Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

How do you rate the VP vs Purple sparkle on feel and playability?

Great question. I'll do a deep dive on those two tomorrow. Both are great basses, but that purple one has even more going on sound wise than the original VP. My recollection is the purple one plays more fluid than the VP but I'll need to check each one closely to double check that I have them on an even playing field (action, pickup height, strings types, etc). I'll try and take some pics of the two basses highlighting any significant design or build differences.

If it helps, I can also do a back to back of my 1990 Greco and the Purple '64 Eppi. That might give you an interesting feel for how it might fit in your line up.

Note:
I keep calling it a purple sparkle because that's what Eppi calls it, but to be honest it's really more of a violet sparkle. Not a big deal to me, but I was a bit taken back when I first opened the package and expected to see a purple bass.

Looks like they are still available at a reasonable price including a gig bag…
Invalid Link Removed

 

[MCF]

Jeez, I didn't even think about us visiting KEXP during the GTG - Maybe next time!

Wait. You can get us a tour there?

 

[MCF]

Heinz or get out. What, like I'd be caught dead with Hunt's?!

Or, God forbid, Del Monte.

 

[Bulltrout]

Don't confuse being at the bottom of the list with being a bad bass. It's just less stellar than most of the ones above it. Besides, I have a set of Gibby pups to install in it that may bump it up in the listing. The real surprise for me was the purple sparkle '64. It's a beast!

What strings do you have on it?

 

[TBird1958]

Wait. You can get us a tour there?

Everybody can.

Visit KEXP

www.kexp.org

 

[dagrev]

Just for the record, I was doing some general maintenance on a number of my birds today (oiling fretboards, wiping down hardware, cleaning bodies, tuning and adjusting setups as needed) and ended up playing eleven birds back to back with a Kenny Wayne Shepherd Blue on Black recording. Some interesting observations - namely that price has a lot less to do with how nice a bass sounds than most people would think, string selections can make or break a great bass, and feel is every bit as important as sound.

First place
Lull Petersson bass is an absolute monster - low mids to die for, super light weight, fast neck. Definitely in the top tier I played today.
North ThunderCaster - my god, this thing will tear buildings down. Right there with the Lull on sound, body is heavy though.
Purple Sparkle '64 Eppi - right out of the box this thing has a massive bang for the buck, sounds every bit as good as the Lull as well.
Capped Goth - just as good as the three above but with a $300 all in price

Second place
North '66 Tribute NR - equipped with first run 760ProBuckers, sounds great but not the girth or depth of the '64 Eppi
Eppi VP first run - sweet but not as sweet as the Purple sparkle in sound
Gibson 21 NR Reissue - a wonderful player, love the neck profile on this thing, creamy lows, solid all around bass

Third place (and still damn good basses)
FrankenGoth - the Aggie preamp and BART humbuckers really shine, lots of tonal options
Pink Sparkle Acasia - similar to the bass above, the East preamp and Nordstrand combo is a tone monster, but a bit more sterile
White BaCH - dual ChinaBuckers sound great, punch and grind, heavy bass, nice neck
Blue BaCH - dual Artec pickups sound nearly as good, lighter weight bass, super thin fast neck

Interesting reading. Thanks for posting your observations. It's like Thunderbird nerd food.
As has been said many times before, VPs can he shy on lows compared to others. However, this is only a problem with an amp/cab that is not as full as an Ampeg head and at least the cabs I have. Zero lacking in lows there. The Ashdowns I need to crank the bass to get tot he same territory. The opposite is true for other bases that have more lows like the '06, NR. The Ampeg heads are too full and the Ashdowns are tighter and makes those basses sound great.

 

[dagrev]

Or, God forbid, Del Monte.

Stop. These brands are now getting into the plain disgusting zone. I won't knowingly use ketchup if it's not Heinz. There's no point and no good reason to do so. There may be some other brand that is good, but I have yet to encounter it.

 

[AllieCat]

Hello fellow T-bird fans!

Been lurking for a while now, finally decided to go ahead and post.

Here's my Thunderbirds: A 2010 Epi IV in Alpine White (One of the "Limited Edition Custom Shop" offerings) that I bought new way back when, and a 2021 Faded Pelham Blue non-reverse that I picked up NOS last year.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Great question. I'll do a deep dive on those two tomorrow. Both are great basses, but that purple one has even more going on sound wise than the original VP. My recollection is the purple one plays more fluid than the VP but I'll need to check each one closely to double check that I have them on an even playing field (action, pickup height, strings types, etc). I'll try and take some pics of the two basses highlighting any significant design or build differences.

If it helps, I can also do a back to back of my 1990 Greco and the Purple '64 Eppi. That might give you an interesting feel for how it might fit in your line up.

Note:
I keep calling it a purple sparkle because that's what Eppi calls it, but to be honest it's really more of a violet sparkle. Not a big deal to me, but I was a bit taken back when I first opened the package and expected to see a purple bass.

