Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

Congrats...try D'Addario NYXL 50105 on that 'bird, if you like bigger strings, they are what I use and they kill.

I like these as well - I was one of the test-pilots who got a set (50-105) for free and I've bought a few sets since then.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Blue-green with dark red blended around the edges. I didn't mean to let you down.

It's like that episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (hopefully someone here watches that show) where Sal's Pizza get burnt down, and Boyle talks about his pizza blog. Cpt. Holt reads Boyles blog because he's the only one that rates "Mouth Feel"

That's what separates your sound description from everyone else's


Plus I find humour in it

 

[JIO]

It's like that episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (hopefully someone here watches that show) where Sal's Pizza get burnt down, and Boyle talks about his pizza blog. Cpt. Holt reads Boyles blog because he's the only one that rates "Mouth Feel"

That's what separates your sound description from everyone else's


Plus I find humour in it

Using colour to describe sound, type of music or to set a tone/paint a picture as a song title is not unusual - "Kind of Blue" (blues oriented jazz), the "Blues"(generally feeling low), "Yellow Submarine", "Mellow Yellow"(bright-poppy),"Devil with the Blue dress On"(red+blue=hot! ...yes, a stretch here),"Green Green Grass of Home" (longing for a better place) - each evocative of the theme. Elvin Jones always spoke of music in terms of colour. Then there is the 'brown note'...

 

[PillO]

I'd introduce myself in the club since a month and a bit more I'm the proud owner of a 2006 Gibson Thunderbird, vintage sunburst, black case with dark-grey fur.

wonderful instrument, really a beast on it's own. I'm in the momentary struggle to find the perfect strings, and I've tried:
Rotosound Swing66 45-105
D'Addario EXL165 nickel 45-105
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky nickel 50-105
Labella 0760M flatwound 52-110 (without the G because I cut it for a 3+1 headstock but then sold the bass, so the was short for the Tbird).

right now the Ernie Balls are the winning set for tension and sound

I use it with a cheap Ernie Ball nylon strap, and even if it "dives" a bit, it's not something really problematic, due to the fact that this is not a "shredding" bass, IMHO. I prefer to keep it with bigger strings and slightly higher action compared to, for example, my Warwick Streamer.

I'm really in love with this bass <3 I think Gibson makes the most underrated basses out there.

Congrats...try D'Addario NYXL 50105 on that 'bird, if you like bigger strings, they are what I use and they kill.

I have been very happy with NYXL 50-105 on mine, but I am going to experiment with Black Beauties 50-110

 

[Larry V]

Damn Sam! I can't believe you'd go back to a place that did that to ya! Surely there's got to be somebody else 'round Motown who's more reliable and trustworthy than that!

Motown? I rarely go south of the Genesee County line and certainly wouldn't burn 4 plus hours worth of time and gas to get a bass worked on. There and back to drop it off and there and back to pick it up equals 4 plus hours... ummm, no thanks. What I could do is check with some local musicians around Flint to see where they go and who's reputable but at this point unless it's a snapped headstock, I'll just handle it myself.

Oh and even a bass with a snapped headstock would get the photo treatment I spoke of earlier.

 

[bass40hz]

I have been very happy with NYXL 50-105 on mine, but I am going to experiment with Black Beauties 50-110

I use the BB set you are looking at, had them on a USA Pbass, they sound awesome, my 2 issues were 1. they were kind of floppy, not very but not the tension that I prefer...2. they got very very sticky as they got older to the point where I would slide and burn my finger...even though I wipe them down after each use...but tone wise - they are killer, very crunchy...

 

[Kevan Campbell]

Congrats!
MT Custom Cases in Chicago for flight cases. Tom Heslin will do you right!
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Thanks for the recommendation!!! I guess there's just not that much out there in the way of soft cases for the Birds...time to start gathering my change from the car and couch cushions to save up for a flight case!

