Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

60s Thunderbird saddles came un notched any notches made were done after leaving the factory.View attachment 7423691

!!! I still have my '63 & '64 brass mutes (that I removed), the '64 with those white felt mutes intact. Was not aware they came un-slotted from the factory. Thanks for that info -

 

[GBassNorth]

Can we have Dano-day?

View attachment 7423622

And a fine Dano Day it is…

I need to get this ugly little buggar out of its case and give it some love.
Built about as cheap as you can build a bass - Masonite top and back, vinyl tape for side binding, an aluminum nut, bent steel bridge that keeps on bending on its own, plastic strap pins, banjo tuners. No reason it shouldn’t have fallen apart 5 years after it was built, but for some strange reason it just keeps on truckin.

 

[ectoflanger]

A few movie car exposés for my car enthusiast Thunderbird Bro's- in chronological order by film-

 

[dagrev]

yeah, but this is cooler (imho).... wish I liked the sound of tubes more......

not convinced with TE's method of securing the output tubes......too bad...
View attachment 7422446
on the other hand, someone (could be factory) had the good sense/taste to place a very desirable NOS Mullard ultra low noise twin triode at the input...
View attachment 7422447

Somebody say Mullard?
That's the current version. New Sensor bought the name (Millard), but what I've read fairly different from the British versions, especially those from the famed Blackburn factory.

My two.

 

[dagrev]

Do you see issues with Ruby power tubes?
My PF50T with the stock Ruby 6L6s started making some fuzzy crackling sounds on startup. It would go away after a few minutes.
I had another set of Ruby 6L6s so I put those in and it's fine.
I'm thinking about getting a set of JJs.

Rubys these days are tend to be select JJ where Ruby had higher testing requirements. True with the pre tubes anyway and I assume the same for power tubes.

 

[dagrev]

I did a thing today, added another Gibson to the flock, a '69 EB0 routed for a Guild PUP at the bridge, no neck/headstock damage. Harkens back to my first year playing bass, and High School Senior year. I could never afford a birth year bass ('52), so this'll do.
View attachment 7422887

Whoa!!!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Happy NR Sun all.....

 

[TBird1958]

NR!

 

[JIO]

And a fine Dano Day it is…
View attachment 7423722
I need to get this ugly little buggar out of its case and give it some love.
Built about as cheap as you can build a bass - Masonite top and back, vinyl tape for side binding, an aluminum nut, bent steel bridge that keeps on bending on its own, plastic strap pins, banjo tuners. No reason it shouldn’t have fallen apart 5 years after it was built, but for some strange reason it just keeps on truckin.

so pretty

 

[JIO]

Somebody say Mullard?
That's the current version. New Sensor bought the name (Millard), but what I've read fairly different from the British versions, especially those from the famed Blackburn factory.

My two.
View attachment 7423762View attachment 7423763

tube fetish... (I get it!)

 

[Ringhammer]

Somebody say Mullard?
That's the current version. New Sensor bought the name (Millard), but what I've read fairly different from the British versions, especially those from the famed Blackburn factory.

My two.
View attachment 7423762View attachment 7423763

I actually have a British one too, a “10M”

 

[GBassNorth]

so pretty

This is the Dano I lust after…
https://reverb.com/item/93842104-da...-semi-hollowbody-bass-red-hot-white-used-mint
And so affordable!

 

[RedVee]

I made a number of friends that way in the dorm — sometimes from one side of the door, sometimes from the other.

By “spinning Miles”?

 

[dagrev]

If you have a vintage NR and some spare time post a profile shot. I’m interested in seeing how little headstock tilt there is vs other Gibby birds.
@Chucky Stiletti
@TBird1958
@dagrev
@godofthunder59
Others

I'm not ignoring, but ran my toe into the tile corner getting into the shower Mon morning and it bled like crazy. That stopped but it hurts so I'm trying to move around a little as possible for a while.

 

[dagrev]

Those of you that use SIT Power Wounds, would you say they have more than average tension than average?

I have some medium/32” scale Fender Japan basses and with limited choices of strings, and hardly any sets heavier than 45-105, I really want a little more tension on the medium scale ones I want to use rounds on. I found the Dunlop flats are really good on a couple, but their rounds are a little soft on the 32”s not to mention the G is a bit short.

They are more stiff than most other strings of like gauges. I don't recall actual tension in lbs, but their flats were up there pretty good as I recall.

 

[dagrev]

@godofthunder59 told me uncut saddles are collector items. Mine are not cut either. I guess folks cut their own slots for most of them.

No "slottage" for me either on the '64 Reverse or the '64 Embassy.
That word deserved to be used more than once.

 

[dagrev]

all day....
View attachment 7423676

Ok, how many never noticed she was playing a Strat?

 

[dagrev]

And a fine Dano Day it is…
View attachment 7423722
I need to get this ugly little buggar out of its case and give it some love.
Built about as cheap as you can build a bass - Masonite top and back, vinyl tape for side binding, an aluminum nut, bent steel bridge that keeps on bending on its own, plastic strap pins, banjo tuners. No reason it shouldn’t have fallen apart 5 years after it was built, but for some strange reason it just keeps on truckin.

That has to be the best looking one I recall seeing.

 

[dagrev]

I actually have a British one too, a “10M”

Both of mine are from I61 series from the Blackburn factory.

Correction on the Ruby's--only the so marked are JJs. Regular JJ tube but then a Ruby sticker is put on it. After I posted and went to bed I got to thinking my initial post was an overstatement. Ruby actually never made there own tube as I recall.

JJs are considered to be warm. This seem true for modern production tubes and is what Ashdown suggests. They are warm in the modern sense, but compared to an old Mullard or RCA they sound harsh. Something about those old tubes.

Most of my tube rolling over the years didn't make much difference at all, if there was any in some some cases. But when I bough my first old tube---Whoa! That was a difference. There may be some modern tubes that are warm like an old British Mullard, etc, but I have not run across one, but I haven't paid anything near $100 for a vintage tube.

That said, some amps require more than one tube to make a difference, even then the way it uses them may minimize the tonal impact. Ex: In my Ampeg V-4B Reissue an old Millard in V1 or V2 makes little to no difference, and the way Ampeg divides the use of the triodes in that head seems to lessen tube impact on tone. (Yes, I'm getting over my head at this point.) But the way Ashdown uses the tube curcuit it maximizes the tube and it makes a huge difference. Had an old SWR 350 and changing that tube made some difference, more than the Ampeg.

 

[MCF]

As much as I have loved playing my new-to-me 1964 bird, the softened-with-age Angry Piano still isn’t quite the tone for most of what I play, so it was time for some flats. Which flats? The flats beloved by so many, the only flats to have inspired a club dedicated to anything but them (The Princess Fingers Club, for those allergic to good tone), Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats, of course!

Shown for comparison: two E strings, an EBCF and an undead Rotosound RS66 of ancient vintage.

View attachment 7423634

We all know the tone is in the Purple Silks! I wish the claw had wider slots, though. It’s like they assumed bass strings would be relatively skinny. The Roto E string was squished from being forced into the slot, though you can’t really tell from the above photo. You can see how worn the Rotos are. “You’ve lost that grating feeling …” (Not completely, but a good bit!)

I forgot to get a photo with a string off, but the bridge has no slots. I guess they thought the claw had enough slottage for both pieces.

View attachment 7423638

Why reverse tuners? Just to be different? I guess I’m just grateful it doesn’t have the Firebird-style reverse headstock!
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If anyone wants a tamer Angry Piano set, hit me up. Otherwise they’ll go in the case.

The ‘77 has reverse tuners.