Thunderbird Club

[dagrev]

I feel like I make a post everytime I play a gig, but I just love this bass so much. The sound is just perfect for my band. I’ve always been a finger player, but there’s a few songs I have been using a pick on, and the tone is just killer with these pickups.

It was a wet show! We had a nice tent, but were playing on a sloped parking lot. The rain was running right across the stage. The rugs were so saturated, we were splashing with every step we took. Great crowd that helped us forget about the crappy parts of the job.

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That's a killer looking NR.

And gig reports with pics are always great.

When you have some dates let me know. I'd love to hear y'all pay sometime if scheduling works. Just not in the rain. I wouldn't listen to myself in the rain.

 

[dagrev]

We were all quite nervous. We really pushed the venue to cancel, but they didn't seem to care and we had a signed contract. Next time we know to put contract language in that we need an elevated stage in the event of wet ground

We did have all the subs and mains on pallets, and made sure all electrical connection points were elevated. Still a little nerve wracking though.

Guess they would have preferred being the news for musicians being electrocuted. Where was this, New Albany?

Or, sure we'll play--as long as the owner stands in the water with us while we play!

 

[Ringhammer]

Gotta watch them J basses. They sneak up on ya.

Love my J’s. Including the one shown earlier, I also have these:

‘70 and ‘71

‘73 customized with a fretless ebony board and white binding. (There’s a story about this neck, I didn’t just ruin a good ‘73 neck).

And (not pictured) a ‘98 MIJ which is one of the best of the bunch.

 

[BuddhaFingas]

Pearloid and other types are welcome in my world. This bass showed up with a tort guard. and less than 10 minutes later it had been replaced. I have never been a fan of tort, but it does work well on some finishes.

Works just dandy on my candy emerald & gold PJ.
In my most humble opinion.

 

[JIO]

my favorite logo...the P ones look really cool since they are longer....
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I dig it too - it's in "Jazz font"!

Adam Neely is a favorite on-line presence (a bass player) of mine - his mother is a music educator and he is a chip off his 'old woman' (mom!)

 

[Lammchop93]

That's a killer looking NR.

And gig reports with pics are always great.

When you have some dates let me know. I'd love to hear y'all pay sometime if scheduling works. Just not in the rain. I wouldn't listen to myself in the rain.

We are about to go on maternity leave for our singer, but will be back in October!

 

[Lammchop93]

Guess they would have preferred being the news for musicians being electrocuted. Where was this, New Albany?

Or, sure we'll play--as long as the owner stands in the water with us while we play!

No, Louisville. Church picnic

 

[JIO]

View attachment 7525550

Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat

 

[JIO]

To clarify, I've been playing my 67 since 73. I'm used to its neck. I played a J once. It was OK and I'm fairly certain I could get used to it if needed, but I'm happy with it as is. I s'pose if one is used to the feel of a J neck but like the look/sound/ergos/ whatever of a 'Bird, that's fine. But for me, it's not the answer to any question I've ever had.

No need to explain Mike - I totally get it. I've never had "an expendable income" (we used to joke about that term, especially in the '80s) but I've been lucky to have made a decent living as a house painter/Decorative Artist. There were many years of struggling to make ends meet and a lot of blood, sweat & tears along the way. I'm paying for the wear & tear in my later years accumulated from decades of physical labor (even Decorative Arts painting is hard work) but yah, I'm just dealing with it - what choice do I have?
When I stopped being an active gallery artist (paintings/drawings/collages) I switched my artist-self to making basses and playing music. I'd always shared playing music while being a studio artist but now it's my main focus. That being said, it freed funds spent on studio rent and expensive art supplies so I could buy "project basses" for cheap and resurrect them into playable instruments. I've sold a number of them and enough of my 100% custom basses over the years to afford to own a few basses. Basses of all styles and scales and neck profiles and electronics, from all around the world. I moved the same focus I had as an artist into this passion and it's been very rewarding.

In a different world, I still might be only be playing my '64 II bought in 1978 - and I'd be happy to have acquired it at a time before these inflated asking prices. Play what you love - but more importantly... play.

 

[ThaCoast]

Since we're on about Jazz basses, here's mine

Live shot of my band (we're called Street Creeps, MTL at the end to find us. I play bass & sing lead). Classic J bass specs (alder body, maple/maple neck. Blocked not bound) However the neck profile is kin to a D which i vastly prefer than the modern C which feel too slim for my big hands xD. Gotoh gold hardware, VV TBX tone, Duncan QP J set. Gold mirror guard, & artwork by my GF (edit: the pants were also done by her years ago. this was my 1st time wearing them live). This was built as a tribute to Adam Devonshire of IDLES fame, though taking liberties to make this as my ultimate Jazz bass. Also 70's spaced pickups. It's loud, filthy, & i love it.

