Thunderbird Club

[godofthunder59]

Gigs have been sparse lately but I got a call to sub a show with my old band JOHNNY SMOKE. Now I haven't played with them in over 3 years but the show went great and I had a lot of fun. Doing a bit of Zeppelin here using my beat to snot 1966 Thunderbird and my Orange Terror Bass rig. I'm not my usual animated self as I'm trying my hardest not to train wreck the song!

 

[JJR58]

@JIO
you’re not done with that ‘72…..
@JJR58
brother…THANK YOU!.
View attachment 5449942

Just a small token of my gratitude for your generosity, and kindness.

 

[Stealth57]

Was Geo who claimed the first casting.
Marshall felt left out, so he decided to cast himself for the second GTG.

View attachment 5449938
View attachment 5449941

Can we avoid a three-peat?

 

[GonePlaid]

Gigs have been sparse lately but I got a call to sub a show with my old band JOHNNY SMOKE. Now I haven't played with them in over 3 years but the show went great and I had a lot of fun. Doing a bit of Zeppelin here using my beat to snot 1966 Thunderbird and my Orange Terror Bass rig. I'm not my usual animated self as I'm trying my hardest not to train wreck the song!

 

[Gaolee]

Gigs have been sparse lately but I got a call to sub a show with my old band JOHNNY SMOKE. Now I haven't played with them in over 3 years but the show went great and I had a lot of fun. Doing a bit of Zeppelin here using my beat to snot 1966 Thunderbird and my Orange Terror Bass rig. I'm not my usual animated self as I'm trying my hardest not to train wreck the song!

A two bird stage. Nice.

 

[Rickplaysbass]

@JIO
you’re not done with that ‘72…..
@JJR58
brother…THANK YOU!.
View attachment 5449942

That's bad ass!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Gigs have been sparse lately but I got a call to sub a show with my old band JOHNNY SMOKE. Now I haven't played with them in over 3 years but the show went great and I had a lot of fun. Doing a bit of Zeppelin here using my beat to snot 1966 Thunderbird and my Orange Terror Bass rig. I'm not my usual animated self as I'm trying my hardest not to train wreck the song!

yeah, Jonesy should have had a Bird in his arsenal imho…

 

[JJR58]

Can we avoid a three-peat?

 

[DJ Bebop]

I could be wrong (I often am), but that looks like someone painted or used a marker on those strings. The bridge also seems to be held up with guy wires.

That is how they come, with all the colors on them. They are like Nylon strings but not Weed Wackers, softer than that.

Those basses a lot of the time have a very handmade/homemade quality about them. A lot of homemade repair work is done.

 

[DJ Bebop]

the basses are called tololoches or contrabajo which isn’t really accurate since contrabajo refers to the standard upright……tololoches are tuned ADGC….. no point in having an E at the outdoor volumes they play at…
https://www.amazon.com/Contrabajo-T...MIrbGq0LOShgMVRSatBh1-owD8EAQYAiABEgJB0fD_BwE

Thanks!

 

[dagrev]

Gigs have been sparse lately but I got a call to sub a show with my old band JOHNNY SMOKE. Now I haven't played with them in over 3 years but the show went great and I had a lot of fun. Doing a bit of Zeppelin here using my beat to snot 1966 Thunderbird and my Orange Terror Bass rig. I'm not my usual animated self as I'm trying my hardest not to train wreck the song!

Good stuff.

 

[GBassNorth]

New Bird Day!!!
Got the Eppi ‘64 Purple Sparkle Reverse delivery this morning. Both surprised and pleased with the gaudy new VP.

First, let me echo @WillyW on the color front - this bass is absolutely NOT purple, it’s Lavender with Purple metal flakes. So if you’re looking for something similar to Mopar Plum Crazy, pass on this one. Also, I’m aware of the difference but there may be others that aren’t, so - if you’re looking for a Glitter bass this isn’t it. On a glitter bass the glitter nearly completely covers the bass coat. This is as advertised, a sparkle bass, where the flake used is small and dispersed to allow the paint base coat color to show through, and this paint base coat is much closer to Lavender than Purple. I personally love the look, an “Easter Egg on Steroids”.

