Thunderbird Club

[Miles_ONeal]

I agree. I've had three of the new ones and even with the script mod I ended up selling those. I believe there's a version available that should be more like the original and also a Phase 95 which has the 2-stage model Phase 45, the original style 90 and the modern 90 in the same box.
I like the Ibanez as it has a separate feedback control and you can choose between 6 or 10 stages. With low speed, 10 stages and some feedback it sounds great with a synth.

The Phase 95 has old and new style 45 and 90 sounds. It's a cool, versatile pedal, but I could never get the depth out of it that one hears in "Stranglehold". I eventually realized I was trying to replace my dead Ross flanger, and no phaser was going to do that so I went with the Walrus Audio Polychrome flanger. It had great reviews; I trust Walrus; I played it at GC and bought it on the spot. I almost kept the 95 because you can do cool stuff with a flanger and phaser together, but I didn't really need it.
Side benefit: The Polychrome is a gorgeous, trippy-looking pedal!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

What do you like the phase 90 for? I’ve seen a few bass players that had this as their only pedal. What’s the magic?

Especially listen starting around 2:23, but I believe it's on the whole song.

 

[Gaolee]

In Germany, this is called Autobahn (1/1 scale).

I was on the Autobahn a couple times in 1981. I was hitchhiking to Berlin. The first was with a German hippie in a 1960s vintage VW van. It would go 100 kph, maybe. The German hippie was stoned to the bone on hash or something and just stayed in the right lane, more or less out of the way, as every other car went past at warp speed. That was terrifying.

Then I got another ride with a guy who had some kind of really fast Ford sedan. I had linked up with an Iranian who was trying to get to Berlin to take a flight to Sweden for school. We figured out that the driver was absolutely plastered. The Ford would do at least 240 kph, unlike the old hippie van. The driver was fond of rushing up behind people and then doing what amounted to a partial panic stop. Oh, it was raining and the sun was going down. Did I mention that? It was also terrifying.

I had a bass guitar with me, so there's that. I haven't had a chance to go back to Germany since then.

 

[Gaolee]

I did over 30 years and they just kept making things difficult, and piling on more and more pressure so I quit.

34 years in the end and it was like a weight being lifted off my shoulders.

I am in a far better place than I have been in my career, and as a result, I will probably end up with more than 20 years at the same company when I retire or semi-retire in five or so years. There have been jobs I had where I put up with a whole lot because I absolutely needed the paycheck. Moving on was a huge relief, just like you say. I don't feel that here. For now anyway. I figure I can keep my head down and play out the string if things get bad, but I don't see that happening.

Sometimes it is good to get lucky. That's exactly how I ended up here.

 

[GonePlaid]

A couple of pics from Saturday’s Toy Drive:
View attachment 7091288View attachment 7091289View attachment 7091290

 

[BklynKen]

This is supposed to be like the originals. Scott Dasson's bro-in-law worked at MXR back then prior to S. Duncan (knows what they did back then), and is now one of the main players at Whirlwind. Maybe the Big Cheese, I don't recall exactly. I have tried a few phasers, and none click for me like my old 90. If it were to die and it was not fixable, I would buy one of these. I have found nothing that sounds as rich as the old 90. But there are many I have not tired. Like the ungodly expensive ones!

The "Orange Box" Phaser

I have one of these. I really like it on bass. Not in use at the moment in the current band, but it sounded great in the past. I also really like the MXR Micro Flanger I have.

 

[MCF]

Something like a phaser sounds nice even at home just noodeling. Just adds an interesting aspect to it.

It can. I do have a Zoom multi effects pedal I got some years back but don’t mess with it except for the drum beat feature on occasion. Learning what my different basses can do through the amps I have has been my medium term goal. If I had the ability and patience to learn more of Squire’s lines, I would be more apt to chase his tone with phasers and the like. But not for now.

 

[PhR75]

I haven’t made rings for Decolas.
Anybody good with AutoCAD?

Have you made them for the modern T-bird pickups? I believe they are the exact size.
Or if anybody has found the "blueprints" (for a lack of a better term, I mean the info one'd need for 3-D printing) online let me know.

