Thunderbird Club

[Stealth57]

I’m in Calgary for a few days:
View attachment 7086912

T-shirt weather for a local.

 

[JJR58]

I’m in Calgary for a few days:
View attachment 7086912

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I’m in Calgary for a few days:
View attachment 7086912

Brrr… a hobbit

 

[TBird1958]

Not your everyday EB-0.
Uwe Hornung and a custom Slot Head.
I would note the number of Thunderbirds present as well.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Not your everyday EB-0.
Uwe Hornung and a custom Slot Head.
I would note the number of Thunderbirds present as well.

I see 20 in frame. Does he play them?

 

[Gaolee]

Are those the boxes that are tested by throwing them from plane to tarmac by airport employees?

Yes, they are. Those employees are the largest employees available at the time, too. Lots and lots of hair in strange places is another qualifying attribute.

 

[Gaolee]

I remember the last time I broke a string, 1977, and that was because of my bridge, broke two D strings in a row, it was in a Who cover band and broke right before the start of a medley, got some looks because it had happened the night before and I hadn't addressed it. I haven't owned an active bass for years. Fretless yeah, you have to keep up on those.

I have never broken a bass string. Famous last words. The fretless Thunderbird is still waiting for me to get my thumbs out and reassemble it. The boy and the girl are in town this week, so chances of me getting much done are about zero.

 

[Gaolee]

That's getting serious.

I am always serious.

 

[TBird1958]

I see 20 in frame. Does he play them?

Of course!
Not so much anymore though, the collection was largely at his office in Frankfurt with some pieces (the older Birds) at his home. The law firm moved to a new building about two years after I visited so the bulk of these are in storage now.

Definitely an extraordinary collection.
Happily, you can see it all in The Gibson Bass Book.

EB-6

Also an EB-6

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I have never broken a bass string. Famous last words. The fretless Thunderbird is still waiting for me to get my thumbs out and reassemble it. The boy and the girl are in town this week, so chances of me getting much done are about zero.

I’ve never broken a bass string but know people who have (including in those group). I broke lots of guitar strings. I’ve had even basic electronics act up at inopportune times.
And every so often, I’m just not feeling the bass I’m playing - for a song or rest of a set.

 

[Gaolee]

#tbird_pickups

1a) Original 64? Gibson p/u: I went in a bit skeptical, but they delivered. Full range, if you push them they get grindy. Something magical.
1b) 88-90 Greco p/u: Similar characteristics to #1 but can get even more grindy.
2) Thunderbuckers (TB66N and TB66S) in a VP: Similar characteristics to #1 but a bit more upper mids and highs. The 66S is the hottest on this list.
3-5) Basses I played at GTGs but can't recall which. Exact number unsure as well. Slacker.
--- The above were all fairly close.
6) Probucker 760s in a VP: Very full range, but lacking a bit of low end. More mids and highs than most pickups. #AngryPiano pickups.
7) EY Epi IV replacements: Very full range, a bit more lows than the 760s but not quite as nice in the upper registers.
8) TB+ p/u in a CP: Fairly dark. Lots of low and lo mids with decent upper mids and highs.
9) TB+ p/u in an Epi IV: Same name, different form factor from CP pickups. Slightly darker, so may not be the same despite the name. Or that could be pot/cap values and/or pickup positions, etc.

None of these are bad pickups. Some are just great. All of this is my opinion, with 1a, 3-5 (hah!), 6, and 9 being from memory. 1b, 2, 7, and 8 were compared to prepare this list.

Of the Thunderbirds I have played, I would rank the Lulls in Veronica's orange Lull right up there with the absolute best. Even better than her '64. Yeah, I'm a heretic. Thunderbuckers (63N and 66S) in the Flamingo are right there, as are the stock pickups in my 2001 Thunderbird. There's something unique about those pickups. I'm coming to the conclusion that the pickups are a big part of the magic of that bass. Ken had some 2001 pickups that had a similar clarity and presence, even if they were a bit noisier than other Thunderbird pickups. With the tinnitus whistle that I have had since I was a kid, a little static doesn't bother me at all. The 2015 pickups are excellent, but I like the others just a little better when all of them have the same strings. I have lowered the Thunderbuckers in the Flamingo, and that seems to give them a slightly different character, a lot more like a '64. I don't recall seeing a '64 or '65 with the pickups cranked up under the strings like we usually do now. Maybe that's part of the magic.

The Fretless has Alumitones, and they are a completely different animal. They don't sound similar to anything I can think of, and they change character depending on how high or low they are relative to the strings. They can have a scooped sound that's hard to describe except to say it has a lot of lime green in it.

 

[Gaolee]

View attachment 7086807

I thought he said something like "You won't like me if I get angry."

