Thunderbird Club

[JJR58]

I like Neil Youmg, I love Crazy Horse. I don't know him personally, don't really know his politics, don't have any intimate knowledge of him. Sometimes I don't dig his singing, sometimes I think his guitar playing is ridiculous, although I have to say that somehow it works. Like any artist, there are disconnects from what we think of as needful: technique, integrity, a popular idea of sonority or musicianship. But the point is to transcend everything, and when you do it, you're an artist.

My feelings as well Count, also really like After The Gold Rush.

 

[Gaolee]

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

We are all our own kinds of freaks. That's the moral of the story.

 

[Gaolee]

I could of been your Queen

Yep. A Very Serious Queen.

That has a ring to it. There's a band name lurking in there somewhere.

For what its worth, the best 'Bird is a 2001 Gibson, but it's not available. It has been described as "rude" more than once. I'm completely Serious, as always.

 

[Nick ciesielski]

Hey all I started a thread trying to verify if this abused example is a real Gibson and if so how much should I offer the guy for it? Thanks again.

 

[Gaolee]

I do have Mike's original Bird. I bought my first good bass from him in 2013. I don't remember how I first heard of him other than internet magic. I just wandered in because his shop was on the way to relatives. I now have 5 of his creations including said Bird and the NR Bird he built for me when I just had to have one. I try to stop in and say hello to Mike and his manager Paul whenever I am in the area. Both have been great even when I brought in my first POS Ibanez (Gio) SR200 on the first visit. Mike also worked his magic on the Ric 4001 that is in my pic. I ended up with his original bird after one of the visits when he made me a great deal on it. I just wish my playing was worthy of his fine work, but I am working on it slowly. I may have to get another Lull or a Cataldo if I improve much more just so I can keep my membership in the crappy bassist w/expensive gear club.

The crappy bassist w/expensive gear club is a calling almost as exalted as being chosen by a Thunderbird. I'm very proud to have two numbers in that club.

 

[Gaolee]

I "sing" one song in the current band while playing bass. In my experience, it's all down to practice and knowing the bass part of the song so well you can play it without thinking.

It's often a timing issue. The bass has to be the keeper of the groove. Vocals float over the song and are sometimes out of time or have an alternative time to keep from sounding mechanical. It's tough to drag or push a note vocally while staying in the pocket with the fingers. Strumming a guitar is much easier, beause it's simlar to tapping a foot. Trying to sing and play bass is like trying to sing and play lead and rhythm guitar at the same time. I can only do it with a lot of concentration and careful avoidance of distractions like....

Oh, did you see who just walked in... Um, where were we?

 

[Gaolee]

View attachment 1160517 View attachment 1160518 View attachment 1160519 View attachment 1160520 View attachment 1160521 View attachment 1160522 Hey all I started a thread trying to verify if this abused example is a real Gibson and if so how much should I offer the guy for it? Thanks again.

That really is used and abused! It doesn't appear to be a neck-through, and the neck appears to be maple. I don't know how a 1960s NR was built, so I don't know whether that confirms or denies that it's a Gibson. I bet it sounds fantastic with the Dimarzio One and Ric pickups in it, assuming you can get it to intonate and adjust the neck to make it playable. In that condition, I probably wouldn't offer that much, but I like it a lot.

 

[BklynKen]

It's often a timing issue. The bass has to be the keeper of the groove. Vocals float over the song and are sometimes out of time or have an alternative time to keep from sounding mechanical. It's tough to drag or push a note vocally while staying in the pocket with the fingers. Strumming a guitar is much easier, beause it's simlar to tapping a foot. Trying to sing and play bass is like trying to sing and play lead and rhythm guitar at the same time. I can only do it with a lot of concentration and careful avoidance of distractions like....

Oh, did you see who just walked in... Um, where were we?

SHINY!

