Thunderbird Club

[dagrev]

Probably the most desirable Fiat ever...1967 Fiat Dino....bodywork courtesy of Pininfarina, Ferrari 2.0 DOHC all aluminum V6 courtesy of Mr. Jano......David Lee Roth drove a red one for years....
View attachment 7374101

I had a Fiat once.... Bet David Lee Roth didn't have one of these.

Paid $90 for it. Used it as a work "truck" in the construction days.

 

[GBassNorth]

Warwick sounds great.

View attachment 7374082

Warwick Thumbs sound wonderful and quite unique to my ear. I love hearing mine, but being a 5 string its getting more uncomfortable to play without left hand pain, and talk about neck dive.
I’m making good progress on my Warwick equipped ThumbDerBird. Just finished up the neck/bridge/body geometry test with flying colors, everything dropped into place as designed and no shims, routes or modifications needed. Tuned right up with Apex cryo strings, intonated nicely and acoustically plays great. Just finished up the Wenge pickguard and control cover, so all the wood work is done too. Starting the electronics tomorrow, that’ll be the real test to see if I was able to capture the Warwick magic.

Take note @Chucky Stiletti - this might just be a slap monster!

 

[sleddogn]

Probably the most desirable Fiat ever...1967 Fiat Dino....bodywork courtesy of Pininfarina, Ferrari 2.0 DOHC all aluminum V6 courtesy of Mr. Jano......David Lee Roth drove a red one for years....
View attachment 7374101

Oh, that's where I parked it...man, that bottle of wine....

 

[GBassNorth]

I had a Fiat once.... Bet David Lee Roth didn't have one of these.

View attachment 7374144

Paid $90 for it. Used it as a work "truck" in the construction days.

In 1979 I bought a 1978 Fiat 124 Sport Spider identical to this one except I my convertible top was black…

Great car, fun to drive and never gave me any problems. Then my wife and I had a kid. Sold the Fiat and bought a Super Beetle, fun car also but nothing like the Spider.

 

[dagrev]

Oh, that's where I parked it...man, that bottle of wine....

Yep, this will do it every time.

 

[dagrev]

In 1979 I bought a 1978 Fiat 124 Sport Spider identical to this one except I my convertible top was black…
View attachment 7374174
Great car, fun to drive and never gave me any problems. Then my wife and I had a kid. Sold the Fiat and bought a Super Beetle, fun car also but nothing like the Spider.

Mine was an 5 speed and fuel injected. Kind of peppy. More so than it looked anyway.

 

[Engle]

Glad to know all you crazy kids. I haven't been around much, life goes deep into the woods. But I'm glad to have this little clubhouse to resort to, glad to have stumbled into this part of my life.
And I also stumbled into a Gator Pro Go 2x gig bag, so the 'Bird and the Heckinhecker come to more gigs together now. That's a good piece, that Gator bag.

It never struck me as a great idea putting two basses in one bag, but I could be wrong. I often am

 

[RedVee]

My favorite FIAT



I reckon Pininfarina just sized up this design and on sold it to RR for the Carmargue. I think the FIAT looks better at a fraction of the new price.

 

[Count Bassie]

It never struck me as a great idea putting two basses in one bag, but I could be wrong. I often am

It's just one less loose item, and I always bring two to a gig. It's a single bag with two separate zippered compartments- they're not together in a single space. It's kind of two bags stitched together, there's a partition between two compartments.
The fewer pieces I have to carry around the tidier my scene is. I like order, even though I have to keep after myself for it!

 

[BklynKen]

Great show. And a great combo amp.

