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Thunderbird Club

#335,562
Chucky Stiletti said:
I had a 2000S head fall into a canal (unplugged) in Davie FL after a party decades ago.....let it dry overnight and it fired right up the next day GO SUNN!......wonder what the gators would have thought had it been plugged in.....
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#335,564
GBassNorth said:
Donnie, I’ve lost track…

The Red NR you did a beautiful complete rebuild of has which pickups and strings on it?
And the bone stock ‘64 reverse has which strings on it?

The reason I ask is that I’ve found you to have an impeccable ear when it comes to string selections and I think my tone goals follow yours relatively closely (I do like a slightly darker meat than you, but I can get that out of the amp if needed).

Just to see how our string tastes stack up…
Tone - I like my strings to be medium to ever so slightly bright with a tight not boomy or flabby bottom and a neutral mid range.
Fret Tension - I hate fighting the strings with my left hand, I want smooth and somewhat relaxed play vs iron fist grip on the fret board.
Pluck Tension - right hand bounce is ok but I like a string that plucks or strums nicely (no pic playing here) but hate it when I need to dig in and the string is still wildly oscillating and hasn’t recovered to home position when I’m ready for the next note.
String Type - flats, rounds, tapes and even coated strings are all good (never tried pressure rounds or ovals) seems like they all have a time and a place where they shine. However, when playing flats the one thing I detest is a G string that sounds pingy vs musical, and with rounds I detest overly noisy slides and strings that actually accentuate poor left hand technique (which I have plenty of).

Are you close to any of that?

This is my “go to” string if I’m trying a bass for the first time. It removes a tone variable and gives me a feel for what direction I’ll need to eventually take my string selection to on that particular bass.
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I loose track of myself, and can certainly have that effect on others!

The strings on the '66 NR are DTFs (104), and SIT Powerworunds currently on the '64 Reverse. I had the DTFs on it and love it, but wanted to try them on the '66 NR, where they have found a home.

Didn't do the math as I would have to do the math (whereas you could likely do it in your head!), but would say we are >95 identical as you described above.

Tone - I likely prefer slightly less bright than you (our slight difference), but don't like muddy, dull or tubby. Huge bottom, punchy mids (not middy), with some top end. On some basses with rounds there is more of that, but I suspect most people would not know if I had rounds or flats on, even most bass players. Even when I use SS on a couple basses most would think them NPS.
Fret/Pluck Tension - I prefer some stiffness so strings aren't moving around. SIT 105s are generally more stiff than I prefer, but can work fine if the action can be low and even. Some .100 sets are fine and some are not my first choice, but I can play TI Jazz Rounds which are tiny and very low tension/stiffness. Not picky on tension (lbs) as long as they are not too stiff and I feel like I'm at the hand gym for a work out.
String Type - I like anything if it sounds good and is a good match for the bass. But do lean towards flats. I liked GHS pressure wounds, but have not found them as interesting as I once did on a couple basses. I have a set of Elixers NPS that I think sound nice as well. The coating does cut the highs back, but that's OK with me as I'm not going for the Squire or Geddy tone.

Maybe one day I will try D'A like you posted, but I have hated every string of theirs I have tried. But that was with completely different amps and cabs.
 
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#335,565
dagrev said:
Odd thing last night. I took the '64 Reverse with SIT Powerwounds (from where I took the DTFs off for the the NR). I was thinking I might hear the "gold standard" and question the sound of the NR. Maybe it was just because I was used to hearing flats and/or the NR, but I kind of missed the NR. Not that is sounded bad or anything, but I expected more in comparison. Maybe a better way to put it would be I was expecting the '64 to sound better than the '66 NR and it didn't. Kind of explains why I have been enjoying the NR once I got it the way I wanted it. Curious to comp when I get my DFTs that are on back order to put back on the '64 and see how they compare.
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Mine all sound a bit different from one another. I really like the tone from the BaCH II with the vintage reissue in it. I’ll be getting in in to a guy to fix the route tomorrow so I can lower the Pup and hopefully get the action a bit lower. Not that it’s overly high. It’s just a bit higher than I prefer.
 
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#335,566
Gaolee said:
The sound that's in fashion these days seems to be a bucket of bass frequency mush. The kick drum is way overamplified, as are the low frequencies of the bass. It turns into nothing but mud, and I hate it. The whole EDM DJ mindset seems to be to crank up bass frequencies to the point that they all blend together into a sloppy mess.

It's the artificial version of the echoing gym that Geo mentions. Without a sound person overdoing the bass, the boom can be dialed down. I do it with a high/low pass filter, the amp EQ, and bass settings when playing in a concrete box type room. Sometimes you need every means available to sort it out.
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When we went to see Chris Stapleton I was afraid that would be the case and was ready for may sternum and eardrums to be abused. That was not the case. Possibly the best mixed show I attended. If there was a better mix, I just don't recall it. Even told J.T. that everything sounded great. Likely hard to pull off in something as big as Lucas Oil indoor/outdoor Stadium in Indy.
 
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#335,568
Gaolee said:
The sound that's in fashion these days seems to be a bucket of bass frequency mush. The kick drum is way overamplified, as are the low frequencies of the bass. It turns into nothing but mud, and I hate it. The whole EDM DJ mindset seems to be to crank up bass frequencies to the point that they all blend together into a sloppy mess.

It's the artificial version of the echoing gym that Geo mentions. Without a sound person overdoing the bass, the boom can be dialed down. I do it with a high/low pass filter, the amp EQ, and bass settings when playing in a concrete box type room. Sometimes you need every means available to sort it out.
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What I hate most about pop music over the past ten years is the tendency for too high-in-the-mix and overly toppy snare strikes which also come in a bit too early after the kick drum. I say snare but it’s often a crackly and strident synth sound that puts my nerves on edge. I’ll leave a room or business that plays this if I don’t have sound cancelling earbuds and of course immediately ending an ad on YouTube-
 
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