Thunderbird Club

[RedVee]

That is indeed a very nice color, though I prefer the Alpine White Jack Casady they made a year or two ago...

In general I think Epiphone makes a pretty nice and diverse bunch of basses, and I like the fact that they often offer them in limited edition colors. That Wine Red JC has to be 7th color they have been offered in.

I love these, they look great to me, and I've been impressed via YouTube reviews.

Colours: white; black; silver burst ; gold top; blue; now wine red. What have I missed?

 

[Gaolee]

So speaking of Acoustics, and esp @Gaolee ... I'm thinking I may be in the mkt for a replacement 15" driver for my newly acquired 136 combo. Seems to be giving up a nasty artifact when I bend a string or lean into it, at about 1/3rd volume.

I'll get the original reconed too, unless maybe a new one is just a better idea. Anything I should know about the tuning of this cab? I'm betting I can put a pretty wide range of drivers in there and have success.

Anyone hip to this? Gen-pop is next...

Eh, tuning the cab? Hmmm... I would get it reconed if you can find somebody to do it. Those cabs work as a unit. Failing that, the usual replacement was a Peavey Black Widow, but I'm not sure those are even available any more. The reason that's the loudest 100 watts you ever heard, aside from the fact that there's watts and then there's Acoustic watts, is the efficiency of the cabinet. The speaker has a lot to do with it. It's an old Eminence, if I remember right, and it's got a magnet that will lift a Ford. It doesn't have a huge excursion, which means it can be driven with less power.

All of that means recone if you can.

 

[Nocturnal]

I still find it odd that bird doesn't have a rout under the pickguard like all other birds (except the Blackbird) has - Unless it's actually a Vintage White Blackbird, without the Iron Cross inlays, which kinda would make sense why it also has the OptiGrab on it.

I think there was a custom Gibson Thunderbird made for Twiggy in Marilyn Manson that was red, had the Antichrist Superstar symbol as the only fretboard inlay, and no route where a pickguard would have been. I can't find any images but it was for sale at GC for a while several years ago for I think $2500. Never saw it turn up anywhere after it sold. I think Gibson (or some of their employees) can do whatever they want with basses for special orders or friends, but they aren't going to do it for us.

 

[Gaolee]

I've also got a 360/361 (I believe mine's a '70). They are astonishingly loud. It's been a while since it's been fired up, but maybe tomorrow I'll get it going. I'll see if I can get a video clip of it.
I remember taking it out to a club in Brooklyn ( I think The Hook) and the sound-guy having NO clue what was going on. He asked "which speaker do you prefer me mic'ing?" I explained that there's only one speaker...and it's in the middle...and faces backwards. He just stared at me.

And they are a little like a curveball in other ways. There's no way that physics says they can be louder in the back of the room than they are in the front. Just like there's no way physics says a curveball can "bite" and just fall off the edge of the table when it get to the plate. But, there you have it. They are magical. And there's nothing better than a Thunderbird through a 360. I love mine enough that I spent way too much on a George Grexa new Acoustic USA 360m, which is my go-to gigging amp with Thunderbirds and the upright anywhere I can get away with it. It's pretty funny watching the reaction when you roll in something like that. Nobody knows *** it is. The very few people who have ever seen that name before think it's from Guitar Center. Well, it sure ain't!

 

[Gaolee]

36 million Canadians across 3.9 million square miles. Closest "big city" is about an hour away. Bass stuff can get pretty hard to come by for a decent price.

Actually I shouldn't "like" that. More sympathize with that. At least the big, fat blob that is all of us are down here ready to ship it up to you, and you have 110 volts. Oz doesn't even have that to fall back on.

 

[Gaolee]

There's nothing like it in their current catalog, SBX cabinets are long of production.

What about having the original reconed? I can't remember the name of the business of the guy who does that up here. He's this guy who sits in a room full of aromatic solvents all day, and he's a bit cranky. I wonder about him a bit, but he does fantastic work. He reconed a field coil speaker for my little Gibson BR-9 guitar amp a while back, and he did a fantastic job. The name of the business is something completely bland like Puget Sound Service or something like that. If you are interested, I'll see if I can track down that information. It might be an excuse to get together and drink good scotch, too.

 

[Gaolee]

This is true so I'd sum it up to both scarce and an unreasonable price for my budget. As there is very little around me bass wise both new and used.

