- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,965
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
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There is nothing special about my Pro IV. It was a factory second. I don't know why, but the factory obliterated the serial and stamped "used" on the headstock. It is now fretless, has Alumitone pickups, and no preamp. Refinishing in a bright color to get rid of the murky dark burst is a logical next step.Go for it. The only bass I have that I go out of my way to do nothing irreversible to is my 1976 BC Rich Bodine. 24-30 of them were made that year, and probably only 2-4 of them left-handed. Kind of just out of respect for its rarity. 2013 NR Thunderbird? Yeah, that's pretty much FUBAR in the best sense.
The bridge sure isn't original.[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Time is the issue.Removing it requires focus, but a heat-gun, a flat-blade and patience will get it done for free.
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think you gotta do this to that thing….Sovtek KT88
I wondered what that screw hole was for.
It is if it’s 2016 or newer.The bridge sure isn't original.
They are long throw cabs but you can hear them onstage. They're really good at outside gigs. I've only used them twice, once inside and once outside and they sounded good up close too both times. I'm curious too I haven't played through one since I was a kid.
Edit, they do not have a lot of top end.![]()
I have no (very little and it's been a while) experience with the 70s V4s. I'm assuming my reissue is pretty close, but not exact. I know it's voiced differently than my V4-BH. Which was making me believe there was a real difference between the two.
Wikipedia barely scratches. There used to be a separate Epiphone page but that is gone. Greco, Orville, BaCH, Mike Lull and Cataldo all made Thunderbirds at some point. And there are others.
It's a very crowded market...
Thanks. I'll see if I can find any of those comments from any Ampeg gurus, but one was this.
The newer V4B reissues are different. More like the original V4 circuits. The BH models I believe we're closer to an SVT-CL preamp with a 4x 6L6 power amp
I have no (very little and it's been a while) experience with the 70s V4s. I'm assuming my reissue is pretty close, but not exact. I know it's voiced differently than my V4-BH. Which was making me believe there was a real difference between the two.
I've love compare the schematics, but I wouldn't know what I was looking at! I have them for the V4-BH if you have the V4-B to compare. Very little of it do I understand.
My BHs are big and creamy smooth, the V4-B reissue is not as big, but is more aggressive and really loud for 100w.
Thunderbirds sound great through either.
Pre Nylons...
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Once upon a time, bass meant bass.
Ahem.Yes, I still like a lot of bottom, I like a scooped tone, lot of bottom and top.
In the early 2000’s I very briefly considered building basses for sale and profit but after a few minutes with a calculator realized I’d need to make and sell about 10 basses a week to quit my day job. Needless to say, I kept my day job. No regrets.I'm not starving by any means - but I'm one of many artists throwing in down.
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Very Cool!I've done a little editing on the Wikipedia Gibson Thunderbird page. If someone wants to help, I'd be happy to not just expand on that, but start one or more Non-Gibson Thunderbird pages. If nothing else, get me data and good photos, and as I have time, I'll do the wiki part and write/edit as necessary. But we can't just go "Here's a 1972 DOHC turbo Ford NR Thunderbird". Well, we can, but hopefully there'd be at least a little history like "Ford manufactured Thunderbirds from 1969 to November 1973 when sales got high enough Gibson bombed the Ford bass factory. Ford retaliated by sending Special Forces teams in to ravage the Gibson race car track. Things quickly escalated, but in the spring of 1974, Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter brokered a peace between the warring companies in which each agreed to stay in their lane." Cites wherever possible would be extremely helpful. Revisionists abound and would take umbrage at unfiltered history such as shown here.
While I had fun with that paragraph, I'm serious about the idea.
Guess the bass:
djb pie 0517.23.mp3