Thunderbird Club

[clivem]

My experience with the Ampeg PF500 was pretty miserable. Bought off eBay in a sealed box and used as a headphone amp until after the eBay return period ran out. Cabinet purchased, oh the power amp is rooted ... there's crack in the PCB ... that'll be $200 thanks ... sometime later it's cutting out randomly ... him indoors is away on Tyneside with his mam and dad and there's a beautiful valve amp for sale on OzBass. No more Class D for me.

I don't know..... Sometimes it's just luck of the draw. People tried to warn me away from buying a re-issue V4B, now that Ampeg production had moved to the Far East rather than made in the USofA. I bought one anyway. Touch wood, haven't had any issues. The only gripe I have with Ampeg, is after me explaining to them that I maintain my own gear, am qualified electronic engineer and have been building my own tube amps for 20 years..... could I please have a circuit diagram..... Don't worry I won't be the ambulance chasing moron that electrocutes himself and sues you...... The company line, "we won't supply circuit diagrams for any current product, only out-of-production"..... Not that I couldn't trace the circuit out myself in half an hour, if I needed to, but that isn't the flippin' point.

 

[Nocturnal]

Well, my table manners would have prevented me calling it an "abomination", but there is something very strange about having the tremolo, and even stranger, tremolo and fretless....... I do get where that person is coming from. Tact is obviously not something at which he excels.....

Agreed. That comment on the build's page was wrong and I'd never do that but I'm sticking with my comment(here, not on his build's page) that the P/UP placement wasn't where I'd want it. That is not the conventional sweet spot for the way strings ring and IMO that bass will have a very subdued tone. I'd like to hear how it sounds to see what the client and builder have come up with.

Totally agree with you on this. I would love to see/hear it in action to experience the final product for better or worse. I prefer the sweet spot on a typical single pickup Bird but to each their own. I do not understand the tremelo or pickup placement but it may work for the owner.

 

[Dadagoboi]

Agreed. That comment on the build's page was wrong and I'd never do that but I'm sticking with my comment(here, not on his build's page) that the P/UP placement wasn't where I'd want it. That is not the conventional sweet spot for the way strings ring and IMO that bass will have a very subdued tone. I'd like to hear how it sounds to see what the client and builder have come up with.

I have 'Francis, the talking mule' to test various pickups and locations, also fits necks from fours to 12s. This was the setup I ended up using for the RR bass, with the Duncan under a TBird cover.

Maybe the builder has something similar.

 

[Larry V]

I have 'Francis, the talking mule' to test various pickups and locations, also fits necks from fours to 12s. This was the setup I ended up using for the RR bass, with the Duncan under a TBird cover.

View attachment 2821173

Maybe the builder has something similar.

I'm not familiar with that build. Was it just the one P/UP near the bridge? Even if it was, not nearly as close to your bridge as the one from Bass of the Week.

 

[JJR58]

Agreed. That comment on the build's page was wrong and I'd never do that but I'm sticking with my comment(here, not on his build's page) that the P/UP placement wasn't where I'd want it. That is not the conventional sweet spot for the way strings ring and IMO that bass will have a very subdued tone. I'd like to hear how it sounds to see what the client and builder have come up with.

Agreed, could do without the Kahler as well, but overall, i love it.

 

[Haji]

It looks like an SG Bass's headstock to me so I'm good with it.

I get that and I knew a lot of this crowd would. To my eye it lacks an...elegance that the inline tuners have to me.

 

[Haji]

Side rant...every time someone is looking for a bass rig with large cabs or maybe a sub, the thread gets bombarded with people lecturing about earplugs. Because I guess we're too dumb to know about hearing protection without getting a lecture. I ain't knocking hearing protection, but just because you blew your ears out, doesn't mean everyone is so careless

And heaven forbid your cab weighs over 30lbs...typical responses- "What are you playing stadiums with no PA support?!" What the heck happened to bass players?! I toured with two 810 cabs for years and years. Guess what? They ain't that tough to load in and out!!! Just takes a couple minutes and some common sense. I'm grateful speaker tech has evolved where we can get a huge sound with smaller rigs, but I feel sorry for anyone who's never played in front of a wall of cabs. Your shirt flaps, your feet tingle and you feel like the king of the world. It's just fun.

"My (insanely expensive) boutique 112 is as loud as a 410 (no it isn't), has more low end than anything out there (probably not) and moves serious air (not really)"

Power and a wind of sound have a character all their own. Vibrating stages are...transcendant. That doesn't happen any other way. Oddly (or maybe not) I haven't needed earplugs live. I ALWAYS use 'em seeing shows, at rehearsal, etc., but haven't needed them live yet. Every place I've played has been a good bit bigger than our rehearsal space.

 

[Milchlingr]

Well, just put in my preorder for an ebony Vintage Pro. Supposedly Sam Ash is set to start receiving them 12/15 but who knows if that holds up.

(Also may have just made a new account to post that. Too bad I can't remember the password for my old account... or the username...or the email account it was even tied to. Oh well.)

 

[Haji]

I schlep around an Acoustic 360 often enough that those comments are just an excuse to be a crank. Plus, if you don't use earplugs, you don't have to listen to those guys who want to sell you on the idea that what you really need is the latest 1000 watt postage stamp that sits on top of a cabinet full of helium that you can load in your back pocket.

