Thunderbird Club

[RedVee]

Never concerned by The Thunderbirds, they were required watching when I was 5 or so. Bubbler (water fountain?) talk when at school.

The only creepy looking one was Hood, although that chauffeur wasn’t Robert Redford.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

LETS DO THIS!

 

[GonePlaid]

I may have found a soft case/gig bag that will hold the 67NR. Will report after trying one.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

You really can’t go wrong with a VP of any year. I haven’t seen any CPs for sale in the last couple of weeks. If you’re in the market for a bass in the $1200ish range you might be able to find a vintage Greco Tbird, absolutely a killer bass that will run circles around most Gibson Tbirds and will devour a P bass but may have a slightly thicker neck than your Gibson.


Schweet! Welcome to the Greco club! What year did you snag?


Grecos are the bomb!

One of my holy grail basses! Appears to be a 1990.

 

[GBassNorth]

In the meantime, I am gassing for another Tbird to feel more comfortable taking out and about. How do you guys here like the Epiphone Vintage Pro model from about 5 years ago?

Not a bad deal here…
Epiphone Thunderbird 60s Bass | Reverb
Epiphone changed the name of the VP to 60’s bass a couple of years ago, otherwise it’s the same bass.

 

[AlexMG]

Not a bad dealer here…
Epiphone Thunderbird 60s Bass | Reverb

Thanks, I saw that as a really good deal too. However, I’ve only been gassing for the Alpine white one since you all had your white Wednesday birds out a couple of days ago…

I should really be saving all of my nuts for the right Gibson I’m looking for…if it comes around I don’t want to regret it. But you’ve all made a good case for the Epiphone VP…

 

[GBassNorth]

Thanks, I saw that as a really good deal too. However, I’ve only been gassing for the Alpine white one since you all had your white Wednesday birds out a couple of days ago…

I should really be saving all of my nuts for the right Gibson I’m looking for…if it comes around I don’t want to regret it. But you’ve all made a good case for the Epiphone VP…

You have good taste!
The white VP is a classy looking beast, unfortunately for some reason you don’t see that many good deals on them. The black and the burst VPs seem to sell a bit cheaper.

 

[GBassNorth]

Thanks, I saw that as a really good deal too. However, I’ve only been gassing for the Alpine white one since you all had your white Wednesday birds out a couple of days ago…

I should really be saving all of my nuts for the right Gibson I’m looking for…if it comes around I don’t want to regret it. But you’ve all made a good case for the Epiphone VP…

If you’re truly jonesing for a white bird, it doesn’t get much better than this…
Used 1989 Greco / Fujigen TB WHT MIJ Thunderbird Bass HH W/OGB | eBay

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Congratulations Miles!
Lovely Greco! Put some Ken Smith's on it and just dime everything!

Do you crank your Greco pickups high like you do most birds?

 

[GBassNorth]

Do you crank your Greco pickups high like you do most birds?

Both of my Grecos are set at about 3/16” below the strings. Much closer than that and they start to get a bit boomy.

 

[PaleAngel_90]

Just think if the Exorcist were made with those.

I just soiled myself thinking about it.

There is an exorcist doll, it was in the market a good 15 years ago if memory serves me right... (it was also life-sized, meaning it measured the same as Linda Blair did in 1972-73)

 

[bobyoung53]

I'm going to show my vast ignorance here. How do you know that? I'm not questioning you at all, I really am that ignorant. I think it's in C, but it's been a while since I played it. (Not like Ed either!)

It's played in C position but is in the key of B if that makes sense to you. You tune the whole bass down a half step, so the bass is tuned to E flat and you play it in C position although it's key of B, lots of bands did that, Hendrix and Van Helan are two that pop out immediately, I think the guitarists liked it better as it made it easier to bend strings, especially before they had the skinny strings, I know for example Mike Bloomfield used to use a banjo string for his high E string for example.
Another thing I noticed is that in the finished version the bass has a lot less treble than that video with just bass you put in the other day, I would guess the track you put on the other day was just a rough bass track with no studio EQ applied. Try playing along with this, it's in B and the lowest note is E flat. I doubt any cover band would tune the whole band down a half step just to play this in the original key. Whoever played that bass was a very good player, the part really moves and gives the song energy. Those guys were great musicians anyway.
I happened to be working an overnight job the night their plane went down and was listening to the radio and heard the announcement at about 4- 4:30 am IIRC.

