Thunderbird Club

[ubernator]

I'm completely with John Goodman there mate.

Sorry to be so coldly dismissive of he-who-shall-not-be-named, but y'now I dislike everything about him and his band. He is the anti-Duck.

If there were a bass-player Heaven, I'd like to be in the one with Duck, Ron Blair and Billy Talbot (oh and John Entwistle, Ronnie Lane, Bruce Foxton, Phil Lynott, Trevor Bolder and George Murray). The 'Heaven' with he-who-shall-not-be-named, Les Claypool and JacoP? I believe that has another name ... also beginning with 'H'.

But à chacun son goût, as they say. It would be a dull world if we all liked the same thing.

Geddy has some pretty high connections on the other side. We have his back so to speak. You may not like his style, but that band has such a profound positive effect on us the following, the amount of positive energy at a rush concert is far more than a tony Robbins seminar, or an evangekical rally and certainly more positive than a trump rally.

This is like cosmic, man!

 

[ThunderbirdMax]

Hi everybody ! Just got back from Spain ! 10 days far from my Gibson Thunderbird bass ... I played with my band tonight. It's 4am and I can't sleep so I read everything that I've missed here.

1. Singing and playing bass is difficult (but not singing and guitaring - why is that?)

2. too self-conscious

Maybe that's because I've been a singing bassist since I started playing music (that was in 2009) or because my basslines aren't that difficult (I try to make them more and more interesting) but it don't find that playing bass while singing is difficult ! Some songs ask for a few rehearsals but it became quite natural to me.

 

[TBird1958]

Just so good..........

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

I had the opposite in a way. I'm working on a tribute act and wasn't looking for an original band at this stage of the game. These guys sent me vid links and they really are good and I like the music. They had me run through the four songs I worked on and this is the first time I ever played in drop C in my life.

After the songs the singer stepped out and the rest just fired songs and riffs one after another. I felt like I was getting beat like a baby seal. I held my own and this was the first time I ever heard any of this. The one guitarist seemed less patient than the other one, but I remembered reeding their website and they have 8 gigs booked over a six week period starting halfway through July. We ended up stopping an hour later than supposed to and I had a 90 minute drive home. Also had to lug my 75 lb combo, extension cab and two basses up and down stairs.

The singer was shooting the bull with me when we were only ones there, but once all others finally showed up, it was all playing and no small talk. It is a hard read, but drummer said most guys so far can't pick up things fast and I did do well with that.

One never knows what people are thinking and it was really hard to read them. Ironically my current singer called when I was playing. He has to see a specialist next week and concerned that the three of us are looking for other gigs.

Drop C?!, oh Dude thats my favorite tuning!.

 

[MCF]

Hi everybody ! Just got back from Spain ! 10 days far from my Gibson Thunderbird bass ... I played with my band tonight. It's 4am and I can't sleep so I read everything that I've missed here.



Maybe that's because I've been a singing bassist since I started playing music (that was in 2009) or because my basslines aren't that difficult (I try to make them more and more interesting) but it don't find that playing bass while singing is difficult ! Some songs ask for a few rehearsals but it became quite natural to me.

10 days of catching up? You must be a phenomenal speed reader. How many pages was that?

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Love Ted or hate Ted you gotta love his passion for American made instruments....or anything American for that matter. This is my favorite tune from Ted, suprised he is singing this as it used to be the bass player. I remember walking through the grocery store with my son when he was 4 years old and we were on an aisle with a few people shopping and the place was busy but relatively quiet when my son suddenly screams out loud "GOT A STRANGLEHOLD ON YOU BABY"! and then continues being quiet again.. Someone please tell me what effect Ted's bass player is using. Thanks

 

[ThunderbirdMax]

10 days of catching up? You must be a phenomenal speed reader. How many pages was that?

Too many ! Haha

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Just so good..........

Looks like a great piece of serenity you have there.

 

[TBird1958]

Looks like a great piece of serenity you have there.

I'm dinner pre funking drool

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Geddy has some pretty high connections on the other side. We have his back so to speak. You may not like his style, but that band has such a profound positive effect on us the following, the amount of positive energy at a rush concert is far more than a tony Robbins seminar, or an evangekical rally and certainly more positive than a trump rally.

This is like cosmic, man!
View attachment 1160202

Perfect!

 

[rodv66]

Drop C?!, oh Dude thats my favorite tuning!.

