Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

Saw a couple of posts featuring David Bowie- love the bass comping in the early verses-

It really alludes to his band in the '90s after "Tin Machine" - with Gail Ann Dorsey on bass - after his early Ziggy Stardust work, my favorite Bowie period.

 

[TBird1958]

One of my very favorite Bowie songs ever, he's always surrounded himself with exceptional musicians. Slap is a technique I will never really master, if I could for just a few minutes, I'd play this song.

Note the Jazz bass and Firebird guitar.

 

[JIO]

One of my very favorite Bowie songs ever, he's always surrounded himself with exceptional musicians. Slap is a technique I will never really master, if I could for just a few minutes, I'd play this song.

Note the Jazz bass and Firebird guitar(s).

Gail Ann Dorsey on (what looks to be a Fender IV) non-slapped bass.

 

[JIO]

Another fave early 2K's Bowie song w/the same band - Earl Slick lead guitar, GAD on bass and the same members of that band. I always liked how Earl Slick played non-Fender/Gibson guitars like Peavey's and ESP's.



The performance I was looking for is no longer on YouTube but this isn't a bad version. I like it because it doesn't have all the "glam", over-the-top set-design trappings - just a band playing cool music.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

V trying to explain to Chuck why he can’t have that one.

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“Yes, I know Hell has frozen over, but you still can’t have that bass!”

 

[Miles_ONeal]

V trying to explain to Chuck why he can’t have that one.

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“You must be this tall to play this bass.”
”You’re wearing heels.”
”Whatever works!”

 

[SubHuman]

Finally got them in- had to use EMG 1 1/4" screws because the 1 3/8" ones that came with the pickups were a bit too long to snug them down and I was wary of drilling any deeper. Also used a pair of 1/8 inch rubber strips on top of the old rubber to get the pickups to the right height-

It sounds good plugged in and does have a bit of Rickenbacker timber to it as Smitty suggested,

Two things that perturbed me was that suddenly the neck pickup quit working. I checked the wiring and could only surmise that a stray piece of cable shielding had touched something it shouldn't have, so I packed the excess wiring further down into the cavity after checking the integrity of the solder joints.

Right after that I noticed a high pitched hum (like 400 hz) when the bridge pickup was selected and the tone all the way up. It would disappear with it half to full off. Then it dissipated when I changed the position of the bass.

Then I noticed the LED flashlight I had been using was on and lying on my right next to where I was sitting. I turned it off and the noise went away. Who'dve thunk?

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Very cool basses! Crazy an LED flashlight was bleeding into your Bass output but it might indicate your control panel shield is not adequate. Pickups are only mV outputs so a noisy, high switching LED circuit could ride right into that circuit.

 

[JIO]

By the way- here's a youtube link for Mission Stardust full movie-

A man (the villain) exiled to the total void of space... womans-lib 1967

 

[ectoflanger]

A man (the villain) exiled to the total void of space... womans-lib 1967

And the soundtrack was funnily inappropriate for that scene!

 

[Roger W]

Any way you could describe the Wattplower neck a little more? I’ve had my eyes on the Mark II but literally nobody anywhere near me carries them (nor will they ever) so if I ever make a move on one it’ll be ordering blind. They aren’t Geddy Lee thin are they?

The nut width is the same as a Jazz (1.5”). The depth is/seems shallower. The finish is satin and it was fine for me. Some folks use the term “broomstick” to describe certain necks and that’s kind of how it felt to me. Can’t really say much more about it.

 

[dagrev]

Brian May has one of my favorite guitar tones ever.

A very distinctive tone at that. In a good way.

 

[dagrev]

Reduced footprint and easily in, easy out* of the chain (A/B box) for my frequencies controlled B9 pedal. I stopped using it for awhile because bass frequencies overloaded the effect, creating uncontrollable spikes & surges when at the needed volume. I feel the pedal is great, but not for bass. I think the reason is is that normally a guitarist would use it and so it needed "more bass" to approximate a deep B3 sound - so it was programed with 'more bass' built in. Anyway.., can finally use it live, on this song specifically. A lot of fussing for one song, but now that I can control it - it will be in one of our new songs we're currently learning. In fact, on that song "A Good Song Never Dies" - I incorporate 3 effect pedals (at different times) to deliver it; Fuzz, Chorus and the B9. (below) Two songs is good enough to keep it in the train. (left at home w/TSC - one less thing to bring!)