Second - fit and finish was top notch except for a few frets that I decided to level better for a lower action. The action on this bass is now incredibly low, possibly the lowest of any bird I own. The neck is fast and the hardware and electronics are all rock solid. As @TBird1958 noted, there is a significant ramp or slope or rake to the neck that forces the bridge up high along with the pickups (both of which require spacers under the rings). Doesn’t bother me visually or functionally in any way but might be considered a plus for someone who slaps a lot, more room under the strings for your fingers if needed. Note: the strings pass over the roughly horizontal pickups at such a sharp angle that they are much closer to the leading edge of the pickup than the back edge of the pickup. I’ll be installing foam pads to alleviate that situation and bring the top surface of the pups parallel with the strings, not the bass body (might possibly change the voicing, if so I might revert back to stock).

Third - what a lovely sound! Actually quite a bit different than my first year run Eppi VP. The VP was edgy, growling and aggressive. This one seems to be a bit more bottom end focused, still has that growl but it’s a deeper voice. If the VP was a Doberman growl, this one would be a Rottweiler growl. Excellent sounding bridge and neck solo, and very responsive tone knob. Hate that darn bright tone shift you get when you approach 10 on the volume knobs, but that seems to be par for course on Tbird wiring.

And here she is…

The sparkle is hard to properly capture on camera in the frontal shot, so here’s a side shot with some contour to bring out the glitter color…

As I said, the paint color is closer to a dark Lavender than Purple…

Quite a bit darker than Periwinkle, but in the same color family…

 

[WillyW]

New Bird Day!!!
Got the Eppi ‘64 Purple Sparkle Reverse delivery this morning. Both surprised and pleased with the gaudy new VP.

First, let me echo @WillyW on the color front - this bass is absolutely NOT purple, it’s Lavender with Purple metal flakes. So if you’re looking for something similar to Mopar Plum Crazy, pass on this one. Also, I’m aware of the difference but there may be others that aren’t, so - if you’re looking for a Glitter bass this isn’t it. On a glitter bass the glitter nearly completely covers the bass coat. This is as advertised, a sparkle bass, where the flake used is small and dispersed to allow the paint base coat color to show through, and this paint base coat is much closer to Lavender than Purple. I personally love the look, an “Easter Egg on Steroids”.

Second - fit and finish was top notch except for a few frets that I decided to level better for a lower action. The action on this bass is now incredibly low, possibly the lowest of any bird I own. The neck is fast and the hardware and electronics are all rock solid. As @TBird1958 noted, there is a significant ramp or slope or rake to the neck that forces the bridge up high along with the pickups (both of which require spacers under the rings). Doesn’t bother me visually or functionally in any way but might be considered a plus for someone who slaps a lot, more room under the strings for your fingers if needed. Note: the strings pass over the roughly horizontal pickups at such a sharp angle that they are much closer to the leading edge of the pickup than the back edge of the pickup. I’ll be installing foam pads to alleviate that situation and bring the top surface of the pups parallel with the strings, not the bass body (might possibly change the voicing, if so I might revert back to stock).

Third - what a lovely sound! Actually quite a bit different than my first year run Eppi VP. The VP was edgy, growling and aggressive. This one seems to be a bit more bottom end focused, still has that growl but it’s a deeper voice. If the VP was a Doberman growl, this one would be a Rottweiler growl. Excellent sounding bridge and neck solo, and very responsive tone knob. Hate that darn bright tone shift you get when you approach 10 on the volume knobs, but that seems to be par for course on Tbird wiring.

And here she is…
View attachment 5450000
The sparkle is hard to properly capture on camera in the frontal shot, so here’s a side shot with some contour to bring out the glitter color…View attachment 5450001

As I said, the paint color is closer to a dark Lavender than Purple…
View attachment 5450002

Quite a bit darker than Periwinkle, but in the same color family…
View attachment 5450003

ok so it’s not just me being hyper critical…

 

[GBassNorth]

ok so it’s not just me being hyper critical…

Not at all. Honestly, I was expecting Crown Royal Purple like in your avatar, so I was a bit taken back when I saw it in person, but the dark lavender color is something just as unique, maybe not as bold and I’m sure would look great under stage lights where lighter colors have a tendency to look better against dark clothing anyway. It’s a keeper for me, but might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

 

[Engle]

New Bird Day!!!
Got the Eppi ‘64 Purple Sparkle Reverse delivery this morning. Both surprised and pleased with the gaudy new VP.

First, let me echo @WillyW on the color front - this bass is absolutely NOT purple, it’s Lavender with Purple metal flakes. So if you’re looking for something similar to Mopar Plum Crazy, pass on this one. Also, I’m aware of the difference but there may be others that aren’t, so - if you’re looking for a Glitter bass this isn’t it. On a glitter bass the glitter nearly completely covers the bass coat. This is as advertised, a sparkle bass, where the flake used is small and dispersed to allow the paint base coat color to show through, and this paint base coat is much closer to Lavender than Purple. I personally love the look, an “Easter Egg on Steroids”.