 

[Count Bassie]

It's often a timing issue. The bass has to be the keeper of the groove. Vocals float over the song and are sometimes out of time or have an alternative time to keep from sounding mechanical. It's tough to drag or push a note vocally while staying in the pocket with the fingers. Strumming a guitar is much easier, beause it's simlar to tapping a foot. Trying to sing and play bass is like trying to sing and play lead and rhythm guitar at the same time. I can only do it with a lot of concentration and careful avoidance of distractions like....

Oh, did you see who just walked in... Um, where were we?

Is tha-- SQUIRREL!!

 

[Count Bassie]

That really is used and abused! It doesn't appear to be a neck-through, and the neck appears to be maple. I don't know how a 1960s NR was built, so I don't know whether that confirms or denies that it's a Gibson. I bet it sounds fantastic with the Dimarzio One and Ric pickups in it, assuming you can get it to intonate and adjust the neck to make it playable. In that condition, I probably wouldn't offer that much, but I like it a lot.

I've toyed with putting a Model One in the sweet-spot of my Blackbird.

 

[Nick ciesielski]

That really is used and abused! It doesn't appear to be a neck-through, and the neck appears to be maple. I don't know how a 1960s NR was built, so I don't know whether that confirms or denies that it's a Gibson. I bet it sounds fantastic with the Dimarzio One and Ric pickups in it, assuming you can get it to intonate and adjust the neck to make it playable. In that condition, I probably wouldn't offer that much, but I like it a lot.

The Dimarzio does sound kinda cool but the ric pup is very quiet as of now. Maybe this weekend I'll get a chance to tear into it a bit more and get it going.

 

[Dadagoboi]

 

[Count Bassie]

The Dimarzio does sound kinda cool but the ric pup is very quiet as of now. Maybe this weekend I'll get a chance to tear into it a bit more and get it going.

Edited...

Maybe you can get that Ric pup rewound.

Or you can sell/trade it to me...

 

[Nick ciesielski]

Edited...

Maybe you can get that Ric pup rewound.

Or you can sell/trade it to me...

Do you think the stock ric pup cover would fit nicely? I wanna clean it up a little still if I keep those pups

 

[Gaolee]

SHINY!

She was indeed wearing a shiny shirt. I forget what we were talking about.

 

[wolfkeller]

Man, all you righty wierdos are lucky with the new epi birds coming, really cool looking. I guess I'm on the loosing side with this one lol. Typical.

 

[Gaolee]

I find Coltrane is good for sorting the sheep from the goats ... rap music has the same affect.

I like Coltrane. Same with some, but not all, rap.

So, is that sheep or goat? There's a herd of goats cleaning up a steep area in between a couple roads nearby. It makes me smile every time they come around. I have always liked goats. They have attitude.

 

[GBassNorth]

Hey folks, sorry I didn't mean to start a Neil Young war. In hindsight I should have realized he's a polarizing figure and would cause a fair amount of disagreement. But I just focused on his singing voice - which is intolerable to me (actually his guitar playing is fairly lackluster as well).

His politics along with the politics of the rest of the performing world mean nothing to me as long as long as they don't mix those politics with their art. Once that's done, it's ruined, the music can't be enjoyed for what it is vs what the person behind the voice stands for. It's no longer entertainment, it's a political statement put to music. Not my cup of tea regardless of the political leanings of the "artist" now activist.

I don't turn on the news to listen to music and I sure don't enjoy listening to music that represents an editorial opinion (even if I agree with it). Shut up and sing should be every musical entertainers mantra. Let the news media and political pundits divide us into nice neat little waring factions if you will, but music should transcend all that static and be a healing force bringing us together.

Nuff said, I'm going outside now to burn all my Neil Young and Ted Nugent albums - oh wait, I don't have any, I wonder why?

