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Thunderbird Club

#330,081
Miles_ONeal said:
I rode 65 miles for the Livestrong foundation today. I hate cancer so much. It was actually ~1.3 miles farther than shown; I fat-glove-fingered starting the trip computer in the 49F temps. Not used to those yet this year! Cirrus riders & runners raised over $8,500 as well as the company paying all our entry fees. I rode with friends from work and other than feeling tired and a bit sore after, it was good. The party after was great, too. Not only was there a killer band, but the sound guy really knew his stuff. Even the bass came through perfectly!
1762142419083.jpeg

My view from the starting line (we had VIP status due to our fundraising so were in the first wave):
1762142419090.jpeg
Click to expand...
:thumbsup:
 
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#330,083
RedVee said:
Donnie, that’s gonna be a GlamourBird when you have finished with it. Congrats!

Also, George has used some gold strings (???Optima Gold???) in the past. Maybe a consideration ? Maybe a step too far ?

George?
Click to expand...
I installed those (Optima) gold strings on a fretless gilded (Peavey B-Quad) bass with gold hardware (tuners, saddles, strap pegs). They looked the part, and sounded ok. Sold the bass - owner was happy. If having gold strings is the point - they will do.

1762151110445.jpeg
 
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#330,085
JIO said:
EMG's (their low impedance active pu's) were/are especially favored by metal guitarists because they deliver a clean, neutral sound, so when adding all their effects they remain clear and articulate. I have (9v active) EMGX J pu's in my Supersonic bass and they are exactly that - clean, clear and neutral. (...it's strung w/flats) My Russian (Moscow) guitarist/musician friend who worked for Avid (formerly Digi Design - he's a sonic scientist) played all my basses at one point and picked that bass as his favorite. I don't think I ever made it growl, but otherwise it sounds/records damn good.

View attachment 7359882
Click to expand...
Because I lived on a sailboat for quite some time and started traveling back and forth to Florida I purchased a couple of Steinberger XT-25's and later an XT-2DB, the latter of which has a Drop D adjustable down to B lever. One issue with the XT-25's regarding their pickups is that they use the same cheap HB sized humbuckers on them as the four string models, which are of an insufficient width for the five string models. EMG has a guideline on their website where the total magnet width of the pickup should be the string width plus twice the height of the string above the pickup.

So I eventually went with the EMG 35 soapbars with the active J and JX-CS pickup in the black XT-25- in my case they provided a noticeably warm tone which I really like.

Steinberger XT-25 EMG Active.jpeg


I eventually upgraded the XT-2DB with the active HBCS pickups with the magnets in a reverse split-P configuration which have a lot of mid-range punch with a bite on the edge-

Steinberger XT-2DB Active.jpeg


But they don't sound like the original ones in the XL-25UAF- must be the HAZ EQ system - they are very high gain but I would not characterize them as sterile sounding as there are a lot of harmonic overtones-

Steinberger XL-25UAF in case.jpeg


You can see in this pic how they were a bit more convenient to deploy and put away in the close quarters of a boat, and between the three, I cover the rehearsal and recording needs of at least two original songs- also they are easier to carry up the companionway, stepping off the dock, and loading them in the car for corroborating with locals or going on a road trip to Florida.

Steinbergers on boat.jpeg


All things said I tend to prefer standard full size bass designs regarding the fretted ones, but the XL-25 one is a truly an exceptional instrument and plan to use it on at least one original song, though I will also use the Warwick Thumb NT 5 for other ones. Would be an eye opener for live playing but would watch it like a hawk between sets-
 
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#330,088
ectoflanger said:
Sounds great!! Has that similar mid-range warmth that mine have-
Click to expand...
thanks!.....dicking around in the studio decades ago....this one has an amusing story our guitarist/singer wrote about the owner of a club (called "La Comedia" where we used to play) who canned us after his wife came on to him....can't write this stuff.....
 
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#330,089
RedVee said:
Donnie, that’s gonna be a GlamourBird when you have finished with it. Congrats!

Also, George has used some gold strings (???Optima Gold???) in the past. Maybe a consideration ? Maybe a step too far ?

George?
Click to expand...
:oops: Gold strings with all that gold already? That's a bit much Mate! :roflmao:
I actually I did think (wondered) about that as well. But it maybe a bit too far. But would look good with my white fur Sly Stone hat maybe? :laugh:

Thanks, it's not perfect already looks 1000% better than initially. As always rushing comes back to get you. But unless someone is really eyeballing it or a couple feet away things they bug me will not be noticed. It will not be ashamed to go out and be played now. Heck, whenever I retire if the urge hit me I could go for perfection next time if the urge hit me.
 
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#330,090
Miles_ONeal said:
I rode 65 miles for the Livestrong foundation today. I hate cancer so much. It was actually ~1.3 miles farther than shown; I fat-glove-fingered starting the trip computer in the 49F temps. Not used to those yet this year! Cirrus riders & runners raised over $8,500 as well as the company paying all our entry fees. I rode with friends from work and other than feeling tired and a bit sore after, it was good. The party after was great, too. Not only was there a killer band, but the sound guy really knew his stuff. Even the bass came through perfectly!
1762142419083.jpeg

My view from the starting line (we had VIP status due to our fundraising so were in the first wave):
1762142419090.jpeg
Click to expand...
Wow!
 
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#330,091
JIO said:
I installed those (Optima) gold strings on a fretless gilded (Peavey B-Quad) bass with gold hardware (tuners, saddles, strap pegs). They looked the part, and sounded ok. Sold the bass - owner was happy. If having gold strings is the point - they will do.

View attachment 7359889
Click to expand...
La Bella makes some gold tapes that are brighter (tone-wise) than the black nylons as well. They were, and might be a thought. Unlikely, but not entirely ruled out either.
 
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#330,093
BklynKen said:
This guy puts EMG in everything. Only ones I've tried were the passive ones, and they were very close in tone to the recent TB+. I was hoping they'd be closer to the 2001 TB+. Sent them back.
Click to expand...
I guess he’s what some call a bass influencer. I doubt that he pays for them. He initially slammed the ‘21 NR, then did a second review sort of taking it back and saying good things about it.
JIO said:
If free and I needed something to do - for sure I would have attended. Even though I have no interest in it - I would have liked to experience that "scene" (the performance/event and audience) to get a broader understanding of music/entertainment we are all part of. Continually having blinders on what we don't like makes Johnny a dull boy...

View attachment 7359832
Click to expand...
I’d rather be dull. The only thing worse would be attending a Milli Vanilli reunion show.
 
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#330,094
JIO said:
EMG's (their low impedance active pu's) were/are especially favored by metal guitarists because they deliver a clean, neutral sound, so when adding all their effects they remain clear and articulate. I have (9v active) EMGX J pu's in my Supersonic bass and they are exactly that - clean, clear and neutral. (...it's strung w/flats) My Russian (Moscow) guitarist/musician friend who worked for Avid (formerly Digi Design - he's a sonic scientist) played all my basses at one point and picked that bass as his favorite. I don't think I ever made it growl, but otherwise it sounds/records damn good.

View attachment 7359882
Click to expand...
Fun fact. When I had an office in Sacto, my assistant’s son worked at EMG in Sant Rosa. She offered to get me something from them. Never took her up on it.
 
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#330,095
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#330,099
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#330,100
Chucky Stiletti said:
80's EMG active J (which I still have somewhere) in my 79 Gretsch Committee (Barts now) in 87...excuse recording, originally recorded on 2" but lost some when digitizing yrs later...
View attachment 7359886
Click to expand...
I found a recording of the Tbird I built - when it had the EMG active P pickup in it:
 
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