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Thunderbird Club

#333,141
Chucky Stiletti said:
those Warwick Thumb basses are incredibly beautiful instruments....forgot if the controls allow for a full humbucking implementation ...
Click to expand...
In essence they do, if you pan to center detent it’s humbucking. If you pan to solo a specific pickup I don’t think there’s any traditional humbucking going on. That said, I hear zero hum when in solo mode. The pickups are active so maybe there’s something going on in the preamp to account for that.
 
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#333,142
GBassNorth said:
They’re actually rounds on the bird IIRC - maybe TI Power Rounds. I originally had a new set of Apex strings on it and they sounded exactly like the Warwick, but I found the tension too high for my liking. I’ll probably give the DM Blue Steels a try after I get the body finished to see if I like them more than the TI rounds.

As for the overall sound of the bass, it’s active, so you can boost the bass knob to insane levels in spite of the pickup locations and just as easily cut the treble knob at the same time to tame the top end. What you get with this tight spaced JJ arrangement is essentially a wide range single humbucker that you can split into two separate single very hot Jazz coils, and because they are both so far south you’ll inherently get a degree of grit and grind regardless of how you EQ it.

With a heavy bottom end boost and just a tad of top end boost you get an exceptionally agressive punchy low mid and mid range - in solid buzz saw territory - but still plenty of creamy bottom and clear but not harsh top end. If you’re a Jaco fan (which I’m not) you can easily get all the honk and burp and bark that he frequently had depending upon how you dial in the tone controls and which pickup you favor. What you don’t get much of in this layout is that neck solo nasal jazz bass sound, which I hate, so that’s a good thing.

Bottom line, this bass, like it’s True Warwick brother, cuts through a mix like no other bass I’ve ever played. It’s a very unique and agressive sound. If you want to be heard, this is your bass, it’s not the best fit for shrinking violet keep me outta the spotlight type players.

As a side note
The Apex strings I originally put on only have a couple hours use and were only strung up on this one Tbird, so still a perfectly good set and already cut to the right length for Tbird basses. I can’t recall if @BklynKen or @dagrev put me on to the Apex strings, but if either of you want them just PM me and I’ll ship the set to you at no charge. Last I looked, Apex was no longer making them, so it might be a last chance to get some.
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Better stock up on Dean Markely if you like them, they seem to have gone out of business. I found a couple of older DM made NPS Blue Steels a few weeks ago. Great strings. Their SS are great (maybe my favorite SS), so better get what you can if you like them. I love their 102 sets. Just seems to be the perfect gauge for me. That said, for NPS, SIT is my favorite. Kind of Boomer-like in that that have thick hefty lows, but seem thicker (less boomy) than GHS Boomers. Like, DMs they have sounded great on anything I have tried them on. SIT also seem to be good people.

Apex was started by a few former Dean Markely people. It seems they may have made DM for a while.
 
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#333,143
Miles_ONeal said:
I want a little bit of cinnamon pearl …
Click to expand...
Well then, here ya go…
IMG_5857.jpeg
 
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#333,148
I've been thinking about trying an Octave pedal rather than having a BEAD bass for songs with lower notes. The MXR Bass Octave Deluxe (M288) looks promising, is reasonably priced, and comes in a gorgeous blue sparkle. But it's side jacked. I'm trying to go top jack on anything new. I know octavers have been discussed in the past, but if you're using one these days, what is it and why? Is it top jacked? Under $200? I don't want or need a pedal that also does fuzz, reverb, etc. Just an analog octave pedal. Thanks!
 
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#333,149
Miles_ONeal said:
I've been thinking about trying an Octave pedal rather than having a BEAD bass for songs with lower notes. The MXR Bass Octave Deluxe (M288) looks promising, is reasonably priced, and comes in a gorgeous blue sparkle. But it's side jacked. I'm trying to go top jack on anything new. I know octavers have been discussed in the past, but if you're using one these days, what is it and why? Is it top jacked? Under $200? I don't want or need a pedal that also does fuzz, reverb, etc. Just an analog octave pedal. Thanks!
Click to expand...
My Zoom B3n had an octaver function. It was interesting but not very useful as there was no blend. I bought a Pitchfork so I could adjust the key for vocals without having to relearn fingering or change tuning. Turns out it’s also a decent octaver as you can blend wet and dry signals and select up, down, or both. Side jacks only. About $100 used.
 
