Thunderbird Club

[Stealth57]

Pickup spacing is definitely different! The neck pickup is moved forwards about 3/4" of a inch on the 2021 NRs. I moved the neck pickup back to the 60s position on my Inverness Green '21 NR. This location definitely gives the bass more authority than my unmolested sparkling burgundy '21 NR.View attachment 4850497

Others say the color is the difference

 

[JJR58]

That was the intent. 8^)

I know.

 

[dagrev]

And here we go, all done. Would never pass for a pro job, but looks good to me. Frets cleaned up as good as possible. Next time fine paint brush it is. The pointed foam brush I used on coat 1 is good to spread the dye between the frets, no so when you get close to them. I did tape it well beforehand, so not much spillage on the sides, easily cleaned. I covered the fretboard sides with tape as to ensure no spillage on the neck, so the original color shows. Should I do another similar project, I might do it diffently, but for this one, I'm good. Gibson fretboard conditionner darkened it a tad.

So here it is, before and after:

View attachment 4850273


View attachment 4850274

Much better!

 

[dagrev]

View attachment 4850327

View attachment 4850334

Gluing the shoe polish on. Brilliant!

 

[dagrev]

...this is a Jazz bass -

View attachment 4850343

I don't even know what to say!

 

[dagrev]

Happy Diwali to all.


And proof my grandsons don’t always scream at me.

View attachment 4850363

What have you done to them? What have you done with your real grandsons?

 

[dagrev]

I was going to take it in high school, but I was already in the sights of the bullies among the jocks, and they made it clear "only faggots take typing, and you know what happens to faggots around here".

Those morons. You aren't a cigarette.....

 

[dagrev]

Just a quick string update.

I’m always on the quest for good sounding and good feeling strings for my basses and have pretty much come to realize that no one string is great on all basses. I do make a real effort to try lots of string options on a given bass until I find what works best. Along the way there’s successes and failures. I’m chalking this one up as an epic failure.

A week or so ago I installed a set of GHS Precision Flats on my 21 NR. They replaced the stock round wounds that came on the bass. Observations…

1) Nice purple silk at the tuner end, horrid sloppy non silk overwrap at the ball end that extended over the saddles (I hate that, more a function of the three point bridge though).
2) String length was generous to a fault - the E string ended up wrapping around the tuner post well beyond the silk and taper, and into the full size portion of the string, which began to bind on the tuner nut (I’ve snapped tuners off before when this happens, so I was sweating bullets while bringing it to pitch).
3) Tension was high but fairly typical of most flats. Fretting wasn’t a problem, certainly not floppy.
4) Smoothness was typical of a flat, easy and quiet slides, no tacky feel, no sharp edges, no significant gaps in the wrap.
5) Sound couldn’t have been more lackluster. Note definition was destroyed. Everything was total bottom end with a weird top end ring if the tone knob was anything less than half way up. With the tone knob maxed on high the bottom end became thin and it was all upper mids.
6) IMHO This string is a dismal match for the darker pickups of a Modern Tbird or new NR. They literally sucked the character and life out of the bass. Might be better suited for the brighter more aggressive pickups of a VP or maybe a Bicentennial but not this bird, probably not a Goth fit, maybe not an Eppi IV or CP fit either.

Today I removed the Precision Flats and installed EBCFs on the 21 NR - Soooooo Much better sounding. Again, the wraps are in the saddles, I’m thinking I might need to put a claw on this puppy like Greco does. I’ll do a EBCF review in a couple of weeks, until then, I’m just gonna be thrilled with how nice the 21 NR sounds (with the right strings).

That was basically my experience as well. I love those on some basses, but not all, or even most. The E string is a "normal" with those and another set I ran into once. I don't like it, but it works fine when it sounds right on a given bass. Once those mellow it won't get better. GHS does sound fantastic on the white VP. As for the NR, Pyramid Golds and La Bella's sounded really good for flats. Forgot, Roto flats were good as well. I settled on SIT Power Steels and regular (not round core) Boomers for the NR. Both sound equally great for my purposes.

 

[godofthunder59]

Others say the color is the difference

and they would be inc

I was going to take it in high school, but I was already in the sights of the bullies among the jocks, and they made it clear "only faggots take typing, and you know what happens to faggots around here".

I took typing class, great way to meet girls. I was neither jock nor goo(stoner). I played lacrosse back when sticks were wood, best excuse I ever had to beat someone with a stick. My twin brother was a super jock football, wrestling and lacrosse. I had lots of older friends in HS both in the stoner camp and jock camp so I was pretty protected in HS. I never really fit in with either social circle, I was a long hair that didn't smoke pot and I really could care less about most sports.

 

[dagrev]

You really need to play that bass in your band, otherwise you'll never get to hear it the way it's supposed to sound.

View attachment 4850421

Yes, yes and yes!!!!!!!
It will likely earn the top spot for live playing. At home mine is OK. Live...sonic bliss. Big sonic bliss. Some basses sound great at home and loose something live, and others sound average at home and dominate live.

 

[dagrev]

Others say the color is the difference

Both.

 

[Stealth57]

What have you done to them? What have you done with your real grandsons?

Sugar bribes

 

[Ringhammer]

and they would be inc

I took typing class, great way to meet girls. I was neither jock nor goo(stoner). I played lacrosse back when sticks were wood, best excuse I ever had to beat someone with a stick. My twin brother was a super jock football, wrestling and lacrosse. I had lots of older friends in HS both in the stoner camp and jock camp so I was pretty protected in HS. I never really fit in with either social circle, I was a long hair that didn't smoke pot and I really could care less about most sports.

