Thunderbird Club

[EdO.]

I don't give a damn what the audience can tell the difference between. If I can, that's enough.

Oh I can tell the difference, and I always get a sound that I like. I just don't stress on feeling the need to spend a crap load of money chasing a specific tone when I'm perfectly happy with what I get from what I use. It's simply just not the rocket surgery many would like to make it out to be.

 

[Bad bassist]

Is there any collection of custom finishes for the TBs?
Mine is all white and I'm thinking of putting a few stripes or other stuff on it, to make it look more sporty

 

[hillerup]

Yeah, 212 or 410 in half-fridge format as a minimum.

This... Or at least a couple of "dummy" full-stacks to make an impression...

 

[Gaolee]

Is it that or is it that we realize that the vast majority of the audience simply can't tell the difference anyway so we don't waste effort worrying about it?

I know what I like to hear, so that's all that matters to me.

As far as drivers, it was pretty standard to replace the originals in Acoustic cabinets with Peavey Black Widows. I have never done that because I have never destroyed the driver in an Acoustic cabinet. I hate to think what kind of sound pressure attempt it would take to damage anything in any stage of an Acoustic Control amp. I don't recall cranking one of those up past about halfway, and that was already unbearably loud.

 

[Gaolee]

I love those books! The BBC TV version was good too but the later US movie version was pathetic.

I have never seen the TV or movie versions. I'll stick to the books. My imagination is always more technicolor than whatever somebody else puts on a screen.

 

[hillerup]

Is there any collection of custom finishes for the TBs?
Mine is all white and I'm thinking of putting a few stripes or other stuff on it, to make it look more sporty

At the top of my head, here are some... If I missed any, please let me know...

Epiphone Bolt-Ons:
Ebony
Alpine White
Metallic Red
Pelham Blue
Silverburst
TV-Silver
Pinkburst (only one made)

Gibson 60's ('63-'69) colors:
Ember Red
Cardinal Red
Kerry Green
Inverness Green Poly (metallic)
Frost Blue
Pelham Blue Poly (metallic)
Polaris White
Heather Poly (metallic)
Silver Mist Poly (metallic)
Golden Mist Poly (metallic)

Bicentennial '76-'79:
Natural
Ebony
Classic White
Tobacco Sunburst

Post-80's colors:
Natural
Natural Burst
Vintage Burst,
Ebony
Ebony Stain
Classic White

Recent years:
Flat Black (Níkki Sixx Blackbird)
Flat Black (Gibson Gothic Thunderbird)
Black Cherry (Nikki Sixx MK II)
Zebra wood
Heritage Cherry
Walnut
Dark Metallic Blue (I don't remember the exact name of the color - It was a limited edition for the Japanese market)
Bullion Gold (50th Anniversary model)

 

[Gaolee]

Most of the recent ones are Tobacco Burst. I think most of the originals were, too, but I could be wrong. A Heritage Cherry 'Bird would be good, but I'm really intrigued by what the Pink Burst bolt-on looked like. I'm struggling to figure out how that would work.

 

[JIO]

Yeah, those books are just so excellent. There's really a Douglas Adams quote for so many things. But I really did learn to appreciate the movie after watching the DVD with the commentary. Try it. You'll see and learn things that you never noticed.

I just looked at the cast because I thought Owen Wilson was in it - instead I found that Sam Rockwell is who I mistook for OW, and one review said SR "was like an even cheeier OW" -

 

[hillerup]

Most of the recent ones are Tobacco Burst. I think most of the originals were, too, but I could be wrong. A Heritage Cherry 'Bird would be good, but I'm really intrigued by what the Pink Burst bolt-on looked like. I'm struggling to figure out how that would work.

Ta-Dah!

Sorry for the big picture...

 

[JIO]

I have never seen the TV or movie versions. I'll stick to the books. My imagination is always more technicolor than whatever somebody else puts on a screen.

The BBC version is very good - I saw it first and then read the book imagining the characters from the TV show who were well casted.

 

[Gaolee]

Ta-Dah!

Sorry for the big picture...

That's more or less what I expected. It's got a weird Japanese quality to it that I like a lot. It's not quite as pink as it could have been.

 

[hillerup]

That's more or less what I expected. It's got a weird Japanese quality to it that I like a lot. It's not quite as pink as it could have been.

Exactly... It isn't overly pink. Here's another one where the color looks slightly different:

I would rock it - Especially with a pink Hartke full-stack behind me...

 

[Count Bassie]

Exactly... It isn't overly pink. Here's another one where the color looks slightly different:

I would rock it - Especially with a pink Hartke full-stack behind me...

Could get used to it, I think. Very loud, flashy. Glittery...

 

[Haji]

I agree with you on the differences in market size (# of guitarists vs. bassists). Although, I am not sure that bassists can do the "superior dance," when it comes to being immune to a Quixotic quest for tone, as we still: 1) buy aftermarket pickups; 2) buy aftermarket bridges; and 3) worry about whether our tone pots are 250k vs 500k (with orange drop caps for good measure).

And if I drop $500+ on a 1 x 12 cab, shouldn't I care what's in it? Not being contentious - just thinking out loud.

Do most of us have 5 different overdrives in the pedal board? It takes guitarists to do weird stuff like that.
All the bass players I can recall that I know personally all have a certain sound in their head that they are persuing. If that cab gets them that sound, they care that it can do it, not how it gets it done. Of course, that's a really wide brush to paint with, but I don't know of any that change speakers unless they're blown or damaged. Most of us will replace the whole cabinet rather than the drivers.

 

[Bad bassist]

Is it only my impression or is the pink TB's headstock a bit different than the regular Epi TB?
Looks more rounded on the edges, my AW one has a step edge in white.

 

[hillerup]

Is it only my impression or is the pink TB's headstock a bit different than the regular Epi TB?
Looks more rounded on the edges, my AW one has a step edge in white.

All my Epi bolt-ons and active Pro's have a headstock with a beveled (rounded) edge like that - My Epi Classic Pro are like my Gibsons with what you call a "stepped edge".

 

[Gaolee]

Do most of us have 5 different overdrives in the pedal board? It takes guitarists to do weird stuff like that.
All the bass players I can recall that I know personally all have a certain sound in their head that they are persuing. If that cab gets them that sound, they care that it can do it, not how it gets it done. Of course, that's a really wide brush to paint with, but I don't know of any that change speakers unless they're blown or damaged. Most of us will replace the whole cabinet rather than the drivers.

I don't even own a dirt pedal. And, I dabble with the guitar a bit, too. Go figure. The fuzz and growl circuits the Acoustic amps have is plenty, and I rarely use those. For guitar, five watt max combos overdrive on their own just fine for anything I'll ever do.

 

[Gaolee]

A random thought just popped into my head:
TalkBass = TB
Thunderbird = TB

Coincidence? I think not. It just proves that we are lucky to be those chosen by Thunderbirds.

 

[TBird1958]

Is there any collection of custom finishes for the TBs?
Mine is all white and I'm thinking of putting a few stripes or other stuff on it, to make it look more sporty

So many Thunderbirds (Some Ho's too) in fun colors, just one more thing Gibson missed the boat on - A few of these are mine

I want this bass real bad!

The one Lakie I'd own!

T.P. himself with his Lull Sig.

 

[kat888]

The BBC version is very good - I saw it first and then read the book imagining the characters from the TV show who were well casted.

The actual *original* HHGttG was a BBC Radio 4 comedy and used to be available on CD and may be downloadable in podcast format.