I usually am in drop D standard, everything down one full step. It was confusing the first time i played along with it, but actually is pretty cool. I only had 4 days to learn 4 tunes, so was tricky

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

In no particular order:

Gibson: 2001 ebony/2013 50th Anniversary/2001 Blackbird
Epiphone: Rebuilt Goth, Non-Rev x 2 (sea foam green and refin-modded white)
Bach: Non-Reverse (thin body version)
Hamer: 1986 FBIV x 2 (black and sunburst)
Spector: 4X (modded all electronics)
Fernandes: Spector Sixx non-rev model
Nocturnal: (Warmoth body, Carvin neck, my name)

No clue who makes the best Bird. The 2001 Gibson in ebony is hands down my favorite bass. I have a special bond with that one that I have never had with another bass. The black Hamer FBIV is a close second to the Gibson but a totally different beast. I have never tried a Cataldo, Lull, or Lowe but I bet those are pretty sweet basses to play,

No clue? If anyone should have a clue, i would think it's you with all them different birds

 

[theFixer]

I can sing and play drums but cant sing and strum, what the hell?.

Singing and I, have a weird relationship. I think my voice is absolutely horrible. To my ears, I sound like a cow on methadone, falling down a hill in slow motion. The thing is, though... I'm not tone-deaf. I love good harmonies (thanks to the Buckaroos and CSN&Y primarily). I can sorta hear a variety of harmonies, pick the one I like, & run with it. It seems to come kinda easy usually. I've done it while drumming. I've done it while playing guitar. At some point, I'm sure I'll do it while playing bass. The primary reason being... that I hate the sound of my s#!tty voice doing it, less than I hate the sound of somebody else's voice doing it s#!tty!

 

[MCF]

Love Ted or hate Ted you gotta love his passion for American made instruments....or anything American for that matter. This is my favorite tune from Ted, suprised he is singing this as it used to be the bass player. I remember walking through the grocery store with my son when he was 4 years old and we were on an aisle with a few people shopping and the place was busy but relatively quiet when my son suddenly screams out loud "GOT A STRANGLEHOLD ON YOU BABY"! and then continues being quiet again.. Someone please tell me what effect Ted's bass player is using. Thanks

Not at all sure. He may not be adding anything but compression. Pbass. Full volume and full tone. Played down at the bridge with a pick. No idea about amp or eq. Just a thought though. I'm sure there are some here who may actually know.

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

I usually am in drop D standard, everything down one full step. It was confusing the first time i played along with it, but actually is pretty cool. I only had 4 days to learn 4 tunes, so was tricky

For me the trickiest part of tuning that low was finding the right strings but more inportantly it was trying to leave the strings on the neck instead of bending them off, sooo much flexibility. Even harder to achieve on the Thunderbirds thin neck but I found my boundaries eventually.

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Singing and I, have a weird relationship. I think my voice is absolutely horrible. To my ears, I sound like a cow on methadone, falling down a hill in slow motion. The thing is, though... I'm not tone-deaf. I love good harmonies (thanks to the Buckaroos and CSN&Y primarily). I can sorta hear a variety of harmonies, pick the one I like, & run with it. It seems to come kinda easy usually. I've done it while drumming. I've done it while playing guitar. At some point, I'm sure I'll do it while playing bass. The primary reason being... that I hate the sound of my s#!tty voice doing it, less than I hate the sound of somebody else's voice doing it s#!tty!

Hey it cant sound that bad plus bad singing was made acceptable and popular by the likes of Tiny Tim and Bob Dylan.

 

[theFixer]

Love Ted or hate Ted you gotta love his passion for American made instruments....or anything American for that matter. This is my favorite tune from Ted, suprised he is singing this as it used to be the bass player. I remember walking through the grocery store with my son when he was 4 years old and we were on an aisle with a few people shopping and the place was busy but relatively quiet when my son suddenly screams out loud "GOT A STRANGLEHOLD ON YOU BABY"! and then continues being quiet again.. Someone please tell me what effect Ted's bass player is using. Thanks

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I think Rob (Basvarken) that put the Gibson Bass Book together would be my choice.

That sounds like a good read

 

[theFixer]

Hey it cant sound that bad plus bad singing was made acceptable and popular by the likes of Tiny Tim and Bob Dylan.

I'm sorry... but Tiny Tim is not acceptable...

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

I'm sorry... but Tiny Tim is not acceptable...

Absolutely not but some whacko apparently thought the guy was fantastic and gave him a career and Im not sure that says much about the IQ of his fanbase. Oh I hope there arent Tiny Tim fans in our club or Im gonna get backlash. Please tell me @TBird1958 that you are not a fan and that I can stay.