Thunderbird Club

[Count Bassie]

Cool live performance- "China Grove''s cool bass line more prominent here- btw, what model bass is that? Never saw one with the open channels in the headstock before-

Why, that looks like an EB-3, 70s, right?

 

[Count Bassie]

Oh no- my mistake- I should have credited my friend Garrett Gainey whom I commissioned to do the illustration. You can see part of his signature in the bottom right corner. But I did create the character and the scene in my novel Harrington's View that inspired the illustration.

Here is the context - note there is a variation in instruments. But later she actually brings him a bass guitar and practice amp -

Caleb Key has been placed in a cocoon-like restraint in a futuristic psyche-ward. Möbius is an entity that initially manifested as a Möbius strip. And she comes to him in a dream, or is it?

Dr. Anna Harrington, his psychiatrist has confiscated his bass guitar and other music equipment as a result of erratic behavior described below-

The next morning found Caleb suspended in a restraining cocoon, its womb-like interior and sedative secretions alleviating any claustrophobia he might have felt.

“Caleb, wake up,” Anna said as she snapped her fingers.

“Yes?” he replied groggily.

“Do you have any idea why you are here?”

“No.”

“Have you no recollection of what transpired yesterday?”

“No, I don’t. What happened?”

“For one thing you failed to show up for your appointment. Then when I sent Shauna to fetch you, you were totally unresponsive, apart from nearly clocking her in the head with your bass.”

“Hmmm.”

“Hmmm?’ This is serious Caleb. It was as if you were in another world.”

He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow.

“She came to me a couple of days ago.”

“She?”

“Well, my bass seemed to call to me.”

“Your bass? Now which is it?”

“I’m not sure.”

“At any rate, we’ll be confiscating your bass and other musical instruments until we get to the bottom of this, and we’ll need to keep you restrained and under close observation for the next couple of days. Perhaps it will give you time to better recollect what was going on in your head.”

“But ….” he began, then merely sighed.

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep you comfortable. Now you are to rest.”

As if on cue, the cocoon secreted a mild soporific that slowly ushered him to sleep.

Icehouse’s “Paradise” began to play when the Möbius returned in rhythm to the rototoms. First as flashes, gradually expanding as they brightened, tendrils reaching for him in streaking, shimmering pulses, eventually coalescing into a strip of light in the spectrum of the rainbow. Undulating, it curled around a leg like an affectionate cat, causing him to cringe as it slowly moved upward.

“Don’t,” he cried as it reached his thigh.

It recoiled, then slowly took the form of a woman in white streaming threads of light. It moved toward him, trailing tendrils from its hair as it approached with arms outstretched.

“Lenore?”

There was no response as it embraced him, then taking his head in its hands, kissed him. Kissing him once more, it sundered the ether and ushered him into another world.

Caleb found himself walking down a dark road amid booming sounds and flashes of light highlighting high tension wires overhead. The air was alive with magnetism which made his skin tingle and hair stand on end. He looked up and sheets of color streak across the sky, trailing wisps of colored air that swirled and faded to the strains of flanged harmonic tones as “Somebody Calling” began to play. Once again notes waltzed forward to the bass and beat of the music. Goaded by an urge of unknown origin, he began walking again, enjoying it but finding it so strange. At one point he stepped to the edge of the road and found a bottomless darkness rent with distant flashes of light. He resumed his walk only to trip over something, a shiny curb-like structure running perpendicular to the length of the road. Curious, he ran his finger over its brass-like color and texture before being urged forward again. But it was not long before a sudden shift in the road made him stumble and fall. Neon figures appeared only to disappear into showers of sparks as high-tension wires crashed down upon them. But they weren’t sparks—those were notes! Then he realized those weren’t wires as an E flat minor 9th chord came crashing down, sending him sailing into space on a raft of flanged open harmonics. Looking back, he saw the neon white image of his Möbius friend wielding a neon white Stratocaster, all awareness lapsing into a tapestry of notes.

That was an easy read and entertaining. Well realized imagery, that scene went somewhere. That was gratifying. Nice piece of work. You write this?

 

[Count Bassie]

Nope, nope, nope.
A clear coat finish or stress crack is one thing. Some of those cracks in the picture are actually lifting, which means eventual flaking and chunking. If it were the base of the neck near the body where you rarely play it would be one thing, but in first position that kind of finish failure (and potential structural failure) is a no go. There are too many perfectly good deals out there to waste time on a potential bad deal.
Hard pass for me.

I see you there, I'm inclined to see how the wood is under the finish. For the price, if there's actually no wood damage, I'll probably do it. I'm pretty adaptable to things like finishes and compromise, and I know a guy who might be able to make it invisible to the touch. If not there's always wet sandpaper and steel wool.
I appreciate the no-compromise angle though concerning what you're going to spend a lot of quality time with. It does occur to me that maybe it's time to get a new standard... Raise my game up a notch, level up, expect more, walk a cleaner path...

NAH!! I'll be back!

 

[JJR58]

My pleasure. You graciously fixed my old and beloved Phase 90. I came out way ahead my friend. Way ahead. Used that on all but one song Sunday. I love that little box.

Have you considered La Bellas. I hear they sound even better when an Italian plays them. Seriously, do you just want want a bright, modern flat? I don't have any DTFs that sound dead as some think. I find them very full with very nice clarity. No mud for me. Just wondering. Nothing wrong with the EBCFs. I would use them on something if I didn't have princess fingers.

I tried DTF’s and other LaBella’s.
They were nice and bright out of the package, within a week they turned into thud and had lost all definition.
Off they came.
After trying lots of different flats.
EBCF’s never let me down.
Even when they break in.

 

[dagrev]

ok!

Oh, no. Here comes, "Hold my beer."