 

[Ringhammer]

I gotta say, I’m really liking my GKFusion 800S with the 210 Neo IV. I started with the 212 Neo IV to go with the Ashdown HOD, and while it sounds great, at 4 ohms it let the ABM run at full power. During the time I had the Ashdown and 212 Neo IV, I ran across the Fusion 800S for a good deal. Also great sounding through the 212. However, it was making some weird static, scratchy sounds, like a dirty pot, and cutting out. The seller gave me a more than 50% refund, and I sent the head to GK. They replicated the problem and decided to replace the preamp, I/O board and connector. While they had the Fusion, I also decided to get a 210 Neo IV 8 ohm, and that works great for the Ashdown, letting me run it at 300w. I just got the Fusion back and running it through the 210 is also great sounding little rig.

I’m actually kind of struggling with the fact that I kinda think the GK sounds better than the Ashdown. At least I can say the Ashdown is a littler harder to get the ideal (to me) tone out of, while the Fusion seems to get there easier.

All this is just screwing around in my garage, but being able to dial in an amp quickly is important. But between the 212 4ohm, 210 8ohm and these two heads, I’ve got plenty of options for great sounding live rigs.

And, while 2025 was a pretty light gigging year for both bands, 2026 is looking up, as I already have 4, and maybe 5 gigs in January and February between both bands.

 

[BklynKen]

I gotta say, I’m really liking my GKFusion 800S with the 210 Neo IV. I started with the 212 Neo IV to go with the Ashdown HOD, and while it sounds great, at 4 ohms it let the ABM run at full power. During the time I had the Ashdown and 212 Neo IV, I ran across the Fusion 800S for a good deal. Also great sounding through the 212. However, it was making some weird static, scratchy sounds, like a dirty pot, and cutting out. The seller gave me a more than 50% refund, and I sent the head to GK. They replicated the problem and decided to replace the preamp, I/O board and connector. While they had the Fusion, I also decided to get a 210 Neo IV 8 ohm, and that works great for the Ashdown, letting me run it at 300w. I just got the Fusion back and running it through the 210 is also great sounding little rig.

I’m actually kind of struggling with the fact that I kinda think the GK sounds better than the Ashdown. At least I can say the Ashdown is a littler harder to get the ideal (to me) tone out of, while the Fusion seems to get there easier.

All this is just screwing around in my garage, but being able to dial in an amp quickly is important. But between the 212 4ohm, 210 8ohm and these two heads, I’ve got plenty of options for great sounding live rigs.

And, while 2025 was a pretty light gigging year for both bands, 2026 is looking up, as I already have 4, and maybe 5 gigs in January and February between both bands.

Nothing wrong with preferring GK over Ashdown. I've played a ton of house amps and always prefer GKs. And as you said, it's super easy to find a great tone with them.

 

[MCF]

Yep, this will do it every time.
View attachment 7374181

 

[OldManNewBass]

Hello, Thunderbird Club...!

So a Sonic Blue Gold Foil Jazz bass (alder body, maple neck, bound ebony fretboard, tort pickguard) arrived a couple days ago, hanging on the wall now...

I want to make a poor man's IMA4 out of it:

• drop a TBird neck in where the gold foil is
• change the bridge (Hipshot B FM1)
• change the knobs (Invalid Link Removed, Invalid Link Removed, or some smooth dometop ebony knobs)
• change the controls or maybe just the capacitor (0.022 microfarad ?)
• obviously slap on a set of LaBella IMA Super Polished strings
• leave the stock tuners on it since they are Gotohs

Trying to figure out which TBird pickup to go with; Curtis Novak, Lollar, or Seymour Duncan Custom Shop...

The Internet is telling me that the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop is the current provider for Mike Lull TBird pickups (previously TV Jones), so that makes me lean heavily towards the Custom Shop for a TBird neck pickup to drop into the Gold Foil Jazz...?

But when I messaged Ian Martin Allison on Instagram, he said "Lulls are the best yeah but Lollars are good too!"

So if Seymour Duncan IS the manufacturer of Lull TBirds, I would just go with one of their neck pickups...

Any thoughts or insight...?

Thanks...!

 

[MCF]

Hello, Thunderbird Club...!

So a Sonic Blue Gold Foil Jazz bass (alder body, maple neck, bound ebony fretboard, tort pickguard) arrived a couple days ago, hanging on the wall now...

