Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

Thanks! I leave nearby a great luthier called McGibney Guitars who gave me a great deal on this one when the original build requester went through financial trouble.

It's all normal gibson burst thunderbird specs, aside from having firebird style pickups instead of thunderbirds. (Apparently the vintage-style covers were impossible to get a few years back). It's way brighter than you'd think for a tbird, and it has a very 60's jazz style carve to the neck. Omega bridge as well.

Then Matt put a respray-style goldtop finish on it, which I guess he sourced from the Heritage/Kalamazoo provider to get the true goldtop color. It definitely is a unique color, although hard to capture. It's reliced (sorry) but I think Matt is potentially one of the best realistic relicers in the business.
View attachment 4747508
View attachment 4747509

Only thing missing is one of @Engle ’s Tbird decals. Nice Tbird!

 

[JJR58]

Thanks! I leave nearby a great luthier called McGibney Guitars who gave me a great deal on this one when the original build requester went through financial trouble.

It's all normal gibson burst thunderbird specs, aside from having firebird style pickups instead of thunderbirds. (Apparently the vintage-style covers were impossible to get a few years back). It's way brighter than you'd think for a tbird, and it has a very 60's jazz style carve to the neck. Omega bridge as well.

Then Matt put a respray-style goldtop finish on it, which I guess he sourced from the Heritage/Kalamazoo provider to get the true goldtop color. It definitely is a unique color, although hard to capture. It's reliced (sorry) but I think Matt is potentially one of the best realistic relicers in the business.
View attachment 4747508
View attachment 4747509

Looks really great.
I think the gold is a great color for a TBird.

 

[JIO]

We haven’t started tort Tuesday. I might have to reconsider my membership status if we do.

 

[JIO]

Anyone going to see The Smile? @JIO maybe?
I haven't got the album yet but been listening to it a lot from streaming services. Great basslines from both Yorke and Jonny Greenwood and while it does sound like Radiohead a lot then again it doesn't.
Of course it threw me into a Radiohead binge. What a wonderful progressive band who never took any compromises. And Colin Greenwood is a great great bass player. Does not play a T-Bird but still is. Who knows he might own one 'though?

Yikes! Not aware of this RH spin-off project - love it. They will be in SF in December. I'm looking into it now.Thanks for posting!

 

[WillyW]

Guess what day it is!!!!

 

[JIO]

image not found day?

 

[5StringBlues]

Pointy fake mountain and sun day?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Pointy fake mountain and sun day?

Pointy fake mountain and sun in a gift box day!

 

[PillO]

I’ve never heard of a Keith triggering midi tracks. I can’t imagine how that would work, with that band.
They lost me after Emotional Rescue, but I don’t think of their albums as having a lot of filler. Look at the tracks on Let it Bleed & Sticky Fingers.
I guess one person’s filler tracks are another person’s deep cuts

There are always stories of bands using recordings on stage. Dream Theater has been accused, Rush says they use tracks that are triggered by pedals, SNL exposed that Simpson girl (who promptly disappeared). The rumours abound about the Stones as well. Given health (moderate to severe arthritis of the hands) of Keef, it is entirely reasonable to raise the question. Some also suggest that he uses a different guitar on each song as they are all tuned/capoed to play a song with little more than bar chords (the quip being his guitars play a song if they are dropped).

We needn't agree on how many good/bad songs are on any given album. Musical tastes are what they are. Hard to believe, but there are even people that don't like Geddy's singing voice!

 

[PillO]

Guess what day it is!!!!

View attachment 4747563

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[JIO]

Looks really great.
I think the gold is a great color for a TBird.

And the relic'd gold-top over brown-burst is a winner.

 

[JJR58]

And the relic'd gold-top over brown-burst is a winner.

It really is a classic look.

 

[GonePlaid]

View attachment 4747543

 

[GBassNorth]

Guess what day it is!!!!

View attachment 4747563

 

[GBassNorth]

I like it too. But at 3K with tax I’ll pass. I can get a used Burgandy and a used Inverness Green 21’ NR to go with the Pelham Blue one for that kind of money. I’d be perfectly happy setting each one up with different types of strings.

The price is steep, but I really like the features and look. Anybody know if the pups are unique, or are they’re just stock Gibby with RB initials painted on.

 

[JIO]

Actually it looks more authentically tortoise-shell - not like the common minced-meat/pepperoni pg tort.

torte!

 

[Nocturnal]

I saw the Stones live on the bigger bang tour (funny story in how I ended up going). There have been longstanding stories of Keef not playing, instead triggering a midi track. Having seen them live, I believe those stories.

I like more of the Stones catalogue now than I did in the 80s. The first few albums are much better than the later albums (IMHO) but I still think that there is filler. I feel the same about The Who.

One look at Keef's fingers may explain a lot. I honestly don't know how he plays at all. A few of the more recent concerts I've seen on TV it seems he's playing. It looked like he was making those sounds, which no one would seek to essentially fake, given they were not always good sounds. In some ways I played better years ago, but in other ways I know (a little) more how to play better now from trial and error. A lot of error. Not that it always translates into better playing now. Could be I practiced with a band 2-3 times a week back then. I do miss playing/practicing that much in a band setting.

I have wondered the same about how he plays with his fingers so gnarled like that. Backing tracks or something similar wouldn't surprise me.

 

[TBird1958]

The price is steep, but I really like the features and look. Anybody know if the pups are unique, or are they’re just stock Gibby with RB initials painted on.

I had read that the pickup were a design he (Rex) and Jim DeCola of Gibson worked together on, if so I would think they're pretty good. The pickups in the 2015 Bird and G-3 re-issue were his work.

 

[JIO]

The price is steep, but I really like the features and look. Anybody know if the pups are unique, or are they’re just stock Gibby with RB initials painted on.

Anymore, if I were going to build-up another killer T-bird I'd get a used Epi for cheap and install those cool custom hum-buckers that someone posted recently, refinish it, change the 3-point bridge & add Gotoh tuners w/a drop-D and set it up perfectly. Taking this route - I'd have a killer sounding T-bird for right around a grand.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Fine looking bassist….