Same here, most Fenders are either Mexicans or made elsewhere and there are very few Gibsons out here, all Epiphones, there are a lot of those out here though. I've only seen on Ric out here besides mine.
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
Same here, most Fenders are either Mexicans or made elsewhere and there are very few Gibsons out here, all Epiphones, there are a lot of those out here though. I've only seen on Ric out here besides mine.
Nah, I'm leaving it 'stock' 'cept for the PG-and I still have the original.trade you that superfluous pup for this?….
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- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,208
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
It's an '89, so early reissue ( Something Henry J. did right), very shallow pitch to the neck. It's hardware was all black when new and for the first 14-15 years of it's life I kept it that way. The Gibson forum on The Dude Pit was quite a place and I was a bit of a shy newbie for awhile, Uwe, Scott, George and others were really into this whole thing and the chrome hardware itch soon struck me. It didn't happen all at once but that bass eventually got all it's hardware traded out, and I skinned the plastic off of the original pickups and potted them into N.O.S. '76 Gibson covers. Mike Lull set it up and after he started making Thunderbirds I had him install a set of his pickups in it. Its very much a "player" with lots of honest wear on it, hard to believe I've had it for 33 years now.
@JIO
not to put Geo on the spot or anything but which…?……
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,962
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
@JIO
View attachment 4882854not to put Geo on the spot or anything but which…?……
View attachment 4882849
Which what?
Both awesome basses interestingly enough in a similar finish gestalt. (cream & white) As a player of both flavors... it's a draw. 
Dust off the Shotgun, it's open season on those turkeys.
Took both my T-Bird and my Vox Pathfinder 10 Bass Amp to music class today, my teacher loved the Bird and liked the amp, for such a small amp it does have quite the punch to it. He does like Gibson and epiphone considering he does have a Korean-made Les Paul bass copy. To be honest my Bird does sound and feel better than his LP. And I think his LP bass is waaay more expensive than my bass, also looks much older.
I do have to say, that Jazz is stunning in looks. Even has my favorite bridge for a Jazz, and in my favorite jazz color scheme. Haven’t tried yours yet, but I have owned and still own a lot of Jazz basses and anymore, I just can’t get along with the Jazz pickups as readily as I do humbuckers or split P’s. I’ve tried dual Jazz pups thinking it would give me that humbucker sound I like, but on the one bass I have them I like them even less than Jazz single coils.@JIO
View attachment 4882854not to put Geo on the spot or anything but which…?……
View attachment 4882849
Viva la furia roja...had to throw that in and will be wearing my kit tomorrow just to piss off my son-in-law. He's from Costa Rica. No pura vida para el
Sounds like you got a keeper! Lookin out for number one!
Now you just need a second bird for backup when gigging (always take two basses to a gig, even if one never comes out of the case).
Then of course you’ll need one strung up in flats and another in tapes, so that’s bass numbers 3 and 4.
Don’t forget the all important issue of “stage presence”, so you’ll need a white bass for when you wear dark clothes and a dark bass for when you wear light colored clothes. That’s basses 5 and 6.
Then you’ll need a collector or some vintage bass that’s so valuable it never leaves home but is a monster in the studio. That’s bass number 7.
Don’t forget, no Tbird player would be complete without at least one Non Reverse in the line up, that’s bass number 8.
Then there’s the tonal nuance that can only be achieved with a single pickup Thunderbird II. That’s bass number 9.
To round out the line up you’ll need to get a beater, like a Goth that you can mod or alter to your liking. That’s 10 Tbirds and a good start.
Just let us know when you have at least $500 saved up and we’ll help you spend it.
I like your thinking. Tobacco burst IV with Irv's black PG running La Bella black tapes, white CP running EBCF...next up is an ebony VP but what strings to put on it? I don't like string noise from rounds...Sounds like you got a keeper! Lookin out for number one!
