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Thunderbird Club

#29,181
Hi, I'm looking to join the club as a new member.
Here are a couple of pics of my birds - a black Tokai TB48 that I've had for 6 years and that is heavier than the moon, and my main baby, an Epiphone Classic Pro in SB.
Looking forward to more followers of the TBird cause.
Cheers
Pete
32658750756_9b2a7b67a1_o.jpg
27756326986_0aece19231_o.jpg
IMG_6905.JPG

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#29,183
kat888 said:
Gams from Gambe

gam
ɡam/
noun
informal
noun: gam; plural noun: gams
  1. a leg, especially a woman's.
    "she slowly and methodically revealed one of those glorious gams"
Origin
View attachment 1117847
late 18th century: probably a variant of the heraldic term gamb, which denotes a charge representing an animal's leg, from Old Northern French gambe ‘leg’.
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It has to be Latin based is my guess. In Italian, gamba>singular-leg; gambe>plural-legs

Nocturnal said:
Club member Larry V. makes black guards and Bicentennial Bird decals I believe.
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IMO, black with a Bicentennial TBird affixed is horrible. @wolfkeller slapped one of my Bicentennials on a black leather wrapped PG and it was lost as the red and blue didn't play well with the black. Perhaps, Bryan could post a pic of his PG in its previous config to show you what I'm talking about. Since then, he's come to his senses and put a shiny gold TBird vinyl in its place and all is right in the world. :)
 
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#29,184
willsellout said:
So I've been thinking about trying to get a T-bird but in a 5 string version. From what I can gather you can either pay for Mike Lull to make you one or find an Epiphone Thunderbird bass pro V on eBay.

I guess my question is how are the 5 string epiphones? How is the B string?

Thanks!
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I have a Pro-V and have posted about it in the past. Here are some of the things I have written:
PillO said:
Is it confession day?

I hadn't played my 5 string thunderbird for several weeks. I just haven't been happy with the sound I am getting out of it. But, I have been unsatisfied with my Yamaha as well; for different reasons. The Yamaha needs new strings.

With the Thunderbird, I just haven't been satisfied with the sound of the low B string. It just seemed weak and flabby. Separately, I have been looking at amps and cabinets. Looking at the cabinets, there are many that seem to be unable to reproduce a low B. But, in doing my research, I started working through the drop off at the low end and wondering what I can do about it. Well, the light bulb went on, and I got an MXR 10 band graphic EQ [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Interesting that the frequencies are all Bs. starting at 31hz. So, I got around to putting it between bass and practice amp, cranked up the low B to +6db. So, now I am back to loving my 5 string T Bird. And just in time - the Yamaha's new strings arrive next week, I have a new Gibson Midtown that is in desperate need of a set up, so it came down to needing to get happy with the T Bird again.

Back to loving my T Bird.
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PillO said:
Hmmmm.

I have one. I like it. I have had a series of challenges with it. First, I needed a 10 band EQ that would let me reproduce the B string well with a practice amp. Second, for an active bass, it isn't that hot. I have thought through replacement of the pickups, and preamp. I haven't done anything yet, but keep thinking about it with no plan to do something or do nothing.

The construction is excellent - neck through, brass nut, etc. It is heavy, but then you would expect a big chunk of mahogany to be heavy. I should probably move the front straplock to the heel of the neck.

Not sure that helps you. Opinion -> if I saw one for sale again, and I didn't already have one, I would buy it again.
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PillO said:
My 5 string thunderbird did sound like this
tumblr_men4drfXRu1qe5icro1_250.gif

But after adding a graphic EQ to boost the low B sounds like

tumblr_ntki398N4Y1uex8iuo1_400.gif
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#29,186
JIO said:
Wow - laminated plastic raised section...
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Black 1 ply plastic visible on my '77 under the chipped corner...
P1050791P_zpsqhwzhgng.jpg


There's also less space on the 'peak' on my '64 II.
DSC03285P_zpsog29gymz.jpg


Same on my '64 IV
P1010131hdstk_zps24qtpjf5.jpg


Obviously there's less labor required to paint the entire headstock white than to two tone it.
 
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#29,187
Larry V said:
It has to be Latin based is my guess. In Italian, gamba>singular-leg; gambe>plural-legs



IMO, black with a Bicentennial TBird affixed is horrible. @wolfkeller slapped one of my Bicentennials on a black leather wrapped PG and it was lost as the red and blue didn't play well with the black. Perhaps, Bryan could post a pic of his PG in its previous config to show you what I'm talking about. Since then, he's come to his senses and put a shiny gold TBird vinyl in its place and all is right in the world. :)
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You are, right, definitely not the best plan there! That was on my Tokai wich I sold. The gold is on the gibson. I'll see if I can find a pic of the old one
 

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#29,189
I've got a little question for you TBirds owner.
I'm still looking for my next purchase, I try and experiment everything possible to avoid some mistakes I made in my younger life (buying instruments that don't really fits my playing).
The TB is in a good place to be my next one, i've tried some that really convince me, but never with "my setup" (amps, pedals etc..). I'm convinced on the tone and the playability I had in a clean tone, but I use an Orange OB1. For people who doesn't know it, it's an amp with a blend control and a Fuzz, to keep low end and add fuzz.

