I've never played them, but I find the SIT Power Steels have a really nice tension, especially since I play down by the bridge. Now I'm curious to try the Dunlop SS on the Thunderbird to see how the tension compares.
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
- Start date
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- Tags
- club thunderbird
I absolutely love EBCF on some of my Fenders, and I have a set (50-105) tuned to Eb (and drop Db) on one of my “double p” Precisions, and another set (55-110) tuned to D standard (and drop C) on another of my “double p” Precisions, and they work perfectly, just the right tension and full sound with a perfect amount of “bright” for these two instruments in these lower tunings.
I plan on setting up one of my Gibson ‘birds in D standard/Drop C and started with Cobalt rounds, but, so far I have just stuck a new Babicz bridge on and strung it with the Cobalt rounds, and those things are so bright I’m not sure I will keep heading down that road. It’s surprisingly playable after simply sticking the bridge and strings on, but I haven’t even started adjusting the Babicz yet. Quite the apparatus that thing is. Currently, with no setup, and it being very fret buzzy, it’s super (acoustically) noisy. I’m sort of stuck deciding which of the two Gibsons I want to set up for D and which to leave in E.
Some of my birds call for rounds,
Some call for flats.
Hearing that call is where it’s at.
Cobalt, nickel or stainless,
All can do the trick.
Just find the one you like
And make it your pick.
My Eppi VP loves it’s Fender nickel rounds,
As does the new NR.
But the Goth thrives on Cobalt flats,
While the 2015 sports Black Beauties by DR.
The BlingBird is all about visual attraction,
So Optima Golds go into action.
Dingwall being a different bird,
Is wearing Peyson flats, best I’ve heard.
La Bella Black tapes can even sound sweet
I’ve had them on multiple birds
On the FrankenGoth they’re hard to beat.
So the moral of the story is a simple one,
Just find what sounds good and Rock and Roll On.
Some call for flats.
Hearing that call is where it’s at.
Cobalt, nickel or stainless,
All can do the trick.
Just find the one you like
And make it your pick.
My Eppi VP loves it’s Fender nickel rounds,
As does the new NR.
But the Goth thrives on Cobalt flats,
While the 2015 sports Black Beauties by DR.
The BlingBird is all about visual attraction,
So Optima Golds go into action.
Dingwall being a different bird,
Is wearing Peyson flats, best I’ve heard.
La Bella Black tapes can even sound sweet
I’ve had them on multiple birds
On the FrankenGoth they’re hard to beat.
So the moral of the story is a simple one,
Just find what sounds good and Rock and Roll On.
EBCF with TB+ is a match made in heaven. The rest of you are heathens. Power to the Purple Silks.
Just a heads up on the Cobalt Rounds - they are fret eating monsters! I had them on one bass for a grand total of maybe an hour and afterwards noticed a pile of brass dust under the strings on each side of the nut. I yanked them right off and cut them in half. Now I actually use them as nut files and they work great for that.
Why would they move the bridge South (away from the neck) to solve the problem of the pickup being partly exposed? That moves the bridge cover in the wrong direction.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,587
- 221,942
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Good to know.
If one were to use the Cobalt rounds, is there a type of fret wire that can hold up? Might be worth considering using next bass I have a re-fret done on.
Where can someone find these Thunderbucker pickups?
Stainless frets would probably work. They might sound different than regular frets though.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,587
- 221,942
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I too am baffled. Ok, move the pu, fine - but why move the bridge-plate leaving the saddles hanging off the top? The scale-length doesn't change.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,587
- 221,942
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
As far as I know, there's no discernible difference in sound - they just last longer. And are more expensive.
Probably not stainless… Super ‘70’s packaging though.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,587
- 221,942
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Tre cool - I had a couple T-shirts made using '60s & '70s era string graphics -
late '60s -
'70s
It makes no sense to you because you’re thinking like a luthier. Now stop and think like a first year draftsman directed by someone in marketing that thinks the bass should look different. The conversation would go something like…
Dick from marketing: Hey John, I need you to revise these Jazz bass layout drawings.
John in the drafting department: Why, what’s wrong with them?
Dick: The bridge and bridge pickup are supposed to be completely under the bridge cover.
John: Ok, no problem, consider it done.
And that right there is how stupid things happen. The blind leading the willing.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,587
- 221,942
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
We'll never know. The bridge cover remained in the same location when the bridge pu was moved south. That left a 1-1/4" (was 1.5") space between the pu and bridge-plate if the bridge wasn't moved. Once someone realized the very obvious error (a year or two later!) - the bridge was moved back to its original location.