Second - fit and finish was top notch except for a few frets that I decided to level better for a lower action. The action on this bass is now incredibly low, possibly the lowest of any bird I own. The neck is fast and the hardware and electronics are all rock solid. As @TBird1958 noted, there is a significant ramp or slope or rake to the neck that forces the bridge up high along with the pickups (both of which require spacers under the rings). Doesn’t bother me visually or functionally in any way but might be considered a plus for someone who slaps a lot, more room under the strings for your fingers if needed. Note: the strings pass over the roughly horizontal pickups at such a sharp angle that they are much closer to the leading edge of the pickup than the back edge of the pickup. I’ll be installing foam pads to alleviate that situation and bring the top surface of the pups parallel with the strings, not the bass body (might possibly change the voicing, if so I might revert back to stock).

Third - what a lovely sound! Actually quite a bit different than my first year run Eppi VP. The VP was edgy, growling and aggressive. This one seems to be a bit more bottom end focused, still has that growl but it’s a deeper voice. If the VP was a Doberman growl, this one would be a Rottweiler growl. Excellent sounding bridge and neck solo, and very responsive tone knob. Hate that darn bright tone shift you get when you approach 10 on the volume knobs, but that seems to be par for course on Tbird wiring.

And here she is…
View attachment 5450000
The sparkle is hard to properly capture on camera in the frontal shot, so here’s a side shot with some contour to bring out the glitter color…View attachment 5450001

As I said, the paint color is closer to a dark Lavender than Purple…
View attachment 5450002

Quite a bit darker than Periwinkle, but in the same color family…
View attachment 5450003

Very nice! I wonder if the different voicing is related to the pickup angle.
How’s the weight?

 

[GBassNorth]

Very nice! I wonder if the different voicing is related to the pickup angle.
How’s the weight?

It might very well be the angle since the back pickup blade is probably twice the distance to the strings vs the front. If repositioning changes the voicing I might revert back to stock, it sounds darn good as is.

I haven’t officially weighed it yet, but it’s about on par with my other Tbirds. My 2015 is the lightest (maybe under 8 pounds IIRC) and my Eppi Nonreverse is heaviest (over 9 pounds IIRC). I’d put this one somewhere in the middle. Have not strapped it on yet, so no idea if it’s a diver.

 

[BklynKen]

New Bird Day!!!
Got the Eppi ‘64 Purple Sparkle Reverse delivery this morning. Both surprised and pleased with the gaudy new VP.

First, let me echo @WillyW on the color front - this bass is absolutely NOT purple, it’s Lavender with Purple metal flakes. So if you’re looking for something similar to Mopar Plum Crazy, pass on this one. Also, I’m aware of the difference but there may be others that aren’t, so - if you’re looking for a Glitter bass this isn’t it. On a glitter bass the glitter nearly completely covers the bass coat. This is as advertised, a sparkle bass, where the flake used is small and dispersed to allow the paint base coat color to show through, and this paint base coat is much closer to Lavender than Purple. I personally love the look, an “Easter Egg on Steroids”.

Second - fit and finish was top notch except for a few frets that I decided to level better for a lower action. The action on this bass is now incredibly low, possibly the lowest of any bird I own. The neck is fast and the hardware and electronics are all rock solid. As @TBird1958 noted, there is a significant ramp or slope or rake to the neck that forces the bridge up high along with the pickups (both of which require spacers under the rings). Doesn’t bother me visually or functionally in any way but might be considered a plus for someone who slaps a lot, more room under the strings for your fingers if needed. Note: the strings pass over the roughly horizontal pickups at such a sharp angle that they are much closer to the leading edge of the pickup than the back edge of the pickup. I’ll be installing foam pads to alleviate that situation and bring the top surface of the pups parallel with the strings, not the bass body (might possibly change the voicing, if so I might revert back to stock).

Third - what a lovely sound! Actually quite a bit different than my first year run Eppi VP. The VP was edgy, growling and aggressive. This one seems to be a bit more bottom end focused, still has that growl but it’s a deeper voice. If the VP was a Doberman growl, this one would be a Rottweiler growl. Excellent sounding bridge and neck solo, and very responsive tone knob. Hate that darn bright tone shift you get when you approach 10 on the volume knobs, but that seems to be par for course on Tbird wiring.

