Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

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Ya know, the Thunderbird completely looses its sex appeal when its wide enough to be a coffee table. Lop off the necks and put some legs on that thing! Tea and cookies anyone?

And while we're at it, I don't think those boots were made for walking!

(Yeah, someone pissed in my Wheaties this morning, gonna be a grumpy day)

 

[Larry V]

(Yeah, someone pissed in my Wheaties this morning, gonna be a grumpy day)

It's still early on the left coast... you've got time to turn it around.

 

[GBassNorth]

Here's an interesting interpretation...

Ramm Thunderbird 2015 Gold | Ramm's Repairs and Custom Shop

Dang, what did that guy use for a neck pickup routing template - looks like the Calloway driver from my golf club set would fit in there!

 

[JIO]

Great Riffs for bass; Peter Gunn, Pink Panther...

We play those also

 

[BklynKen]

Ya know, the Thunderbird completely looses its sex appeal when its wide enough to be a coffee table. Lop off the necks and put some legs on that thing! Tea and cookies anyone?

And while we're at it, I don't think those boots were made for walking!

(Yeah, someone pissed in my Wheaties this morning, gonna be a grumpy day)

I find more coffee usually helps me.

 

[JIO]

massively overrated stings in my opinion, got a set cheap(ish) after all the raving on here about them and did not like them at all. tension way too tight even for a heavy fingers player like me, and sound awfully dull even with a pick. roto ss 66 way better. ernie ball cobalts rounds way better aswell. daddario better too. i know people like to go for these more artisan brands, but the big brands are played by so many of the greats and there is a reason for it, they are great.

D'Addario artisan? I just think of them as quality strings and from their pr they seem like a good company.

 

[JIO]

Ya know, the Thunderbird completely looses its sex appeal when its wide enough to be a coffee table. Lop off the necks and put some legs on that thing! Tea and cookies anyone?

And while we're at it, I don't think those boots were made for walking!

(Yeah, someone pissed in my Wheaties this morning, gonna be a grumpy day)

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I think it's a small action toy

 

[Rollin Thunder]

D'Addario artisan? I just think of them as quality strings and from their pr they seem like a good company.

daddario a big brand, think you misunderstood, DR more artisan

 

[GBassNorth]

I think it's a small action toy

LOL - he does have that Buzz Lightyear head gear!

 

[JIO]

daddario a big brand, think you misunderstood, DR more artisan

?

 

[Gaolee]

In case you don't alredy have way too much information:

- Best Setup practices:

• • 3-point bridge; seems awful finicky and mine already popped out of the body as i adjusted it, is this a thing?

Make sure the front is just a tad higher than the back. Chances are you will have it just about right down on the deck anyway. If the inserts pulled out, you can reinstall them with the usual toothpick to shrink the hole trick, or any other of a number of ways. What you do depends on whether you ever want the inserts to come out again or not (ie epoxy).

• what about the saddles, are they supposed to just fall out like that? what happens when a string breaks

Yeah, that's just what they do. Make sure you keep them straight. The saddles and bridge match the neck curve. Get it mixed up and the string height will be uneven. I don't know what happens when a string breaks, because it has never happend to me on bass. Famous last words.

• any tips to best pickup height for sound/playability

I have set that up by ear. I don't think there's any set rule, just how you want it to sound.​

• Options for bridge upgrade?

Absolutely. Hipshot makes one and so does Babicz. I like the Babicz, but it's about twice the price of a Hipshot.

• Volume knobs - one knob on mine doesnt have a hard stop - its mushy and allows a little extra motion, but feels like it will break. Is this the pot or cracked plastic in the knob?

Sounds like a damaged pot to me.

• do these knobs just pull off?

yes

Are there any specific replacement knobs that will fit - something with some texture that i can roll with the pinky instead of twisting with two fingers. These knobs seem slippy and pots seem stiff.

Any standard issue push on knob you like should work just fine.

TIA for any advice, sorry for the noobie and lack-of-search questions. i haven followed talkbass much in the past but recently have spent more time on here finding lots of great info.
And i'm super stoked about this Thunderbird!
-Steve
PS sorry for the huge pic...

And now, since you posted a picture, you are eligible for the initiation ritual. It involves a grass skirt, a crowded shopping mall, motor oil, a rented Eldorado, and a lot of shouting about how Thunderbirds Rule. Oh, and video. Don't forget the video.

 

[Gaolee]

You never know, could turn out for the best.

