Thunderbird Club

[Engle]

27109671[/URL], member: 155031"]That was fast. How it sounds ?

27109972[/URL], member: 171973"]Right on - how do you like its sound?

This was a basswerks weekend! Also did 3 glue ups on the 1/2 size upright.

I put some used chromes on it. Sounds pretty good through my MB200 + Ampeg 115. Pickups might be big single coils. I was mostly trippin on the control interactions

It feels very nice on the strap. Not Divey

Stuff to sort:
The pickups rattle. I stuck some foam between the springs and the pu, but it seems like it might be the pu in the opening.

It needs a little more neck shim to get the action down where I like it. Or I could change out the saddles. They’re huge!

Headstock will get painted and I’ll do the logo.

 

[JIO]

Honest seller on the Ashdown. Refunded the money and said keep it. Almost $300 for a new power board off eBay so doesn’t make sense to fix it. Maybe someone local can use it for parts.

Gift it to Chucky - maybe he can make use of parts from it.

 

[Stealth57]

Gift it to Chucky - maybe he can make use of parts from it.

I owe the seller one attempt to sell it for parts. If no takers, it likely will end up in a garage in Hollister.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Bro-in-law. Who gives him free T-shirts!
But their were a couple iterations early on. The very first version was most subtle, IIRC. It was tweaked a little (the last version like mine) before Dunlop, who also did some changing and is basically the MXR version of today.

I remember this brief history copied from an article. This helped refine my dates. My 90 is the last version.
Analyzing The Hype: MXR Phase 90
MXR was founded back in 1972. Produced in 1973, the Phase 90 was one of MXR’s first products in the original Preference series (along with the also legendary DynaComp, Phase 45, Distortion +, and Micro Amp). Over the next 11 years, these pedals went through some minor cosmetic and minor circuit changes and were thus split into three periods. The first was the Script Period (1973-1975). These were the originals with a fancy pants style script logo and the original circuits. The next was the First Block Period (1975-1981). The logo was changed in 1975 to an easier to read block letter font. The circuits were changed during this period as well (these changes were very minor and even some Script pedals had the circuit revisions, and some Block ones had original circuits). Lastly, was the Second Block Period (1981-1984), in which an AC input and a status LED were added for better functionality.

MXR went bankrupt in 1984 after some poor missteps in regards to some of their other products (2000 and Commander series pedals mainly, possibly another reverse hype article like this one?). The company was revived by Jim Dunlop in 1987 and with it, he brought back all the original pedals, including the Phase 90, and they’re still in production to this day.

So, what makes the original Phase 90 so pricey? Well…….

Why Is It So Hyped?
Eddie Van Halen.
Goodnight.
(Seinfeld theme)
In all seriousness, you could probably chalk a lot of the Phase 90’s success to EVH’s use of it throughout VH I, and most notably on Eruption.
Another key reason is the scarcity of some of the early units and the desirability of the original script circuit (which, as I said, is not much different from the block circuit. Again, some early block logos have script circuits, and some late scripts have block circuits). Lastly, they just sounded warm and rich without going over the top like some of the other phasers at the time.

excellent

 

[JIO]

This was a basswerks weekend! Also did 3 glue ups on the 1/2 size upright.

I put some used chromes on it. Sounds pretty good through my MB200 + Ampeg 115. Pickups might be big single coils. I was mostly trippin on the control interactions

It feels very nice on the strap. Not Divey

Stuff to sort:
The pickups rattle. I stuck some foam between the springs and the pu, but it seems like it might be the pu in the opening.

It needs a little more neck shim to get the action down where I like it. Or I could change out the saddles. They’re huge!

Headstock will get painted and I’ll do the logo.

Mine was missing the original bridge and a Schaller 3D sorted it. Really? Single coils? Seems like an odd structural configuration/design for a single. Yah, the electronics are unique - but fun to play with and mine sounds pretty darn good. I'm tending to like straight-forward simplicity these days - especially live.

My Bass IV has only V/T pots but with each of the three pu's having individual off-on switches, and the addition of the fourth V/T pot by-pass - it's pretty easy and fast to get the sound you need on stage. I primarily use the middle and bridge pu's together, and hit the 4th switch to goose output when needed. It's like a boost or clean overdrive and it could be simply wired on any bass.

 

[JIO]

I owe the seller one attempt to sell it for parts. If no takers, it likely will end up in a garage in Hollister.