 

[dagrev]

If you rush through the strings at first, the B and C can blur into one note…
Only the A string goes up (whole step) whole the D and G drop.

Bass sounds great. Maybe this should be a thing.

 

[Lammchop93]

I still have the bi-centennial set I got from 916 sitting in a box. I’m thinking those will go in my white 2003, and I’ll sell the Curtis Novak thunderbird set that are currently in it. Maybe I need to list the Novak set and get them sold to motivate me….

Anyone here interested in a Curtis Novak Thunderbird set?

Thunderbird

Vintage correct Thunderbird double coil pickup. Harmonically rich, clean tone. Hum-cancelling. Can be custom ordered as a guitar pickup.

www.curtisnovak.com

$275 for the set, plus shipping from 94402

I may be interested in a single if you are willing to separate. I have a build in my future...

 

[Lammchop93]

Anyone else see the Gibson CEO stepped down? Maybe they can get someone that gives a damn about bass in the position next time?

 

[Ringhammer]

Hey you guys, need some keen discernment here. I'm looking at a used Epi 64 and there's some finish cracking at the back of the neck near the headstock. Any thoughts on this?

View attachment 7523553
View attachment 7523554
The guy says it's been no issue, I'm inclined to believe him, but I'm just throwing this here for a casual look... He wants cheep money for it.

Didn’t know the “‘64” version ever came in white?

My 2017 is a “VP” and is white like that. Maybe it’s actually a VP?

I actually put pickups out of a broken blue sparkle ‘64 in my VP.

 

[TBird1958]

Cool live performance- "China Grove''s cool bass line more prominent here- btw, what model bass is that? Never saw one with the open channels in the headstock before-

It's an EB-3 from a short period 1969 - '71, my fave years for that bass, love mine.

 

[GonePlaid]

Why would poly crack like that? Those look like stress fractures.

Agreed. Could be a fairly easy repair if the price is right enuff.

 

[Count Bassie]

Didn’t know the “‘64” version ever came in white?

My 2017 is a “VP” and is white like that. Maybe it’s actually a VP?

I actually put pickups out of a broken blue sparkle ‘64 in my VP.

Maybe I'm wrong about the model.
Serial# 18112303870.
It's a 2018, made in Samick, Indonesia (Samick factory?).
Probably a Vintage Pro.

 

[Lammchop93]

Why would poly crack like that? Those look like stress fractures.

I dont think that's a poly crack. Definitely had some sort of impact to cause that

 

[dagrev]

Anyone else see the Gibson CEO stepped down? Maybe they can get someone that gives a damn about bass in the position next time?

The board will likely hire a friend who was CEO of Dunkin' Donuts.... Hey there's always the so called business genius (still) at Cracker Barrel who about crashed the company and cost them millions. (Did get a lot of free PR by accident.) Maybe instruments are more her thing than grits.

 

[Ringhammer]

Maybe I'm wrong about the model.

The VP has 760’s and, while I personally think they sound great with the right strings, some say they are a bit lacking in the lows. I swapped mine out for the ones out of a ‘64, and I do hear a difference, but maybe not an improvement (to me). I like some zing and grit and do like hearing the notes on the thin strings cut through. But, for now I’m sticking with the ‘64 pickups.

Sometime soon I will be offering up a Epiphone VP “Deluxe package” of my own making:

White 2017 Epihone VP.
White knobs. Original gold knobs included.
Upgraded Hipshot tuners and extender key.
Epiphone ‘64 pickups.
Original Probucker 760’s included.
Original Epihone branded gig bag.
Epiphone branded “triangle” HSC.

The thumb rest is held on by two small #4 screws in the corner pickup ring screw holes. Once removed there are no holes in the body.

Only one small nick in the headstock and it has been painted to match pretty well, so not noticeable.

If anyone here is interested, let me know.

 

[dagrev]

Maybe I'm wrong about the model.
Serial# 18112303870.
It's a 2018, made in Samick, Indonesia (Samick factory?).
Probably a Vintage Pro.

Yes VP. (My Fender Squier 50s Pbass was also made by Samick.)

 

[dagrev]

The VP has 760’s and, while I personally think they sound great with the right strings, some say they are a bit lacking in the lows. I swapped mine out for the ones out of a ‘64, and I do hear a difference, but maybe not an improvement (to me). I like some zing and grit and do like hearing the notes on the thin strings cut through. But, for now I’m sticking with the ‘64 pickups.

Sometime soon I will be offering up a Epiphone VP “Deluxe package” of my own making:

White 2017 Epihone VP.
White knobs. Original gold knobs included.
Upgraded Hipshot tuners and extender key.
Epiphone ‘64 pickups.
Original Probucker 760’s included.
Original Epihone branded gig bag.
Epiphone branded “triangle” HSC.

View attachment 7523767

The thumb rest is held on by two small #4 screws in the corner pickup ring screw holes. Once removed there are no holes in the body.

Only one small nick in the headstock and it has been painted to match pretty well, so not noticeable.

If anyone here is interested, let me know.

You VP has a nice dark fretboard. Mine is pretty light. My Burst VP is dark, which I prefer.

 

[Ringhammer]

You VP has a nice dark fretboard. Mine is pretty light. My Burst VP is dark, which I prefer.

Fretboard oil. I load it up and let it soak for hours, then wipe off, let sit/sweat, wipe off again, let sit/sweat, and wipe again.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I tried DTF’s and other LaBella’s.
They were nice and bright out of the package, within a week they turned into thud and had lost all definition.
Off they came.
After trying lots of different flats.
EBCF’s never let me down.
Even when they break in.

This this this. EBCFs all day every day.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Maybe I'm wrong about the model.
Serial# 18112303870.
It's a 2018, made in Samick, Indonesia (Samick factory?).
Probably a Vintage Pro.

Yup