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Thunderbird Club

#246,321
GBassNorth said:
I’ve often wondered if the new SS Portaflex combos sound anything like the old 1960’s tube portaflex combos.


Certainly on my short list, but finding one that’s local (no one wants to ship one) and in mint condition is proving to be difficult. Plenty on the east coast for some reason, but few and far between out west.


Interesting, I’ll have to try and find a local one to test, if possible.


Marshall, I hadn’t even considered Fender. 50watt is about the sweet spot for a tube amp combo in my living room. May be worth a test run if I can find one on a sales floor.


Acoustic is on the short list as well, but like the Ampeg Portaflex, there’s a dozen different models and different production years with some better than others. Like the Ampeg, if I go that route I’d have to employ a technical adviser to weed out the good models from the less good models.
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Call GC and Sam Ash in Hollywood. And GC West L.A. Those are flagship stores. Or call the Corona factory store. They may be able to arrange an appointment to test drive it. A nice drive out to Corona and take the tour while you’re there. A must see. And ask about the nitro finish issue while you’re there.
 
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#246,322
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#246,323
Miles_ONeal said:
I loved The Saint.
Also, The Avengers. Emma Peel was one of my first tv crushes.
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Proof that I'm a freak. Peggy Flemming became the love of my life as a grainy black and white figure on the TV. What was a not quite 8 year old boy doing watching figure skating? Beats me, but there I was and there she was. Then she was on the cover of Life magazine. That was it. I was done.
 
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#246,324
Gaolee said:
I suppose the '80s could have been 'my' decade, but I was working and trying to get established in my work. The early '80s were an economically miserable time, and I struggled like everyone else. That colored my attitude a fair amount. That said, I was on the east coast most of the '80s, and in New York from '82 through '87. That was a radically different version of the '80s than what most people think of, and it was indeed pretty amazing. Between the tail end of the disco thing, punk, and the explosion of hip hop, there was a lot going on in a very small area. The art scene was a bit of a bust for me. You had to be skinny, wear all black, and androgynous if not gay to fit in. I was none of those things, and couldn't even begin to be, so I didn't spend much time on visual arts. There was a lot happening in that realm then, too, even if I didn't end up in it as much as in the music.

I assume New York is still a pretty amazing place like that and that the '80s were not some anomaly like the Harlem Renaissance seems to have been.
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NY is just not the same anymore.
It's a whole different vibe here now, has been for quite sometime.
 
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#246,326
MCF said:
No. That seller always has those crazy prices. Contact them for the real price. Or not.

Thank goodness we have members like Irv to help us out.
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Really? He just posts crazy prices so you contact him and then he gives you a fair price? That's a new one.
 
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#246,327
JJR58 said:
NY is just not the same anymore.
It's a whole different vibe here now, has been for quite sometime.
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Seattle is the place, so nice here today!
I can't wait to get on the train home and enjoy a Black Manhattan out in the back yard.
 
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#246,330
Gaolee said:
It can be done. Hold my beer.

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I had a '66 'Amazon' 122s Estate Wagon just like this one. With white-walled bias tyres too! (mine had a nice chromed factory roof-rack) It was pretty snappy but that would have been awesome to have that kind of power-plant! :woot:

'66 122s Volvo wagon.jpeg
 
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#246,333
JJR58 said:
These are pretty cool too.

iu
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I have one of those (surprise). Bought it in about 1980 or 1981 when it was barely used. It has a whole lot of miles on it now. It's what I play through in a rehearsal space now. It doesn't sound as good as a 360 stack. Nothing sounds quite like one of those. It's plenty loud, though, if you need it to be, just a little hard edged sounding. The EQ is useful.
 
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#246,338
Gaolee said:
I have one of those (surprise). Bought it in about 1980 or 1981 when it was barely used. It has a whole lot of miles on it now. It's what I play through in a rehearsal space now. It doesn't sound as good as a 360 stack. Nothing sounds quite like one of those. It's plenty loud, though, if you need it to be, just a little hard edged sounding. The EQ is useful.
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Of course, no comparison.
Always dug how the little one sounded at low volumes.
 
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#246,340
GBassNorth said:
Ok you bunch of professional enablers, I’ve just about achieved any goals I had for Tbird basses (at least until a new model comes out). So my next quest will be a small combo amp I can leave in my living room so I don’t have to banish myself to the bass room every time I play.

My preferences on speaker size are 12” single or pair, or 15” single, not as thrilled with 10’s for this application, and not interested in any of the Phil Jones oddities.
SS, Tubes or Hybrid are fine
Once it’s in place it won’t be moved much, so weight or portability isn’t an issue
Cost isn’t an issue
The most important feature to me will be how exceptional it sounds at bedroom levels as well as small club levels.
The living room is about 20’x30’ with a 25’ high cathedral ceiling, stone floors and wooden plantation shutters, the only soft surfaces are the furniture, so it’ll need to fill a lot of space but not be overly boomy on the bottom end or thin on the top.

Things I’ve auditioned in the past that I like are the Markbass 121 combo and a 1960’s Ampeg B15 flip top. I’ll probably buy whatever I get used if available. Bonus points if it’s collectible or has good potential to increase in value over time.

So what’s out there that pairs nicely with the thunderbird and sounds truly amazing?
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this guy here..
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
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