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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
- Start date
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- club thunderbird
Easy peasey - buy it and paint it white, problem solved!
Yeah - Give me the money frets! I don’t need anything higher than the 12th fret anyway.Being that is an electric bass with a high system makes it tempting, but with only 70% of the frets remaining... that would leave 14 frets. I guess that could work as long as the missing 6 are 15 thru 20.
Yank fret 13 to the end of the neck out and play it fretless an octave up. It’s like having two basses for the price of one. Which in essence is only $322.50 per bass, for a Greco!
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
LOL - keep it up and you’ll have more rigs than basses.
There is a tb member on the Ampeg Portaflex thread who posted a pic of his storage space which had enough Ampeg amps (Portaflex's and SVT's) to supply a small army! Who'da guessed there was such a thing as a fridge hoarder!
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
"Surely you can't be serious."
Don't call me Shirley. (yah, I know - so old it _______________ )
He may want to check the floor load rating in that storage space!There is a tb member on the Ampeg Portaflex thread who posted a pic of his storage space which had enough Ampeg amps (Portaflex's and SVT's) to supply a small army! Who'da guessed there was such a thing as a fridge hoarder!
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
He may want to check the floor load rating in that storage space!
Looked like a basement... or a bunker! Which reminds me of the Twilight Zone episode with Burgess Meredith where he ends up alone in a library (he's a recluse who lives to read) after "the bomb" is dropped - and then his glasses break. So that fridge-hoarder could end up in a similar scenario - but with no electricity!
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
So I'm now starting to get interested as I'm wanting another project. I would refinish it after doing some work on it to make it more ergonomic. I'd also replace the bridge & fill the post holes. Are the stock pu's good sounding? I recall Chucky's being a bit heavy. Would probably do some sculpting on the neck also. Give me some plus's & minus's on these basses to get a handle on what I'd be working with.
I sent the seller a question regarding the neck. As long as the neck is straight/no issues - I think I'll pop for it. When I do my redefinitions on 'vintage' basses/guitars, the neck has to be good or it's just not worth dealing with. Especially a set-neck.
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They are exactly the same size as Tbird pickups in a plastic case.
I was drooling...till to got to the tort.... Why? Just because a thing exists doesn't mean it has to be used? No one has used Cadmium for a pick guard or Cobalt for strings?
Uh, well some do I guess.
It was a small Root Master 300 Evo ii, which seemed a decent deal from GC in NJ.
I have spent some more time with it today with the wife gone and I'm even more impressed. I played my '64 Pbass with Pyramid Flats and it was just outstanding. I realize home sound and live sound in a big room a very different, even at home this sound big and full, as well as nice and warm. The drive as a tube emulation to it and while it doesn't make it have that three dimensional sound a full tube amp has, it does warm and fill out the tone nicely. The head sounds great with the below cab (2x12 with Eminence drivers).
I had an old MAG head I took on a trade and later sold it. Always liked how it sounded and ran across this. One other thing I like is that the DI is on the back.
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The Greco rundown…
- Stock pickups are to die for! By far the best sounding, boldest, most authoritative and well balanced TBird pickup I’ve played. If you get the bass and don’t like the pickups I’d be interested in buying them from you. The pickup placements are part of the magic of this bass. The neck pup is further from the neck than a modern bird (closer to vintage spec) and the bridge pup is further from the bridge than vintage or modern spec. (Note: scale length is not 34” so a direct comparison between Gibby and Greco pup locations isn’t accurate).
- The neck is a slightly shorter scale than a standard Tbird. IIRC it’s 33-1/2” scale. The neck feels like something between a P bass and a Jazz bass in girth. The FB radius is similar to or the same as a Tbird. It’s a set neck, not neck through. I believe the neck wood is mahogany, not positive (just checked - it’s 3 piece maple) The necks are stable, I suspect the truss is dual acting. Mine both hold tune for months of sitting or playing.
- The overall weight is about a half pound more than a typical Gibson Tbird which is normally in the 8 to 9 pound range.
- The tuners are typical Gibson quality in feel and action but the chrome or black plating is vastly inferior and prone to oxidizing and blistering (possibly from being in a salt air environment in Japan???).
- Frets are good and durable, standard Gibson quality.
- Bridge is typical Gibson design three point but again inferior plating (or possibly base metal selection or salt air issues).
- Claw is the same situation as the bridge and tuners on plating.
- Body is a basic slab, no tummy or forearm cut. I believe the body wood is mahogany, not positive (just checked - both of my Grecos have the mahogany body, there was a basswood body option as well). Pickup placements are part of the magic
General impression - the Greco is an Epiphone level Tbird with nearly Lull level pickups which have been uniquely placed in this bird to maximize the forceful bold output of the humbucker design. Fair market value in my opinion for a very good condition all original Greco bird with a basic hard case is $1200. More than $1300 would be over paying and anything under $1000 is a great buy. Anything under $800 should be suspect - double check for neck issues and non original pups, either of which are a deal breaker in my book at any price.
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And some are actually 'good'.I'm going to guess you do have a million of them...
that right there my friends, is a heck of a lot of Thunderbird for the money….paid almost twice for my 89 and would have paid more (didn’t know about them until V talked about hers) if I knew what a superb instrument they are….
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trying to work Susan….
into this lineup…..hmmm let’s see how it goes….speaking of Grecos….
into this lineup…..hmmm let’s see how it goes….speaking of Grecos….
I thought she was great when we saw her last summer. Sounds like a winner to me.
