Thunderbird Club

[GonePlaid]

Who is this dude that keeps popping up in my Youtube feeds???? He's got fantastic tone, whoever he is.

https://youtube.com/shorts/si44VKlkZN4?si=iLmIiK1idG6wRquL

Oh. That guy.

 

[Engle]

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.

That white bird! Love that bass!!

 

[Engle]

While I agree that ,in general, instruments should be played rather than displayed, the only way I could justify spending $45k on an instrument would be as an investment. So, yeah, I’d carefully play it now and then, but mostly it’d just sit there quietly increasing in value (hopefully).And no, I’m not recommending anyone do that with that bass. Or any bass. Just sayin.

My wife made a good point. Geddy can afford that $45K bass and he would play it.

 

[BklynKen]

My 85 eagle was ordered by Don Lace without pickups.

It was an early experiment with a double Jazz bridge pickup, the experiment didn't go far, but you will rarely see a 7enderish jazz with one...

I should list it on reverb for a ridiculous price and see if anyone bites…

Try $45k.

 

[GonePlaid]

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.

OK, but Ken could.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

There's that too - 'damaged' as the result of a disregard for ones 'tools'. I think you can deduce that studying a 'distressed' bass/guitar. It's where the term "player wear"comes in. You can tell if the wear is from constant use or disregard. Sometimes it's a bit of both. As in, one players opinion of 'disregard' is another players 'hard use'. It's what is provocative about distressed/player-worn finishes for me - there's a story and how it's distressed gives clues to that story. That and an instrument played, and not just polished and fetishized. A 'mint' condition vintage bass holds my interest as an rare example - but a very player-worn "road warrior" 'blows my skirt up'.

Especially in the hands of a monster player like Bobby Vega -
View attachment 5274027 View attachment 5274029 View attachment 5274030

totally with you....in my case in particular, I was talking about 60's Birds and their frail headstocks....in my over 45 years of playing I've never owned (and don't think seen) an FSO with headstock damage/repair..

 

[GonePlaid]

Link Wrays Dano baritone guitar. Just being able to witness it in person was a treat.

View attachment 5274046
Talk about history -

Hmm. More "early wireless".

 

[GonePlaid]

Here's the video demo of the EB-TB-IV

 

[JIO]

Where was that show with Tweedy?

Hah! Not Tweedy - It was Bobby's B-day bash and he had many heavy hitters on board including Prairie Prince on drums.

 

[JIO]

Hmm. More "early wireless".

Combo Karaoke

 

[JIO]

He should have been an inaugural inductee into the RRHOF. They finally let him in this year.

I'll say - think '50s R&R guitar and Link Wray is the 1st person I think of.

 

[MCF]

how can one not TOTALLY dig Fripp…

George Murray ain’t no slouch either.

 

[TBird1958]

Pop, more Pop.
A '64 getting played = Happy Queen.

 

[Gaolee]

Years ago after days and days of rain, we had a landslide behind the house. There was a big hill (about the 2nd-3rd highest in the in the city (yeah, Kentucky ain't flat!), and the last three houses were to varying degrees cut into the toe of the hill. The end house was even knocked off it's foundation in the late 70s. Never should have been built, but someone knew someone in in the state party in power at the time and was able to make it happen. Anyway, I was sitting in the house one night and heard weird "thunder" and went out back to see. I couldn't see the back of the neighbor's house due to the large pile of dirt and trees that used to be up the hill. Ended up about 7' from the corner of the house. The next day I went up on the hill a little and was talking with a neighbor and while standing still, watched trees the size of human moving past us and other trees. Weird feeling to see trees moving like they were walking past. I was done on the hill at that point. The house next to us got bought by FEMA and was removed due to potential risk. We took a $40k bath and moved....

There was a whole town that got buried out here in a slide. There were a lot of reasons it happened, and a fair number of people were buried alive. Landslides are plenty dangerous. The Ford Theater in LA will be at a serious risk if LA gets enough rain to soak the ground there. You can tell I'm a complete nerd, because that was one of the first things I noticed about the place. It's an amazing place, otherwise, but the mud cliffs spooked me pretty good.

 

[Gaolee]

Indeed. I would never buy a bass I wouldn't use, even live.

I suppose if I was Scott's roadie and had more money than I knew what to do with, I might buy bass guitars I wouldn't play. Maybe. Maybe not. I'll never have more money than I know what to do with and it would probably get piddled away on going fast anyway.

 

[Gaolee]

Here's one he had listed and sold 7 yrs ago, for what was also a crazy looking price.
Gibson Thunderbird II 1964 Polaris White | Reverb

That sure looks like the same one.

 

[JJR58]

That sure looks like the same one.

That’s what I thought too.

 

[dagrev]

My wife made a good point. Geddy can afford that $45K bass and he would play it.

Which may be the goal!

 

[JJR58]

Pop, more Pop.
A '64 getting played = Happy Queen.

Love this, great playing and tone.

 

[GonePlaid]

Combo Karaoke

Great description.