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Thunderbird Club

I haven't figured out how to do a poll, so I'll just ask... the AW with green carbon fiber pg... which color top hats? Black with white numbers or bright white with black numbers? I have ordered both, just looking for your opinions. I first tried a combo color scheme of white, black & green but the green didn't match. I'm trying to keep it clean looking to highlight that pg. Thanks!
View attachment 2870553
I would do white with black numbers on that bass to do what you are suggesting.
 
I just bought the classic and hope to at least jam with it tomorrow night. It's bedroom tone is not to my liking and I worry it's too aggressive for the bulk of stuff I do.Lots of British Invasion, 70's classic rock, blues and country. I'm holding out to see how it sounds in the mix but I'm worried my love affair with Tbirds may have been a fling. Side note, everyone loved my Pro IV, which gets little love in here, is that because the active eq in the Pro is more of a Fender tone and not indicative of a true Tbird?
The reason I wasn't thrilled by they Pro IV sound was how scooped and sterile it sounded (to me). I just couldn't get a sound I liked out of it. Try different strings on your 'Bird. I find that Cobalt Flats and Black Beauties or other coated DR rounds can be pretty tame or pretty aggro, depending on your technique and where you play the bass. Also, roll off the tone and roll back the bridge pickup. That should tame things a bit, too.

Failing that, maybe you need to put in a call to Lowe or Cataldo or somebody and get yourself a Fenderbird, if you like 'Bird ergos but want a Precision sound. Or just (ack!) play a Fender!
 
My Epi Tbird Classic-IV Pros.. (impatiently waiting for new top hats and white Tbird vinyl logo to arrive for the Alpine White one!)
View attachment 2870386

Please be welcome MommyPlaysBass with two nice Epiphone Birds, you're #699 here at The Thunderbird Club, as always we encourage you questions, pics and good humor!



TBird 1958 #1
GodofThunder59 #2
Funkster#3
Gibenbackerbass #4
Sidd Laroy #5
Jazzbo58 #6
Nocturnal #7
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The Mojo Hobo #9
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Brenner182 #12
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Poorbassist15 #14
PWV #15
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kruno maestro #29
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Walter Vega 33
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96tbird #60
whilke #61
JIO #63
thebrain #64
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lowend1 #69 Mopar or no car!
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metah_ch #631
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kat888 #888
 
Well I haven’t plugged it in yet. I had an allergic reaction from dinner last night and spent a terrible night and morning.

Anyway, I have had a brief noodle around acoustically.

Point 1, I’ve been worried needlessly about the neck being too narrow. Didn’t notice it, lovely.
2. I thought the Vintage Sunburst in the ad was too dark, but it is beautiful.
3. The G string rings like a bell.
4. I can’t really see the stripes on the back easily. Look again when I feel better? Or are they not as easy to see on a Gibson as a Classic Pro ?

Can anyone identify the stings? Pic below. The seller didn’t remember, just got the reply ‘Ernie’s ??’ :laugh:
Was wondering if they were Hi Beams ? No silk, the ball ends seem to be gold colour.

View attachment 2870493 View attachment 2870494
That's a beautiful 'bird my friend. I'm pretty partial to those darker bursts like that. Kinda hastens back to some of Gibson's arch top acoustics of yesteryear:cool::thumbsup:

As for the strings... though they share physical attributes with the Hi-Beams... it's hard to tell from a pic. The way I can tell a Hi-Beam apart from others, is by how the string acts when I fret it. Most strings want to stay straight under your fingers. If you apply a little pressure to the Hi-Beams, they will flex as they bridge across the fret before and after your finger.

Maybe this is just one of my OCD things rising to the surface... but I always string up with the ball ends 90 degrees from how they are in your pic. It insures a straight pull to the saddle, and doesn't get cocked wonky like your D string is in the pic (feel free to take that with however many grains of salt you feel are appropriate);)

Feel better soon, my friend:)
 
I haven't figured out how to do a poll, so I'll just ask... the AW with green carbon fiber pg... which color top hats? Black with white numbers or bright white with black numbers? I have ordered both, just looking for your opinions. I first tried a combo color scheme of white, black & green but the green didn't match. I'm trying to keep it clean looking to highlight that pg. Thanks!
View attachment 2870553
I think the black knobs would best compliment the bass... but I'm a li'l bit of a kook. I'd like to see it with gold knobs:)
 
I just bought the classic and hope to at least jam with it tomorrow night. It's bedroom tone is not to my liking and I worry it's too aggressive for the bulk of stuff I do.Lots of British Invasion, 70's classic rock, blues and country. I'm holding out to see how it sounds in the mix but I'm worried my love affair with Tbirds may have been a fling. Side note, everyone loved my Pro IV, which gets little love in here, is that because the active eq in the Pro is more of a Fender tone and not indicative of a true Tbird?
I'm rather new to the bass myself. I went through a handful of FSOs before I plugged in my first 'bird, and quickly found out that the 'bird don't cook in the same kitchen;) It took some messin' around with the amp knobs, pickup heights, pickup blending, etc. to get what I feel is the "best" out of my 'bird. If aggressiveness is your concern... you can help tone that down with the strings you choose as well. Nickel plated is mellower than Stainless. Pure nickel is mellower still. If flat wounds aren't your thing, you can try pressure wound, semi-round, burnished, etc. There are a million & one different ways to help you shape it how ya like. I can't speak for the active system myself... but the word I hear fairly consistently when folks talk about them, is "anemic". I've also noticed that people have a hard time giving their active Epiphone electronics away once they've been removed.

