Thunderbird Club

[dukeorock]

Thanks, that helps. I though they were made in the same place.

I’m far from an expert on this stuff, but I know my Embassy Pro said ‘Made In China’ and everyone else seems to be confirming the VP is made in Indonesia. Not that I really care, it’s just one seems to be more universally praised as an instrument over the other

 

[JJR58]

Indeed... certainly better than I deserve

You deserve better then you think you do.

 

[JJR58]

Get in before it's closed down!

What's the UGLIEST bass you've ever owned?

That is a tough room right there, went in, and quietly went right back out, just couldn't............

 

[dukeorock]

That is a tough room right there, went in, and quietly went right back out, just couldn't............

I’ve had some I liked less than others, but not sure they were really ugly, to me at least

 

[Dadagoboi]

Slightly offtopic but..

Do you think that the Embassy Pro would sound similar to the new T Vintage Pro?

They should sound very similar based on my experience with ThunderBird type pickups and vintage Thunderbirds and Embassies.

As to what a Thunderbird should weigh: Vintage 60s Thunderbirds (and Embassies) are light, mainly because they were made of selected genuine Honduras Mahogany.

EDITED

 

[dukeorock]

Yes, if set up properly the two basses will sound almost exactly the same.

As to what a Thunderbird should weigh: Vintage 60s Thunderbirds (and Embassies) are light, mainly because they were made of selected genuine Honduras Mahogany.

I’ve played a vintage Embassy and liked it quite a bit. I probably got a lemon. Just couldn’t connect with that bass. Like I said, the Embassy Pro sounded ‘kinda’ like a T Bird. I never really dissed the sound, but it didn’t really sound like any Bird I’ve ever played, though it was in the ballpark

 

[Dadagoboi]

I’ve played a vintage Embassy and liked it quite a bit. I probably got a lemon. Just couldn’t connect with that bass. Like I said, the Embassy Pro sounded ‘kinda’ like a T Bird. I never really dissed the sound, but it didn’t really sound like any Bird I’ve ever played, though it was in the ballpark

Embassy is set neck , anyone know what it's made of? That and the 2+2 headstock might make a slight difference. Pickup height will also have a major impact on tone.

 

[dukeorock]

Embassy is set neck , anyone know what it's made of? That and the 2+2 headstock might make a slight difference. Pickup height will also have a major impact on tone.

My understanding was mahogany

 

[SturmUndDrang]

My understanding was mahogany

More like luan.

 

[triviani]

So, which of the Epiphone versions would sound more classic? I ask because I'm not sure if ceramic pickups and/or active circuits bond with fuzz pedals much.

 

[dieselman]

Just me having fun here...............

Please welcome long time lurker, first time Thunderbird owner dieselman ( I've been meaning to ask you what your username is about) with a beautiful new Vintage Pro! It seems we have the same great taste! Club number 692 will be costly, you'll need to run naked through the streets of Battle Ground, WA yelling, "I've seen the light, Thunderbirds Rule" at the top of your lungs. I'll tune in Portland's NBC affiliate for coverage
Play that Bird

Many Thanks to the Queen for my acceptance to the Best Club on TB! 69 the year I graduated from High School. 2, well haven't figured that part out yet. The name comes from my Days of Hot Roding Trucks. Just threw it in there for title. Damn it's 30* out right now. Going to be a quick run around outside the Neighbor hood! I'll get a couple more Pic's of my New Bird out today.

 

[dukeorock]

Embassy is set neck , anyone know what it's made of? That and the 2+2 headstock might make a slight difference. Pickup height will also have a major impact on tone.

I raised the pickups, but that’s about it.

More like luan.

I’m sure I wouldn’t know, but it just seemed really cheap to me. Then again it costs $399, so it is cheap. I do have used basses in the price range I love and they don’t feel as cheap as the price would suggest. I played a Classic Pro Epi Bird recently and it felt legit to me.

So, which of the Epiphone versions would sound more classic? I ask because I'm not sure if ceramic pickups and/or active circuits bond with fuzz pedals much.

Of the few active basses I’ve ever owned, I always played em in passive mode, so I wouldn’t really know. For sure wouldn’t know about pickup magnets!

 

[Shannon]

I don't know what I deserve... but I sure do appreciate it when something like this, comes outa the blue & dumps a whole bucket o' happy on me

And that line about getting what you deserve caused NIN to start looping in my head. Thanks a lot!

 

[TBird1958]

Many Thanks to the Queen for my acceptance to the Best Club on TB! 69 the year I graduated from High School. 2, well haven't figured that part out yet. The name comes from my Days of Hot Roding Trucks. Just threw it in there for title. Damn it's 30* out right now. Going to be a quick run around outside the Neighbor hood! I'll get a couple more Pic's of my New Bird out today.