Looks like they are still available at a reasonable price including a gig bag…
Invalid Link Removed

Thanks! I'm playing my VP and my Grecos fairly equal amounts unless I need the ADGC bass for lower notes. I prefer the VP neck to the Greco neck (which isn't bad). I really want to know how the 64 compares to the VP; if it's as good or better, I'll get one, swap the Thunderbuckers into the 64, and sell the VP.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Hello fellow T-bird fans!

Been lurking for a while now, finally decided to go ahead and post.

Here's my Thunderbirds: A 2010 Epi IV in Alpine White (One of the "Limited Edition Custom Shop" offerings) that I bought new way back when, and a 2021 Faded Pelham Blue non-reverse that I picked up NOS last year.

View attachment 7139777View attachment 7139778

How do you like them? How do you feel they compare?

 

[Gaolee]

Bears.

But if held there all attending don't step on the bear "welcome" mats. Just saying.

A bunch of us would overwhelm the bears. Just a fact.

 

[Gaolee]

This one on Ebay has some cracks at the nut. It would a good candidate for stripping and oiling the neck:
[This invalid link has been removed]

I put in a bid. It won't hold up, most likely. The listing shows a gig bag, so we can probably all guess what happened to it.

 

[Gaolee]

Jeez, I didn't even think about us visiting KEXP during the GTG - Maybe next time!

We are spoiled by having KEXP right here and with a perfectly good signal to tune into.

 

[Gaolee]

Wait. You can get us a tour there?

Anybody can go in for a tour. I haven't done it, since I live here and don't even think about it much.

 

[Engle]

Our band does Blue on Black and love the sound of the Dark Stars on the JC. I really need to figure out a way to use two basses. JC for the blues and the Willbird for rock.

If you're concerned about quick switch-overs, get a Boss AB-2. You can have them both plugged and ready.
It's funny that you are playing a Casady and not using the Electar.

 

[Engle]

Hello fellow T-bird fans!

Been lurking for a while now, finally decided to go ahead and post.

Here's my Thunderbirds: A 2010 Epi IV in Alpine White (One of the "Limited Edition Custom Shop" offerings) that I bought new way back when, and a 2021 Faded Pelham Blue non-reverse that I picked up NOS last year.

View attachment 7139777View attachment 7139778

Nice pair - And welcome!!!

 

[Stealth57]

If you're concerned about quick switch-overs, get a Boss AB-2. You can have them both plugged and ready.
It's funny that you are playing a Casady and not using the Electar.

The Dark Stars provide more low end than the Electar. I really like the Electar sound, it's just that the songs the BL picked seem to want a touch more low end.

 

[TBird1958]

Hello fellow T-bird fans!

Been lurking for a while now, finally decided to go ahead and post.

Here's my Thunderbirds: A 2010 Epi IV in Alpine White (One of the "Limited Edition Custom Shop" offerings) that I bought new way back when, and a 2021 Faded Pelham Blue non-reverse that I picked up NOS last year.

View attachment 7139777View attachment 7139778

Welcome!
Lovely Thunderbirds, let me know if you'd like a club number

 

[TBird1958]

Anybody can go in for a tour. I haven't done it, since I live here and don't even think about it much.

Kinda like visiting the Space Needle, MoPop, etc!

 

[Thumper]

Thanks! I'm playing my VP and my Grecos fairly equal amounts unless I need the ADGC bass for lower notes. I prefer the VP neck to the Greco neck (which isn't bad). I really want to know how the 64 compares to the VP; if it's as good or better, I'll get one, swap the Thunderbuckers into the 64, and sell the VP.

This is a very interesting discussion to me. I respect all the knowledge of the main contributors to this thread implicitly. I have reached out to 4-5 for opinions, and in particular to George for technical questions. I wonder though how much of the difference between makes and models is luck of the draw. I've been looking for a Gibson to have in the stable but have since stopped. No matter what the name on the headstock (my ownership has included vintage and Custom Shop Fenders, NY Sadowskys, MTDs, Dingwalls, Gibsons, Elrick, Sukop, Roscoes, Modulus, 55-94 Laklands, Noordstand, Lull T5, etc., etc.,). None of those basses, including a '76 Thunderbird, were/are superior to my '17 VP, '19 VP, or a very special Wamoth J.

My White '17 VP (Thanks again Kara, wherever/however you are) is my main gigging/band practice bass, backed up by my Fenderbird (P), but the black '19 VP is pushing it hard. The '17 is in the top 3 of basses I've owned in 55 years of bass ownership, the '19 is not far behind. Both under 9 lbs, necks to die for, both pixie dust basses. I feel privileged to own them.

IMO, don't get hung up on the name on the headstock, models, years, do consider other owners opinions (try and weed out fan boys or fan girls). Trust your ears and fingers, once you've figured out the bass tone in your head (it took me 50 years), hopefully like many here, that journey is much shorter.