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Thunderbird Club

#278,141
dagrev said:
Ouch! Definitely could have been worse, that's for sure. Were you the only one in your area with trees not fighting with gravity any longer?
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Sadly, they are all coming down. This development dates to the mid nineties. Water wasn’t an issue. And we had lots of fog. So someone got the “brilliant” idea that ornamental redwoods were the perfect tree. Fast growing, minimal maintenance, etc. Then the drought happened. And bark beetle infestations happened. We had eight of them throughout the property. We now have three. And have to relandscape in order to keep the HOA off our backs and sell the place. I’d rather live on a boat.
 
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#278,143
JIO said:
Long story as short as possible - I had a woodworker friend who helped me make an ebony pg for my '63 II in about 1976. I had never done abalone inlay before (yes, way before CNC laser-cutting) and went to a gem/rock shop and bought some abalone shells. I was in KC/Mo then - nowhere near an ocean! I wasn't aware that fine abalone dust is very toxic and sanded the shells flat w/o mask or gloves. (still alive...) I used an #11 exact knife to recess the ebony and it came out ok for my first attempt. In '78, that bass was stollen. I used rental-insurance money to buy my '64 II and the same friend helped me cut another ebony pg. My second attempt a inlay was better and I still have the bass w/that pg today.

A number of years ago, a tb member saw a pic of it posted and sent me a PM. He had bought a box of parts and included was the 1st ebony/abalone pg! He asked if I made it and I told him the story and asked how much he wanted for it? He said - "nothing - I'll send it to you"! (gotta love good people) The top left corner was missing - ebony can be brittle when thin. I cut a piece to replace it and it is an iconic reminder of that bass.

That stollen '63 II (verified by Gibson) if I still had it - was one of only 3 II's produced that year. (learned this much later) You can imagine what it would be worth. At least my pg was retrieved. Crazy right?

View attachment 5342256
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That TB’er who returned it to you belongs in the TB Hall of Fame. There are a lot of great people on TB. Many of them are here, in the Mesa Subway Club, the Berg Club, and the USA Peavy Club. Players helping players. As it should be.
 
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#278,144
JIO said:
Very lucky Marshall. :thumbsup: It has been very windy the last few days here - but luckily less-so (so far) compared to last year. Last winter a 200+yr old huge 200" tall tree had a big limb crash through a fence and crush a few parked cars a bock away from our place. I assumed the city would just assess the tree and trim it accordingly - but instead they cut it down! 200+ yrs old! It was here before "The Mission SF" was here! ~
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They asked the City Attorney’s office. The opinion was cut it down to avoid future liability. There really wasn’t any other alternative given the society we live in today.
 
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#278,147
MCF said:
They asked the City Attorney’s office. The opinion was cut it down to avoid future liability. There really wasn’t any other alternative given the society we live in today.
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Yah, I figured it had to do with three cars and a short section of a chain-link fence damaged. No people were harmed. Monetary only, and an insufficient amount at that. 200yr old 200' tree... saves a few bucks to eliminate it ~ I'm not a "tree hugger" - but that was flatly wrong. I walk Mona there once a day. Every time I stand on that spot - I try to imagine standing there 200 years ago, and I can't. In this regard I really hate city politics and it really doesn't take sides.
 
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#278,150
JIO said:
Long story as short as possible - I had a woodworker friend who helped me make an ebony pg for my '63 II in about 1976. I had never done abalone inlay before (yes, way before CNC laser-cutting) and went to a gem/rock shop and bought some abalone shells. I was in KC/Mo then - nowhere near an ocean! I wasn't aware that fine abalone dust is very toxic and sanded the shells flat w/o mask or gloves. (still alive...) I used an #11 exact knife to recess the ebony and it came out ok for my first attempt. In '78, that bass was stollen. I used rental-insurance money to buy my '64 II and the same friend helped me cut another ebony pg. My second attempt a inlay was better and I still have the bass w/that pg today.

