Thunderbird Club

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

A few years back I had to back out of a sweet deal on a vintage Ampeg B-15 portaflex. It was advertised in Craigslist and fairly close to my house so I went over with cash in hand for a quick sale before someone else nicked it. When I got there I was heart broken. It was in excellent condition but just reeked of cigarette smoke. I couldn't get within two feet of it without gagging. No way I could have that in my house. Went home empty handed.
I wonder if that aged TBird has the same problem?

The bass doesn't have as much material for a smell to get trapped in, as the amp did, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.
The case, on the other hand, probably smells worse, if that is the case.... er.... the reason why it looks like that.... y'all know what I mean.

 

[TBird1958]

Oh babe, what are you doing up?, so early.

I'm a terrible sleeper, lucky if I get 5 1/2 hours any given night, so I'm up about 5:00AM PST on workdays, coffee, shower then model trains for an hour or so before making the 22 mile jaunt to Tacoma

That 2006 looks like it sat in a pot of coffee or tea!

That yellowing of the Classic White is completely normal, it just does that. Mine's probably worse, I don't smoke, the bass spends all of it's time out and ready to play.

 

[JJR58]

I'm a terrible sleeper, lucky if I get 5 1/2 hours any given night, so I'm up about 5:00AM PST on workdays, coffee, shower then model trains for an hour or so before making the 22 mile jaunt to Tacoma

Sort have the same sleeping habits, not when i was younger though. If i get 6 hours i feel lucky.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

...


That yellowing of the Classic White is completely normal, it just does that. Mine's probably worse, I don't smoke, the bass spends all of it's time out and ready to play.

Wow! I've never seen one that looks brown like that before. Seen them look almost completely yellow, but not brown. But I guess you learn something everyday

 

[TBird1958]

Wow! I've never seen one that looks brown like that before. Seen them look almost completely yellow, but not brown. But I guess you learn something everyday

The lighting in the shot isn't helping either, incandescent lamps are around 2700K, very yellow, only makes it look worse. When I first got my '89 it was pristine of course (but not snow white), even early on it sweat stained on the upper 'bout where my wrist contacted the body. That didn't please me but there wasn't anything that could stop it either, 28 years later it's all beat up in the usual places and has yellowed in a splotchy uneven way and I love it!

If you look around the screw hole for the bridge cover you'll see the finish is actually a little darker where it contacts the body.

 

[godofthunder59]

Wow! Ben Bruton needs to borrow the tagline from ServPro home and business restoration company - "Its like it never happened"
If he has a link to his business website could you please post it.
BTW - were you aware of the previous repair or was this a surprise?

It was described in the auction as a stable repair, when the bass arrived I put Rotosounds on and it opened up. We re negotiated the price and I was happy enough. I pumped some glue in clamped it up and took a wait and see approach. It failed about a year later in the case.

 

[clivem]

To show my gratitude, if you send me a PM I'll explain all the 'blowin' trannies' vernacular. You may regret the bad puns which ensue though.

Thanks for the offer...... I already Googled it. The first "hit" led me to a video that 10 seconds in, I was concerned that here in the UK, you could still be arrested for watching that sort of activity, probably still get death by hanging, if you were actually participating in it......

Second hit, led me to a site with an article entitled, The Ten Most Suggestive Automotive Terms, that rated "Blowing a Tranny", number 3, with the explanation, "Ruining a transmission". Number 1 was, "Suck, squeeze, bang, blow", which apparently is the process of internal combustion and number 2, "Lubing a shaft", well I already knew what it means to lube something..... So I guess I'm not completely naive......

 

[Cardinal Fang]

Thanks for the offer...... I already Googled it. The first "hit" led me to a video that 10 seconds in, I was concerned that here in the UK, you could still be arrested for watching that sort of activity, probably still get death by hanging, if you were actually participating in it......

Second hit, led me to a site with an article entitled, The Ten Most Suggestive Automotive Terms, that rated "Blowing a Tranny", number 3, with the explanation, "Ruining a transmission". Number 1 was, "Suck, squeeze, bang, blow", which apparently is the process of internal combustion and number 2, "Lubing a shaft", well I already knew what it means to lube something..... So I guess I'm not completely naive......

Oh no! These are things you should learn in a safe space from a friend with only your best interests at heart, not from strangers on the internet.

I bet 'getting your fluids changed' was on the list, eh? Eh? Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more!

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

The lighting in the shot isn't helping either, incandescent lamps are around 2700K, very yellow, only makes it look worse. When I first got my '89 it was pristine of course (but not snow white), even early on it sweat stained on the upper 'bout where my wrist contacted the body. That didn't please me but there wasn't anything that could stop it either, 28 years later it's all beat up in the usual places and has yellowed in a splotchy uneven way and I love it!