 

[theFixer]

I'd introduce myself in the club since a month and a bit more I'm the proud owner of a 2006 Gibson Thunderbird, vintage sunburst, black case with dark-grey fur.

wonderful instrument, really a beast on it's own. I'm in the momentary struggle to find the perfect strings, and I've tried:
Rotosound Swing66 45-105
D'Addario EXL165 nickel 45-105
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky nickel 50-105
Labella 0760M flatwound 52-110 (without the G because I cut it for a 3+1 headstock but then sold the bass, so the was short for the Tbird).

right now the Ernie Balls are the winning set for tension and sound

I use it with a cheap Ernie Ball nylon strap, and even if it "dives" a bit, it's not something really problematic, due to the fact that this is not a "shredding" bass, IMHO. I prefer to keep it with bigger strings and slightly higher action compared to, for example, my Warwick Streamer.

I'm really in love with this bass <3 I think Gibson makes the most underrated basses out there.

Hey there! Congratulations! Gotta pic of that 'bird?

Without knowing what your target sound is, it's kinda hard to say what string is "best". I'm a big fan of DR Hi Beams. I wanted to check out EB Cobalts, so that's what I'm strung up with right now... but I'm going back to the DRs as soon as I can.

 

[theFixer]

Motown? I rarely go south of the Genesee County line and certainly wouldn't burn 4 plus hours worth of time and gas to get a bass worked on. There and back to drop it off and there and back to pick it up equals 4 plus hours... ummm, no thanks. What I could do is check with some local musicians around Flint to see where they go and who's reputable but at this point unless it's a snapped headstock, I'll just handle it myself.

Oh and even a bass with a snapped headstock would get the photo treatment I spoke of earlier.

Oh crap man! I didn't know you were that far away from DeToilet!

(I've never really spent any time on the East side)

 

[GBassNorth]

I use the BB set you are looking at, had them on a USA Pbass, they sound awesome, my 2 issues were 1. they were kind of floppy, not very but not the tension that I prefer...2. they got very very sticky as they got older to the point where I would slide and burn my finger...even though I wipe them down after each use...but tone wise - they are killer, very crunchy...

Interesting.

I use Black Beauties exclusively on my Stingray basses to calm the top end sizzle down a bit. In the nearly 10 years I've been using them I've never had them get sticky on me, but then again I'm not wiping them down after each use. I have had them flake a bit of the black coating off but not enough to notice or effect the sound or playability. I play finger style but I'd guess if you're a pick player you will have flaking problems.

I also used Cobalts (can't remember for sure if they were flats or rounds but I'll look into it) on my Fender basses and I'd say the BB and Cobalt strings are nearly the opposite in the type of sound they produce. The Black Beauties are a warm sounding string, very even from string to string, and bring out a bit more of the low mids for a nice but not over done punchy sound. They have very little finger noise on slides and fretting and are relatively fast strings. The Cobalts on the other hand have a lot of top end sizzle and bottom end grit/grind and are more mid focused and noticeably louder than any other string I've tried (to the point I had to lower my pickups and back off on the volume knob). They were incredibly rough and aggressive in texture and consequently not particularly fast or quiet on slides and after a weeks use actually left a pile of brass dust at the nut. I wasn't thrilled with them so off they went, not sure what a long term use would reveal, but I'd be concerned about fret wear.

Disclaimer: I have not used either string on my TBirds.

 

[theFixer]

Interesting.

I use Black Beauties exclusively on my Stingray basses to calm the top end sizzle down a bit. In the nearly 10 years I've been using them I've never had them get sticky on me, but then again I'm not wiping them down after each use. I have had them flake a bit of the black coating off but not enough to notice or effect the sound or playability. I play finger style but I'd guess if you're a pick player you will have flaking problems.

I also used Cobalts (can't remember for sure if they were flats or rounds but I'll look into it) on my Fender basses and I'd say the BB and Cobalt strings are nearly the opposite in the type of sound they produce. The Black Beauties are a warm sounding string, very even from string to string, and bring out a bit more of the low mids for a nice but not over done punchy sound. They have very little finger noise on slides and fretting and are relatively fast strings. The Cobalts on the other hand have a lot of top end sizzle and bottom end grit/grind and are more mid focused and noticeably louder than any other string I've tried (to the point I had to lower my pickups and back off on the volume knob). They were incredibly rough and aggressive in texture and consequently not particularly fast or quiet on slides and after a weeks use actually left a pile of brass dust at the nut. I wasn't thrilled with them so off they went, not sure what a long term use would reveal, but I'd be concerned about fret wear.

