Thunderbird Club

[Miles_ONeal]

I can only make it the kitchen to actually make coffee, I'm not able to do anything else aside from pulling on my bathrobe before two cups of coffee are consumed.

If the coffee maker isn't ready to go, there is no guarantee I will make it without some form of mistake the first time. Fortunately, Sharon loves the smell of coffee and enjoys making it - even though she hates the taste of it. We also keep bottled coffee for emergencies.

 

[dagrev]

I can only make it the kitchen to actually make coffee, I'm not able to do anything else aside from pulling on my bathrobe before two cups of coffee are consumed.

I try to wait a bit before coffee. Physiologically it's most effective two hours after waking. Prior to that the caffeine actually "shorts out" our body's natural wake up process and chemicals, making us more draggy because it just has the caffeine and less of what the body offers to build on. No "stacking" as used today. Just a thought if you can try it. It's not quick or automatic after years of our body's being trained otherwise. Not to mention old habits (nasty or not) are hard to break.

 

[dagrev]

Sad news... Really loved his style. Not flashy or fast, but very musical. Gary Rossington always reminded me of Mick in terms of playing style.
Mick Ralphs, Guitarist in Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, Dead at 81

 

[dagrev]

It's a shame that Bad Company is only now being inducted into the RR Hall of (supposed) Fame. It think it's been a joke for several decades. Bands who actually significantly contributed to, shaped or changed music in a real way took decades past eligibility (if ever), to be inducted and people who were a couple album wonders (that no one will remember in 20 yrs), with a subset of people have gotten in not long after eligible. If there was anything ever rigged, the RR Hall is it. Given some of the people entered, it means nothing other than you had enough insider friends who voted for you. Rant over. Now get off my..... You know... the, you know the thing....

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Sad news... Really loved his style. Not flashy or fast, but very musical. Gary Rossington always reminded me of Mick in terms of playing style.
Mick Ralphs, Guitarist in Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, Dead at 81

I thought someone mentioned him yesterday, but maybe that was elsewhere. Yes to his style!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

It's a shame that Bad Company is only now being inducted into the RR Hall of (supposed) Fame. It think it's been a joke for several decades. Bands who actually significantly contributed to, shaped or changed music in a real way took decades past eligibility (if ever), to be inducted and people who were a couple album wonders (that no one will remember in 20 yrs), with a subset of people have gotten in not long after eligible. If there was anything ever rigged, the RR Hall is it. Given some of the people entered, it means nothing other than you had enough insider friends who voted for you. Rant over. Now get off my..... You know... the, you know the thing....

100% agreed

 

[Miles_ONeal]

A Mick diversion - any Mick Ronson fans? His "Play Don't Worry" is interesting for its variety of influences. I don't know which songs were him on bass vs Trevor Bolder, but there's some tasty playing on there.

 

[dagrev]

I thought someone mentioned him yesterday, but maybe that was elsewhere. Yes to his style!

I don't recall, but likely could have. I have been known to read without comprehension.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I don't recall, but likely could have. I have been known to read without comprehension.

 

[GBassNorth]

100% agreed

Ditto

 

[Miles_ONeal]

A Mick diversion - any Mick Ronson fans? His "Play Don't Worry" is interesting for its variety of influences. I don't know which songs were him on bass vs Trevor Bolder, but there's some tasty playing on there.

I will note I'm not a huge fan of that album; too many of the songs and arrangements are generic pop sounding for my taste.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Ouch.

Thread 'Gibson Thunderbird - Year unknown for restoration.'

Jun 24, 2025

Hello, i have this bass body and neck, my fathers bass, he had some troubles with the neck (I think) and he wanted to restore it.. never did it in the end.

I would like to get some advises here, if this stuff can be used by an enthusiast, to restore that bass. What would be the year and the model and if it's worth something.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

This is my father with the bass many years ago, probably in the early 80s, maybe late 70s pretty sure it's the same bass.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

The complete gallery
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I've got some...

• Auspis
• Replies: 30
• Forum: Basses [BG]

• 
• 

 

[GBassNorth]

For those of you contemplating going down the EMG Geezer Butler P/J path on a bird or other nearly as fine a bass here’s a before and after sound clip on my mid 1990’s Epiphone Non Reverse originally equipped with an Eppi PJ set and now equipped with a passive EMG Geezer Butler PJ set…

Stock pickups…

Geezer pickups…

Both recordings were set with all knobs maxed. Finger playing on the G and D strings, right hand over split P, fresh nickel round wounds.

My thoughts…
Sound - the Geezers are noticeably brighter on the top end, cleaner and tighter on the bottom end. They have more punch than the Eppi pups. With the tone knob slightly backed off and the neck pickup slightly favored the two pickups sound relatively similar. A strong lower mid punch is very easy to EQ in on the Geezers, not as easy on the more creamy Eppi pups. Both sound very good to my ears (although the Geezer recording picked up a lot of poor technique string noise, my bad not the pups) but I suspect the EMGs would be a better fit in a live stage setting. I also suspect that pick action would really set these things on fire.

Quality - top notch, solderless connections and dead easy instructions.

Fit - so so on the Eppi NR. The split P screw tabs were quite a bit smaller than the stock Eppi tabs so there’s a bit of air gap in the pick guard. The Jazz pickup was a perfect fit though. Exposed coils look nice on this bass but don’t line up exactly with the strings, doesn’t seem to effect the quality of the sound though. If you have string/coil OCD you might want to think twice about these or possibly get a bridge that provides adjustable string spacing.

Cost - at about $200 they aren’t an expensive upgrade. The set comes with both the P and Jazz pickups, both volume pots and the tone pot, an output jack, all the necessary wiring harnesses and all screws/washers/nuts to install everything. The only thing it does not include (and in my opinion should be provided) are knobs, but there’s so many knob options on in the market out there I guess it would be difficult to find something that pleases everybody.

