Thunderbird Club

[GonePlaid]

very good point

I haven't 'missed' the barely functional superfluous pup on the 'Bird at all, but I'll admit to liking the BLEND knob on the Epi Embassy to give me a little extra clarity for more rock-ish tunes. I use mostly neck pup but add in some "lead"(?)pup for punch.

 

[GonePlaid]

I have been offered way more than I paid for my red SVT Micro-VR stack. If I sell it, I want to replace it with a small combo that can handle practice sessions with a potential band. Any suggestions in the sub $300 region? Used is fine.

Second question, if you could only have 1 stack, what would be folks choice? Ampeg B-15-N Portaflex fliptop?

I'm happy with my Rumbles, esp. the 100 and 200c. But if I didn't hafta schlep the thing, this(~45W, 2x12):

 

[JIO]

Directed by Roger Corman - soundtrack by drummer Shelly Mann - and a white T-bird. Sure sucks when you get offed by a pool-stick in the gut... hate when that happens.

 

[GBassNorth]

I was waiting for that question. Potential for smaller outdoor venues. Weight is definitely a consideration. I have a pickup with a shell, so transportation is covered.

Hmmm, it’ll be interesting to see the answers to this question.

So… small and outdoor would mean a 100 watt head would easily do the trick (more is almost always better though). To be easily heard outdoors a 1x15 or 2x12 or 2x10 should easily work.

The 300 watt Mesa WalkAbout Scout 15” combo pretty much fits that bill (not sure how much it weighs, maybe 60 pounds?)
Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout 300-Watt Convertible 1x15" Bass Combo With Owner's Manual And Inspection Card | Reverb

Or for separates there’s my favorite cab maker Bergantino paired with one if their Forte heads…
Gear | Reverb

 

[DesolationBlvd]

Update: The Thunderbird pickups are out of the beater and in their place are cheapo Strat blade pickups. The sound has returned to a more traditional Rickenbacker tone.

I thought the Thunderbird neck pickup moved up by the neck sounded like the SG Bass I used to have. Turns out the current production SG Bass neck pickups really are built more like Thunderbird pickups than true Mudbuckers.

 

[heatheroo1]

Probably a Lab Series L2 head. Not too particular about cabs either.

Odd. I had an L4 head (200W 2 channels) that I gigged with around 1980. Other than being loud, I never really liked it much, yet it seems lots of folks sing their praises. I must have been missing something....

 

[WillyW]

4:10am in India. That counts for me a few months of the year. No telling what time it is on @WillyW ’s planet.

july 17, 1985

 

[dagrev]

I have been offered way more than I paid for my red SVT Micro-VR stack. If I sell it, I want to replace it with a small combo that can handle practice sessions with a potential band. Any suggestions in the sub $300 region? Used is fine.

Second question, if you could only have 1 stack, what would be folks choice? Ampeg B-15-N Portaflex fliptop?

I completely agree with Marshall. It would ultimately depend on how much I loved the tone. If I were in love with it, I wouldn't sell it. If I thought is was good but had others that sounded better, that might be another story.

No suggestions off the top of my head <$300.

Fender Rumbles are crazy light, but I didn't really love the tone of mine. Liked, yes. The OD died on it a few months after getting it new. Since I didn't use it, I wasn't going to pay to ship it to get fixed for free.

 

[MCF]

I've got a nice black pebble Italia that I used a few times. Bought it and never used it more than a few times. Very nice strap.

Other than my now discontinued Gibson Slingshot, they’re pretty much all I use. The more you use them and break them in, the more comfortable they become.

If I could only have one amp, it would be the D800+. It's very flexible.

I feel the same about my Mesa TT800. I like the SVT VR, although flexibility isn’t its strong suit. But it doesn’t need to be for what it does. Classic seventies tube tone.

Someone (Not me) is selling a pair of 80s Greco TB pickups in the Facebook group if anyone is interested.

I thought the point of getting a Greco was the pickups.

 

[MCF]

first rehearsal with Susan and the JMB band now that Beat Street is history…
her set list…. pumped..
Thursday rehearsal at SCRS... 8-11, Susan, to add to the group for some gigs. Her songs:
1. Rhiannon by FM
2. Go Your Own Way by FM (I sing harmony)
3. Gold Dust Woman by FM
4. Heartbreaker by PB
5. Straight On by Heart (a step lower)
6. Call Me by Blondie
7. Black Velvet by Alannah Myles
8. Blue Bayou by Linda R
9. Bad Girls by Donna S
10. Rollin In the Deep by Adele
11. Barracuda Heart
12. Valerie Amy Winehouse

Me... "Fascination St" The Cure, Cuts like a knife Brian Adams & The One Thing INXS

And we were lucky enough to hear her sing most of those last summer. You and Geo are fortunate to have very wonderful ladies in your bands.

