Thunderbird Club

[Bent77]

They're made for playing, not show pieces. My BC Rich Bodine is one of only 2-4. It gets gigged.

They are meant to be played.
Not adored.

Yep, personally think it’s a waste to hide or hang them. I sell basses I don’t play

I feel the same about cars. No sense having a museum in your garage. Thusly, I own “nice” cars, but no perfect one.

Like my basses, I beat them like they owe me money

 

[JJR58]

Yep, personally think it’s a waste to hide or hang them. I sell basses I don’t play

I feel the same about cars. No sense having a museum in your garage. Thusly, I own “nice” cars, but no perfect one.

Like my basses, I beat them like they owe me money

View attachment 5273939

Might seem random this post….
@Chucky Stiletti
You rule!

 

[Bent77]

Might seem random this post….

View attachment 5273943

Oh I saw that a few pages back. Love me some Javelin too

 

[MCF]

The Angles are also Angel City, no?

Yep.

 

[MCF]

Correct.
Love that Face to Face album. Their second. This song I used for my brief case combination….


Did their first album make it over?
View attachment 5273701

It did. But only as an import. The late, great, Music Market at Harbor and Adams in Costa Mesa had it. That was the best store for imports in SoCal. They even toured here a couple times IIRC in the early eighties.

 

[RedVee]

My friend had the first one, but he probably picked it up in the import section. I don't remember seeing it in stores.

One band I was in right before covid was going to cover Take A Long Line, but we imploded before we could finish learning it.

They are still going but with Dave Gleeson (Screaming Jets) singing now. RIP Doc Neeson.

I first saw them in about 1978, just before Face to Face came out, at a JJJ radio free concert at St Leonard’s Park, North Sydney. They were a great and fun band to watch live, especially at 16yo in 78.
They blew right up after F2F and Long Line came out. I was in Year 11 at school and spent most of my time trying to learn the lyrics to Long Line

 

[MCF]

Overend Watts bass, what to do with it?
Mine's just as old at least it got out of the house for a show this year.

Check out this with Overend’s other Thunderbird.

 

[MCF]

@JJR58 at your request. Happy b-day.

View attachment 5273731

Holy s**t! Don’t let wax drip on the ‘15!

 

[Stealth57]

Holy s**t! Don’t let wax drip on the ‘15!

But cookie crumbs are ok

 

[JIO]

Overend Watts bass, what to do with it?
Mine's just as old at least it got out of the house for a show this year.

...but not with OW's T-bird finish or pedigree ... it's a mute point as neither one of us could/would financially afford that bass, but 'physically speaking' - I wouldn't play it as bits and pieces would fall off while doing so, and as a visual artist... it doesn't get better than the way it looks. It did its time and made a mark on music history - time to be admired, not played.

 

[JIO]

But cookie crumbs are ok

I wouldn't kick it out of be... never mind...

 

[RedVee]

Certain famous basses shouldn't be played anymore - they have evolved into iconic objects like a valuable antique or historic artifact.

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I was reading recently that Bruce Springsteen’s Esquire/Telecaster has been retired from live shows and he uses replicas now.
He brings the original to the studio still.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Yep, personally think it’s a waste to hide or hang them. I sell basses I don’t play

I feel the same about cars. No sense having a museum in your garage. Thusly, I own “nice” cars, but no perfect one.

Like my basses, I beat them like they owe me money

View attachment 5273939

sweet Chevy, tell us a little pls (yr/motor/tranny)…
I believe we have a member with a convertible..

 

[JIO]

I was reading recently that Bruce Springsteen’s Esquire/Telecaster has been retired from live shows and he uses replicas now.
He brings the original to the studio still.

Keith Richards in the early '90s had the FCS do a clone of a Tele he had for the same reason. There's conflicting stories, but one is that it began the whole artificial "relic" movement on guitars/basses. The FCS later did a "Tractor" clone. (Almond Brothers Band bass-player Barry Oakley's modded Jazz bass) Don't know who did the work on it, but it appears that the Darkstar pu was installed cock-eyed!

It's also interesting to note that Fender did a bass in 1990 called the HM that had two J bridge pu's similar to BO's 'Tractor'.

 

[TBird1958]

...but not with OW's T-bird finish or pedigree ... it's a mute point as neither one of us could/would financially afford that bass, but 'physically speaking' - I wouldn't play it as bits and pieces would fall off while doing so, and as a visual artist... it doesn't get better than the way it looks. It did its time and made a mark on music history - time to be admired, not played.

I don't know who all has played my bass, but it needs playing, were that white II mine I couldn't help myself - I'd want to play it. I have to play all my basses, I feel bad because I don't play the one that's in the hanging display case by the dining table........Modern problems

Having some fun in the downstairs with my SWR stuff and my beat white Bird.

 

[JIO]

I don't know who all has played my bass, but it needs playing, were that white II mine I couldn't help myself - I'd want to play it. I have to play all my basses, I feel bad because I don't play the one that's in the hanging display case by the dining table........Modern problems

Having some fun in the downstairs with my SWR stuff and my beat white Bird.

Hah! That same SWR rig was my mainstay (bought new in '96) for years.

I too want to play my basses regardless of who played them before me. Some people won't wear thrift-store cloths 'because someone else wore them'. But it's just respecting the space between merely 'used' and being used by a famous player who created iconic music playing it - and especially in fragile condition. Would I even touch Paul McCartney's Hofner? Probably not.

 

[Bent77]

Keith Richards in the early '90s had the FCS do a clone of a Tele he had for the same reason. There's conflicting stories, but one is that it began the whole artificial "relic" movement on guitars/basses. The FCS later did a "Tractor" clone. (Almond Brothers Band bass-player Barry Oakley's modded Jazz bass) Don't know who did the work on it, but it appears that the Darkstar pu was installed cock-eyed!

View attachment 5273977
It actually looks ok in this sharper pic - probably the angle...

It's also interesting to note that Fender did a bass in 1990 called the HM that had two J bridge pu's similar to BO's 'Tractor'.
View attachment 5273978

I always wondered if the pup was rotated to line up the pole pieces better, or even to steer the corner of the route away from edge of the pickguard

 

[JIO]

I always wondered if the pup was rotated to line up the pole pieces better, or even to steer the corner of the route away from edge of the pickguard

Early pu mods weren't always the most 'cosmetically' attractive. That other pic (I deleted it) must have been a clone because it had a 'blocked' fb and BO's had a dotted fb.

 

[Bent77]

sweet Chevy, tell us a little pls (yr/motor/tranny)…
I believe we have a member with a convertible..

1969 Camaro
Currently 350 cid, Edelbrock port injection, backed up by a Lakewood scattershield, McLeod clutch, and a Tremec TKX 5 speed. Chevy 12 bolt rear with 4.10.

Full interior, working windows, and no fiberglass
Runs mid 12s at high altitude on pump gas and mufflers with this set up. Making appx 450hp. Currently building a 575hp power plant…

Car is a former NHRA stock eliminator car, so it is with roll bar and frame connectors.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Hah! That same SWR rig was my mainstay (bought new in '96) for years.

I too want to play my basses regardless of who played them before me. Some people won't wear thrift-store cloths 'because someone else wore them'. But it's just respecting the space between merely 'used' and being used by a famous player who created iconic music playing it - and especially in fragile condition. Would I even touch Paul McCartney's Hofner? Probably not.

for me it’s more about damage through negligence…