 

[JIO]

Since we're on about Jazz basses, here's mine

View attachment 7525609
Live shot of my band (we're called Street Creeps, MTL at the end to find us. I play bass & sing lead). Classic J bass specs (alder body, maple/maple neck. Blocked not bound) However the neck profile is kin to a D which i vastly prefer than the modern C which feel too slim for my big hands xD. Gotoh gold hardware, VV TBX tone, Duncan QP J set. Gold mirror guard, & artwork by my GF. This was built as a tribute to Adam Devonshire of IDLES fame, though taking liberties to make this as my ultimate Jazz bass. Also 70's spaced pickups. It's loud, filthy, & i love it.

awesome!

 

[MCF]

No. I won’t consider tort.

But it’s time to complete the $200 GC Classic Pro project. It is all dialed in. It plays and sounds amazing. Spending time with pickup height adjustment convinced me there is nothing wrong with the pickups. They just needed to be a lot closer to the strings. Which to honor Nikki, are 50-110 EB Slinkys. It sounds like a great modern Thunderbird. So it is worth getting Irv to make a black with chrome Thunderbird emblem and matching TR cover like he did for my LECS Silverburst.

As it is now with a spare pickguard from a VP.

How it will look with a black and chrome pickguard. Anyone think I should stay with the white PG?

This is the horror it was when I got it. Geo graciously cleaned all the superglue off of the finish. I had the chrome Supertone in a drawer.

 

[TBird1958]

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Something along these lines may be in my future (sans Hipshot).....................

 

[GonePlaid]

No need to explain Mike - I totally get it. I've never had "an expendable income" (we used to joke about that term, especially in the '80s) but I've been lucky to have made a decent living as a house painter/Decorative Artist. There were many years of struggling to make ends meet and a lot of blood, sweat & tears along the way. I'm paying for the wear & tear in my later years accumulated from decades of physical labor (even Decorative Arts painting is hard work) but yah, I'm just dealing with it - what choice do I have?
When I stopped being an active gallery artist (paintings/drawings/collages) I switched my artist-self to making basses and playing music. I'd always shared playing music while being a studio artist but now it's my main focus. That being said, it freed funds spent on studio rent and expensive art supplies so I could buy "project basses" for cheap and resurrect them into playable instruments. I've sold a number of them and enough of my 100% custom basses over the years to afford to own a few basses. Basses of all styles and scales and neck profiles and electronics, from all around the world. I moved the same focus I had as an artist into this passion and it's been very rewarding.

In a different world, I still might be only be playing my '64 II bought in 1978 - and I'd be happy to have acquired it at a time before these inflated asking prices. Play what you love - but more importantly... play.

Hmm. Thereby hangs a tale. Since the band has quietly ceased to exist due to lack of bookings, I'm not playing at all so what kind of bass I'm not playing doesn't matter.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I just sold a Darkglass Anagram.......

Somehow

WTG!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Lunatic...............Is the word you're searching for!

They’re not mutually exclusive!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

To clarify, I've been playing my 67 since 73. I'm used to its neck. I played a J once. It was OK and I'm fairly certain I could get used to it if needed, but I'm happy with it as is. I s'pose if one is used to the feel of a J neck but like the look/sound/ergos/ whatever of a 'Bird, that's fine. But for me, it's not the answer to any question I've ever had.

Roger that.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Being a lunatic is what keeps us sane.

“It just might be a lunatic you’re searching for!”

 

[Miles_ONeal]

No. I won’t consider tort.

But it’s time to complete the $200 GC Classic Pro project. It is all dialed in. It plays and sounds amazing. Spending time with pickup height adjustment convinced me there is nothing wrong with the pickups. They just needed to be a lot closer to the strings. Which to honor Nikki, are 50-110 EB Slinkys. It sounds like a great modern Thunderbird. So it is worth getting Irv to make a black with chrome Thunderbird emblem and matching TR cover like he did for my LECS Silverburst.

As it is now with a spare pickguard from a VP.
View attachment 7525653

How it will look with a black and chrome pickguard. Anyone think I should stay with the white PG?
View attachment 7525654

This is the horror it was when I got it. Geo graciously cleaned all the superglue off of the finish. I had the chrome Supertone in a drawer.
View attachment 7525655

Nice work! Def prefer the black pg.

 

[RedVee]

No, Louisville. Church picnic

Nice day for a picnic