That's why it's good to have southern friends. Send out the SOS and see what we can dig up. Just saying. Not that I'm much use most of the time.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

That's why it's good to have southern friends. Send out the SOS and see what we can dig up. Just saying. Not that I'm much use most of the time.

I'm close enough that I have a place to get stuff shipped to the states and I go pick it up. But thanks.
It's more that the exchange rate is astronomical right now.

 

[Gaolee]

I'm close enough that I have a place to get stuff shipped to the states and I go pick it up. But thanks.
It's more that the exchange rate is astronomical right now.

Give it time. It will change again. I should be buying Canadian stuff right now, mostly to sell back to Canadians when it shifts again. Except that I'm not that smart and completely unmotivated by shaving nickels.

 

[Korladis]

Apparently there are more Californians than there are Canadians.

That's kind of crazy to me.

 

[RedVee]

Apparently there are more Californians than there are Canadians.

That's kind of crazy to me.

And both of those exceed Aussies & Kiwis combined

 

[kat888]

Actually, the Tri-State area has nearly as many people as Australia ... but Western Sydney is more populous than Rhode Island.

 

[Gaolee]

... but Western Sydney is more populous than Rhode Island.

You say that like it's a thing...

 

[Gaolee]

This is what I was doing Sunday afternoon. Non-Bird content, but making bass noise. This assumes the link will work.

What doesn't come across in the video is that the bass was shaking the stage and the room in a very satisfying way. And that I was working hard to avoid screwing things up on account of a couple distractions in the room. They didn't find me distracting, so that helped.

 

[MCF]

And both of those exceed Aussies & Kiwis combined

It ain't all it's cracked up to be. Very expensive to live here. Both income taxes and sales taxes are ridiculously high. There is lots of crime in our major cities. But there are places where it is breathtakingly beautiful. And we are the home of Fender, GK, Mesa, G&L, Rickenbacker, Carvin/Kiesel, Musicman, Ernie Ball, and of course, Bassstringsonline. I was born and raised here, so I'm not going anywhere. But if I had a choice, I'd be living in Edinburgh, Scotland or Sydney, Australia. Just sayin'.

 

[MCF]

This is what I was doing Sunday afternoon. Non-Bird content, but making bass noise. This assumes the link will work.

What doesn't come across in the video is that the bass was shaking the stage and the room in a very satisfying way. And that I was working hard to avoid screwing things up on account of a couple distractions in the room. They didn't find me distracting, so that helped.

Very nice.

 

[kat888]

It ain't all it's cracked up to be. Very expensive to live here. Both income taxes and sales taxes are ridiculously high. There is lots of crime in our major cities. But there are places where it is breathtakingly beautiful. And we are the home of Fender, GK, Mesa, G&L, Rickenbacker, Carvin/Kiesel, Musicman, Ernie Ball, and of course, Bassstringsonline. I was born and raised here, so I'm not going anywhere. But if I had a choice, I'd be living in Edinburgh, Scotland or Sydney, Australia. Just sayin'.

Live in one, used to live in the other. One has more snow.

 

[Gaolee]

Very nice.

Thank you. That's the low key version of my playing. I was playing bluegrass and trying very hard to keep the jazz/funk thing in check on Saturday night. No pictures, though, so it never happened. The band I enjoy playing in the most is more of a rockabilly band, and I can jump around and waltz around the stage with the doghouse. It's a really awkward dance partner, and it breaks if you drop it. Go figure.

 

[Gaolee]

@TBird1958 - I just remembered the name of the speaker reconing guy's business. It's Around The Sound. Really, that's what he calls his business. According to the internet, his phone number is (206) 782-7975. He's in North Ballard/Shoreline/Greenwood/whatever neighborhood that is on North 105th in Seattle. I'm really happy with the work he did for me. And, if you are up this way to drop off a speaker, there will be scotch waiting for you in the Basement of Bad Ideas. And, then later when you pick it up again.

 

[Count Bassie]

This is what I was doing Sunday afternoon. Non-Bird content, but making bass noise. This assumes the link will work.

What doesn't come across in the video is that the bass was shaking the stage and the room in a very satisfying way. And that I was working hard to avoid screwing things up on account of a couple distractions in the room. They didn't find me distracting, so that helped.

Yeah, good sounds, cool gig.