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Thunderbird Club

#248,722
PillO said:
Southpaw. And yet none appear to be left-handed... o_O
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I wasn't in the band when they named it, I never liked it. They started out playing Southern rock which was big during the late 70's I think that's where they got it. I was a hard rocker and joined it because my guitar playing buddy asked to join. I wasn't crazy about the whole thing at first but they turned out to be good musicians and had some good originals so I eventually liked it.

This is live from 1980, a board recording into a 4 track reel to reel. The singer/writer was from Tennessee. This was also a fretless P bass through an SVT, miced. Charlie was a good singer.....I wasn't at least playing a fretless bass at the same time. :laugh: Yeehah!

 
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#248,723
MCF said:
I always do at least two to three full winds Geo. The issue is the prior owner butchered a $50 set of DA tapes. I’ve kept them on the bass to see if I like them. If I do, I’ll get a new set and cut them properly. As I said before, it was a very amateur setup when I got it. Everything about it was done incorrectly. Sometimes I feel like I run a Thunderbird Rescue Society.
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#248,727
bobyoung53 said:
Basses and amps all look the same to my wife, she can't tell the difference between a Thunderbird and a P bass. As long as I can sneak it in I'm in like Flynn :laugh:. It's not that she's an unaesthetic person, just that they are about as interesting to her as her novelas (Spanish soap operas) are to me. They all cost 'about' 500 dollars too. She knows that's a joke/lie but doesn't know how much they really cost, she'd have a heart attack.
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This is why i'm happy being single.
 
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#248,729
fun gig to a packed venue last night…. Jerry Barnes played a natural J into 2 Aguilars, no effects….
upload_2023-5-29_15-13-40.jpeg


seems like John Taylor played a different fanned fret bass (couldn’t tell if they were Dingwalls) every song….rocked a 5 string on one song….used 2 GK….no effects…. played fingerstyle all night with the exception of combining pick/fingers on Planet Earth where he used the pick on the gallop bass part during the verse and returned to fingers for the remainder….. GREAT finger tone….
upload_2023-5-29_15-22-36.jpeg
 
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#248,737
Stealth57 said:
Just to be different, since I have EBCF on my CP, I tried SIT Power Flats on the VP. Both feel great, maybe the SIT feel a bit beefier even thought they are supposed to be the same gauge (45-105). Given different pickups, not easy to tell the difference in sound from just the strings.
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I have SIT Power Flats on the semi-retired 67NR and the Epi Embassy. Like 'em on both, but different sound due to very different pups.
 
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#248,738
GBassNorth said:
If it’s neck through, three knobs and an output jack on the side vs the front it’s an Epiphone CP, which is a very nice and sought after model by those that know thunderbirds. They typically cost a bit more than a standard Epiphone Tbird IV but they have Gibson pickups and other features that make them worth it. If it’s a reasonable price and within your budget, grab it quick, these things don’t last long on the used markets.


Fender didn’t make the Jazz I wanted, so as I’m prone to do, I said F..K it and made my own…
View attachment 5077742 View attachment 5077743
5 string with a solid rosewood neck, reverse P near Mudbucker territory, Stingray pup near P bass position, John East active preamp custom built to my spec with a three stack knob control layout of Vol/Blend, neck bass/treb/brite, bridge bass/treb/brite (voiced for a stingray) toggle for neck/both/bridge. Fun build, great player.


You got a great one! The VP (as it was originally called) is a phenomenal bass at its price point and even well above. That one will have a very vintage Gibson Tbird tone vs the modern Gibsons. More bite, grit and growl, but still plenty smooth if desired. It likes a lot of different strings and plays well with Cobalt Flats as well as Fender Nickel Rounds.


This might be the first VP that I’ve ever heard of with a claw that pulled out. It’s not a common thing at all on this model. The proper fix would be to glue and dowel the existing screw holes and redrill new ones. You might want to go with larger screws if you’re using an abnormally high tension string which would then also require larger dowels.


Guess there’s a first time for everything. IIRC didn’t Mikes Embassy do that as well? Just never seen it on a VP.
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Yes, it did. SW replaced it no problem.
 
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#248,739
dagrev said:
You all sounded nice and tight with that funky beat. :thumbsup:
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Thanks! We get that comment a lot for the full set. Phil's a really good drummer - he used to own a drum-shop. As long as a drummer is tight - I can always lock with them. I may not be able to read music or discuss music theory, but I have a good ear, and good sense of time. That Cake song “Never There” is one of our recent additions to the set. We’re adding different (than Bond) material - more fun/danceable songs. We also do "Peter Gunn Theme" that morphs into "Planet Claire". How could you not dance to that!
 
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#248,740
MCF said:
That is beautiful!

I take pride in my setups. I got a couple comments on how I had the ‘21 NR (except the dry FB which I didn’t have time to do before I left to go) and the ‘15 set ups at the GTG last year. I’ve watched a lot of videos, some well done, others boneheaded. I’ve read a lot. I can do different basses and guitars. Even my 45 year old Aria acoustic guitar that I’ve replaced the bridge saddle and the nut on. I take my time. I’d go broke if I did it for a living. I’m slow and very picky.
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If it ain't worth doing right - it ain't worth doing! I'm slow and picky also. Or another way of saying it... If I'm going to spend time doing something - I don't want to do something that wastes my time. (as time is more valuable than money, or should be) Plus, I have personal integrity and because of that won't do a 1/2 ass job of any sort. Doing something the right way no matter what it takes is what I've always gravitated to. A job done well makes you feel good.
 
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