Nobody will ever convince me that a 410 or some awkward boutique cabinet is easier to move than my 360 cabinet anyway. It's like pushing a hand truck. Leverage and brains, not ever leaning over.

I had almost that same conversation with the bassist in Kelen Heller. He uses a Mesa 810 in a road case and says moving it isn't that hard. His is a little like a roadworthy coffin on wheels.

I, on the other hand, use a pair of Hartke 410XL's. They weigh 80 or 90 pounds each and are too large to conveniently carry solo and are almost too small to easily carry with two people. They sound great, though.

 

[kat888]

I don't know..... Sometimes it's just luck of the draw. People tried to warn me away from buying a re-issue V4B, now that Ampeg production had moved to the Far East rather than made in the USofA. I bought one anyway. Touch wood, haven't had any issues. The only gripe I have with Ampeg, is after me explaining to them that I maintain my own gear, am qualified electronic engineer and have been building my own tube amps for 20 years..... could I please have a circuit diagram..... Don't worry I won't be the ambulance chasing moron that electrocutes himself and sues you...... The company line, "we won't supply circuit diagrams for any current product, only out-of-production"..... Not that I couldn't trace the circuit out myself in half an hour, if I needed to, but that isn't the flippin' point.

Someone over on Amps and Cabs is bound to have it....

 

[Dadagoboi]

I'm not familiar with that build. Was it just the one P/UP near the bridge? Even if it was, not nearly as close to your bridge as the one from Bass of the Week.

It's under the half of the cover closest to the bridge, not centered. Sounded OK soloed or in combination with the '63 front pup depending on tone settings.

It's possible the client wanted that location with a specific sound in mind.

This is my Ibanez GWB-1 fretless. Pickup is a special design radius top Bart, sounds fantastic both thru the onboard pre or with it disabled. Pretty close to the bridge though not as extreme as the 'bird.

 

[Korladis]

Side rant...every time someone is looking for a bass rig with large cabs or maybe a sub, the thread gets bombarded with people lecturing about earplugs. Because I guess we're too dumb to know about hearing protection without getting a lecture. I ain't knocking hearing protection, but just because you blew your ears out, doesn't mean everyone is so careless

And heaven forbid your cab weighs over 30lbs...typical responses- "What are you playing stadiums with no PA support?!" What the heck happened to bass players?! I toured with two 810 cabs for years and years. Guess what? They ain't that tough to load in and out!!! Just takes a couple minutes and some common sense. I'm grateful speaker tech has evolved where we can get a huge sound with smaller rigs, but I feel sorry for anyone who's never played in front of a wall of cabs. Your shirt flaps, your feet tingle and you feel like the king of the world. It's just fun.

"My (insanely expensive) boutique 112 is as loud as a 410 (no it isn't), has more low end than anything out there (probably not) and moves serious air (not really)"

Yeah, I hate that.

Even worse are the people for whom earplugs are an alien concept, as if you must be blowing out your hearing if you play loud, just because they did.

Or they think because they wrecked their backs lifting incorrectly, that you will, too. I gig a big cab every show. It really isn't that hard to move. Small cab is actually harder because it doesn't have wheels.

Yep, you do, and I think a purple sparkle or some other outrageous looking lightweight cabinet would be a lot of fun to have and use for some kinds of gigs. But, you probably don't make them out to be equivalent to a 'fridge or a 360. They are different and serve a different function.

I happen to have room for a monster and a van to haul it. If those were not fact, then I would have some other kind of amplification, no doubt.

Why not a big purple sparkle cab?

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Were we going to add you to the club then? I'm happy to (RD's are very cool), do that.

That was waaaay too easy. Im thinking that because its not a Bird its gonna need a really off the wall initiation like weve never discussed around these parts before. Like a picture of the proud owner standing outdoors wearing nothing but his Gibson as people get along with their day all around him. Just for starters.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

That was waaaay too easy. Im thinking that because its not a Bird its gonna need a really off the wall initiation like weve never discussed around these parts before. Like a picture of the proud owner standing outdoors wearing nothing but his Gibson as people get along with their day all around him. Just for starters.

That's the average initiation.....

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

What!?!? No, Panamera?!?! I love it's unconventional design. <---Not joking.

Me too, my doctor drives one that is bad ass. They look awesome.

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

That's the average initiation.....

I thought it was dancing around a fire wearing a grass skirt or riding a horse naked down the street?.

 

[dukeorock]

Heck, I don't even own a Bird (yet) and this is my favorite club! I'll be an official member soon enough. Waiting on a royalty check from some movie I just found out I have a song in

 

[kat888]

That was waaaay too easy. Im thinking that because its not a Bird its gonna need a really off the wall initiation like weve never discussed around these parts before. Like a picture of the proud owner standing outdoors wearing nothing but his Gibson as people get along with their day all around him. Just for starters.

But but but @djaxup is in Germany. Standing naked in the street wearing nothing but a bass wouldn't raise so much as an eyebrow.

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

But but but @djaxup is in Germany. Standing naked in the street wearing nothing but a bass wouldn't raise so much as an eyebrow.

Good point, probably right. So then what?. Maybe standing in traffic at rush hour wearing nothing but a Netherlands soccer jersey?.

 

[Gaolee]

Why not a big purple sparkle cab?

Good point. Maybe it's time to retolex the 360.