@JIO wife finally picked Winter's. Trying to get there around 2pm. Anything I should know about the venue? I suspect it will be packed inside. How's the seating?
- Nov 27, 2003
- 2,017
- 5,417
- 50
- Disclosures
- Rogue luthier employed at Knooren Handcrafted bass guitars
I lost my mom last Tuesday.
She had a nasty fall and broke ribs on both sides and during her stay in the hospital, they found cancer in her liver and kidneys, basically a death sentence, there was nothing they could do. She said that she didn't want to spend what little time she had left in the hospital, so me, my kid brother and his wife decided to bring her home. So for the last two months she was bedridden, and it was a never ending parade of family members and friends coming around to visit her.
Well, that saying of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" certainly was true here, we were all ready for the funny farm with so much people coming around every day. Mom herself said that it was a Freak show. The day before yesterday, she gave the permission to administer the Morphine, so she could fall asleep and pass away peacefully.
At the day of her passing, I told the nurses how grateful I was for the terrific help they provided, they were going "Oh don't mention it, we're just doing our job." but I insisted, SOMEBODY should thank them. I guess mom must have heard me, because only a short time later, she passed.
After she passed, I made a three-hour walk because I knew that as soon as the word got out, the parade would return, I wanted no part of it. When I finally got back, her body was taken away.
I'm a wreck, the stress of dealing with all those people coming around and worrying about my mom did a number on me. Two days before she passed, I finally had my melt down, I simply couldn't take it any more. And now, I feel empty, almost relieved that it's over, finally a chance at peace of mind. For the last couple of weeks, I could sleep but not get any rest.
Today was her cremation, and it was the right time to write this song, it just came to me as I went along,
I heard from my sister-in-law that she had a dream where my mother and father were dancing as he swept her off her feet. I liked that, and so I used that in the lyrics. The bass I used is my self-made "Monster" with a Fender Sting signature single coil and very dead sounding strings.
See the flames in the fireplace
All the people in the hall
Everybody came to welcome you
So glad to see them all
Feel the passion as you dance with him
Inside your portrait on the wall.
Feel the gravity disappear
As he sweeps you off your feet
There is nothing left to fear
Your journey is complete
Finally in his arms again
What more could you want?
Sunshine doesn't last all day
Evening will always fall
Feel the chill as the light fades away
And you answered his call
Your laugh will continue on
Inside your portrait on the wall.
She had a nasty fall and broke ribs on both sides and during her stay in the hospital, they found cancer in her liver and kidneys, basically a death sentence, there was nothing they could do. She said that she didn't want to spend what little time she had left in the hospital, so me, my kid brother and his wife decided to bring her home. So for the last two months she was bedridden, and it was a never ending parade of family members and friends coming around to visit her.
Well, that saying of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" certainly was true here, we were all ready for the funny farm with so much people coming around every day. Mom herself said that it was a Freak show. The day before yesterday, she gave the permission to administer the Morphine, so she could fall asleep and pass away peacefully.
At the day of her passing, I told the nurses how grateful I was for the terrific help they provided, they were going "Oh don't mention it, we're just doing our job." but I insisted, SOMEBODY should thank them. I guess mom must have heard me, because only a short time later, she passed.
After she passed, I made a three-hour walk because I knew that as soon as the word got out, the parade would return, I wanted no part of it. When I finally got back, her body was taken away.
I'm a wreck, the stress of dealing with all those people coming around and worrying about my mom did a number on me. Two days before she passed, I finally had my melt down, I simply couldn't take it any more. And now, I feel empty, almost relieved that it's over, finally a chance at peace of mind. For the last couple of weeks, I could sleep but not get any rest.
Today was her cremation, and it was the right time to write this song, it just came to me as I went along,
I heard from my sister-in-law that she had a dream where my mother and father were dancing as he swept her off her feet. I liked that, and so I used that in the lyrics. The bass I used is my self-made "Monster" with a Fender Sting signature single coil and very dead sounding strings.
See the flames in the fireplace
All the people in the hall
Everybody came to welcome you
So glad to see them all
Feel the passion as you dance with him
Inside your portrait on the wall.
Feel the gravity disappear
As he sweeps you off your feet
There is nothing left to fear
Your journey is complete
Finally in his arms again
What more could you want?
Sunshine doesn't last all day
Evening will always fall
Feel the chill as the light fades away
And you answered his call
Your laugh will continue on
Inside your portrait on the wall.