 

[dagrev]

Thanks, I saw that as a really good deal too. However, I’ve only been gassing for the Alpine white one since you all had your white Wednesday birds out a couple of days ago…

I should really be saving all of my nuts for the right Gibson I’m looking for…if it comes around I don’t want to regret it. But you’ve all made a good case for the Epiphone VP…

White sounds exceptionally good! This one has GHS Flats.

 

[dagrev]

There is an exorcist doll, it was in the market a good 15 years ago if memory serves me right... (it was also life-sized, meaning it measured the same as Linda Blair did in 1972-73)
View attachment 4898746

That's a pic of a girl I dated once....

(No, she wasn't 12. But seemed like it. Hence the once part.)

 

[GonePlaid]

It's played in C position but is in the key of B if that makes sense to you. You tune the whole bass down a half step, so the bass is tuned to E flat and you play it in C position although it's key of B, lots of bands did that, Hendrix and Van Helan are two that pop out immediately, I think the guitarists liked it better as it made it easier to bend strings, especially before they had the skinny strings, I know for example Mike Bloomfield used to use a banjo string for his high E string for example.
Another thing I noticed is that in the finished version the bass has a lot less treble than that video with just bass you put in the other day, I would guess the track you put on the other day was just a rough bass track with no studio EQ applied. Try playing along with this, it's in B and the lowest note is E flat. I doubt any cover band would tune the whole band down a half step just to play this in the original key. Whoever played that bass was a very good player, the part really moves and gives the song energy. Those guys were great musicians anyway.
I happened to be working an overnight job the night their plane went down and was listening to the radio and heard the announcement at about 4- 4:30 am IIRC.

IMO, only if the singer couldn't quite hit the high notes in C.

 

[dagrev]

It's played in C position but is in the key of B if that makes sense to you. You tune the whole bass down a half step, so the bass is tuned to E flat and you play it in C position although it's key of B, lots of bands did that, Hendrix and Van Helan are two that pop out immediately, I think the guitarists liked it better as it made it easier to bend strings, especially before they had the skinny strings, I know for example Mike Bloomfield used to use a banjo string for his high E string for example.
Another thing I noticed is that in the finished version the bass has a lot less treble than that video with just bass you put in the other day, I would guess the track you put on the other day was just a rough bass track with no studio EQ applied. Try playing along with this, it's in B and the lowest note is E flat. I doubt any cover band would tune the whole band down a half step just to play this in the original key. Whoever played that bass was a very good player, the part really moves and gives the song energy. Those guys were great musicians anyway.
I happened to be working an overnight job the night their plane went down and was listening to the radio and heard the announcement at about 4- 4:30 am IIRC.

Thanks Bob. I thought I played it in C without tuning down half a step. Ben a while though...

 

[GonePlaid]

There is an exorcist doll, it was in the market a good 15 years ago if memory serves me right... (it was also life-sized, meaning it measured the same as Linda Blair did in 1972-73)
View attachment 4898746

Damn! I'm glad that wasn't the first pic I saw this AM.

 

[bobyoung53]

IMO, only if the singer couldn't quite hit the high notes in C.

Could be with this song, don't know but the majority of their tunes were in regular E, I guess only the band knows for sure but it was very common back then with the heavy guitarists.

 

[bobyoung53]

Thanks Bob. I thought I played it in C without tuning down half a step. Ben a while though...

I'm sure you did, any songs I've ever covered we've done that unless the guitarist tuned down which was not very common with the people I played with. I was just checking around on YouTube, most Lynyrd Skynyrd tunes are tuned to regular E. Free Bird, Tuesday's Gone tc.

 

[GonePlaid]

Could be, I guess only the band knows for sure, it also gave bands a slightly heavier sound too, there's lots of reasons bands tune down but E flat is or was common.

I've tried tuning down to both D and Eb(not at the same time). It was OK unless I was handed a chord chart to sight read. Then I was hosed.
I get the idea(s) of heavier sound/easier to bend, but only if the whole band does it. Also, we occasionally have a guy sit in with us. He does his own material and plays(owns a)guitar. He calls keys by saying things like "Capo third fret in D". I don't play 'treble'-bass only-and "Capo 3rd fret" means nothing to me. Plus, since it's his originals and I can't hear his changes, which he doesn't always do the same, it kinda turns into a

or