I want to make a poor man's IMA4 out of it:

• drop a TBird neck in where the gold foil is
• change the bridge (Hipshot B FM1)
• change the knobs (Invalid Link Removed, Invalid Link Removed, or some smooth dometop ebony knobs)
• change the controls or maybe just the capacitor (0.022 microfarad ?)
• obviously slap on a set of LaBella IMA Super Polished strings
• leave the stock tuners on it since they are Gotohs

Trying to figure out which TBird pickup to go with; Curtis Novak, Lollar, or Seymour Duncan Custom Shop...

The Internet is telling me that the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop is the current provider for Mike Lull TBird pickups (previously TV Jones), so that makes me lean heavily towards the Custom Shop for a TBird neck pickup to drop into the Gold Foil Jazz...?

But when I messaged Ian Martin Allison on Instagram, he said "Lulls are the best yeah but Lollars are good too!"

So if Seymour Duncan IS the manufacturer of Lull TBirds, I would just go with one of their neck pickups...

Any thoughts or insight...?

Thanks...!

You can’t go wrong with any of them IMO.

My understanding is that all use Alnico V magnets, although I think at least Novak can do Alnico II on request. I believe all will custom wind upon request; talk to them about what you’re trying to achieve.

Good luck getting Duncan to spill the beans on the proprietary formula for the very scarce Lulls. They won’t (and shouldn’t).

I’m pretty smitten with the Gibson Vintage Reissues which are less expensive at $129.00 each.

 

[OldManNewBass]

You can’t go wrong with any of them IMO.

My understanding is that all use Alnico V magnets, although I think at least Novak can do Alnico II on request. I believe all will custom wind upon request; talk to them about what you’re trying to achieve.

Good luck getting Duncan to spill the beans on the proprietary formula for the very scarce Lulls. They won’t (and shouldn’t).

I’m pretty smitten with the Gibson Vintage Reissues which are less expensive at $129.00 each.

I just want a Lull TBird neck pickup, but Lull does not sell those anymore without a very expensive bass attached...

If Seymour is the current provider to Lull, do you think their Custom Shop offering is different from what they produce for Lull...?

It might just be more straightforward for me to just get a Lollar neck pickup & their PBass pre-wired controls kit, with the recommended 0.022 microfarad capacitor...

Somebody needs to do an extensive TBird pickup comparison video, preferably using a "Thunder Jazz" platform...!

 

[Count Bassie]

I just want a Lull TBird neck pickup, but Lull does not sell those anymore without a very expensive bass attached...

If Seymour is the current provider to Lull, do you think their Custom Shop offering is different from what they produce for Lull...?

It might just be more straightforward for me to just get a Lollar neck pickup & their PBass pre-wired controls kit, with the recommended 0.022 microfarad capacitor...

Somebody needs to do an extensive TBird pickup comparison video, preferably using a "Thunder Jazz" platform...

I'll put down a small sum that the Lull pickup formula is not getting off their bench without a Lull wrapped around it.

 

[GonePlaid]

Glad to know all you crazy kids. I haven't been around much, life goes deep into the woods. But I'm glad to have this little clubhouse to resort to, glad to have stumbled into this part of my life.
And I also stumbled into a Gator Pro Go 2x gig bag, so the 'Bird and the Heckinhecker come to more gigs together now. That's a good piece, that Gator bag.

If only they would hold my 52" long 67NR.
('course I could remove the headstock...again)

 

[ThaCoast]

Has anyone had a chance to compare all vintage style "recreation" tbird pickups: Lull, Lollar, Thunderbucker (out of production for the last while sadly), Gibson RI, etc.? curious if/what they're sonic differences are, if any at all, who's close to either originals of the 60's/to each other brand wise.

 

[Count Bassie]

If only they would hold my 52" long 67NR.
('course I could remove the headstock...again)

There has to be a gig bag for that!