For some people. I'm pretty sure I would never come close to what I already have.

 

[BklynKen]

Absolutely. Hipshot makes one and so does Babicz. I like the Babicz, but it's about twice the price of a Hipshot.

Is it really? And the Hipshot is more adjustable. Also a great company.

 

[GBassNorth]

massively overrated stings in my opinion, got a set cheap(ish) after all the raving on here about them and did not like them at all. tension way too tight even for a heavy fingers player like me, and sound awfully dull even with a pick. roto ss 66 way better. ernie ball cobalts rounds way better aswell. daddario better too. i know people like to go for these more artisan brands, but the big brands are played by so many of the greats and there is a reason for it, they are great.

I've found that string selection is very much a personal preference thing, maybe more so than any other part of the bass (well, tort is right up there as well). I've found strings that others rave about I'm not that keen on, and some stuff I like others hate. When you think about it, strings are right up there with pickups on what makes a bass sound the way it does.

Case in point - Cobalt rounds. Tried them out based on all the rave reviews here on TB and found them to be exactly opposite of what I wanted in sound and feel. Ripped them off the bass almost as fast as they went on. But did find a great use for them. They are such an aggressive rough surface string they make excellent finishing tools for slotting a nut. Brass, bone or tusq nuts are all easily worked by the Cobalts.

 

[BklynKen]

Who know's. Most strings don't last all that long in general.
Lousy body chemistry.

Amazing. I need to read up on how body chemistry can affect this stuff. The Rotosounds, which are notorious for dying off quickly, seemed to last just fine for me.

 

[Gaolee]

Is it really? And the Hipshot is more adjustable. Also a great company.

Yeah, something like that. It's a huge chunk of metal. As a thoroughly shallow person, I went with Babicz partly because I like the visual way it fits on a Thunderbird better. That and being familiar with them from the 2013 EB.

 

[BklynKen]

I've found that string selection is very much a personal preference thing, maybe more so than any other part of the bass (well, tort is right up there as well). I've found strings that others rave about I'm not that keen on, and some stuff I like others hate. When you think about it, strings are right up there with pickups on what makes a bass sound the way it does.

Case in point - Cobalt rounds. Tried them out based on all the rave reviews here on TB and found them to be exactly opposite of what I wanted in sound and feel. Ripped them off the bass almost as fast as they went on. But did find a great use for them. They are such an aggressive rough surface string they make excellent finishing tools for slotting a nut. Brass, bone or tusq nuts are all easily worked by the Cobalts.

Please keep those things away from my nuts.

 

[GBassNorth]

Please keep those things away from my nuts.

I'm a bass player, of course I have strings on my nuts.
BTW - did I mention I'm married.

 

[Skerrvydog]

Wow, kinda disappointed with the DR Hi-Beams at band practice last night. The Thunderbird did not cut through the mix at all. I know there are other factors, but not much has changed otherwise since last week. As much as I like the strings when playing alone, I think they'll have to be retired.

@JJR58: You're welcome to any of the strings I try out and take off prematurely. Premature ejection.

Thanks for the input, now you got me thinkin. I've been playing the DR Hi-Beams exclusively (on my Grabber) for years. Mostly because they were the only non-nickel roundwounds available for a while. (im allergic to nickel) I've been very satisfied with the strings themselves as far as playability and longevity, but not really though about their sound much in comparison to other strings. I will say that i hate the sound and feel of them brand new - it takes a few sessions for them to really settle in, then they are VERY consistent for a looong time, usually till they break. but dont judge em on first play for sure.
I have a new set to put on my new-to-me thnderbird, so i will be more focussed on sound now too...

 

[BklynKen]

Thanks for the input, now you got me thinkin. I've been playing the DR Hi-Beams exclusively (on my Grabber) for years. Mostly because they were the only non-nickel roundwounds available for a while. (im allergic to nickel) I've been very satisfied with the strings themselves as far as playability and longevity, but not really though about their sound much in comparison to other strings. I will say that i hate the sound and feel of them brand new - it takes a few sessions for them to really settle in, then they are VERY consistent for a looong time, usually till they break. but dont judge em on first play for sure.
I have a new set to put on my new-to-me thnderbird, so i will be more focussed on sound now too...

Thanks. I could wait and let them settle in, but I can only think of them mellowing more, which would make them worse for my needs.

I have a set of Rotosound RS66 at home. Looking forward to putting those back on to see what I think of them after the DM Blue Steel and DR Hi-Beams. This is a fun experiment.