Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

Pretty Cool!

Thanks - when I first assembled it I wanted a Moses carbon fiber P-neck for it, but they were expensive. I found that late '80s NOS Saunders neck on eBay for $65. A really nice neck. I later learned that Saunders attempted to make his own basses in the late '80s but after a couple years pulled the plug. Story goes he commissioned the newly initiated Fender Custom Shop ('86) to make those necks and it shows as the quality is top-notch. I saw another one a bit later on eBay, but was out-bid. (for more $) I also learned he made only two models - a 1 & a 2 pu version called the Concord - but never saw one. Fast forward to a couple years ago and a tb member PM'd me showing pics of his Saunders bass (!!!) that he just acquired...


Behold - the Concord I ! ... I have a sneaking suspicion why it never caught on... it's that yellow colour! But you gotta' hand it to him - it is original.

 

[SubHuman]

Thanks - when I first assembled it I wanted a Moses carbon fiber P-neck for it, but they were expensive. I found that late '80s NOS Saunders neck on eBay for $65. A really nice neck. I later learned that Saunders attempted to make his own basses in the late '80s but after a couple years pulled the plug. Story goes he commissioned the newly initiated Fender Custom Shop ('86) to make those necks and it shows as the quality is top-notch. I saw another one a bit later on eBay, but was out-bid. (for more $) I also learned he made only two models - a 1 & a 2 pu version called the Concord - but never saw one. Fast forward to a couple years ago and a tb member PM'd me showing pics of his Saunders bass (!!!) that he just acquired...


Behold - the Concord I ! ... I have a sneaking suspicion why it never caught on... it's that yellow colour! But you gotta' hand it to him - it is original.

View attachment 5403921 View attachment 5403922 View attachment 5403923 View attachment 5403924 View attachment 5403925

Looks like something Prince would play. Nice Bass…but doesn’t Surprise me it’s from you!

 

[JIO]

We're in Pioneer Square, the south end of Seattle's downtown the Space needle is at the north end near Queen Anne Hill

Looking south here, the steeple is part of historic King Street Station where my morning/afternoon commuter train stops, you can see a bit of Lumen Field as well

SF has a similar clock-tower building near the Bay Bridge -

 

[Miles_ONeal]

HEB?!?! @Miles_ONeal he's talking our language.

I had the same thought!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Are you sure yer not him?

We’re both chick magnets, so maybe.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Good article. Had me at "Oscillatory Transition Return." (I have no clue that that is, but intend on throwing the term around--if I can remember it.)

The History of Orange Amps | Stringjoy

Sounds like a Yes or Pink Floyd song.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Time travel. I thought you couldn’t meet yourself without destroying the universe?

That’s only if your matter self meets your anti-matter self and you touch each other.

 

[JIO]

Looks like something Prince would play. Nice Bass…but doesn’t Surprise me it’s from you!

Because the '80s were such a groundswel of focus/innovation/development of electric bass, a couple independent makers attempted companies and quickly failed. Afterwards there was all that stock that was bought for pennies on the dollar and later sold for as much as they could. "Signature" was another short-lived brand like that. They made Fender P & J clones of decent quality in the US. I think a big part of why they failed was they couldn't compete with clones made in Japan then for less than they could produce them in the US. "Signature" NOS used to be sold on eBay by a sight called "Build a Bass". Not certain if it's still around. I bought a loaded/finished J body from them over 10yrs ago. It eventually got modded into this bass -

Marty Bell silver & gold sparkle face/trans-tobacco back -

 

[JIO]

That’s only if your matter self meets your anti-matter self and you touch each other.

I've seen that movie - I doesn't end well...

 

[Rickplaysbass]

Thanks - when I first assembled it I wanted a Moses carbon fiber P-neck for it, but they were expensive. I found that late '80s NOS Saunders neck on eBay for $65. A really nice neck. I later learned that Saunders attempted to make his own basses in the late '80s but after a couple years pulled the plug. Story goes he commissioned the newly initiated Fender Custom Shop ('86) to make those necks and it shows as the quality is top-notch. I saw another one a bit later on eBay, but was out-bid. (for more $) I also learned he made only two models - a 1 & a 2 pu version called the Concord - but never saw one. Fast forward to a couple years ago and a tb member PM'd me showing pics of his Saunders bass (!!!) that he just acquired...


Behold - the Concord I ! ... I have a sneaking suspicion why it never caught on... it's that yellow colour! But you gotta' hand it to him - it is original.

View attachment 5403921 View attachment 5403922 View attachment 5403923 View attachment 5403924 View attachment 5403925

Bet it has zero neck dive to boot. Lol

 

[SubHuman]

Time travel. I thought you couldn’t meet yourself without destroying the universe?

Albert Einstein probably wrote a paper on the Universe destructing from 2 time travel doppelgängers meeting each other but I’ll support the Ancient Astronaut theory that we’re not alone because I like Giorgio A. Tsoukalos hair and the people that support him.Ha!

 

[JIO]

Bet it has zero neck dive to boot. Lol

Oh yah, aside from being visually "unique" it addresses the right issues; upper strap-peg at 12th fret, full access to the fretboard at the 20th fret, (not sure of ergonomics) but the body looks kinda small so probably not heavy, and it stands upright against (the wall/an amp) Just more Salvador Dali than Leo Fender...

 

[JIO]

Just checked - 10 members of this thread are in the top 20 "Most Likes" list on tb... just that -

 

[JIO]

Pretty Cool!

...concerning the 1st two Winters' acts - very cool... the continuum of performed music personified - my "kids" are the basses I create (to eventually be played by future musicians), but as a dad to play in a band together with your kids - that's gotta be huge. It was a real joy to see/hear them.

 

[JIO]

conga drums...

 

[JJR58]

'67 P with an added bucker at the bridge?

I was attempting to build a ramp to rest my thumb back there.
Eventually scrapped that idea.

 

[JJR58]

That’s only if your matter self meets your anti-matter self and you touch each other.

It’s why I’ve been around so long.

 

[dagrev]

Time travel. I thought you couldn’t meet yourself without destroying the universe?

That's only in works of fiction. The destroying the universe part.

 

[dagrev]

Is that vintage or one of the recent RI's?


chrome

It's a 1981. Other than some light checking on the body (to be expected), and two dings, one by the previous owner, it's about as mint as you could hope for considering it's been used at least some. The neck, which is beautifully figured, is a little unlike anything I recall playing. Kind of in between a P and a J, but more P characteristics I'd say. I had not played one since the early 80s and didn't know what to expect. It has the G&L flavor, but warmer and sweeter. And better sounding IMO. One of those basses you would not ever get tired of hearing. I would not have chosen the "Root beer" color as Miles puts it, but the painted basses of those years were not Mahogany, AFAIK. Like any bass, strings make a difference. Some can make is sound like "a bass," and a few others really make it thick and punchy. The "OMG stitch" setting is amazing. I tend to use it with a pick for songs I want to use a pick on but don't want to lose any bottom of thickness. I hardly ever use the single coil setting.

 

[GBassNorth]

Just checked - 10 members of this thread are in the top 20 "Most Likes" list on tb... just that -

Looks like I fell off the list. I’ve had to cut way back on my time and postings here over the last few months because life has been getting in the way. Still a great site and a fantastic club with wonderful members, just less time in the day for me right now.