And here she is…
View attachment 5450000
The sparkle is hard to properly capture on camera in the frontal shot, so here’s a side shot with some contour to bring out the glitter color…View attachment 5450001

As I said, the paint color is closer to a dark Lavender than Purple…
View attachment 5450002

Quite a bit darker than Periwinkle, but in the same color family…
View attachment 5450003

Congratulations! Is the slope of the strings over the pickups steeper than your 2013 or 2015 Gibsons?

 

[MCF]

New Bird Day!!!
Got the Eppi ‘64 Purple Sparkle Reverse delivery this morning. Both surprised and pleased with the gaudy new VP.

First, let me echo @WillyW on the color front - this bass is absolutely NOT purple, it’s Lavender with Purple metal flakes. So if you’re looking for something similar to Mopar Plum Crazy, pass on this one. Also, I’m aware of the difference but there may be others that aren’t, so - if you’re looking for a Glitter bass this isn’t it. On a glitter bass the glitter nearly completely covers the bass coat. This is as advertised, a sparkle bass, where the flake used is small and dispersed to allow the paint base coat color to show through, and this paint base coat is much closer to Lavender than Purple. I personally love the look, an “Easter Egg on Steroids”.

Second - fit and finish was top notch except for a few frets that I decided to level better for a lower action. The action on this bass is now incredibly low, possibly the lowest of any bird I own. The neck is fast and the hardware and electronics are all rock solid. As @TBird1958 noted, there is a significant ramp or slope or rake to the neck that forces the bridge up high along with the pickups (both of which require spacers under the rings). Doesn’t bother me visually or functionally in any way but might be considered a plus for someone who slaps a lot, more room under the strings for your fingers if needed. Note: the strings pass over the roughly horizontal pickups at such a sharp angle that they are much closer to the leading edge of the pickup than the back edge of the pickup. I’ll be installing foam pads to alleviate that situation and bring the top surface of the pups parallel with the strings, not the bass body (might possibly change the voicing, if so I might revert back to stock).

Third - what a lovely sound! Actually quite a bit different than my first year run Eppi VP. The VP was edgy, growling and aggressive. This one seems to be a bit more bottom end focused, still has that growl but it’s a deeper voice. If the VP was a Doberman growl, this one would be a Rottweiler growl. Excellent sounding bridge and neck solo, and very responsive tone knob. Hate that darn bright tone shift you get when you approach 10 on the volume knobs, but that seems to be par for course on Tbird wiring.

And here she is…
View attachment 5450000
The sparkle is hard to properly capture on camera in the frontal shot, so here’s a side shot with some contour to bring out the glitter color…View attachment 5450001

As I said, the paint color is closer to a dark Lavender than Purple…
View attachment 5450002

Quite a bit darker than Periwinkle, but in the same color family…
View attachment 5450003

Cool!

Are the electronics the same as the VP you’re comparing it to? The ‘64 has three 500K pots, correct? I do not recall off the top of my head what the VPs had. Do you think the difference is more than the strings?

I did not realize that you had a 12” radius block. I have a Thunderbird that can use a few light passes. Do you mind if I bring it the next visit?

 

[GBassNorth]

About last night:
The other day I was approached by Jimi Crutchley (Quireboys) regarding the Brooks Fenderbird I had built.
He is on a world tour as tour manager with Glenn Hughes. And yesterday the caravan visited De Boerderij in Zoetermeer for Glenn's Deep Purple show. Which is only an hours drive from where I live.
Jimi invited me to the soundcheck to put the Brooks Fenderbird through its paces, over Glenn's bass system.

Jimi turns out to be a huge John Entwistle fanatic. And for years he had been looking for a good Fenderbird like the one Peter Cook built for John Entwistle. He had previously bought one from another builder, but that one was very disappointing.
Jimi is very happy that he has finally found a good Fenderbird!

Beautiful build!
Is it just a coincidence that the bass color pretty much matches the Orange brand Amps?
What pickups did you end up using?

 

[MCF]

It might very well be the angle since the back pickup blade is probably twice the distance to the strings vs the front. If repositioning changes the voicing I might revert back to stock, it sounds darn good as is.

I haven’t officially weighed it yet, but it’s about on par with my other Tbirds. My 2015 is the lightest (maybe under 8 pounds IIRC) and my Eppi reverse is heaviest (over 9 pounds IIRC). I’d put this one somewhere in the middle. Have not strapped it on yet, so no idea if it’s a diver.

Diving is a myth.