Thunderbird Club

[Miles_ONeal]

REO was huge back in the day, the live album was all over FM radio. They made a big commercial shift with You Can Tune a Piano But Can't Tune a Fish. Bruce Hall took over the bass slot from Greg Philbin and this kinda ended the band for me. I did see them in 1983, good show but Chronin's voice gets on my nerves.

I always liked Gary Richrath’s guitar playing.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I just noticed from your pic (and pulling mine) that one pup doesn't have braided shielding but plastic and the ground is internal. Do you know why this might be? Part of the pups being wired in series (or whichever it is)?

Just noticed I also have what looks to be a tiny white ground(?) going to the middle vol pot. Not sure if it's simply a ground or Gibson was being creative. I don't see this on yours. But that may be it going to your tone pot.

View attachment 7400827

Yeah, if the pickups are in series, one has to be two wire plus shield.

The white wire is a ground but not sure to what — I’d expect the bare wire to be grounding the bridge/strings. But the white wire goes through a hole as if to the bridge. Is the bare wire just grounding the tone pot?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

totally different bands imho...similarly, heard someone compare Steely Dan to Lynyrd Skynyrd the other day and although I can see how someone would go down that road, (to me) they are apples and oranges.....

Yikes! Agreed. Or maybe Ford Mustangs and North American P51 Mustangs.

 

[GBassNorth]

Assuming that is in fact absolutely original, is there any chance you can draw that wiring up?
And also, being positively original, has the pot value been determined?

Per your request, here’s how my Bi is wired up, I’ve seen one or two Bi’s here in the club that are wired slightly different but the vast majority match this…

That’s quite a bit different than the 916 wiring layout…

 

[Albert Ross]

I was never into REO Speedwagon, but I did listen to quite a bit of REO Speedealer back in the day.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

everyone's entitled to a dignified existence.....

 

[JIO]

I noticed the ABMs. Seems he likes the older ones. They sounded great on your clip. That was a cool song at the time. Not a fan, but no denying they are great musicians.

This backstory on that song is pretty interesting - like George Martin & the Beatles they used the technology of the day to push the boundaries of what could be done in the studio.

 

[TBird1958]

yeah, trick tune (out there lyrics imho)...showed up on my Big Thief Pandora station, my friend Mike Barnes who worked at Yamaha (developed the DX-7) went to music school in London with one of them....are those pups originally meant for six string?

Checking my Gibson Bass Book, they're noted as TB Plus in both the Standard and Oversize LP's and the highly regarded $$$ (Money) bass.

 

[JIO]

totally different bands imho...similarly, heard someone compare Steely Dan to Lynyrd Skynyrd the other day and although I can see how someone would go down that road, (to me) they are apples and oranges.....

I agree - point being both songs are performed by top tier musicians. So even LS & SD although totally different styles of music - both excelled at what they did.

 

[JIO]

Can’t say that thought would have ever crossed my mind with one band being more jazz fusion pop rock with a very hifi airy swirling sound and the other being a straight forward southern rock guitar band.

Now Steely Dan compared to Todd Rundgren or 10cc or maybe even some Fleetwood Mac songs I could see. I’d put the Allman Brothers and .38 special in with LS.

All stylistically different - some more similar than others.

 

[JJR58]

Checking my Gibson Bass Book, they're noted as TB Plus in both the Standard and Oversize LP's and the highly regarded $$$ (Money) bass.

That’s interesting, I thought I read somewhere that they weren’t TB+’s at all.
Maybe bad intel.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Tragic......

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

not so tragic.....

 

[BuddhaFingas]

not so tragic.....
View attachment 7401073

... & that's what happens when you fart in a Gremlin.

 

[Engle]

This backstory on that song is pretty interesting - like George Martin & the Beatles they used the technology of the day to push the boundaries of what could be done in the studio.

I find that stuff fascinating! And there's another 70's lyric that I mis-heard. All this time I thought she was whispering "requesting quiet"

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

... & that's what happens when you fart in a Gremlin.

with closed windows, yes....

 

[Engle]

I was never into REO Speedwagon, but I did listen to quite a bit of REO Speedealer back in the day.



View attachment 7401003

I like that better! Some Dead Kennedys influence there.

 

[dagrev]

Didn't play an Alembic Series 1 on a live album?

I don't know. I can't find a good pic from then. Not sure what's on the album cover. I've seen early pics of him and an EB-3 and Fenders. Some internet lore said he played a Thunderbird a lot right before leaving the band. There is this pic which also looks like those from the live album. Def a Thunderbird, so may be some truth to that Thunderbird business.

 

[dagrev]

totally different bands imho...similarly, heard someone compare Steely Dan to Lynyrd Skynyrd the other day and although I can see how someone would go down that road, (to me) they are apples and oranges.....

I personally can't imagine ever making that comp, unless I never heard one of them play.

 

[dagrev]

I always liked Gary Richrath’s guitar playing.

Yes. Gregg Philbin's bass playing was fantastic.