So there ya go, get a set if you’re so inclined.

 

[MCF]

It's a shame that Bad Company is only now being inducted into the RR Hall of (supposed) Fame. It think it's been a joke for several decades. Bands who actually significantly contributed to, shaped or changed music in a real way took decades past eligibility (if ever), to be inducted and people who were a couple album wonders (that no one will remember in 20 yrs), with a subset of people have gotten in not long after eligible. If there was anything ever rigged, the RR Hall is it. Given some of the people entered, it means nothing other than you had enough insider friends who voted for you. Rant over. Now get off my..... You know... the, you know the thing....

As a museum, it’s an ok institution. As a “governing body” choosing who to honor as inductees into some mythical HOF, it’s a complete joke. What it did to Chris Squire, not honoring his band until after he died, was despicable.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

For those of you contemplating going down the EMG Geezer Butler P/J path on a bird or other nearly as fine a bass here’s a before and after sound clip on my mid 1990’s Epiphone Non Reverse originally equipped with an Eppi PJ set and now equipped with a passive EMG Geezer Butler PJ set…
View attachment 7259377
Stock pickups…
View attachment 7259381


Geezer pickups…
View attachment 7259382
Both recordings were set with all knobs maxed. Finger playing on the G and D strings, right hand over split P, fresh nickel round wounds.

My thoughts…
Sound - the Geezers are noticeably brighter on the top end, cleaner and tighter on the bottom end. They have more punch than the Eppi pups. With the tone knob slightly backed off and the neck pickup slightly favored the two pickups sound relatively similar. A strong lower mid punch is very easy to EQ in on the Geezers, not as easy on the more creamy Eppi pups. Both sound very good to my ears (although the Geezer recording picked up a lot of poor technique string noise, my bad not the pups) but I suspect the EMGs would be a better fit in a live stage setting. I also suspect that pick action would really set these things on fire.

Quality - top notch, solderless connections and dead easy instructions.

Fit - so so on the Eppi NR. The split P screw tabs were quite a bit smaller than the stock Eppi tabs so there’s a bit of air gap in the pick guard. The Jazz pickup was a perfect fit though. Exposed coils look nice on this bass but don’t line up exactly with the strings, doesn’t seem to effect the quality of the sound though. If you have string/coil OCD you might want to think twice about these or possibly get a bridge that provides adjustable string spacing.

Cost - at about $200 they aren’t an expensive upgrade. The set comes with both the P and Jazz pickups, both volume pots and the tone pot, an output jack, all the necessary wiring harnesses and all screws/washers/nuts to install everything. The only thing it does not include (and in my opinion should be provided) are knobs, but there’s so many knob options on in the market out there I guess it would be difficult to find something that pleases everybody.

So there ya go, get a set if you’re so inclined.

Interesting. The high end was so present on the EMGs I couldn't tell that they had as much low end as the stock pickups.

 

[MCF]

Ouch.

Thread 'Gibson Thunderbird - Year unknown for restoration.'

Jun 24, 2025

Hello, i have this bass body and neck, my fathers bass, he had some troubles with the neck (I think) and he wanted to restore it.. never did it in the end.

I would like to get some advises here, if this stuff can be used by an enthusiast, to restore that bass. What would be the year and the model and if it's worth something.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

This is my father with the bass many years ago, probably in the early 80s, maybe late 70s pretty sure it's the same bass.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

The complete gallery
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I've got some...

• Auspis
• Replies: 30
• Forum: Basses [BG]

• 
• 

I think Donnie could use another project. Or Irv.

 

[MCF]

Growing up in SoCal, there was no escaping this guy’s few years of fame. Every girl loved him. My fist girlfriend had a poster of him in her room. Sure, the music was throwaway pop. From a kinder, gentler time. Makes me sad that he passed. By all accounts, he was one of the good guys.

Bobby Sherman, teen idol in the 1960s and '70s, and later a CPR teacher, dies at 81

Former teen idol Bobby Sherman has died at 81. His winsome smile and fashionable shaggy mop top helped make him into a star in the 1960s and ’70s with bubblegum pop like “Little Woman” and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me.”

apnews.com

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Growing up in SoCal, there was no escaping this guy’s few years of fame. Every girl loved him. My fist girlfriend had a poster of him in her room. Sure, the music was throwaway pop. From a kinder, gentler time. Makes me sad that he passed. By all accounts, he was one of the good guys.

Bobby Sherman, teen idol in the 1960s and '70s, and later a CPR teacher, dies at 81

Former teen idol Bobby Sherman has died at 81. His winsome smile and fashionable shaggy mop top helped make him into a star in the 1960s and ’70s with bubblegum pop like “Little Woman” and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me.”

apnews.com

Ahem!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Growing up in SoCal, there was no escaping this guy’s few years of fame. Every girl loved him. My fist girlfriend had a poster of him in her room. Sure, the music was throwaway pop. From a kinder, gentler time. Makes me sad that he passed. By all accounts, he was one of the good guys.

Bobby Sherman, teen idol in the 1960s and '70s, and later a CPR teacher, dies at 81

Former teen idol Bobby Sherman has died at 81. His winsome smile and fashionable shaggy mop top helped make him into a star in the 1960s and ’70s with bubblegum pop like “Little Woman” and “Julie, Do Ya Love Me.”

apnews.com

Wow. He wasn't just a cool cat but a cool human being overall.

His "Seattle" was one of the catchiest TV theme songs of the era. That and swooning girls are always the first things that come to mind when I hear his name.

 

[MCF]

Ditto

Did you all read the other day where Carol Kaye gave the HOF the middle finger? She ain’t gonna show to receive an award.