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Thunderbird Club

#330,121
ectoflanger said:
So, when it comes to active versus passive pickups I tend to prefer passive. If I were to buy a new instrument where there's a choice I would go with the passive variant such as a Jazz or Precision. Concerning the basses I have with active systems, there was no choice, it was how they came and I'm fine with them. With regard to the relatively cheap Steinberger XT's, active EMG's seemed the best choice when I upgraded them and I wasn't disappointed, but I have no plans to upgrade anything else in that way,

And all of my guitars are passive-

JIO related how the EMG has a neutral tone that metal players like. Does anyone else have pros and cons to offer from past and present experiences?
Click to expand...
I have active EMGs in my Spector Rex5 Tbird and they sound great, but my preference is still passive…
CIMG5492.jpeg


I put passive P/J Geezer Butler EMGs in my Epiphone NR and they sound nice as well but still not my favorite bird sound…
IMG_5016.jpeg


I do have other birds that I’ve converted to active.
A three pickup Silver Goth that has an Aggie OBP-2 preamp and DiMarzio Mudbucker, bottom end for days but no mud…
IMG_4665.jpeg

The battery is under the pickguard


A two pickup Goth that has Bartolini pickups and an Aggie OBP-2 with coil switching, crystal clear baritone guitarish sounds…
IMG_5644.jpeg

Battery compartment routed in the rear.

And an Acasia 5 string Non Reverse with an East preamp and Nordstrand Pickups, flexible to a fault…
IMG_2906.jpeg

No battery route required.
 
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#330,122
TBird1958 said:
It looks like the bridge pickup on the T.P. sig is in the same spot as my T4 II.

1ELaT8e.jpg
Click to expand...
Yes it is. Just think how joyous your T4II sounds, then add nearly endless bottom end as you dial up the neck pickup. Very very nice sounding bass and actually very useable tones coming from the neck pickup even when soloed.
 
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#330,123
ectoflanger said:
I love the changes- and great comping brother! Is that the Gretsch again?
Click to expand...
thank you Sir, you're gonna fit perfect here.....one of my favorite subjects and one I bore the club with so when someone asks...... :hyper:
yes Gretsch again....started life like this (left) and currently like on right.....apparently Gretsch's wood stock in 79 was 40 years old so......wish I could find the original bucker......
IMG_6941.jpeg

 
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#330,125
ectoflanger said:
I didn't know that Mike Lull did T-Birds. I remember a conversation I had with Evan Sheeley where he related that his two main basses were a Lull Precision and a Jazz. and since then I assumed that was Mike's specialty.

Interesting looking bridge and tail stop- what make are they?
Click to expand...

They go back to 2007-08, mine was the first production model after a prototype and one made to go to trade shows. Around that time I was at his shop pretty often as he re-finned two '76s for me and was doing all of my set ups on every bass I owned - I may have been an influence on him, but he had owned 7-8 Thunderbirds in the past so he was plenty familiar with them. The hardware for the T4/5 was made by Hipshot, any Lull Bird is rare, just over 100 of all types were made.
I got to know Evan Sheeley pretty well too, BassNW was about two blocks from my work and he was a big T Bird fan, during his time with TKO he used 6 Thunderbirds - he's a real nice guy, retired now, he lives in southern Oregon, his partner at BassNW, Chad Beeler owns The Bass Shop in West Seattle.
 
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#330,126
TBird1958 said:
They go back to 2007-08, mine was the first production model after a prototype and one made to go to trade shows. Around that time I was at his shop pretty often as he re-finned two '76s for me and was doing all of my set ups on every bass I owned - I may have been an influence on him, but he had owned 7-8 Thunderbirds in the past so he was plenty familiar with them. The hardware for the T4/5 was made by Hipshot, any Lull Bird is rare, just over 100 of all types were made.
I got to know Evan Sheeley pretty well too, BassNW was about two blocks from my work and he was a big T Bird fan, during his time with TKO he used 6 Thunderbirds - he's a real nice guy, retired now, he lives in southern Oregon, his partner at BassNW, Chad Beeler owns The Bass Shop in West Seattle.
Click to expand...
Good to know that his partner is continuing with the Bass Shop as I have fond memories from my dealings with Bass NW and talking with Evan. Didn’t know that he played TBirds though-
 
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#330,127
GBassNorth said:
I have active EMGs in my Spector Rex5 Tbird and they sound great, but my preference is still passive…
View attachment 7360175

I put passive P/J Geezer Butler EMGs in my Epiphone NR and they sound nice as well but still not my favorite bird sound…
View attachment 7360165

I do have other birds that I’ve converted to active.
A three pickup Silver Goth that has an Aggie OBP-2 preamp and DiMarzio Mudbucker, bottom end for days but no mud…
View attachment 7360167
The battery is under the pickguard


A two pickup Goth that has Bartolini pickups and an Aggie OBP-2 with coil switching, crystal clear baritone guitarish sounds…
View attachment 7360178
Battery compartment routed in the rear.

And an Acasia 5 string Non Reverse with an East preamp and Nordstrand Pickups, flexible to a fault…
View attachment 7360168
No battery route required.
Click to expand...
I like the individual bridge pieces on the Acadia 5- are those HipShots?
 
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#330,130
ectoflanger said:
So, when it comes to active versus passive pickups I tend to prefer passive. If I were to buy a new instrument where there's a choice I would go with the passive variant such as a Jazz or Precision. Concerning the basses I have with active systems, there was no choice, it was how they came and I'm fine with them. With regard to the relatively cheap Steinberger XT's, active EMG's seemed the best choice when I upgraded them and I wasn't disappointed, but I have no plans to upgrade anything else in that way,

And all of my guitars are passive-

JIO related how the EMG has a neutral tone that metal players like. Does anyone else have pros and cons to offer from past and present experiences?
Click to expand...
I had a set of EMG Rip Tides in a J I once had.
I was actually very impressed with them, simple V/V/T wiring.
And I have to agree with what Geo said about their neutrality.
Which I thought was a good thing.
Even better was any string i ever tried on that bass sounded great.
Those pick ups added no color what so ever, very even sounding, tight and punchy.
Very articulate fast response.
 
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#330,133
Chucky Stiletti said:
was hoping to try a Markbass bass while here as they are hard to find back home.... this thing is better than AWESOME, can't say enough about it.....the bass to the right is a Cort with Markbass electronics....didn't know MB was marketing preamps as well.....now wondering if they would impose tariffs at SFO....
View attachment 7360312View attachment 7360313
Click to expand...
If they stop you and ask to look at it.
Most likely you will pay what ever tariffs and customs fees.
You are usually asked if you are claiming anything.

If you can prove it’s a gift/your own personal property, you might get away with bringing it back home.

I had my 3 basses with me when I came back from Germany.
They tried to stop me to inspect everything.
I had no customs forms filled out to claim anything.
It’s a long story how I clowned them at Newark.
But it worked.
Not sure I’d try that again.
 
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#330,134
JJR58 said:
I’d they stop you and ask to look at it.
Most likely you will pay what ever tariffs and customs fees.
You are usually asked if you are claiming anything.

If you can prove it’s a gift/your own personal property, you might get away with bringing it back home.

I had my 3 basses with me when I came back from Germany.
They tried to stop me to inspect everything.
I had no customs forms filled out to claim anything.
It’s a long story how I clowned them at Newark.
But it worked.
Not sure I’d try that again.
Click to expand...


Did it involve a strip search?
 
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