A number of years ago, a tb member saw a pic of it posted and sent me a PM. He had bought a box of parts and included was the 1st ebony/abalone pg! He asked if I made it and I told him the story and asked how much he wanted for it? He said - "nothing - I'll send it to you"! (gotta love good people) The top left corner was missing - ebony can be brittle when thin. I cut a piece to replace it and it is an iconic reminder of that bass.

That stollen '63 II (verified by Gibson) if I still had it - was one of only 3 II's produced that year. (learned this much later) You can imagine what it would be worth. At least my pg was retrieved. Crazy right?

View attachment 5342256
Click to expand...
Very cool story on the return. That sucks when gear gets stolen by some low life and to think someone still has that ‘63 II. The 2nd inlay looks like very colorful MOP! You do nice work!
 
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#278,151
Blazer said:
Well, what can I say about inspiration?

I was watching a special on Bruce Springsteen, and he was talking about how stifling living in a small town was. And with me having lived in the very same conditions, went "He's right" and set out to write a song about it, much like how he did so.

So to force myself to get my creative juices going, I got out a guitar I haven't played in years and straight away I got this riff.
View attachment 5342301
And then the rest came out organically. I actually played TWO basses on this track, here they are both.
View attachment 5342300
I used the one on the right on the verses, it has a Fender 1951 P-Bass reissue pickup and VERY dead strings, but I found that during the Choruses, the Low E lacked definition. So I used the one on the left to play the choruses instead, made all the difference.

Side note, I finally figured out how to get a good snare sound: by turning down the mids on the compressor. Once I did that: Presto, there was that full boom, rather than that dull plop.
Click to expand...

I sure enjoy your posts. Your lyrics remind me of Belle and Sebastian. Of whom I’m a big fan.
 
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#278,152
Stealth57 said:
What's better than 2-15's? 4-15's powered by two Sunn amps. Finally got to plug it all in and split the input. :drool:
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Oh, how I wanted these. Got the one on the left in 1970. Still have it ~15' to my left. Google "Kasino 254Bass Amp".
Crap! Won't print the effing pic. Kasino bass amp:2x15,200W +200W module w/ 2x15.
Well, the only way I could get the pic on here is to print it then take one of my HD pics:
IMG_0272.jpg
 
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#278,155
Gaolee said:
In the '60s or '70s, 100k was a whole lot of miles. Now, it's barely broken in.
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‘59 Volvo 544. Solid in ‘76 to a teacher of mine who wanted to restore it 185k. ‘76 Dodge Colt (Mitsubishi) sold in ‘86 to a family friend for $300.00. 220k on the clock. ‘78 VW Scirocco sold in ‘88. just over 120K. That thing was a money pit. ‘85 Volvo ‘240 sold in ‘96 with just over 200k on the clock. ‘87 Volvo 240 turbo wagon sold in 2000 with 210k miles on it. Best car ever. Buyer was a high school girl who needed it to haul her drum set around. ‘98 Lincoln Navigator Absolutely the worst car ever made. Total money pit. Gave it to the Honda dealer in ‘05 when we bought a Pilot. Only 98k miles on it. It was worth zero when we dumped it. It had to be towed just to get rid of it. I will never, ever own another Ford as long as I live. 2000 Volvo S80. My son totaled it in ‘15. It had just over 200k on it. Great car.
 
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#278,158
Blazer said:
Well, what can I say about inspiration?

I was watching a special on Bruce Springsteen, and he was talking about how stifling living in a small town was. And with me having lived in the very same conditions, went "He's right" and set out to write a song about it, much like how he did so.

So to force myself to get my creative juices going, I got out a guitar I haven't played in years and straight away I got this riff.
View attachment 5342301
And then the rest came out organically. I actually played TWO basses on this track, here they are both.
View attachment 5342300
I used the one on the right on the verses, it has a Fender 1951 P-Bass reissue pickup and VERY dead strings, but I found that during the Choruses, the Low E lacked definition. So I used the one on the left to play the choruses instead, made all the difference.

Side note, I finally figured out how to get a good snare sound: by turning down the mids on the compressor. Once I did that: Presto, there was that full boom, rather than that dull plop.
Click to expand...

Nice multi-tracking! Do you use ProTools?
 
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