 

[PhR75]

What do you like the phase 90 for? I’ve seen a few bass players that had this as their only pedal. What’s the magic?

Doug Rauch used a phaser a lot. With his quite unique at the time (and still!) thumbing style and wet phaser sound he created this liquid funk sound that propelled the band forward. A classic example is this furious Lenny White fusion classic. Doug plays a 16th note bass line throughout the song with his thumb...

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I was on the Autobahn a couple times in 1981. I was hitchhiking to Berlin. The first was with a German hippie in a 1960s vintage VW van. It would go 100 kph, maybe. The German hippie was stoned to the bone on hash or something and just stayed in the right lane, more or less out of the way, as every other car went past at warp speed. That was terrifying.

Then I got another ride with a guy who had some kind of really fast Ford sedan. I had linked up with an Iranian who was trying to get to Berlin to take a flight to Sweden for school. We figured out that the driver was absolutely plastered. The Ford would do at least 240 kph, unlike the old hippie van. The driver was fond of rushing up behind people and then doing what amounted to a partial panic stop. Oh, it was raining and the sun was going down. Did I mention that? It was also terrifying.

I had a bass guitar with me, so there's that. I haven't had a chance to go back to Germany since then.

And if anyone had offered one, you'd have slapped them with the bass. Slap bass!

 

[Gaolee]

I have one of these. I really like it on bass. Not in use at the moment in the current band, but it sounded great in the past. I also really like the MXR Micro Flanger I have.

Plus it is compatible with the color scheme of your board. Shallow is a calling.

 

[Gaolee]

Have you made them for the modern T-bird pickups? I believe they are the exact size.
Or if anybody has found the "blueprints" (for a lack of a better term, I mean the info one'd need for 3-D printing) online let me know.

I always thought DeCola pickups were a different size from the usual Thunderbird pickups. As I recall, they dropped right in for somebody. I suspect that any pickup ring that fits a Thunderbird pickup will work.

 

[Gaolee]

Doug Rauch used a phaser a lot. With his quite unique at the time (and still!) thumbing style and wet phaser sound he created this liquid funk sound that propelled the band forward. A classic example is this furious Lenny White fusion classic. Doug plays a 16th note bass line throughout the song with his thumb...

I'm happy to be the same species. No way my thumb can move that fast, even up and down.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I'm happy to be the same species. No way my thumb can move that fast, even up and down.

Roger that, Batman.

 

[PhR75]

---

I'm happy to be the same species. No way my thumb can move that fast, even up and down.

According to Bobby Vega Doug used heavy gauge strings with a very low action that enabled him to do the up 'n' down thumbing that fast. It took me a few years to even manage the technique and while I can play that fast now it's only for about half a minute max. But he was one of those "burned bright for a short time" kinda people.

 

[Thumper]

I always thought DeCola pickups were a different size from the usual Thunderbird pickups. As I recall, they dropped right in for somebody. I suspect that any pickup ring that fits a Thunderbird pickup will work.

I used Eppiphone Embassy 760 pickup rings on my DeColas, some Dremeling was required. Now that I think of it, they may have been Chinabucker trim rings (sorry, not very helpful).

 

[PhR75]

I always thought DeCola pickups were a different size from the usual Thunderbird pickups. As I recall, they dropped right in for somebody. I suspect that any pickup ring that fits a Thunderbird pickup will work.

I have a few chinabucker rings lying around and yes, they would need a bit enlargening if I wanted to use them with the DeColas. Same problem occurred with the "teflon" T-Bird pickups.
What was a big surprise for me that the 5-string DeColas are the exact same size than the 4-string versions.

 

[Stealth57]

Decolas and Tbird+ are ~1 5/8” x 3 5/8”

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Has anyone heard from @Klondike ? He hasn't been on TB for almost a year.

 

[JJR58]

I'm

totally huh?.....so badly want one of those LP Triumphs.....kick myself for not having brought this one back with me...

Those Triumph's are still one of my favorite Gibsons, They have a tone all of their own.
And they are not all boat anchors.