The Tbirds I tried were all (all... let's be honest... Only 2) very "growl machine" with a good low end, but this point made me ask a question. Does the Thunderbird take well fuzz pedal (in my case, Orange Fuzz with a blend)?
I had a Rickenbacker 4003, a JB, and they take well my tone, but they all had less bottom end than the TB I tried.
Do you have some examples maybe, of Fuzz Thunderbird? Or in your experience, do you think they can handle well fuzz? i'm not speaking about overdrive, or "grit", but a Fuzz you could have with a Big Muff Pi for example.

Thanks buddies !
 
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#29,191
DoctorNop said:
I've got a little question for you TBirds owner.
I'm still looking for my next purchase, I try and experiment everything possible to avoid some mistakes I made in my younger life (buying instruments that don't really fits my playing).
The TB is in a good place to be my next one, i've tried some that really convince me, but never with "my setup" (amps, pedals etc..). I'm convinced on the tone and the playability I had in a clean tone, but I use an Orange OB1. For people who doesn't know it, it's an amp with a blend control and a Fuzz, to keep low end and add fuzz.

The Tbirds I tried were all (all... let's be honest... Only 2) very "growl machine" with a good low end, but this point made me ask a question. Does the Thunderbird take well fuzz pedal (in my case, Orange Fuzz with a blend)?
I had a Rickenbacker 4003, a JB, and they take well my tone, but they all had less bottom end than the TB I tried.
Do you have some examples maybe, of Fuzz Thunderbird? Or in your experience, do you think they can handle well fuzz? i'm not speaking about overdrive, or "grit", but a Fuzz you could have with a Big Muff Pi for example.

Thanks buddies !
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I use an Orange OB-1 500 with my 2014 Gibson T-Bird. My bass has Lollar replacement pickups, a Babzic replacement bridge and I use a 3x12 (Tecamp 2x12 & Earcandy 1x12) speaker set up.

I LOVE the t-bird sound with the Orange dirty channel. The overtones and harmonics are fantastic and I attribute a lot of that to the through neck construction. I find I can dial the blend circuit back a bit when compared to using another bass (73' Fender Jazz) due to the output of the humbucking pickups. I don't have any sound clips but I prefer the Lollar pickups to stock (simply a preference thing) they have a clearer lows and highs to my ear. They are an easy upgrade if you were to buy and Epiphone or Gibson and not love the sound of the stock pick ups. My suggestion would be to dive in, I think you'll love it. I do!
 
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#29,192
bylar13 said:
I use an Orange OB-1 500 with my 2014 Gibson T-Bird. My bass has Lollar replacement pickups, a Babzic replacement bridge and I use a 3x12 (Tecamp 2x12 & Earcandy 1x12) speaker set up.

I LOVE the t-bird sound with the Orange dirty channel. The overtones and harmonics are fantastic and I attribute a lot of that to the through neck construction. I find I can dial the blend circuit back a bit when compared to using another bass (73' Fender Jazz) due to the output of the humbucking pickups. I don't have any sound clips but I prefer the Lollar pickups to stock (simply a preference thing) they have a clearer lows and highs to my ear. They are an easy upgrade if you were to buy and Epiphone or Gibson and not love the sound of the stock pick ups. My suggestion would be to dive in, I think you'll love it. I do!
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Oh so bad you don't have soundclip, because your setup is exactly the one I'd have if I go for the TB. I have heard about the Lollar many times, but It's going to be the step after.. First I need the right Axe :smug:
I don't meet often Orange OB user, so your opinion is important because we speak about the exact same thing ! Thanks man !
 
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#29,194
Here's the one with the bicentennial bird. I can't do white pickguards but black wasn't right for this. Maybe white leather??? Oah poopie Larry, gears are turning! I want to cover a bass in leather but not like the cowboy ones I've seen where they have all that tooling and they're stiched up with that heavy stuff. Nope, I'm thinking glue it right on forever !
 
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#29,199
Dadagoboi said:
There's also less space on the 'peak' on my '64 II.
DSC03285P_zpsog29gymz.jpg


Same on my '64 IV
P1010131hdstk_zps24qtpjf5.jpg

Obviously there's less labor required to paint the entire headstock white than to two tone it.
Click to expand...

Interesting details - I'm looking at the tr covers on both of your 64's and see they are nearly butting up to the nut. (slight gap) If you look at mine that I posted a few posts back - you'll see the gap on mine is as wide as the nut! 100% stock (I did install the brass nut but it mimicked the original in size/width) - another "assembled by humans" detail.
 

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