amps/cabs I was using. Kept it because it will make any marginal amp sound much better and sounds way better than just a typical DI for the PA. I could use this as a pre with a power amp if need be. Also keep it in case the tube head dies while playing. Just add some signal to the monitors so I can hear and I'd be good to go.

View attachment 4724228
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My Bass Fly Rig exists also for similar considerations...
 
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#211,074
Count Bassie said:
Rehearsed (jammed really) with the stoner/doom band today, Epi CP into Tubezilla (Fender Bassman 300 Pro>Ampeg 810 fridge).
Tell you what, nothing is so dynamic for timbre, tone and volume as you move from register to register as a tube power section. Volume was relatively "low", but the response as you play is plain and forward.
I don't know yet if the tone is "better" than the Peavey MK-III or the Eden WT405, but it certainly seems more alive...
Click to expand...

When I first got my '76 Ampeg B15N - I don't know, maybe 13yrs ago now, I felt the same way about it compared to my tube/FET hybrid amps. More elastic, more malleable - more alive. It's all in the tubes baby.

Playing my '66 P "Magic Bass" through it doesn't hurt either...
upload_2022-6-18_17-0-40.jpeg
 
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#211,075
TBird1958 said:
The purple '76 does "Angry Piano" pretty well and will be at Chucky's along with a couple different amps, I just have to remember to bring some picks.
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Cool. I always bring a selection - fave these days is (grey) Dunlop 'Max Grip' (partially textured) 1.14 ... but any pick will work for me! I'm good about not dropping picks, but the texture helps keep it from roaming while playing.
 
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#211,079
(posted before) A favorite live/studio performance by a favorite band with a favorite kick-ass song featuring the main driving melodic line delivered by the Greenwood brothers - Jonny (synth) & Colin (bass). (21:45 - 25:45) The whole 55:15 performance is super good, and is covering one of the best more recent Rh recordings. Thom York out-Johnny Rotten's Johnny Rotten on this one - almost like Johnny Rotten meets angry Bob Dylan.:woot:




...at 23:07 the brothers start expanding on the theme in a way that only brothers could - so fluid and instinctually locked - wow... When I construct a baseline for a song, I build it similarly - stating the main melodic line a simply as possible first verse to establish it, and expand the next verses with passing-notes and diversions (staying on the 1) to let it breath. (and not sound like a looper/machine) I leaned this from listening to the best recorded songs. (pick your genre)

I grew up with friends who were/are musician brothers - they grooved on the same frequency w/o looking at each other. It was uncanny.
 
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