My experience is somewhat the same, I really didn’t have any trouble with anyone. I moved a lot so I changed schools almost as much as an army brat(but all in the SFBay), so I learned how to fly under the radar. I was also a long hair, that smoked pot sometimes, but kept good grades and stayed out of trouble. Not fitting into any “camp”. Basically was a musician to be, that didn’t take music classes in school.

 

[JIO]

I was going to take it in high school, but I was already in the sights of the bullies among the jocks, and they made it clear "only faggots take typing, and you know what happens to faggots around here".

I wonder if it also had to do with being jealous that you'd be in a room filled with girls and making friends with them w/o flexing your muscles!

 

[Nocturnal]

My experience is somewhat the same, I really didn’t have any trouble with anyone. I moved a lot so I changed schools almost as much as an army brat(but all in the SFBay), so I learned how to fly under the radar. I was also a long hair, that smoked pot sometimes, but kept good grades and stayed out of trouble. Not fitting into any “camp”. Basically was a musician to be, that didn’t take music classes in school.

I took typing class at least my freshman year of HS, maybe sophomore as well. I thought it might help with finger dexterity for guitar playing and it was an easy grade. I was a long-haired skinny kid that wanted to be a rock star. Not the typical student at my school but I was able to socialize with all of the various social groups (jocks, preppies, stoners, farmers) pretty easy and never had issues with people. I did let cheerleaders cheat off my tests in a few classes so that helped me break into that circle. Not that I had any ulterior motives there.

 

[Ringhammer]

Just a quick string update.

I’m always on the quest for good sounding and good feeling strings for my basses and have pretty much come to realize that no one string is great on all basses. I do make a real effort to try lots of string options on a given bass until I find what works best. Along the way there’s successes and failures. I’m chalking this one up as an epic failure.

A week or so ago I installed a set of GHS Precision Flats on my 21 NR. They replaced the stock round wounds that came on the bass. Observations…

1) Nice purple silk at the tuner end, horrid sloppy non silk overwrap at the ball end that extended over the saddles (I hate that, more a function of the three point bridge though).
2) String length was generous to a fault - the E string ended up wrapping around the tuner post well beyond the silk and taper, and into the full size portion of the string, which began to bind on the tuner nut (I’ve snapped tuners off before when this happens, so I was sweating bullets while bringing it to pitch).
3) Tension was high but fairly typical of most flats. Fretting wasn’t a problem, certainly not floppy.
4) Smoothness was typical of a flat, easy and quiet slides, no tacky feel, no sharp edges, no significant gaps in the wrap.
5) Sound couldn’t have been more lackluster. Note definition was destroyed. Everything was total bottom end with a weird top end ring if the tone knob was anything less than half way up. With the tone knob maxed on high the bottom end became thin and it was all upper mids.
6) IMHO This string is a dismal match for the darker pickups of a Modern Tbird or new NR. They literally sucked the character and life out of the bass. Might be better suited for the brighter more aggressive pickups of a VP or maybe a Bicentennial but not this bird, probably not a Goth fit, maybe not an Eppi IV or CP fit either.

Today I removed the Precision Flats and installed EBCFs on the 21 NR - Soooooo Much better sounding. Again, the wraps are in the saddles, I’m thinking I might need to put a claw on this puppy like Greco does. I’ll do a EBCF review in a couple of weeks, until then, I’m just gonna be thrilled with how nice the 21 NR sounds (with the right strings).

Additionally in the quest for the right string/bass combination, many of us (or even all) have to consider other tunings. I have three tunings to work with, each with their respective “Drop D”, E standard, Eb standard, D standard. I have a bass/string combo that it perfect for Eb, and another that is perfect for D standard, but, (super 1st world problem) I have over 20 basses and want to integrate some of my others into Eb and D. It’s tricky to get them to feel just right, esp. when you have some that do and others that just miss by a little. Getting the right amount of tension and tone with crazy fret clack…. But it’s all part of the fun, trying to get the perfect playability, and the perfect tone that mostly nobody notices…

 

[Ringhammer]

(jocks, preppies, stoners, farmers)

“Farmers” was not a group anywhere I ever lived, or at least in any school I went to. It’s a big country we live in, lol.

 

[WillyW]

After I got kicked out my freshman year and started my new skool, I was walking down the hall and 3-4 jocks were picking on a kid, I quickly identified the leader, slammed him against a locker and continued walking down the hall, was never bothered ever thru high skool. Combat boots with red laces, golf pants, and whatever shirt didnt smell too bad will do that I guess…

 

[Stealth57]

After I got kicked out my freshman year and started my new skool, I was walking down the hall and 3-4 jocks were picking on a kid, I quickly identified the leader, slammed him against a locker and continued walking down the hall, was never bothered ever thru high skool. Combat boots with red laces, golf pants, and whatever shirt didnt smell too bad will do that I guess…

And now you take out your hostility on poor frets.

 

[MCF]

Some basses/pu's honk but it isn't usually automatic - pu settings, playing approach/technique share influences to invite it. Like a fretless - it can be played to make the mwah sound but it can also be played to sound like any bass.

I mostly kid about Jazz Bass tone. It’s just the popular sound some players think they’re supposed to get from them that I don’t care for. But it’s their music and their tone so who am I to judge. I also don’t care for JBass ergos, especially sitting. P basses are more comfortable for me. I’ll just stop complaining and go play my Thunderbirds.