Thunderbird Club

[Gaolee]

This bass has been around for quite a while. It was for sale for $1400, dropped to $1200 and sold. Then was re-postd by the current seller for $2000. It occasionally gets "discounted" down to $1800. I agree about the "look" and it was what inspired the "chroming" of my 2014.

View attachment 2851595

And yours is why the eventual Fenderbird will be red and chrome.

 

[D.M.N.]

I was going top of the line, ie Fender AVRI or whatever costs $2050 for a bolt on. Ray NT, Ric 4003.
But for a neck thru, the 4003s is a great deal. They’ve also had 4003 for $1750 in August.

Man, I remember when I bought my '62 AVRI Jazz from Sweetwater for $1400, before Fender upped the prices. They are great instruments, I'd stack them against custom shop ones all day long. I actually picked up a mutt one on TB last year for $750. Has a '62 Precision body, '58 neck and electronics, it's a great bass (although I keep meaning to swap the pup for a Fender Original '62 one).

 

[GBassNorth]

And in here, absolutely required. Gotta use whatever opening presents itself. What?

Ummm....

 

[veebass]

Have you ever tried a 70’s G3? I’ve had a early 70’s and an early 80’s. Love em a lot. Very different from the reissues. The right one is a fun little grind machine in the ‘buck and a half’ setting



Hey! Don’t rat me out!

No I haven't played a 70s G3. They are not common in Australia.
I have had a 74 Grabber (regret selling it- the offer was just too good) and still have a 74 Ripper, so I am cool with the ergonomics and look of the bass.

The RI is an interesting bass in it's own right- I reckon I get it to sound pretty much like a Ric.

 

[Dadagoboi]

The P500 has 8 ohm and 16 ohm taps on the output transformer. The main cab has a 16 ohm speaker in it, as you mentioned. When you plug into the external speaker jack, the main and external speakers are connected in parallel (16 || 16 = 8 ohms) and automatically switched onto the 8 ohm tap. So the external speaker cab should be 16 ohms. If you plug a dummy plug (a ¼" plug with nothing wired to it) into the external speaker jack, you can connect an 8 ohm cab to the amp. That opens up more options.

Why was it designed that way? It was a design decision, there is no advantage in using a 16 ohm speaker. At the time 16 ohm speakers were available but not many cabs with them were available. If someone wanted a 16 ohm extension cab, Oliver Amps had one available. Ampeg offered this option with the B-18N, maybe the choice of the 16 ohm speaker helped their sales.

In terms of maintenance, it's important to occasionally clean the two shunt contacts (small switches) on the external speaker jack with Deoxit. One shunt is normally open, the other is normally closed. When a plug is inserted, the normally open shunt closes, the normally closed shunt opens. Oxidation on these contacts can affect the performance of the amp. The oxidation acts like a resistor, reducing the output. If it's bad enough, the signal to the speaker can be cut off. Cleaning these contacts will help keep the amp performing to spec. Insert a plug in the jack, this opens one shunt, apply the Deoxit and scrub with an inter-dental brush. Remove the plug and scrub the normally open shunt contact with the brush.

Hope that this helps Carlo.


View attachment 2851673

Thanks, David! I'm going to deoxit those output jacks!

 

[theFixer]

And in here, absolutely required. Gotta use whatever opening presents itself. What?

HEY now...

( @JJR58 Is buried in familial obligation, so I'm pinch-hittin' for him here )

 

[Shannon]

I will encourage you to run, walk, crawl, or roll as far away from ANY place that will perform ANY surgery for 13 hunnerd bux, as fast as possible!!!

That being said... my brother still walks around with a couple fillings in his mouth, that he got for the price of a bottle of tequila back in '87... and he drove there from Michigan, in a '74 Nova with a body that wasn't bolted to the frame. He's a pretty interesting dude...

That was just what I had to pay, My insurance at the time covered a lot of the costs. It's the ol' iceberg thing.
Must have worked, since I can stand and badly play a Thunderbird!

And I play just as badly whether standing, sitting, or lying down, so I don't think it's the 'Bird's fault.

 

[theFixer]

That was just what I had to pay, My insurance at the time covered a lot of the costs. It's the ol' iceberg thing.
Must have worked, since I can stand and badly play a Thunderbird!

And I play just as badly whether standing, sitting, or lying down, so I don't think it's the 'Bird's fault.

Well... THAT certainly makes me feel better!

It'd kinda suck to be standing on stage playin' yer bass, & have yer torso fold in half

Trying to hold yerself up, you'd look like wunna them WackyWavingInflatableArmFlailingTubeMen

 

[Gaolee]

HEY now...

( @JJR58 Is buried in familial obligation, so I'm pinch-hittin' for him here )

That's what friends are for.

 

[Shannon]

HEY now...

( @JJR58 Is buried in familial obligation, so I'm pinch-hittin' for him here )

You're a rock star;
Get your game on, go play!

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

You're a rock star;
Get your game on, go play!

You brought this upon yourself, and everyone in here!

 

[dukeorock]

No I haven't played a 70s G3. They are not common in Australia.
I have had a 74 Grabber (regret selling it- the offer was just too good) and still have a 74 Ripper, so I am cool with the ergonomics and look of the bass.

The RI is an interesting bass in it's own right- I reckon I get it to sound pretty much like a Ric.

That’s awesome! I’ve owned em all and my favorite one alternates. LOVE Rippers.

 

[kat888]

The AVRI 63 is a mere $AUD4249. Faded Sonic Blue looks quite nice .... now back to your scheduled program.

 

[Inky13]

A cure for cancer will be a thing of the past and ol' Buffy and Gordon will still be kicking ass and that other guy who makes me want to slash my television set with my goalie stick when watching a hockey game. You know that guy.

He does rock the crazy suits.

 

[Shannon]

You brought this upon yourself, and everyone in here!

Could be worse, I actually didn't know about this song. Learned something new.
I did hear that when the retrieved the ship's bell from the wreck, as soon as it broke surface it tolled once - and was heard on both sides of the lake.

 

[Haji]

Sorry. I’ve posted way too much OT stuff lately. This club is just such a cool social outlet, I know I get carried away :/

Don't you stop, brother. It's what keeps me coming back here. There's such a wealth of knowledge and experience in this club that there's no need to go anywhere else.

 

[kat888]

Aye, this is a proper clubhouse (if you look outside you'll notice we're up in a tree) for Thunderbird players and admirers of all descriptions, and for everything connected -- no matter how tangentially -- with Thunderbirds. The care, feeding, signal chain, audio reproduction and recording of Birds and their chosen owners. We don't each of us have to like or agree with everything said here, but it all adds to the sum total of our shared knowledge.

 

[JJR58]

Aye, this is a proper clubhouse (if you look outside you'll notice we're up in a tree) for Thunderbird players and admirers of all descriptions, and for everything connected -- no matter how tangentially -- with Thunderbirds. The care, feeding, signal chain, audio reproduction and recording of Birds and their chosen owners. We don't each of us have to like or agree with everything said here, but it all adds to the sum total of shared knowledge.

Rockin description, and true.

 

[dukeorock]

Headed back to Nashville! Gonna look like this for a very long time

No blizzards, so that’s nice

 

[theFixer]

You brought this upon yourself, and everyone in here!

Damn dude... bringin' a freighter to a knife fight here, don'tcha think?