Now you just need a second bird for backup when gigging (always take two basses to a gig, even if one never comes out of the case).
Then of course you’ll need one strung up in flats and another in tapes, so that’s bass numbers 3 and 4.
Don’t forget the all important issue of “stage presence”, so you’ll need a white bass for when you wear dark clothes and a dark bass for when you wear light colored clothes. That’s basses 5 and 6.
Then you’ll need a collector or some vintage bass that’s so valuable it never leaves home but is a monster in the studio. That’s bass number 7.
Don’t forget, no Tbird player would be complete without at least one Non Reverse in the line up, that’s bass number 8.
Then there’s the tonal nuance that can only be achieved with a single pickup Thunderbird II. That’s bass number 9.
To round out the line up you’ll need to get a beater, like a Goth that you can mod or alter to your liking. That’s 10 Tbirds and a good start.
Just let us know when you have at least $500 saved up and we’ll help you spend it.
Maybe someone will trade one of the other 7 options for my Dano...hint, hint. @MCF wants it but is the 2015 on the table
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,962
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
The sweet J is Chuckies - being played in his house at the T-bird gathering earlier this year. Jeff & Chucky played a few of my basses when they 'dropped by' the following week.
I love all my basses with a number of differences - can't say one is 'better' than the other. I use a few consistently for specific applications (a few for TC's and my '66 J exclusively for BG)
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Another track from my "alter ego" project. I almost played it with the VP but ended up using my friend's 1977 Fender Jazz. Suited for the zeuhl-ish bass thing I was after. One friend helped out with the drums, other wrote the melody and played the solo synth.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,208
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Sounds like you got a keeper! Lookin out for number one!
Now you just need a second bird for backup when gigging (always take two basses to a gig, even if one never comes out of the case).
Then of course you’ll need one strung up in flats and another in tapes, so that’s bass numbers 3 and 4.
Don’t forget the all important issue of “stage presence”, so you’ll need a white bass for when you wear dark clothes and a dark bass for when you wear light colored clothes. That’s basses 5 and 6.
Then you’ll need a collector or some vintage bass that’s so valuable it never leaves home but is a monster in the studio. That’s bass number 7.
Don’t forget, no Tbird player would be complete without at least one Non Reverse in the line up, that’s bass number 8.
Then there’s the tonal nuance that can only be achieved with a single pickup Thunderbird II. That’s bass number 9.
To round out the line up you’ll need to get a beater, like a Goth that you can mod or alter to your liking. That’s 10 Tbirds and a good start.
Just let us know when you have at least $500 saved up and we’ll help you spend it.
Do I get extra points for doing this more than once?
Right there with ya, we’ll, maybe slightly behind, but in the same camp.Do I get extra points for doing this more than once?
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,208
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Right there with ya, we’ll, maybe slightly behind, but in the same camp.
I haven't really done that much experimenting with strings other than Rounds.....There's been a lot of basses, but that's hardly noteworthy here.
Sounds great! Kind of a Yes joins Grateful Dead vibe. Excellent playing by all!
I have a strong humbucker preference too. I have a jazz (ESP series 400) that I added a series parallel switch to. It always stays in series. Another custom build with two singles, not jazz, is the same way.
Strangely, I have an old Japanese Rick clone that sounds just great with two single coils in parallel, but that's the only one where I run singles like that.
Other than those three, everything else I have is humbuckers and one P/J.
Thanks! Great description too. I haven't really listened to the 'Dead that much but Yes I have. A lot.
The track's title might sound a little bit pompous but it's nicked from Black Sabbath (one of those extra titles they had in US/Canada releases, like "Bassically" or "The Straightener" or "The Haunting"). This one appears only on sheet music 'though, it's the name of the intro to my fav Black Sabbath song.
What are you talking about? Soccer?Viva la furia roja...had to throw that in and will be wearing my kit tomorrow just to piss off my son-in-law. He's from Costa Rica. No pura vida para el
