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Thunderbird Club

#37,961

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#37,962
Gluvhand said:
I'm not necessarily looking for it to sound like a 'Bird. I do plan on checking out the Vintage Pro anyway and have a Classic Pro already. And I'm not dropping Thunderbucker money on a Squier. I just want to beef it up without completely losing it's identity.
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Others will be more knowledgeable than I, but would a series/parallel mod achieve this?
 
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#37,965
Nocturnal said:
The Spector Club is pretty similar to our group. They seem very tight, dedicated to their bass of choice, welcoming of new members, will help each other out when needed, and are very knowledgeable. They are also about as chatty as this group!! I couldn't keep up between the two so I just come in here. I rarely read any other threads on TB aside from this club, classifieds, and a couple of other random threads that I have been following for a couple of years. There is just too much animosity out in the gen-pop and I HATE drama. TB is a great resource for bassists but the drama gets very deep.
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Exactly the same boat for me on Spector and Thunderbird/Gibson clubs. Except I do occasionally jump out into the alternate universe discussions to spar with the ill informed half wits. It really twists their shorts that I currently have and love 4 Gibbys and have an open wallet for another one or two while at the same time owning at least four times that many Fenders, kinda makes it hard to nail me as a fanboy.
 
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#37,971
Gluvhand said:
I'm not necessarily looking for it to sound like a 'Bird. I do plan on checking out the Vintage Pro anyway and have a Classic Pro already. And I'm not dropping Thunderbucker money on a Squier. I just want to beef it up without completely losing it's identity.
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You and @JJR58 might want to consider the now discontinued 7ender Super55 split coil, which I just noticed @JIO referenced earlier. You can find them NOS as a set or sold individually. They are a split coil that is hotter and without hum. I put some on both my Squier and my MIM jazz. Here is pic and info on Reverb (these already sold). If you keep an eye open you can find a new or used pair for sale on TB, eBay and Reverb:
Fender Super 55 Split Coil Jazz Bass Pickup Set/ New both Pickups!

Note: In my haste, the earlier post had link to wrong 7ender pups. I replaced with one above to at least show you what they look like and it tells you a bit about them. They originally retailed for about $159. Anything $100 and under for a (NOS) pair is a good deal in my opinion.
 
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#37,974
Count Bassie said:
Talkbass is full of inflated, groomed egos who like to dole out condescending heavy-handedness upon the blind side of the unprepared or undefended; humans who have spent too much time alone or in their support groups. Venturing into a convo in the GP about tube amps vs solid-state, Fender vs Gibson, comb-overs vs hair club... it's startling the level of disparaging and arrogance that gets summarily laid down for you to contend with, just because you aren't one of the chosen of their particular clique. Like the internet is a regression-therapy tool for the 50+ crowd...

Here in our little enclave we can generally go on about all these topics and somehow not forget who we are to ourselves, and to each other- there is respect here which promotes the sharpening of ourselves against the whetstone of counsel, not vaunting or debasing in knee-jerk to better sense, that we could benefit from, given the chance. This group fosters respect, a little self-knowledge. That all under the guise of being "that neck-diving bass club who are clearly off their meds", because it's full of independent thinkers. This camouflage works to benefit- we don't get the people who think their Fender is better than your Fender... it's like a quiet little village full of people who get along, and are also well able to stand up to the occasional assault from the GP Horde...

Hell, the planet is full of those people. Leave 'em alone. Nothing but trouble.

(Edited)
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Hah! I'm over 50 and play a Thunderbird through solid state. Not just any solid state, either. Heavy, klugey, awkward folded horn solid state that gets slammed as muddy and obsolete. And, I'm pretty happy doing it. No need for encouragement or confirmation. I like the way it sounds, it seems to rumble people's rib cages enough to get them moving, and so far, no audience has ever failed to move once it really gets cranking. I'm not making art, I'm not Mozart, I play rock and roll. And sometimes stuff that strays toward jazz, but really, it's rock and roll. If you can't take a sledge hammer to the mix and the audience simultaneously, then you aren't doing your job of perpetuating the human species by causing people in the audience to go home with each other and get laid.

That's today's random thought. Oh, one more thing. It's always entertaining to leak out into the GP as part of the irascible Thunderbird biker gang.
 
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#37,976
bylar13 said:
Here is a pic of my 2014 with the Babicz replacement bridge. It bolts right on and set up is super easy and the bridge is rock solid. I really like mine.

Even thought it costs about $120 new, I think it is a really well thought out product and while it may not look "right" for a vintage resto, I felt mine helped with sustain a bit and the individual string height adjustments and lock down make it super versatile. YMMV.

IMG_20170408_082533889_HDR_zpsc2bn6bvh.jpg
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Chrome and cherry is stunning. That's a truly beautiful bass guitar.
 
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#37,977
Ryan Atchison said:
Hi, I haven't posted here since I joined, I'm wondering just how much the hipshot bridge affects the sound and tone of an Epiphone t bird classic pro. Does anyone have any experience with them here?
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I don't have an Epiphone classic pro, nor do I have a Hipshot, so take this for what it's worth. I put a Babicz, which is very similar in concept to a Hipshot on a 1991 Gibson as part of swapping out the black hardware for chrome. I had the Babicz on it for some time with the stock pickups. My take on it is that the Babicz is much easier to adjust and set up. It's more adjustable, so you can get a much more accurate setup with it. It doesn't have a huge impact on the sound, sustain, or tone. What little sound effect is far overshadowed by the ability to perform fine tuning when you are adjusting things. I suspect you will find the same thing with a Hipshot. If you hate the 3-point and want something different, I think either one is a good way to go. If you expect some kind of sound enhancement, you will be disappointed.
 
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#37,979
PillO said:
I've seen Geddy when his primary bass was a Ric, a Steinberger, a Wal, and a Jazz (perhaps others? No, I think those were all the major eras). The funny thing is, he always sounds like Geddy no matter what instrument he is playing. It is the combination of technique and signal processing.
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And if you listen to anything with McCartney playing bass, it sounds the same. I doubt there was a whole lot of signal processing back then, either, but I could be wrong. Some people just sound like they sound. My brother says he can tell who it is when I'm playing upright, electric bass, or drums. I think that's a commentary on competence and lack of shame, but with people like Geddy and Macca, it's a commentary on what they sound like.
 
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#37,980
Gaolee said:
Hah! I'm over 50 and play a Thunderbird through solid state. Not just any solid state, either. Heavy, klugey, awkward folded horn solid state that gets slammed as muddy and obsolete. And, I'm pretty happy doing it. No need for encouragement or confirmation. I like the way it sounds, it seems to rumble people's rib cages enough to get them moving, and so far, no audience has ever failed to move once it really gets cranking. I'm not making art, I'm not Mozart, I play rock and roll. And sometimes stuff that strays toward jazz, but really, it's rock and roll. If you can't take a sledge hammer to the mix and the audience simultaneously, then you aren't doing your job of perpetuating the human species by causing people in the audience to go home with each other and get laid.

That's today's random thought. Oh, one more thing. It's always entertaining to leak out into the GP as part of the irascible Thunderbird biker gang.
Click to expand...
That's the spirit!
 
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