Thunderbird Club

[TBird1958]

Well, I sold a few guitar and bass things I don’t use anymore and ended up with enough in my gear fund to go down the Vintage NR path. Just bought this potential keeper a few hours ago, well below the asking price. Could be a very decent deal (assuming it’s all that they say it is). Should have it in about a week and I’ll know then if it was truly a good buy. If so, it stays, if not it gets returned (the value added in buying from Guitar Center).
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Cant tell much with online photos vs in hand, but it appears to be a nice mostly original player grade bass with what looks like a decent headstock repair. Again, it’s GC, so if it’s what they say it is and functionally does what it’s supposed to do it’ll come home with me, if not, it goes straight back to GC and I’m out the $25 shipping fee.

Awesome news! Great score, George!

 

[Instagator]

same here, my dad worked at GE and was familiar with the tech and many types as were many of the radio guys of the time..... they just look cool when on (and off).....very complex looking structures to many at the time and the glass cases with different sizes and shapes helped........interesting you mention getters.....as an engineer, it always fascinated me how incredibly rugged they can be electrically and yet so frail mechanically especially when hot, exactly opposite to semiconductors......in this case notice the "gassy" (I know) tube to the right (you can even see the top getter rings) which I believe may be caused by those springs..........
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was thinking of replacing just that one but the other 3 are not really perfectly matched which could have happened when the gassy one failed.....good thing a matched quartet of these is about 300 bucks, not much more than back in the 60's taking inflation into account.....think I'll replace the mounting method as well....
View attachment 7424099

Speaking of tubes..These are the tubes that we use on our Christmas tree.
I got them from a Christmas ornament exchange on a different guitar related forum.
The ornaments that we made for each other had to be guitar/bass related.
Who knows..they may actually work.
Cheers!

 

[dagrev]

same here, my dad worked at GE and was familiar with the tech and many types as were many of the radio guys of the time..... they just look cool when on (and off).....very complex looking structures to many at the time and the glass cases with different sizes and shapes helped........interesting you mention getters.....as an engineer, it always fascinated me how incredibly rugged they can be electrically and yet so frail mechanically especially when hot, exactly opposite to semiconductors......in this case notice the "gassy" (I know) tube to the right (you can even see the top getter rings) which I believe may be caused by those springs..........
View attachment 7424096
View attachment 7424097

was thinking of replacing just that one but the other 3 are not really perfectly matched which could have happened when the gassy one failed.....good thing a matched quartet of these is about 300 bucks, not much more than back in the 60's taking inflation into account.....think I'll replace the mounting method as well....
View attachment 7424099

Cool stuff. You touched on exactly one area that I find fascinating. Durable enough to last 60 years (if not used up), but also so delicate even beyond the glass. How they even made such things in terms of the manufacturing process is amazing for the time. There's a great YT vid of a short documentary of a Mullard factory.

The silver getter flashed away on my Sylvaina that died. I suppose the vacuum maybe gave out--or other things beyond my understanding. But you can see the tube better when that happens!

 

[dagrev]

Well, I sold a few guitar and bass things I don’t use anymore and ended up with enough in my gear fund to go down the Vintage NR path. Just bought this potential keeper a few hours ago, well below the asking price. Could be a very decent deal (assuming it’s all that they say it is). Should have it in about a week and I’ll know then if it was truly a good buy. If so, it stays, if not it gets returned (the value added in buying from Guitar Center).
View attachment 7424105
View attachment 7424106
View attachment 7424108
Cant tell much with online photos vs in hand, but it appears to be a nice mostly original player grade bass with what looks like a decent headstock repair. Again, it’s GC, so if it’s what they say it is and functionally does what it’s supposed to do it’ll come home with me, if not, it goes straight back to GC and I’m out the $25 shipping fee.

That's fantastic George! Congrats!
But you noticed it was missing a pickup, right?

I confess, I would like to have a II. I'm curious how different they sound from a IV. Maybe something to work on building this year, who knows.

 

[Nocturnal]

Well, I sold a few guitar and bass things I don’t use anymore and ended up with enough in my gear fund to go down the Vintage NR path. Just bought this potential keeper a few hours ago, well below the asking price. Could be a very decent deal (assuming it’s all that they say it is). Should have it in about a week and I’ll know then if it was truly a good buy. If so, it stays, if not it gets returned (the value added in buying from Guitar Center).
View attachment 7424105
View attachment 7424106
View attachment 7424108
Cant tell much with online photos vs in hand, but it appears to be a nice mostly original player grade bass with what looks like a decent headstock repair. Again, it’s GC, so if it’s what they say it is and functionally does what it’s supposed to do it’ll come home with me, if not, it goes straight back to GC and I’m out the $25 shipping fee.

Congrats George!! Another beauty in your collection!

 

[Instagator]

Kinda thinking about ordering some of these for our grand kids. Wish it was a T-Bird though.