 

[Miles_ONeal]

#tbird_pickups

1a) Original 64? Gibson p/u: I went in a bit skeptical, but they delivered. Full range, if you push them they get grindy. Something magical.
1b) 88-90 Greco p/u: Similar characteristics to #1 but can get even more grindy.
2) Thunderbuckers (TB66N and TB66S) in a VP: Similar characteristics to #1 but a bit more upper mids and highs. The 66S is the hottest on this list.
3-5) Basses I played at GTGs but can't recall which. Exact number unsure as well. Slacker.
--- The above were all fairly close.
6) Probucker 760s in a VP: Very full range, but lacking a bit of low end. More mids and highs than most pickups. #AngryPiano pickups.
7) EY Epi IV replacements: Very full range, a bit more lows than the 760s but not quite as nice in the upper registers.
8) TB+ p/u in a CP: Fairly dark. Lots of low and lo mids with decent upper mids and highs.
9) TB+ p/u in an Epi IV: Same name, different form factor from CP pickups. Slightly darker, so may not be the same despite the name. Or that could be pot/cap values and/or pickup positions, etc.

None of these are bad pickups. Some are just great. All of this is my opinion, with 1a, 3-5 (hah!), 6, and 9 being from memory. 1b, 2, 7, and 8 were compared to prepare this list.

Ugh. TB66B not TB66N.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I thought he said something like "You won't like me if I get angry."

That was Banner, not Hulk.
“Don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry.”
I’ve said that but sub “hungry” for “angry”.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

if this one doesn't give away geographical location, dunno what would....

 

[TBird1958]

if this one doesn't give away geographical location, dunno what would....
View attachment 7087033

I've never had meat from the claws, only the tail, dang!

We're having some Alaska King Crab for Turkey Day.

 

[JJR58]

Of course!
Not so much anymore though, the collection was largely at his office in Frankfurt with some pieces (the older Birds) at his home. The law firm moved to a new building about two years after I visited so the bulk of these are in storage now.

Definitely an extraordinary collection.
Happily, you can see it all in The Gibson Bass Book.

EB-6

Also an EB-6

Oooooohhh, My!
I want that sunburst 3 pick up EB!

 

[jglunt]

For months I looked on the Jackson forum and on this forum et al for some reviews and info on the ultra-affordable Jackson JS3Q Kelly Bird bass, a T-bird-style bass. I couldn't find any, but I finally gave in to temptation and bought one online. I thought I'd give a short critique for anyone else interested. This body shape (T-bird) has always intrigued me, but of course, it comes with the requisite neck dive. I've seen some ways to combat that published online, including moving the strap button to the bottom horn, which stretches closer to the head. However, that seems like it would create the new problem of the bass trying to pull away from your body. I'm still searching for a solution. Any ideas would be welcomed.

The bass is well built and weighs in at about 9 lbs., 2 ozs. If it were balanced better, that would be fairly comfortable. The body is said to be poplar with a maple veneer top. the neck is maple with an amaranth fretboard. My biggest concern was the pickups, and while they're not great, they're usable due to the active 3-band preamp. They are muddy, weak passive pickups. To get a good sound out of them, I've had to boost the mids and treble all the way up and cut the bass down to -3. That should give you some kind of idea how muddy they are. I'm toying with the idea of replacing them, but a new set of pickups would cost nearly as much as the bass. "Dear Santa..."

The controls surprised me. They were said to be V - V - active bass - active mids - active treble. However, it actually has a master volume and a blend control that works better than many others I've had. I like it better than the dual volume controls. To me, that's a big plus.

The build of the bass is good at the price point. The bridge is a High Mass Jackson bridge. I've had no issues with it so far. There is a bit of fret sprout on the neck which will have to be addressed at some point, but it's not bad enough to need immediate attention. The ultralite tuners are all good. Shockingly, the head is actually glued to the bolt-on neck. That's a little spooky, but it is a flawless fit, so I'm OK with that so far. The bass arrived pretty well set up and plays well. It's a compound radius neck going from 12" to 16", a crazy feature at this price point. The neck is fat, so if you're a "skinny neck player," this bass is not for you. I played a 1970 Fender P-bass for many years, so fat necks don't bother me, but the feel of the neck with the compound radius will take a little getting used to.

The biggest problem with this bass was the strings. They're roundwounds of some sort (not the D'Addario XL 170s that are on so many new basses). They're very rough, and much of the muddy sound was due to them. I was ready to buy a new set of pickups but wanted to try different strings first. I installed a new set of strings I was familiar with and, while the pickups are still muddy, the bass can be made to sound good with the controls as described above. At least for the moment, the new pickup purchase is on hold.

I apologize I have no pics yet. I'll post some soon. It's a beautiful bass--redburst. I'd rate this bass around 3.5 stars, with a lean towards 4-stars. At the price, it's a very good deal.

 

[Nocturnal]

Of course!
Not so much anymore though, the collection was largely at his office in Frankfurt with some pieces (the older Birds) at his home. The law firm moved to a new building about two years after I visited so the bulk of these are in storage now.

Definitely an extraordinary collection.
Happily, you can see it all in The Gibson Bass Book.

EB-6

Also an EB-6

I would love to snag one of those Les Paul BFG basses. They just look "mean"!!

 

[Stealth57]

Brewing day