Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

Results may vary. The ABM is the only amp I recall doing that.

Certainly true in my case with 500w. Thus, I'm hoping with 200w less the master has more room to move and not so incremental.

I run gain regularly between 1:00 and 2:00 o’clock on both Mesas that I have.

 

[Stealth57]

Actually it’s 42 I forgot about a couple of settings , I revised the original post. The good news is it’s completely visual and intuitive, you don’t have to remember a thing, just slide the two micro switches on the trim ring towards the coil you want activated, or slide them towards each other for series and away from each other for parallel. That’s it. Completely eliminates the biggest problem I have with pickup switches - trying to remember which setting does what.

Thank you Deep Thought.

 

[Nocturnal]

Thanks Andy.

I was thinking about you guys and the huge dust storm. What a mess. Hope everything is ok!

It was the biggest we have had for quite a while. We came thru it fine, but dusty.

 

[JJR58]

could be mistaken but don't think you can use the three point Badbird (thx Jeff) replacement without an added claw ymmv....
View attachment 7310663

Oh heck, you are absolutely correct Chuck.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

It was the biggest we have had for quite a while. We came thru it fine, but dusty.

So how long/bad was it? Most of the dust storms in El Paso when I was a kid only lasted a few (intense) minutes. The worst was hours long. We ended up with dust on everything in the house with up to 1/4" on the side the wind was hitting. And I had a bad case of tonsillitis. The wind piled tumbleweeds and sand up against the back wall (nothing but desert past that wall), and it would pick up small, flat stones and roll them across the desert. They'd go up the ramp, over the wall, and hit the house. We had the only house on our block that didn't have a window broken. It really sucked for those folk.

I never had to drive in a dust storm. I can see where that would be nerve-wracking if it caught you off guard. I wish I'd thought to ask Dad if his little Renault with the rusted out floor boards got lots of sand in it after those storms.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

What Dave said. Max <7/8 (total tray) depending on how much to cut the spring.

View attachment 7310648

1/2” maxed out, but based on the Bad Bridge mounting bolt position, it wouldn’t help. Unless I could flip the saddles and rotate the bridge 180°.

 

[TBird1958]

Yes as this puts as much signal to the tube as possible and helps it do more tube stuff. Back it off, less OD. (Tip from the Basschat ABM forum.) The new IVs like your's have been redesigned and inherently thrown more signal to the tube than previous versions.

Here's my setup for a show at a 200-250 seat venue tonight, I will have FOH. My input gain is on the left at 9:00 or so, much above that and I'm constantly pegging the VU. The "tube" and amount of it is the knob just to the right low side of the VU, the manual suggests somewhere between 9-12, I'm at 10ish. I have the bass backed off a bit in my eq, and the bias is backed down as well. Tbird pickups make lots of bass but that doesn't carry well out the FOH and the stage gets muddy. The middle knob in the low position is compression and I'm finding that I like a little, the right low knob is a Sub Harmonic octaver, for certain songs, it's the bomb!
For tonight, I'll probably push the master out on the far right up a few notches, but that's about it.

 

[godofthunder59]

It's been a bit quite on the Thunderbird front around here, not much available locally so my eyes landed on a '66 Firebird at The House of Guitars. It's been on layaway for a number of months and I was finally able to bring it home today. It's a great addition to the collection and will look great with my birds.

 

[RedVee]

Oh, don't know. It has black springs, if that means anything.
JT gave it to me with the '66 NR. I asked if he want that and other things I wasn't going to use and he said no, but feel odd selling it. Will likely check with him again just to make sure. He has them on all his Thunderbirds. Or the one's that needed them I should say.

You won’t want to put it on the project T’bird ?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

It's been a bit quite on the Thunderbird front around here, not much available locally so my eyes landed on a '66 Firebird at The House of Guitars. It's been on layaway for a number of months and I was finally able to bring it home today. It's a great addition to the collection and will look great with my birds.

The VII was my dream axe back when I played guitar. Never found one I could justify the price for.

 

[dagrev]

It was the biggest we have had for quite a while. We came thru it fine, but dusty.

For some reason I was thinking you weren't in it's path. Glad everything is OK.

 

[dagrev]

View attachment 7310733
1/2” maxed out, but based on the Bad Bridge mounting bolt position, it wouldn’t help. Unless I could flip the saddles and rotate the bridge 180°.

Bummer.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Here's my setup for a show at a 200-250 seat venue tonight, I will have FOH. My input gain is on the left at 9:00 or so, much above that and I'm constantly pegging the VU. The "tube" and amount of it is the knob just to the right low side of the VU, the manual suggests somewhere between 9-12, I'm at 10ish. I have the bass backed off a bit in my eq, and the bias is backed down as well. Tbird pickups make lots of bass but that doesn't carry well out the FOH and the stage gets muddy. The middle knob in the low position is compression and I'm finding that I like a little, the right low knob is a Sub Harmonic octaver, for certain songs, it's the bomb!
For tonight, I'll probably push the master out on the far right up a few notches, but that's about it.

ROCK IT!

 

[dagrev]

Here's my setup for a show at a 200-250 seat venue tonight, I will have FOH. My input gain is on the left at 9:00 or so, much above that and I'm constantly pegging the VU. The "tube" and amount of it is the knob just to the right low side of the VU, the manual suggests somewhere between 9-12, I'm at 10ish. I have the bass backed off a bit in my eq, and the bias is backed down as well. Tbird pickups make lots of bass but that doesn't carry well out the FOH and the stage gets muddy. The middle knob in the low position is compression and I'm finding that I like a little, the right low knob is a Sub Harmonic octaver, for certain songs, it's the bomb!
For tonight, I'll probably push the master out on the far right up a few notches, but that's about it.

Thanks. I'll try to remember to take a pic of my 500. Pretty different from you. You have the shape deployed--I disengage. Chuck uses it like you do. I may have to try it, but it sounds counter intuitive to suck the mids out and boost the bass and highs, then have to cut bass and boost mids back. I can't wrap my head around that, but need to try it. But my Ampeg cabs are packed full of big lows so that may not work of be needed for me. I would love to hear your tone and your cab.

Have a great show!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

It's been a bit quiet on the Thunderbird front around here, not much available locally so my eyes landed on a '66 Firebird at The House of Guitars. It's been on layaway for a number of months and I was finally able to bring it home today. It's a great addition to the collection and will look great with my birds.

what a beauty! congrats.....that store looks incredible....

 

[dagrev]

It's been a bit quite on the Thunderbird front around here, not much available locally so my eyes landed on a '66 Firebird at The House of Guitars. It's been on layaway for a number of months and I was finally able to bring it home today. It's a great addition to the collection and will look great with my birds.

Cool! A very cold cool!

 

[dagrev]

You won’t want to put it on the project T’bird ?

No, going with gold hardware (some of which J.T. also gave me. At some point if gold looks awful or something I might go back to nickle, but I'm hoping not.

 

[godofthunder59]

what a beauty! congrats.....that store looks incredible....

The House of Guitars is one of a kind and I've been fortunate to be associated since 1975 .

 

[Miles_ONeal]

what a beauty! congrats.....that store looks incredible....

Yeah, it's on my Must See list if I get anywhere nearby.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Yeah, it's on my Must See list if I get anywhere nearby.

yeah, reminds me of killer music stores from the 20th century....