Disclaimer: I have not used either string on my TBirds.

I haven't tried the BBs, but I can back up everything you said about the Cobalts.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Interesting.

I use Black Beauties exclusively on my Stingray basses to calm the top end sizzle down a bit. In the nearly 10 years I've been using them I've never had them get sticky on me, but then again I'm not wiping them down after each use. I have had them flake a bit of the black coating off but not enough to notice or effect the sound or playability. I play finger style but I'd guess if you're a pick player you will have flaking problems.

I also used Cobalts (can't remember for sure if they were flats or rounds but I'll look into it) on my Fender basses and I'd say the BB and Cobalt strings are nearly the opposite in the type of sound they produce. The Black Beauties are a warm sounding string, very even from string to string, and bring out a bit more of the low mids for a nice but not over done punchy sound. They have very little finger noise on slides and fretting and are relatively fast strings. The Cobalts on the other hand have a lot of top end sizzle and bottom end grit/grind and are more mid focused and noticeably louder than any other string I've tried (to the point I had to lower my pickups and back off on the volume knob). They were incredibly rough and aggressive in texture and consequently not particularly fast or quiet on slides and after a weeks use actually left a pile of brass dust at the nut. I wasn't thrilled with them so off they went, not sure what a long term use would reveal, but I'd be concerned about fret wear.

Disclaimer: I have not used either string on my TBirds.

Have BB's on my 7ender, within the first couple weeks the frets wore through the coating on the G string from a lot of bends. Few weeks ago I played that bass with a metal pick for maybe 30 minutes... it took off a lot of the coating. But I do like the strings, nice tension and tone. I would buy them again, but will never play them with a metal pick again.

 

[Gaolee]

Interesting.

I use Black Beauties exclusively on my Stingray basses to calm the top end sizzle down a bit. In the nearly 10 years I've been using them I've never had them get sticky on me, but then again I'm not wiping them down after each use. I have had them flake a bit of the black coating off but not enough to notice or effect the sound or playability. I play finger style but I'd guess if you're a pick player you will have flaking problems.

I also used Cobalts (can't remember for sure if they were flats or rounds but I'll look into it) on my Fender basses and I'd say the BB and Cobalt strings are nearly the opposite in the type of sound they produce. The Black Beauties are a warm sounding string, very even from string to string, and bring out a bit more of the low mids for a nice but not over done punchy sound. They have very little finger noise on slides and fretting and are relatively fast strings. The Cobalts on the other hand have a lot of top end sizzle and bottom end grit/grind and are more mid focused and noticeably louder than any other string I've tried (to the point I had to lower my pickups and back off on the volume knob). They were incredibly rough and aggressive in texture and consequently not particularly fast or quiet on slides and after a weeks use actually left a pile of brass dust at the nut. I wasn't thrilled with them so off they went, not sure what a long term use would reveal, but I'd be concerned about fret wear.

Disclaimer: I have not used either string on my TBirds.

Cobalt flats are similar to your description, except they don't file down your frets, fingers, and any random objects within reach.

 

[Dadagoboi]

And, for what it's worth, Carlo does not have any competition from me when it comes to finishes. Or probably much of anything else, but I'll stick to finishes for now.

You gotta practice, on scrap or actual bodies. Takes the same amount of time to get where you want to be.

Thanks for the recommendation!!! I guess there's just not that much out there in the way of soft cases for the Birds...time to start gathering my change from the car and couch cushions to save up for a flight case!

Not cheap that's for sure!

 

[bass40hz]

Interesting.

I use Black Beauties exclusively on my Stingray basses to calm the top end sizzle down a bit. In the nearly 10 years I've been using them I've never had them get sticky on me, but then again I'm not wiping them down after each use. I have had them flake a bit of the black coating off but not enough to notice or effect the sound or playability. I play finger style but I'd guess if you're a pick player you will have flaking problems.