 

[MCF]

I'll admit... Neil Young is somewhat of an acquired taste... but so is a good single malt. IMHO... it is a taste worth acquiring. To me... Neil Young is the Canadian Johnny Cash. His words are real, and they come from his heart & soul. If the "purpose" of art, is to make you think and/or feel... Neil Young is, by definition, an artist. If you're a reader... the next time you feel like picking up a good book... try sitting down with a snifter of your favorite "relaxant" and a Neil Young record, and listen to it in that mindset. Every song is a story, and that story is being told through a whiney, shaky, off-kilter, falsetto voice that's as honest and real as the stories themselves. You won't hear bass "virtuosity"... but Billy Talbot knows exactly what, where, when, & how to play for the song (a lessen that escapes us all from time to time). I'm gonna recommend sitting down with the "Harvest" album to start your journey. You will be at least vaguely familiar with a few of the songs, it's comparatively "easy to listen to", and the songwriting is magnificent. You're a long way off from being able to sit through "Weld" in it's entirety... but I'll wager that, if you'll really let yourself hear those songs... you'll quickly learn an appreciation for that "clarinet in the hands of a child" voice of his, and recognize that no other voice could sing those songs. Lemme know when yer ready for me to recommend a second album...

You're right about him being an acquired taste. I get why our friend Gbass doesn't like him.

I completely respect the opinions of those who don't get him. As a teen, I got a ton of s**t from friends a about my musical taste. But they were and still are friends. My favs, in no particular order as listening always depended on my mood, were: Neil, with and without Buffalo, CSNY and the Horse; Yes; Genesis; Bowie; Wishbone Ash; Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac (all iterations) and The Beatles. In our bands, the two songs I was allowed to try and sing were Alabama and Down by the River. I was pretty awful. But as our guitarist/singer liked to say, so was Neil.

As for what I believe are Neil's top albums: Everbody Knows This is Nowhere, After the Goldrush, Zuma, Rust Never Sleeps, Ragged Glory, and Living with War. But there are so many great songs scattered among his albums with groups and as a solo artist from '66 to now, that I own them all. And to this day I still go on Neil binges. The worst thing he ever put out was ARC. A disc of feedback. Not recommended.

Neil's bassists were primarily Talbot, Rick Rosas (RIP) and Tim Drummond (also RIP). All three are among my influences.

Neil is hands down the greatest Canadian songwriter who ever lived. In my book, he's up there with Dylan and the Boss.

I've seen him live so many times that I have no clue as to how many shows I've seen. The most memorable were two consecutive nights at The Forum on the Rust tour. I think it was October of '78. Neil's house in Zuma had just burned down. But there he was, putting on great shows. Half acoustic, and half with the Horse. These are third on my list of best concerts I've been to. The second halves were so loud that I'm sure they contributed to the tinnitus I have now. But man, the Horse was on those two nights.

Yep, I'm a fan.

 

[MCF]

Hey folks, sorry I didn't mean to start a Neil Young war. In hindsight I should have realized he's a polarizing figure and would cause a fair amount of disagreement. But I just focused on his singing voice - which is intolerable to me (actually his guitar playing is fairly lackluster as well).

His politics along with the politics of the rest of the performing world mean nothing to me as long as long as they don't mix those politics with their art. Once that's done, it's ruined, the music can't be enjoyed for what it is vs what the person behind the voice stands for. It's no longer entertainment, it's a political statement put to music. Not my cup of tea regardless of the political leanings of the "artist" now activist.

I don't turn on the news to listen to music and I sure don't enjoy listening to music that represents an editorial opinion (even if I agree with it). Shut up and sing should be every musical entertainers mantra. Let the news media and political pundits divide us into nice neat little waring factions if you will, but music should transcend all that static and be a healing force bringing us together.

Nuff said, I'm going outside now to burn all my Neil Young and Ted Nugent albums - oh wait, I don't have any, I wonder why?

We can certainly agree to disagree. That's why this is such a great place. It's like buddies shootin' the s***t over beers. Lots of laughs and good old fashioned arguing. It's all good.