Thunderbird Club

[Gaolee]

Keep an eye on this one gang! Could be fun!

Epiphone Thunderbird Vintage PRO Bass Tobacco Sunburst 711106322391 | eBay

I put a dukeofrock bid in on that one. Not that I need another 'Bird. Somebody else got it, but got it cheap.

 

[Gaolee]

The ES 335 Bass is a goodun. The pickups are guitar sized TB+s which are really nice.

I love the EB-2 that's been my bass for about 35 years. When Gibson made ES 335 bass guitars, it got my attention completely. I haven't played one, but I suspect they are different, but just as good.

 

[Gaolee]

Curious what everyone thinks of the new Dingwall D Birds everyone in GP is so gaga about. This year they will be releasing the import version so it won’t be so crazy expensive. I actually think they look...good? Kinda? I find the tiny headstock a bit off putting. My main issue is they sound nothing like a ‘Bird. I didn’t get mine for the looks, though I think mine look nice.
Dingwall necks are really nice though

I don't think about them all that much. I started playing 'Birds because I tried one and the ergos were perfect once the upper strap button moved to the heel of the neck. Now, I'm spoiled by the sound AND the ergos. If it doesn't sound like a 'Bird, it sounds a little timorous.

 

[Gaolee]

View attachment 2893904 Hello my brethren, proud owner here!

Your 'Bird clearly doesn't sit in its case. Good stuff.

 

[Gaolee]

The Kardashiens ? Werent they the baddies in DS9 ?

Yeah, something like that. Odd looking, misshapen aliens.

 

[veebass]

I love the EB-2 that's been my bass for about 35 years. When Gibson made ES 335 bass guitars, it got my attention completely. I haven't played one, but I suspect they are different, but just as good.

Very different except for the obvious cosmetic and structural similarities- solid centre block construction.
Scale length is obviously different and the pickups themselves and their positioning.
The ES 335 sounds like a Les Paul bass.

I am really glad I picked one up.

 

[dukeorock]

I don't think about them all that much. I started playing 'Birds because I tried one and the ergos were perfect once the upper strap button moved to the heel of the neck. Now, I'm spoiled by the sound AND the ergos. If it doesn't sound like a 'Bird, it sounds a little timorous.

I’m shocked how much I like the ergos of a ‘Bird, but I really do. That could be a decent argument for a D Bird should one need a more modern tone on some things. But I was hooked on the sound of ‘Birds long before I knew I’d like their ergos

 

[Haji]

There's a funny 'starting over from scratch with insurance money' thread out in GP -- which is pretty much just people listing their current kit.

Cataldo NR41
Cataldo REV41
FSO (P) w/ J neck, AVRI63 pup, lots of metal flake

Traynor YBA-200
Ampeg SVT212AV
Mesa M6 would be good as a backup

It's interesting how people would buy what they have again, and yet still chase tone. I guess we all do that. I'm pretty happy with my amps (SVT-3 Pro and an 800RB) and cabs (Hartke 410 XL's) but I'd really love to add a Jackson Thunderbird and an 80's vintage Ibanez Roadstar II. Would I trade my ETBIV with the Tone Monster pre amp for a Jackson? Reluctantly, but I would. Would somebody else make that trade? I rather doubt it. LOL!

 

[Gaolee]

Very different except for the obvious cosmetic and structural similarities- solid centre block construction.
Scale length is obviously different and the pickups themselves and their positioning.
The ES 335 sounds like a Les Paul bass.

I am really glad I picked one up.

They are intriguing. I need another bass guitar like I need a hole in the head, but if one of those came my way, I wouldn't be upset. The EB-2 sounds nothing like a 'Bird, but not wimpy in any way. It's just different. It's got a warm, woody character to it that's spectacular. It's also a short scale, which fouls me up for a few bars at first, and it's vintage all of a sudden, which makes me a little nervous about schlepping it around in the rain. But, it's been a constant companion for longer than I have known my wife, and that's a long time.

 

[Gaolee]

I’m shocked how much I like the ergos of a ‘Bird, but I really do. That could be a decent argument for a D Bird should one need a more modern tone on some things. But I was hooked on the sound of ‘Birds long before I knew I’d like their ergos

I didn't know 'Birds from Adam when I got my first one. I bought it because it was a slab that would let me leave the EB-2 at home when bad things might happen to it. And it was a dirt cheap bolt-on. Not that I knew the difference about that either. And the rest is history.

 

[Gaolee]

It's interesting how people would buy what they have again, and yet still chase tone. I guess we all do that. I'm pretty happy with my amps (SVT-3 Pro and an 800RB) and cabs (Hartke 410 XL's) but I'd really love to add a Jackson Thunderbird and an 80's vintage Ibanez Roadstar II. Would I trade my ETBIV with the Tone Monster pre amp for a Jackson? Reluctantly, but I would. Would somebody else make that trade? I rather doubt it. LOL!