I also used Cobalts (can't remember for sure if they were flats or rounds but I'll look into it) on my Fender basses and I'd say the BB and Cobalt strings are nearly the opposite in the type of sound they produce. The Black Beauties are a warm sounding string, very even from string to string, and bring out a bit more of the low mids for a nice but not over done punchy sound. They have very little finger noise on slides and fretting and are relatively fast strings. The Cobalts on the other hand have a lot of top end sizzle and bottom end grit/grind and are more mid focused and noticeably louder than any other string I've tried (to the point I had to lower my pickups and back off on the volume knob). They were incredibly rough and aggressive in texture and consequently not particularly fast or quiet on slides and after a weeks use actually left a pile of brass dust at the nut. I wasn't thrilled with them so off they went, not sure what a long term use would reveal, but I'd be concerned about fret wear.

Disclaimer: I have not used either string on my TBirds.

Funny how the strings react differently on 2 very different basses...Geezer Butler uses these strings on his Lakland and I believe on the last tour as well as on the last album...I get similar tone, and my ears say "crunchy"...
I am a finger player also, I did however make the mistake of playing 2 songs with a pick due to a nasty blood blister ( i have a super heavy right hand and kind of abuse the strings) and wore the coating off the strings...after 2 songs...

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Funny how the strings react differently on 2 very different basses...Geezer Butler uses these strings on his Lakland and I believe on the last tour as well as on the last album...I get similar tone, and my ears say "crunchy"...
I am a finger player also, I did however make the mistake of playing 2 songs with a pick due to a nasty blood blister ( i have a super heavy right hand and kind of abuse the strings) and wore the coating off the strings...after 2 songs...

On the '13' album he used a pre-CBS P-bass I believe, there's a video of Sabbath in the studio on YouTube.
I noticed that he plays over the neck, I was messing around one day moving my hand as I play (fingers) and the difference as soon as I go over the neck is astonishingly different on my TBird IV and Jazz, haven't tried it on the others yet. He's one of those players that whatever bass he plays, it sounds like Geezer Butler

 

[bass40hz]

On the '13' album he used a pre-CBS P-bass I believe, there's a video of Sabbath in the studio on YouTube.
I noticed that he plays over the neck, I was messing around one day moving my hand as I play (fingers) and the difference as soon as I go over the neck is astonishingly different on my TBird IV and Jazz, haven't tried it on the others yet. He's one of those players that whatever bass he plays, it sounds like Geezer Butler

Right about that, he is a best case example of how the tone is in your fingers.

 

[Gluvhand]

Right about that, he is a best case example of how the tone is in your fingers.

Or where you put them.

 

[kat888]

Well, I decided the '91 needed exercise. It's the best balanced 'Bird I own, which is saying a lot. It also has Chinabuckers and EB Cobalt Flats on it. The combination was outstanding last night. It's been hanging out with the '01 a bit apparently. Even sound up and down the scale on all strings, enough angry piano but no gank or clank. Absolutely no fart. It has a bit of a raspy voice at times, which is Muddy Waters or Janis Joplin good, not Phillis Diller bad.

The untinted finish on the 7ender-Bird bodies does have some blotchiness, but only around the edges. Front and back surfaces look even. I sure hope there's time to start messing with tints this weekend.

Add 'throaty' to the list of tonal adjectives.

 

[kat888]

I'd introduce myself in the club since a month and a bit more I'm the proud owner of a 2006 Gibson Thunderbird, vintage sunburst, black case with dark-grey fur.

wonderful instrument, really a beast on it's own. I'm in the momentary struggle to find the perfect strings, and I've tried:
Rotosound Swing66 45-105
D'Addario EXL165 nickel 45-105
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky nickel 50-105
Labella 0760M flatwound 52-110 (without the G because I cut it for a 3+1 headstock but then sold the bass, so the was short for the Tbird).

right now the Ernie Balls are the winning set for tension and sound

I use it with a cheap Ernie Ball nylon strap, and even if it "dives" a bit, it's not something really problematic, due to the fact that this is not a "shredding" bass, IMHO. I prefer to keep it with bigger strings and slightly higher action compared to, for example, my Warwick Streamer.

I'm really in love with this bass <3 I think Gibson makes the most underrated basses out there.

Nice bass!

I am a recent convert to Ken Smith Bass Burners after always using RS66s. The A string is slightly thicker than it is in the Roto standard set, which feels better to me. The RS66 Nickels (also with an 85 A string) are going on the next Bird, whenever it lands. I too use the cheapo Ernie Ball straps. They're light as a feather and have plenty of length.