Thunderbird Club

[Gaolee]

Ha! Yes, uprights are a different animal. I've only played one a few times (poorly--more poorly than normal). I never cared for how they sound. There are a very few examples I've run across that do sound good, but nothing in person.

They are my favorite instrument to play. They are big and physical and require a lot of energy, especially if you are playing Rockabilly slap. Spinning it and dancing with it is a blast. It has charisma and when you pull out a bow, audience moistness just happens spontaneously. I have minimal charisma, so the doghouse helps a lot. Sound is a different thing.

 

[dagrev]

With ya 100%.
I have too much internet exposure with TB, I don’t need to add FB, twitter, Tic Toc or anything else to my demise.

TB is my social media. Life works just fine that way for me.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Thanks! Actually no, the working title when I wrote the guitar part was "Terry Reid Graffiti" because I tried to get that vibe he had plus also some Zep thing. That late summer 1975 feel. Looks pretentious, I know, and the working title was horrible too but you gotta name the ideas somehow.
But I can see the Beatles thing too and take it as a huge compliment.

cool stuff, and definitely meant as a compliment. I can hear Zep, too.

 

[dagrev]

They are my favorite instrument to play. They are big and physical and require a lot of energy, especially if you are playing Rockabilly slap. Spinning it and dancing with it is a blast. It has charisma and when you pull out a bow, audience moistness just happens spontaneously. I have minimal charisma, so the doghouse helps a lot. Sound is a different thing.

I don't have the skill or charisma. People would likely give a standing ovation when I laid it down and walked away. I'd boo myself.

 

[Gaolee]

I don't have the skill or charisma. People would likely give a standing ovation when I laid it down and walked away.

There is that. Fortunately most people don't hear the bass anyway. So long as their guts vibrate. Upright through an ACC360 stack is instant gut vibration provided you can control feedback.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I play along with either YouTube or SiriusXM. I played along with Machine Head a couple of times today, with a Ric it's really easy to pick up when you're playing sloppy.....I picked it up quite a bit today.

YT ftw! Stick a track on loop and go!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I just had a google around. Swamp Ash with a big hole under the pickguard from being fitted with 4 pickups originally when owned by a recording studio

Bruce Springsteen's Favorite Guitar: The Story Behind One-of-a-Kind Ax

I would have bet on swamp ash. Good catch!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Over the top is somewhat difficult to distinguish from normal here.

Treat them as interchangeable and it all makes sense.
Ok, maybe it all makes a smidge more sense.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Yes, I failed to mention my pedal board... I feel that it has just as much to do with my sound as the amp/speaker and bass. Pedals are the fine-tuning elements of a bass mix, and yes - I can play bass w/o them.., but I have more control of shaping my sound with them. Not a purist enough to simply go direct unless there was no other option.

i find it amusing that none of the guitar players I currently play with (two electric, one acoustic) uses pedals. I, meanwhile, use six (plus tuner).

Full disclosure: neither percussionist uses pedals of either sort.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Don't forget about this Australian Goose!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Who are we talking about? Who went MIA on us?

Watermelon Man
(Did you sing that?)

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

There's an AMX (I think given all the growth around it) rusting away on the way to the Vet's office..... Why????

tragic…..anyway you can snap a shot?…

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Yes, not a monetary issue, but a health and time/schedule one. My parents are old, and recently flights have been the equivalent of covid contagion farms, (my brother-in-law had to go to madrid for work business and got infected) So, I'll pass on that until flights are safe again, thanks.

oki doki…..

 

[bobyoung53]

I would have to change the bridge if I got a 70's 4001, and the 4001 for what I've seen are more expensive than new 4003, no?

Don't believe everything you read here , there is nothing wrong with those bridges, I've been using them since 1977, the people who say that are probably the same people that say Thunderbirds all have neck dive.
4001's are more expensive now though. The newer Rics have thicker necks and the pickups are wound more, but they're nice basses and sound good, some people like the newer ones and some like the older ones, I like the older ones a little better but like both. If you want a new one, try a 4003S, they're a few hundred cheaper than the regular 4003's, they're mono and don't have binding or triangular inlays on the neck, otherwise they're the same. Prices seem high on ebay. No sure if you can buy from Sweetwater but they usually have decent prices.

 

[bobyoung53]

I don't have the skill or charisma. People would likely give a standing ovation when I laid it down and walked away. I'd boo myself.

You don't need charisma with an upright . I started playing almost right away after I got mine, if you can play an electric you could play an upright, they're a lot of fun actually, people love them. You get a good pickup, learn the technique, pluck with two fingers at once, the middle reinforces your pointer finger, slapping takes a little while but that's fun too. You pull the string and let it slap against the neck.

 

[bobyoung53]

There is that. Fortunately most people don't hear the bass anyway. So long as their guts vibrate. Upright through an ACC360 stack is instant gut vibration provided you can control feedback.

I played mine through an SVT, they heard that too. I had a contact mic on the neck for slap and a mag pickup at the end of the neck, together it sound like a giant P bass and no feedback. I miss it.

 

[JIO]

dunno what happened here, my list showed that as V’s post

It was as I re-posted on this end... some sort of glitch?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

PillO

We have established that @MCF was on the lamb, spent time in the pen, broke out and now does beer commercials for a living.

The sheep pen, I assume.

 

[JIO]

Thanks. It's really a beautiful bass. I get as many complements on it as anything. The "Sunset Orange" is really pretty in person. I've heard Orange is a color that turns off most people, but it sure looks good on this bass. (Brown or tan would be the worst colors for me.) Fender did such a nice job on this one you might think it's Custom Shop bass.

I've always liked orange. I refinished a (black) Kubicki Ex-Factor in trans-orange years ago (unfortunately no pic's), and more recently did a sparkle orange finish on a '85 vintage Jolana Discobas.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

May i accompany you?

We'll just just say i'm your manager.

I’m down for roadie, sound tech, second bass, whatever.