If you look around the screw hole for the bridge cover you'll see the finish is actually a little darker where it contacts the body.

View attachment 2805262

I can see how the lighting can effect the colour, my '72 Satellite, the one with the flames, is actually blue. You can look at that car for hours in the sunlight and still believe that it is black, but if you catch it at just the right angle the blue POPS. Some of my friends still think that car is black.
To me, your '89 is looking very good! Yellowed? Yes. Brown? Not on my screen at least. The one on Reverb, I was looking at the colour of the nut, case, small white lines on the tuners, anything else that's white. It seems there could be some change due to lighting or something, but I don't think it's enough to make it look brown.

We won't really know if it's lighting or weird aging unless someone in here buys it though... someone... it has an ebony fretboard so no CITES (not affiliated just wanna solve this mystery)

 

[clivem]

I
We won't really know if it's lighting or weird aging unless someone in here buys it though... someone... it has an ebony fretboard so no CITES (not affiliated just wanna solve this mystery)

You guys in this Thunderbird club..... Your bonkers...... You want someone to spend $1000 buying a bass, just so you can determine if it smells of cigarettes or not?????????????????????

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

You guys in this Thunderbird club..... Your bonkers...... You want someone to spend $1000 buying a bass, just so you can determine if it smells of cigarettes or not?????????????????????

No, just encouraging the n+1 rule.
The correct number of Thunderbirds is n+1.
n= the current number of Thunderbirds you own at any given moment

 

[Bent77]

Thanks for the offer...... I already Googled it. The first "hit" led me to a video that 10 seconds in, I was concerned that here in the UK, you could still be arrested for watching that sort of activity, probably still get death by hanging, if you were actually participating in it......

Second hit, led me to a site with an article entitled, The Ten Most Suggestive Automotive Terms, that rated "Blowing a Tranny", number 3, with the explanation, "Ruining a transmission". Number 1 was, "Suck, squeeze, bang, blow", which apparently is the process of internal combustion and number 2, "Lubing a shaft", well I already knew what it means to lube something..... So I guess I'm not completely naive......

These are the words of my people

 

[JJR58]

You guys in this Thunderbird club..... Your bonkers......

Yup, and we're proud of it.

 

[TBird1958]

You guys in this Thunderbird club..... Your bonkers...... You want someone to spend $1000 buying a bass, just so you can determine if it smells of cigarettes or not?????????????????????

Pffft........Sanity (when concerning Thunderbirds) is overrated.

 

[GBassNorth]

These are the words of my people

Amen brother!
Remember some time ago in a different club we toyed with the idea of creating a club for gear heads (car nutz) that play basses, where club numbers would be self assigned and would reflect the displacement of your favorite engine (i.e. 327 or 440 or 350 or 289 etc). One of these days we need to get around to starting that club!

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Amen brother!
Remember some time ago in a different club we toyed with the idea of creating a club for gear heads (car nutz) that play basses, where club numbers would be self assigned and would reflect the displacement of your favorite engine (i.e. 327 or 440 or 350 or 289 etc). One of these days we need to get around to starting that club!

DIBS ON 426!!!

 

[clivem]

Pffft........Sanity (when concerning Thunderbirds) is overrated.

Yep, I'm starting to get that vibe..... The Ibby SR club, kinda serious..... The Dimension club, kinda boring.... But to be a card carrying member of the T'Bird cult (er, sorry I meant club), it requires one to have a "strange" hobby or be certified insane, or enjoy your Sunday afternoons, running about naked in the wilderness, smeared in chocolate, pondering whether your bird is naturally aged, or whether she's been "artificially relic'd". Or maybe all 3......

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Yep, I'm starting to get that vibe..... The Ibby SR club, kinda serious..... The Dimension club, kinda boring.... But to be a card carrying member of the T'Bird cult (er, sorry I meant club), it requires one to have a "strange" hobby or be certified insane, or enjoy your Sunday afternoons, running about naked in the wilderness, smeared in chocolate, pondering whether your bird is naturally aged, or whether she's been "artificially relic'd". Or maybe all 3......

I was gonna say, what's with the 'or's?! It's at LEAST all 3!
As for the cult/club this... it's actually a biker gang, some do refer to it as a cult though.

 

[clivem]

I was gonna say, what's with the 'or's?! It's at LEAST all 3!.

Well, that's where I went wrong then. I assumed that being old enough to purchase alcohol and owing a T'Bird (whether sweetly smelling, or sticking of cigarettes) was gonna be enough!!!! LOL

 

[JJR58]

You may also hear the term, "Main Room". Although only used when things need to be set straight.