(I hope there's something remotely helpful in my ramblings...)
 
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I just bought the classic and hope to at least jam with it tomorrow night. It's bedroom tone is not to my liking and I worry it's too aggressive for the bulk of stuff I do.Lots of British Invasion, 70's classic rock, blues and country. I'm holding out to see how it sounds in the mix but I'm worried my love affair with Tbirds may have been a fling. Side note, everyone loved my Pro IV, which gets little love in here, is that because the active eq in the Pro is more of a Fender tone and not indicative of a true Tbird?

I might be the wrong person to answer your questions since I don't have a Pro IV or a Classic Eppi. What I will say is that there are two pretty well set camps out there when it comes to active vs passive and some of those camp members would never consider crossing lines. I personally like both active and passive but for different applications. In fact if you look back a few hundred posts you'll see a mod I did on my Goth to convert it to active.

I find that most active basses can be dialed in as aggressive or laid back as you want them to be. Passive basses can be dialed in to a large degree also but to me each one seems to have a more distinct personality that you work with (or around) to get the sound you want. The sound in my head when I pick up a bass is exactly what I get out of a Gibson SG passive bass with flats, both pups on, and tone all the way up. My 2013 TBird is a slightly more aggressive take on that sound (which is exactly what's needed on a lot of the stuff I do) and I find the Eppi VP to be a shade more aggressive than that, but far from the most aggressive basses I have (Alembic, Spector, Warwick).

To help visualize this tone continuum a bit better - if I knew a specific rock song upside down and backwards and was asked to record the bass track, without hesitation I'd pick the VP. It just sounds magical when you nail everything to perfection. Possibly the best bass tone I've ever heard in a mix from any bass at any price. But if I were heading off to an open mic night with my bass, not knowing what I'll have to play or if I'll even know the songs, I'd take my SG. It's the ultimate in a forgiving bass - short scale, smooth flats, broad range of tones, a very laid back not in your face sound with a super strong thick fundamental personality.

So if you're finding the Classic too aggressive for the music you play, consider a string change to some round nickels or some flats or maybe even tapes. String choices can have a profound impact on the sound and feel of a bass. And as a lot of people in this club say - you don't choose a TBird, it chooses you. Maybe you're just more of a Pro IV kinda guy, and that's cool too!
 
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I haven't figured out how to do a poll, so I'll just ask... the AW with green carbon fiber pg... which color top hats? Black with white numbers or bright white with black numbers? I have ordered both, just looking for your opinions. I first tried a combo color scheme of white, black & green but the green didn't match. I'm trying to keep it clean looking to highlight that pg. Thanks!
View attachment 2870553

Black with white numbers. Matches the rest of the hardware.
 
So anyway, the other day I was looking at an old thread *outside* and a bunch of people were oohing and aahing over a video of a particular bass/pup combination, and its deep, rich and extended bass response. It had me thinking I should check out the video, as regardless of body shape or pickup combination, 'deep, rich and extended' always piques my curiosity. I put on my proper headphones and clicked play.

The bass quacked. There was absolutely nothing deep, rich or extended about it ... or maybe my perceptions have been forever skewed by Thunderbird deepness, richness and extension.
 
So anyway, the other day I was looking at an old thread *outside* and a bunch of people were oohing and aahing over a video of a particular bass/pup combination, and its deep, rich and extended bass response. It had me thinking I should check out the video, as regardless of body shape or pickup combination, 'deep, rich and extended' always piques my curiosity. I put on my proper headphones and clicked play.

The bass quacked. There was absolutely nothing deep, rich or extended about it ... or maybe my perceptions have been forever skewed by Thunderbird deepness, richness and extension.
"Quacked" must be a Jazz bass.
 
So anyway, the other day I was looking at an old thread *outside* and a bunch of people were oohing and aahing over a video of a particular bass/pup combination, and its deep, rich and extended bass response. It had me thinking I should check out the video, as regardless of body shape or pickup combination, 'deep, rich and extended' slways piques my curiosity. I put on my proper headphones and clicked play.

The bass quacked. There was absolutely nothing deep, rich or extended about it ... or maybe my perceptions have been forever skewed by Thunderbird deepness, richness and extension.

I think it happens all the time. We all use the same dozen or so words to describe tone, but that doesn’t mean we associate that same sound to the word, if that makes sense. We all have different hands. That’s one thing that skews it. Just because something works in one persons hands, doesn’t mean I’ll love it in mine.

I think it must be even trickier for folks who exclusively play cover material. I’ve never had to worry about how to get someone else’s tone, just how to refine my own. From there, I want a decent variety of basses/sounds to pull off sessions and new gigs, but it’s still within the parameters of what’s in my head
 
Question on the bridge on the Epiphone Thunderbird Vintage Pro. Mine came with the G string side adjusted lower than the E side. Is this correct or should the screws for height adjustment be the same on both sides? Sorry for the silly question but I just haven't had one with this type of bridge before.

Unless I’m missing something, I think you should simply adjust the bridge to whatever you prefer