 

[Ringhammer]

Thanks, it looks like the only 6L6 matched pairs my local shop has are JJ, 6L6GC, APEX MATCHED PAIR.
That's probably what I'll get. I can't remember what I have in the preamp, but I'm going to check those and make sure I have spares.

I have gotten new tubes from these guys. Really good to work with and they are in Canada:

Welcome to the store

www.thetubestore.com

 

[Engle]

I have gotten new tubes from these guys. Really good to work with and they are in Canada:

Welcome to the store

www.thetubestore.com

Thanks Rich - I didn't realize they were in Canada.
This place is local to me:

TUBE, JJ, 6L6GC, APEX MATCHED PAIR

JJ 6L6GC Tube sold as a PAIR or QUAD MATCH Octal power tube (Max Plate Watts = 30W). This Slovakian tube has colorful lows, loose / easy-going mid body and a brightly shining chime for the highs. In overdrive, it offers a tight and focused bite with crisp, bright and well-defined articulation...

leeselectronic.com

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Here’s my small collection of vintage 12AX7’s that are not currently in any amp:

View attachment 7424019

Left to right,

Phillips ECG 12AX7WA (USA)
Mullard “10M” 12AX7A (Great Britain)
Sylvania JHS 12AX7 long plate (USA)
Amperex 12AX7A (Great Britain)

I also have a number of vintage 12AT7’s and 12AU7’s of various brands.

Small but freaking mighty!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Speaking of tubes..These are the tubes that we use on our Christmas tree.
I got them from a Christmas ornament exchange on a different guitar related forum.
The ornaments that we made for each other had to be guitar/bass related.
Who knows..they may actually work.
Cheers!
View attachment 7424178

and after plowing through some turkey and mash........

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I've changed my purchasing preferences (since last year about this time) and would rather support a local shop if it's an option.

This

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I have gotten new tubes from these guys. Really good to work with and they are in Canada:

Welcome to the store

www.thetubestore.com

They — and for a while their wholesale arm, C E Dist — were where I bought all my tube amp parts from when tube amps were my side gig.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Cool stuff. You touched on exactly one area that I find fascinating. Durable enough to last 60 years (if not used up), but also so delicate even beyond the glass. How they even made such things in terms of the manufacturing process is amazing for the time. There's a great YT vid of a short documentary of a Mullard factory.

The silver getter flashed away on my Sylvaina that died. I suppose the vacuum maybe gave out--or other things beyond my understanding. But you can see the tube better when that happens!

when you lose vacuum, the filament oxidizes to the point it burns open when you apply the heater 6.3V..... notice it won't light up if you plug it in (you won't break anything).....it's these issues that made them obsolete.....my kid visited Nvidia the other day as part of a school project and was mentioning how they were passing around an exposed Blackwell GPU calling it the most sophisticated thing ever built by humans....what always intrigued me was the right after Roswell timeframe of the transition from vacuum to semiconductors......

 

[PhR75]

I wrote about the mongrel Ibanez Destroyer DB700 with a Roadstar II neck a while ago. I couldn't let it ago so I bought it. Plays and sounds so good. Those super J5 and J5S pickups are great and I especially love the neck pickup in a single coil mode.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I wrote about the mongrel Ibanez Destroyer DB700 with a Roadstar II neck a while ago. I couldn't let it ago so I bought it. Plays and sounds so good. Those super J5 and J5S pickups are great and I especially love the neck pickup in a single coil mode.
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great tone...

 

[ectoflanger]

And a fine Dano Day it is…
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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.

I couldn’t resist-

 

[Engle]

Well, I sold a few guitar and bass things I don’t use anymore and ended up with enough in my gear fund to go down the Vintage NR path. Just bought this potential keeper a few hours ago, well below the asking price. Could be a very decent deal (assuming it’s all that they say it is). Should have it in about a week and I’ll know then if it was truly a good buy. If so, it stays, if not it gets returned (the value added in buying from Guitar Center).
View attachment 7424105
View attachment 7424106
View attachment 7424108
Cant tell much with online photos vs in hand, but it appears to be a nice mostly original player grade bass with what looks like a decent headstock repair. Again, it’s GC, so if it’s what they say it is and functionally does what it’s supposed to do it’ll come home with me, if not, it goes straight back to GC and I’m out the $25 shipping fee.

Sweet!

 

[Stealth57]

Here’s my small collection of vintage 12AX7’s that are not currently in any amp:

View attachment 7424019

Left to right,

Phillips ECG 12AX7WA (USA)
Mullard “10M” 12AX7A (Great Britain)
Sylvania JHS 12AX7 long plate (USA)
Amperex 12AX7A (Great Britain)

I also have a number of vintage 12AT7’s and 12AU7’s of various brands.

My only spares.

 

[Stealth57]

and after plowing through some turkey and mash........
View attachment 7424245

How do you tell them apart?

 

[GBassNorth]

Awesome news! Great score, George!

That’s what I’m hoping it ends up being. Buying Vintage gear on line is a total crapshoot. GC makes it easy though.