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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
- Start date
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- Tags
- club thunderbird
Can we get video and audio of you playing butter for comparison?
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,610
- 222,095
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
This is the perspective/context. Raw numbers are important as pointed out, but only in context does the picture come into focus. While Fender basses are not as common as all Fenders or Gibsons, they are far more common (even with lower numbers than guitars), than other basses. That is the necessary context, yet keeping in mind there are also fewer bass players (though every guitarist seems to also claim that title at times
). I didn't look closely at numbers, but Fender likely made more Pbasses in a month than Gibson did Thunderbirds in a total production run of several years. Like '57 Chevy's, they were plentiful and popular and many get them and keep them, so what is listed is only a part (small?) of the picture. Not to mention the collector's market has really grown sucking many of the examples. Not only are vintage instruments cool to have, now they can be investments.Fortunately Thunderbirds have bad PR or everyone would want them and the vintage Thunderbirds would be $30k and up. I'm glad people want nothing but a Fender, etc., and are happy. I could play nothing but Thunderbirds and be completely fulfilled, albeit unskilled bass player.
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I have to agree. Many guitar players can play a bass. This doesn't mean they're bass players. It's a different discipline. Back in the earliest days of R&R, most bands were 2 guitars, drums, and bass. They would start out with 3 guitars and the least adept would be told "if ya wanna be in the band, buy a bass." In the first band I worked with post-Navy, one of the lead guitarist's cousins 'played' bass. [The other cousin was on drums.](I was on sax*). Great guy, and did "OK", but it wasn't really his 'thing'. We played quite a few gigs in the north end of the Florida Keys(Key Largo, Islamorada, etc.).The 2 guitarists and I came down from Miami. Whatever gigs we did in Miami, I played bass.This is the perspective/context. Raw numbers are important as pointed out, but only in context does the picture come into focus. While Fender basses are not as common as all Fenders or Gibsons, they are far more common (even with lower numbers than guitars), than other basses. That is the necessary context, yet keeping in mind there are also fewer bass players (though every guitarist seems to also claim that title at times
Fortunately Thunderbirds have bad PR or everyone would want them and the vintage Thunderbirds would be $30k and up. I'm glad people want nothing but a Fender, etc., and are happy. I could play nothing but Thunderbirds and be completely fulfilled, albeit unskilled bass player.
*technically, the sax was on me
Of course I’m weird. I’ve always been weird.”weirdo's...
I’ll bet you were all over that sax!
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,904
- 142,307
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
This is the perspective/context. Raw numbers are important as pointed out, but only in context does the picture come into focus. While Fender basses are not as common as all Fenders or Gibsons, they are far more common (even with lower numbers than guitars), than other basses. That is the necessary context, yet keeping in mind there are also fewer bass players (though every guitarist seems to also claim that title at times
Fortunately Thunderbirds have bad PR or everyone would want them and the vintage Thunderbirds would be $30k and up. I'm glad people want nothing but a Fender, etc., and are happy. I could play nothing but Thunderbirds and be completely fulfilled, albeit unskilled bass player.
I think old Fender basses are far more common than most folks realize, it's no exaggeration to say that there are thousands of them in existence from the mid '60s, I could walk 3 blocks from my work right now and buy one, were I so inclined. With just over 1k Reverse Thunderbirds made (and some lost to breakage) the math isn't all that difficult.
There's just something cool about the old basses regardless of who made them, mines a Road Warrior at best, pretty beat up, but it still just has that "something" going on when I play it, I feel quite fortunate in being able to own it.
Yeah, Mike talked about "tongue slapping" a couple weeks ago. Let's don't go there. I don't know if that's a fancy musical term or not, but I don't want to know no more.
Indeed.I think old Fender basses are far more common than most folks realize, it's no exaggeration to say that there are thousands of them in existence from the mid '60s, I could walk 3 blocks from my work right now and buy one, were I so inclined. With just over 1k Reverse Thunderbirds made (and some lost to breakage) the math isn't all that difficult.
There's just something cool about the old basses regardless of who made them, mines a Road Warrior at best, pretty beat up, but it still just has that "something" going on when I play it, I feel quite fortunate in being able to own it.
Still thrilled you got that one. And Chuck scored recently as well! Life can be really good at times.
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- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,904
- 142,307
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Congratulations, it's a great looking old Bird!
Please let me know if you'd like a club number, and of course several of us her have '76-'79s and are most happy to answer any questions as well.
Cheers!
Lots of Gibsons here, with two Gibson basses. NR in the Linda Lindas and Ripper in Green Day.
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Is it Seattle Lighting you work for? I meant to ask while in Washington, as we passed it on one of our trips to meet up somewhere.I think old Fender basses are far more common than most folks realize, it's no exaggeration to say that there are thousands of them in existence from the mid '60s, I could walk 3 blocks from my work right now and buy one, were I so inclined. With just over 1k Reverse Thunderbirds made (and some lost to breakage) the math isn't all that difficult.
There's just something cool about the old basses regardless of who made them, mines a Road Warrior at best, pretty beat up, but it still just has that "something" going on when I play it, I feel quite fortunate in being able to own it.