 

[MCF]

Hmmm, it’ll be interesting to see the answers to this question.

So… small and outdoor would mean a 100 watt head would easily do the trick (more is almost always better though). To be easily heard outdoors a 1x15 or 2x12 or 2x10 should easily work.

The 300 watt Mesa WalkAbout Scout 15” combo pretty much fits that bill (not sure how much it weighs, maybe 60 pounds?)
Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout 300-Watt Convertible 1x15" Bass Combo With Owner's Manual And Inspection Card | Reverb

Or for separates there’s my favorite cab maker Bergantino paired with one if their Forte heads…
Gear | Reverb

Good choice. But a tad above $300. They sure get a lot of love in the Mesa Club.

 

[Engle]

first rehearsal with Susan and the JMB band now that Beat Street is history…
her set list…. pumped..
Thursday rehearsal at SCRS... 8-11, Susan, to add to the group for some gigs. Her songs:
1. Rhiannon by FM
2. Go Your Own Way by FM (I sing harmony)
3. Gold Dust Woman by FM
4. Heartbreaker by PB
5. Straight On by Heart (a step lower)
6. Call Me by Blondie
7. Black Velvet by Alannah Myles
8. Blue Bayou by Linda R
9. Bad Girls by Donna S
10. Rollin In the Deep by Adele
11. Barracuda Heart
12. Valerie Amy Winehouse

Me... "Fascination St" The Cure, Cuts like a knife Brian Adams & The One Thing INXS

Nice set! Are you doing Black Velvet in drop D?

 

[GBassNorth]

Good choice. But a tad above $300. They sure get a lot of love in the Mesa Club.

My bad, I read Stealths post as two separate questions - what’s out there that’s good for practice with a band and is in the $300 range; and secondly, if you could choose any rig for small outdoor venues what would it be.

The 1x15 walkabout would be perfect for small outdoor gigs.
I don’t have much experience in the low cost practice amp segment, maybe a used 1x15 Rumble or GK combo would fit that bill.

 

[Stealth57]

My bad, I read Stealths post as two separate questions - what’s out there that’s good for practice with a band and is in the $300 range; and secondly, if you could choose any rig for small outdoor venues what would it be.

The 1x15 walkabout would be perfect for small outdoor gigs.
I don’t have much experience in the low cost practice amp segment, maybe a used 1x15 Rumble or GK combo would fit that bill.

It was two different questions.

 

[Stealth57]

Just found out the guy interested in my Ampeg Micro-VR stack is selling a red, Gibson Thunderbird. I asked for photos and details...swap?

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

And we were lucky enough to hear her sing most of those last summer. You and Geo are fortunate to have very wonderful ladies in your bands.

fortunate? don’t know…..you’d be surprised how many vocalists (female or male) are attracted to a rehearsed, gigging act….

 

[Gaolee]

After a good setup, with fret dressing, new strings (50-120), pickup height adjustment, Saddles and bridge and intonation spot on, correcting the neck relief, and a overall inspection and adjust the action to be low and fast, this Bolt-on Epiphone Thunderbird plays like a dream in Drop C tuning. The sound is just amazing. A nice growl and fast neck. This is a mean machine. Show me your love for the Bolt-On Thunderbirds!!!

View attachment 5022370 View attachment 5022371 View attachment 5022373 View attachment 5022375 View attachment 5022377

I don't have one at the moment, but I have had several and love them. They are their own thing, and there's no valid comparison between them and other Thunderbirds in my opinion. With the right strings and setup, they rip it up as well as anything can.

 

[Gaolee]

If only. Having turned 65, my life insurance premium for the year just went up by about that amount. It sucks getting old. Maybe I should see if AARP can get me a lower price (you know, that insurance broker posing as an organization looking out for retirees).

Life insurance? What's that for? Any company that would insure my life is nuts anyway. I have the life expectancy of a fruit fly most of the time. Now hold my beer...

 

[dagrev]

Life insurance? What's that for? Any company that would insure my life is nuts anyway. I have the life expectancy of a fruit fly most of the time. Now hold my beer...

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I haven't 'missed' the barely functional superfluous pup on the 'Bird at all, but I'll admit to liking the BLEND knob on the Epi Embassy to give me a little extra clarity for more rock-ish tunes. I use mostly neck pup but add in some "lead"(?)pup for punch.

trade you that superfluous pup for a Greco, Gibson 70’s, Gibson TB+, 760 or TBucker?….heck, i’ll throw a complimentary Artec in there too…