I'm another who is happy with what he has. I'm distracted by other things on occasion, but I'm not suffering from any GAS that isn't related to modifications and messing around with things I already have.

Except drums. I just bought cast hoops for a snare, but I don't know which snare to put the cast hoops on. I might need another snare.

 

[veebass]

They are intriguing. I need another bass guitar like I need a hole in the head, but if one of those came my way, I wouldn't be upset. The EB-2 sounds nothing like a 'Bird, but not wimpy in any way. It's just different. It's got a warm, woody character to it that's spectacular. It's also a short scale, which fouls me up for a few bars at first, and it's vintage all of a sudden, which makes me a little nervous about schlepping it around in the rain. But, it's been a constant companion for longer than I have known my wife, and that's a long time.

The pickups in the ES335 (and many LP Basses) are not a million miles from TBird TB+s. I like the guitar pickup shaped ones better.
This clip gets posted here from time to time and shows the difference pretty much as I hear it.

 

[Stevis]

Curious what everyone thinks of the new Dingwall D Birds everyone in GP is so gaga about. This year they will be releasing the import version so it won’t be so crazy expensive. I actually think they look...good? Kinda? I find the tiny headstock a bit off putting. My main issue is they sound nothing like a ‘Bird. I didn’t get mine for the looks, though I think mine look nice.
Dingwall necks are really nice though

I think these look kinda cool but I had to share this NAMM interview, which some of you have probably seen. This will make some heads explode as guess what one of the major design innovations of this model is, when compared to the original (which remains nameless) . . .? Hint: It addresses a Gen Pop pet peeve of mythic proportions and rhymes with "Beck hive".

 

[dukeorock]

The pickups in the ES335 (and many LP Basses) are not a million miles from TBird TB+s. I like the guitar pickup shaped ones better.
This clip gets posted here from time to time and shows the difference pretty much as I hear it.

Man, don’t think I can agree. Neither of my Gibson ‘Birds sound much like the one in this clip and both of my Gibson’s are stock. That clip sounds like the strings in the Gibson are really old and dead. That was my hunch the first time I ever heard that clip. For me it’s just one more good reason to not trust clips. Also the reason I try to do a lot of clips, so maybe an average can be worked up

 

[Gaolee]

It actually sounds pretty good, but who knows what he's playing it through. It doesn't have the kind of muscular presence a 'Bird should have, though. Based only on that interview and the brief demo.

 

[veebass]

Man, don’t think I can agree. Neither of my Gibson ‘Birds sound much like the one in this clip and both of my Gibson’s are stock. That clip sounds like the strings in the Gibson are really old and dead. That was my hunch the first time I ever heard that clip. For me it’s just one more good reason to not trust clips. Also the reason I try to do a lot of clips, so maybe an average can be worked up

I have wondered about that- but the TBird in the clip sounds pretty much like my 08 Gibson did before I replaced the standard pickups with "Chinabuckers". I bought the TBird new, and the pickups that I took out of it are definitely the original pickups.

The point was mainly to give an indication of what the pickup in the ES 335 Bass sound like.

 

[dukeorock]

I have wondered about that- but the TBird in the clip sounds pretty much like my 08 Gibson did before I replaced the standard pickups with "Chinabuckers". I bought the TBird new, and the pickups that I took out of it are definitely the original pickups.

I don’t doubt you! Just saying neither of mine are anywhere near that choked and muddy

 

[kat888]

It's interesting how people would buy what they have again, and yet still chase tone. I guess we all do that. I'm pretty happy with my amps (SVT-3 Pro and an 800RB) and cabs (Hartke 410 XL's) but I'd really love to add a Jackson Thunderbird and an 80's vintage Ibanez Roadstar II. Would I trade my ETBIV with the Tone Monster pre amp for a Jackson? Reluctantly, but I would. Would somebody else make that trade? I rather doubt it. LOL!

I'm another who is happy with what he has. I'm distracted by other things on occasion, but I'm not suffering from any GAS that isn't related to modifications and messing around with things I already have.

For me it's variations on a theme ... which turns out to be the Mushroom Swiss of 'Precision' tone, or P-on-steroids -- that thing but more aka 'best Precision ever'.

 

[veebass]

I don’t doubt you! Just saying neither of mine are anywhere near that choked and muddy

I understand that and that a number of different pickups have been labelled as TB +s.
I wouldn't have ripped them out if they had sounded better. Chocked, muddy and indistinct was how I felt my TBird sounded. The Chinabuckers are honestly a big improvement and that bass gets gig time now.

 

[Gaolee]

For me it's variations on a theme ... which turns out to be the Mushroom Swiss of 'Precision' tone, or P-on-steroids -- that thing but more aka 'best Precision ever'.

Which is what a Thunderbird does with the neck pickup. The '15 is really good at it, with the bridge pickup tapped and rolled off. It sounds like a walnut 4x8.