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*I like the outboard stomp-switch because attempting to do it at the B9 pedal using my big foot would inevitably shift the "option" knob to an unusable setting in the process of shutting it off & on during the song.

Sounded good. And nice playing!

 

[dagrev]

One of my very favorite Bowie songs ever, he's always surrounded himself with exceptional musicians. Slap is a technique I will never really master, if I could for just a few minutes, I'd play this song.

Note the Jazz bass and Firebird guitar.

Killer slap tone and very tastefully done. Fits the song perfectly.

 

[dagrev]

“You must be this tall to play this bass.”
”You’re wearing heels.”
”Whatever works!”

see, this could have it's own thread.

 

[Count Bassie]

Saw a couple of posts featuring David Bowie- love the bass comping in the early verses-

This was just what I needed to sit with right now. Excellent.

 

[GonePlaid]

Reduced footprint and easily in, easy out* of the chain (A/B box) for my frequencies controlled B9 pedal. I stopped using it for awhile because bass frequencies overloaded the effect, creating uncontrollable spikes & surges when at the needed volume. I feel the pedal is great, but not for bass. I think the reason is is that normally a guitarist would use it and so it needed "more bass" to approximate a deep B3 sound - so it was programed with 'more bass' built in. Anyway.., can finally use it live, on this song specifically. A lot of fussing for one song, but now that I can control it - it will be in one of our new songs we're currently learning. In fact, on that song "A Good Song Never Dies" - I incorporate 3 effect pedals (at different times) to deliver it; Fuzz, Chorus and the B9. (below) Two songs is good enough to keep it in the train. (left at home w/TSC - one less thing to bring!)



View attachment 5333373 View attachment 5333450



*I like the outboard stomp-switch because attempting to do it at the B9 pedal using my big foot would inevitably shift the "option" knob to an unusable setting in the process of shutting it off & on during the song.

I click "Soundcloud", I gets nuthin'.

 

[GonePlaid]

Killer slap tone and very tastefully done. Fits the song perfectly.

Well...OK(?). Realizing I'm most likely in the minority-and stuck in the 70s-to me, slap bass is unnecessary and annoying, even when done 'well'. And leaves the kick drum as the lowest frequency sound(ugh!). Of course, if you can afford to pay two bass players...

Nah.

 

[BklynKen]

One of my very favorite Bowie songs ever, he's always surrounded himself with exceptional musicians. Slap is a technique I will never really master, if I could for just a few minutes, I'd play this song.

Note the Jazz bass and Firebird guitar.

Wow, reverse AND non-reverse Firebirds.

 

[MCF]

UPDATE: This morning, because I have absolutely nothing better to do, I scrolled through the entire auction-including the [stuff] that wasn't on TV. I found ~8 more of interest(no clue what they sold for). Particularly, a P1800 and a 63 Golden Hawk.

Maybe because I started driving in 61-yeah, I'm old-that's what influences my preferences.

There was one late 60s car I drove a few times I really liked. My best friend from H.S. days liked to drive my 69 Ford Econoline. We wrote out permission slips for each other to drive our respective vehicles. So every once in awhile, he'd take the van and I'd be "stuck" driving his 67(or 68-I gots CRS) Shelby GT-500, 428(9?), 4 speed manual.

A P1800 and the last of the Hawks. Very cool.

 

[dagrev]

Well...OK(?). Realizing I'm most likely in the minority-and stuck in the 70s-to me, slap bass is unnecessary and annoying, even when done 'well'. And leaves the kick drum as the lowest frequency sound(ugh!). Of course, if you can afford to pay two bass players...

Nah.

I hear you. We all like different things. Nothin' wrong with that. Occasionally I think it adds something interesting. Occasionally is the key word for my tastes. I would very poorly do it with a song or two for emphasis, but not go at it for the whole song. Because I wasn't good at it, and for the reason you stated. Never have done songs that really called for it. Which is good because I wasn't good at it for starters. Couldn't tell you the last time I even thought about doing it.