It's a little chilly here this AM too, right at freezing there's a pretty good frost on the lawn, not a cloud to be seen.

 

[Gaolee]

It was a little icy this morning, but not enough for me to go anywhere on four wheels. Two is still plenty.

I did an experiment with the pickups in the '15 last night. I raised them like you would other 'Bird pickups. Bad move. It made the amp sound blown up, made weird chorusy noises, and sounded awful. Plus, it seems to have killed the output. Those pickups sound best cranked down just about as low as you can get them. You couldn't find a pickup that acts much more different if you set out to do that. Figuring out it was just pickup height and not a blown amp was the second happy discovery for the day, after finding out the side sewer from our house wasn't collapsed. It was a good day all around.

 

[dukeorock]

It was a little icy this morning, but not enough for me to go anywhere on four wheels. Two is still plenty.

I did an experiment with the pickups in the '15 last night. I raised them like you would other 'Bird pickups. Bad move. It made the amp sound blown up, made weird chorusy noises, and sounded awful. Plus, it seems to have killed the output. Those pickups sound best cranked down just about as low as you can get them. You couldn't find a pickup that acts much more different if you set out to do that. Figuring out it was just pickup height and not a blown amp was the second happy discovery for the day, after finding out the side sewer from our house wasn't collapsed. It was a good day all around.

I could be wrong, but I would think standardizing pickup height across the board would be a dodgey proposition. Tonal preferences aside, string gauge, different amounts of attack, where on the bass the attack is coming from, etc.

Glad your sewer didn’t collapse!

 

[JJR58]

It was a little icy this morning, but not enough for me to go anywhere on four wheels. Two is still plenty.

I did an experiment with the pickups in the '15 last night. I raised them like you would other 'Bird pickups. Bad move. It made the amp sound blown up, made weird chorusy noises, and sounded awful. Plus, it seems to have killed the output. Those pickups sound best cranked down just about as low as you can get them. You couldn't find a pickup that acts much more different if you set out to do that. Figuring out it was just pickup height and not a blown amp was the second happy discovery for the day, after finding out the side sewer from our house wasn't collapsed. It was a good day all around.

Actually, that sounds very similar to how the Lollar's react. And did the very same thing last night, but after lowering them back down, things got a whole lot better.

 

[bylar13]

Actually, that sounds very similar to how the Lollar's react. And did the very same thing last night, but after lowering them back down, things got a whole lot better.

Funny 'casue I just did the same thing and had the same experience. Lowering them help improve the tone, to my ear. I was going to post a thing about "higher not always being better" as is often reported within this club. You done bet ne to it

 

[GBassNorth]

I guess I skipped the page this post was on...



Happy about the bass for you but wow, I hope the winds change for the better and you'll make it out of that mess unscathed.

I know that the clear cutting of forests like in the past is horrible but perhaps much wider fire lines could be agreed to? This wild fire thing that Californians have to deal with year after year has to be an ecological disaster as well as an unbearable burden to the people of California. There has to be a way to fix this...

Yeah, there's some no brainer fixes that could be put in place but politics, do gooders, developers and short sided home buyers all conspire to make the situation worse.

First of all, just because a developer or architect can fit a house on a hillside doesn't mean they should. Then how about a retention pond strategy (almost non existent in CA, but mandatory in many other states). Those ponds can be used for fire fighting in a pinch. Then how about mandatory retroactive fire resistant building codes. Sure the new houses are made of stucco and clay tile roofs but their built right next door (just feet away) from older wood homes with wood shingles. And how about some home owner smarts when it comes to landscaping materials. I mean mulch and eucalyptus trees, it's basically kindling wood and gasoline. I could go on, but it's fundamentally a problem co-owned by Politicians, Home Owners, Environmentalists and Builders, which means no single point of accountability, constantly competing objectives and financial impacts; therefore no consensus on solutions.

But hey, it's a pretty state with nice weather and a beautiful coastline. I think I'll stay a while longer.

 

[Larry V]

Funny 'casue I just did the same thing and had the same experience. Lowering them help improve the tone, to my ear. I was going to post a thing about "higher not always being better" as is often reported within this club. You done bet ne to it

Same thing happened to me. I ordered one of those straightedges with the fret cutouts to measure neck curvature/straightness and did complete setups on my 2013's to get the strings lowered for play-ability. I also played with P/UP height due to the oft-mentioned "raising of the P/UPs" and it ruined my tone and made it boomy or honky and very susceptible to variation in string attack. Anything more than a light touch sounded horrible to my ears. When I lowered them a little at a time to listen for improvement, I ended up where I was.