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#333,150
Miles_ONeal said:
I've been thinking about trying an Octave pedal rather than having a BEAD bass for songs with lower notes. The MXR Bass Octave Deluxe (M288) looks promising, is reasonably priced, and comes in a gorgeous blue sparkle. But it's side jacked. I'm trying to go top jack on anything new. I know octavers have been discussed in the past, but if you're using one these days, what is it and why? Is it top jacked? Under $200? I don't want or need a pedal that also does fuzz, reverb, etc. Just an analog octave pedal. Thanks!
Click to expand...
No experience since I never used one, but this looks like it would fit your needs. And my color scheme.

aguilaramp.com

Octamizer Analog Bass Octave Pedal

An all-analog octave pedal that creates a wide range of musical sounds an octave below your bass signal.
aguilaramp.com aguilaramp.com
 
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#333,151
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#333,152
Stealth57 said:
My Zoom B3n had an octaver function. It was interesting but not very useful as there was no blend. I bought a Pitchfork so I could adjust the key for vocals without having to relearn fingering or change tuning. Turns out it’s also a decent octaver as you can blend wet and dry signals and select up, down, or both. Side jacks only. About $100 used.
Click to expand...
The Pitchfork looks pretty cool, but it is side jacked, and I also just have a hard time trusting new EH pedals. I need to give them a go again; it has been several years.
BklynKen said:
No experience since I never used one, but this looks like it would fit your needs. And my color scheme.

aguilaramp.com

Octamizer Analog Bass Octave Pedal

An all-analog octave pedal that creates a wide range of musical sounds an octave below your bass signal.
aguilaramp.com aguilaramp.com
Click to expand...
That looks promising. Literally as well as musically. If I can't have purple on black, I could happily add that look to the board!
 
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#333,153
RedVee said:
Thought this pretty interesting. Scott Owen uses a 2nd, piezo, pickup to get the slap amplified.

For those that double I guess, @Gaolee

Click to expand...

His bass is pretty great. I would like clicky pickup under the end of the fingerboard and a K&K preamp to blend and shape the two signals. Someday.
 
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#333,154
Chucky Stiletti said:
beautiful bass, factory color? what pups?
Click to expand...
…nitro refin by the previous owner

Nitrocellulose Spray Paint (Spray Can) "Pelham Blue Metallic"

Nitrocellulose Spray Paint (Spray Can) "Pelham Blue Metallic": Pure nitro paint, nitrocellulose aerosol filled in a 375 ml standard spray can. Procedure: For coarse-pored woods such as ash or mahogany, fill the wood pores and wood structure with Aqua Coat Prime with Nitro Quick Sanding Primer...
www.gitarrenbastler.de www.gitarrenbastler.de

…pickups by David Barfuss

 
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#333,158
Miles_ONeal said:
I've been thinking about trying an Octave pedal rather than having a BEAD bass for songs with lower notes. The MXR Bass Octave Deluxe (M288) looks promising, is reasonably priced, and comes in a gorgeous blue sparkle. But it's side jacked. I'm trying to go top jack on anything new. I know octavers have been discussed in the past, but if you're using one these days, what is it and why? Is it top jacked? Under $200? I don't want or need a pedal that also does fuzz, reverb, etc. Just an analog octave pedal. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I use one of these:

T-Rex Quint Machine Four-Tone Generator Octaver / Pitch Effects Pedal

Does and Octave up, and octave down and a 5th. All individually controllable along with wet/dry signal mix.
 
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#333,159
Miles_ONeal said:
I've been thinking about trying an Octave pedal rather than having a BEAD bass for songs with lower notes. The MXR Bass Octave Deluxe (M288) looks promising, is reasonably priced, and comes in a gorgeous blue sparkle. But it's side jacked. I'm trying to go top jack on anything new. I know octavers have been discussed in the past, but if you're using one these days, what is it and why? Is it top jacked? Under $200? I don't want or need a pedal that also does fuzz, reverb, etc. Just an analog octave pedal. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I had an EBS. It was decent and you had three settings for adjusting it to be more low, mid or higher in terms of the octave it generated. It was said to be natural sounding but wasn't really. I actually like what's on Ashdown heads and use in occasionally. It's way more natural sounding than the EBS. In fact, it's really natural sounding. Nothing weird--unless you crank it up really high. Also had one as part of a Beringer "Bass Amp" (I think it was called) years ago. It was a multi function rack mounted pre with tons of amps and effects. Good sounds from most everything but don't recall how the octaver sounded. Ashdown makes the pedal which has a little more adjustability to it. Well under 200 new as I recall. Pretty sure it's side jack.

I like to use them when I have to play higher strings for some songs to keep a bigger sound and bottom.
 
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#333,160
Kind of a TB rant: I have the Ashdown RM 300 listed. A guy DMs before Christmas and says he want to talk it over and get the OK from his wife. Told him great, let me know. He was very excited about the head. A day or so later he said his wife asked what he wanted for Christmas and he mentioned the amp and she apparently gave the green light and would send the money that evening. More excitement and Christmas emojis. That was last week before Christmas. Never heard anything. Giving time for Christmas I waited. Yesterday I DMed and said I was going to the PO for something else and it would save a trip if he wanted the amp. Nothing. A few days for all this to take place, plenty of time to change his mind, which would be fine, but it was 100 on fire--then nothing--and I noticed he has been on TB a couple times since. Married dude, not a 16 yr old.

Is there a reason (other than massive immaturity and plain rudeness), that someone can't just say, "Hey man, sorry but changed my mind or something came up"? I get the change of mind or having second thoughts. Saying so doesn't make you look bad. Not nearly as bad as just ghosting someone after a fair amount of back and forth. I just can't imagine doing that to someone. Literally my single parent Mom raised me better than that. If I did something like that even today at 90 she would look at me say ask "What's wrong with you? You don't treat people like that."
 
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