Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

I can come pretty close to a pick sound with my fingers. Callouses help.

Yep. I struggle with a pick. Maybe because I play guitar with fingers and that follows to the bass. I’ve compensated over the years with various plucking techniques. But I’m not giving up becoming a better pick player.

 

[RedVee]

I'm partial to the HiAce. It's like a kei truck grew up.

View attachment 7195144

They are in plague proportions here, the vans anyway.
It seems every electrician and house painted here has a white HiAce van. Well at least until the Hyundai iLoad.

I don’t remember us getting a truck style version, though HiLux is like cockroaches here…. Numerous and indestructible.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

80 in Bako. Spring has arrived.

Just me and the dog. Wife and son went to Whittier yesterday. Father-in-law taken to ER yesterday AM. He's stable, waiting to be transferred to cardiac unit at St. Joseph's in the OC. Other than worrying, I've been dialing in the '77, playing tunes and watching Dodgers.

Yikes. Sorry to hear that. Praying for your FIL and you all.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Well…my '15, my '77, and my two BaCHs have wonderful necks. I have an Ibby and a Peavy Foundation that are equally great. Too bad the Ibby sounds like garbage.

Something pickups would help? Stealthbird?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

And there's that guy with the Neil Young shirt. I don't feel as old as I look.

I feel 19, so I get it!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I swear. Gibson needs to bring back the Slingshot. I only got one before they stopped making them. 21/2 inches. They are great for Thunderbird players who like a narrower strap.

I bet one of the custom strap shops would make you some.

 

[MCF]

As I think about it, you make good point and one maybe one not fully intended. In a live mix subtle things like strings can either not be noticed (Ken's valid point)--or something good at home can disappear or could be over emphasized, this being less likely in my experience. I've found that how something sounds at home is almost meaningless in terms of how it will sound in a mix in a big room. (My '64 is completely uninteresting hat home. Possibly my worst sounding bass at home. But live....Monster!

I'll take your word for it. I'm probably a year or so away from finding a project to put all my work into playing in a mix. It's been years since I last did that in the early eighties. I think I'm more than ready.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Yep. I struggle with a pick. Maybe because I play guitar with fingers and that follows to the bass. I've compensated over the years with various plucking techniques. But I'm not giving up becoming a better pick player.

Panic Switch.
It just didn’t sound right with fingers. Forced me back into pick playing, which I already wanted.

 

[MCF]

I'd hazard that it's probably just very hard attack with the fingers. If you're not really plucking the string, but rather driving through it so it hits the fretboard, you get much more attack. Kinda like how Geddy and the Ox have such hard attack with fingers. I usually just use a pick if I have to do a section that calls for very fast pedaling or specifically a pick sort of scrape attack. When playing chords or double stops I'l usually flick my fingers through so my finger nails are hitting the strings instead, like Rasgueado in Flamenco.

There are ways to attack with fingers depending on where you play on the bass. It takes a lot of trial and error with amplification.

 

[Thumper]

Panic Switch.
It just didn't sound right with fingers. Forced me back into pick playing, which I already wanted.

I guess I need to learn to eq for a pick. The last time I tried using a pick for a Cult song, the band leader/guitarist looked at me and said "Don't Do That," saying I didn't sound like me. It was pretty clacky sounding.

 

[MCF]

With EBCFs, there's a huge vast difference between pick and fingers. Night and day.

I wouldn’t know. I gave up on them years ago.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Well…my '15, my '77, and my two BaCHs have wonderful necks. I have an Ibby and a Peavy Foundation that are equally great. Too bad the Ibby sounds like garbage.

got some great necks in my collection, none come close to the 60's necks..

 

[Thumper]

I wouldn't know. I gave up on them years ago.

Pick, fingers, or EBCFs?

 

[MCF]

Panic Switch.
It just didn't sound right with fingers. Forced me back into pick playing, which I already wanted.

Huh. I can do it fine with fingers , but it depends on the Thunderbird. And through the SVT. TT800 , and M6 Carbine. I admit I have not played it with others.

FWIW, my recently acquired ‘77 does the tone in spades.

 

[MCF]

Pick, fingers, or EBCFs?

EBCFs. Never sounded good for me as much as I tried. YYMV.

 

[Stealth57]

EBCFs. Never sounded good for me as much as I tried. YYMV.

Princess fingers.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Pick, fingers, or EBCFs?

RS66..

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I guess I need to learn to eq for a pick. The last time I tried using a pick for a Cult song, the band leader/guitarist looked at me and said "Don't Do That," saying I didn't sound like me. It was pretty clacky sounding.

Fortunately, I already get enough tone variation through how and where on the strings I play that my sound is varied.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

wonder how they kept the paint from hosing the ser. no....

 

[MCF]

got some great necks in my collection, none come close to the 60's necks..

Yeah. I believe you. I’ll probably never know. There is is no way I can justify spending what they go for at this point. But frankly, what I have is perfect for me. And me being pretty much neck agnostic and having no issues with all my wide EPIs, it isn’t an issue. For me. But I totally understand other impressions.