Everyone has their own individual reasoning to justify a repair, but I spent similar money to have mine made playable again and do not regret doing so. The 550's surface now and then, and there's a very cool all tube version called "The Little Bastard" that would probably sound awesome.

Both "550 Spyder" and "Little Bastard" refer to James Deans 550 Porsche Spyder death car. Odd marketing for Ashdown...

 

[Stealth57]

Everyone has their own individual reasoning to justify a repair, but I spent similar money to have mine made playable again and do not regret doing so. The 550's surface now and then, and there's a very cool all tube version called "The Little Bastard" that would probably sound awesome.

View attachment 4922418
Both "550 Spyder" and "Little Bastard" refer to James Deans 550 Porsche Spyder death car. Odd marketing for Ashdown...
View attachment 4922421

I could see spending the $300 on your 550 but there are lots of 300H available in the $150-160 region. I’m sure I’ll find another Ashdown someday.

 

[JIO]

I could see spending the $300 on your 550 but there are lots of 300H available in the $150-160 region. I’m sure I’ll find another Ashdown someday.

Wow - that is inexpensive. Depending on what you'll be using it for - I've found 550 to be ideal for my needs. Never had a 300. My SWR 400s was the closed to that wattage and it had plenty of power. When I played through it yesterday - my levels at the amp were all 12:00 (but unlike this photo - all lower switches were engaged other than the mute & pre-post) and it sounded heavenly. Vintage Heathkit badge replaced the screened-on 550 Spyder graphics which started to come off while attempting to clean the chrome face-plate ~

I never really understood Ashdowns control order; Middle-Bass-Treble. Wouldn't logic suggest Bass / Middle / Treble? (and Bass-Shift / Mid-Shift / Treble Shift?) Having Gain and Master next to each other is somewhat unusual, but works for me.

My 650 Mesa is a monster - would never need any more wattage. Mostly hangs around 9:00 at our rehearsal space. (as it's set for in this pic - lower central knob is output level for both channels - knob above it is the tube/fet blend control)

 

[Stealth57]

 

[RedVee]

View attachment 4922442

Disturbing

 

[JIO]

View attachment 4922442

Trout Bass Fishing In America

 

[JIO]

Cute.

She'd kick me if she knew I posted that pic anywhere!

 

[MCF]

I thought you all liked the super ferrite pickups?

I really like them.

 

[PhR75]

The feedback resistor is one of the reasons why the new Phase 90 sounds different.
The script mod helps a bit:
Modifying the MXR Phase 90 (M-101) – stinkfoot.se

I have the Hardwire SP-7 Stereo Phaser which has plenty of modes. Maybe too much but I really like the 2-stage mode (like Phase 45) which works especially with guitar (Robin Trower vibe) and the 4-stage (like Phase 90) where the feedback amount can be controlled. It has also a 10-stage mode for example which is nice with a synth (think Tony Banks).

 

[PaleAngel_90]

Everyone has their own individual reasoning to justify a repair, but I spent similar money to have mine made playable again and do not regret doing so. The 550's surface now and then, and there's a very cool all tube version called "The Little Bastard" that would probably sound awesome.

View attachment 4922418
Both "550 Spyder" and "Little Bastard" refer to James Deans 550 Porsche Spyder death car. Odd marketing for Ashdown...
View attachment 4922421

Macabre.

 

[PhR75]

It's alive! I tried several locations and this one sounded the best. It has that "Who's Next" vibe with a hair of "Wistle Rhymes" throatiness.

 

[BklynKen]

View attachment 4922583

It's alive! I tried several locations and this one sounded the best. It has that "Who's Next" vibe with a hair of "Wistle Rhymes" throatiness.

So the tone is in the thumb rest. Fascinating.

 

[PhR75]

So the tone is in the thumb rest. Fascinating.

Yes! Forget the pickup locations or even different pickups. Reverse or non-reverse.

Then again there's also the possible difference of original wooden thumbrest/tug bar and the reproduction model...uh-oh...

 

[BklynKen]

Yes! Forget the pickup locations or even different pickups. Reverse or non-reverse.

Then again there's also the possible difference of original wooden thumbrest/tug bar and the reproduction model...uh-oh...

The purple silk people are really gonna start doubting some life choices here.

 

[dagrev]

The purple silk people are really gonna start doubting some life choices here.

Kind of leaves us SIT lovers out with no tone. Unless it can be found in the pick guard screws as previously suggested. This needs to get settled. I need t know because "tone covers a multitude of (my) bass playing sins."

If you can't play good--you can at last sound good. That's my plan.