- Mar 8, 2011
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- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
Here you go..
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The winning bidder bought an Epiphone Vintage Pro... for $224.07 + $25 shipping! Crazy man... crazy!
- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
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- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
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Yes saw them a few days ago. Hence the questions about cases etc.
Surprisingly, they could be attractive to us down under, if the pricing structure changed a little.
Waiting for a reply from them about how they are structuring their cost. They probably think "free shipping" is a selling point. It actually isn't if you are an Aussie on a bass at around that price point. Remember the Aussie importer appears to be cactus and none of these are on the horizon here AFAIK.
If they say, listed the bass at $699 and the rest was shipping (which it probably actually is), it would be far more attractive to someone like me who is in a country where the Epi importer is bust.
The reason is we have 15% taxes (10% GST and 5% Duty and some inspection fees) on imports where the cost of the item goes over $AU 1K and the shipping isn't added in unless you go over the $AU 1 K threshold. The Duty is supposed to be exempt on solid body basses, but I seem to get charged anyway on a different technicality each time I bring a bass in.
Means I would save about $200 on the bass and they get the same money.
I may buy one of these anyway.
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- Mar 13, 2008
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- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Super shot! Thank you for sharing it with us, shall I add you to the club?
I could be wrong... but I believe I have the version of T-bird pups that reside nearest the bottom of the barrel (stock '08 Korean bolt-on Epi), and they don't sound anything like those in the video either. Mine are much more lively and 'clear' than that. I can pick up what Vee's layin' down though, with regards to the differences in character. To my ears, I'm guessin' that those pups maintain gutsy "Gibson humbuckerness", but offer a little more top end, better clarity, & maybe a little hotter output, than you would normally get out of a T-bird pup. I believe that the video is an exaggeration of those differences... but it points me in the general direction
You reckon that feller put the decimal in the wrong place er sup'm???
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- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
I could be wrong... but I believe I have the version of T-bird pups that reside nearest the bottom of the barrel (stock '08 Korean bolt-on Epi), and they don't sound anything like those in the video either. Mine are much more lively and 'clear' than that. I can pick up what Vee's layin' down though, with regards to the differences in character. To my ears, I'm guessin' that those pups maintain gutsy "Gibson humbuckerness", but offer a little more top end, better clarity, & maybe a little hotter output, than you would normally get out of a T-bird pup. I believe that the video is an exaggeration of those differences... but it points me in the general direction
Sadly, that video clip tells me nothing because it’s way too far from my personal experience. Best case, the clip was skewed to favor the LP by an overzealous fan. More likely, the T Bird had a 5 year old set of strings, or defective pickups
... or D) all of the above
The clip wasn't mine so I am not going to speculate or go to any length to defend it beyond saying:.
The LP sounds pretty much like the three Gibson basses (2 X Les Paul and an ES 335) I have with those pickups in them. One of which I was discussing with Fix.
The TBird sounds pretty much like the 08 TBird I had before I changed the pickups out. So it is in line with my experience.
Funny way of not doubting me.
- Mar 8, 2011
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- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Seriously, I heard the clip awhile back and the clip just doesn’t mirror my own experience. That’s not the same thing as saying I doubt you. I have no reason to, brother
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- Mar 8, 2011
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- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Let’s be very clear. I doubt the clip. I know you didn’t make the clip. I have no reason to doubt you. It never crossed my mind to do so, k? You’ve been nothing short of awesome as far as I’m concerned
Let’s be very clear. I doubt the clip. I know you didn’t make the clip. I have no reason to doubt you. It never crossed my mind to do so, k? You’ve been nothing short of awesome as far as I’m concerned
No big deal. We have different experiences.
- Mar 8, 2011
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- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Exactly! I’m interested in every experience. If yours mirror that clip it just makes me wonder if my two Gibson’s were a fluke. That’s very possible since I only have a sample set of two basses. When I first got my ‘14, I did a quick clip. My ‘02 is very similar. After listening back, I think it sounds very close to what I’m hearing on my two basses. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, but my basses sound a lot like this...
Yes, yours sounds "clearer & more lively'.
The thing I was picking up in the other clip that I felt was similar to my "old" TBird TB+ pickups was the muffled sound.
It also lacked brightness.
I have heard that the actual pickups in those black plastic TB+ covers have changed over the years and that may explain it.
I am glad they aren't all the same. My reticence to get another bass with those pickups was one of the reasons I hesitated a bit too long on a 2013 Non Reverse RI in Japan recently.
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- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Ouch! Then again, you never know. When I buy a bass, my thinking is typically that if it feels and plays right, but doesn’t sound perfect, I can fix that (though I’ve been wrong about that a few times!), but if it doesn’t play and feel right, there’s not much I can do. Pickups are relatively cheap, if the bass feels right. To me, at least
Yes, that is what I was ruminating over too long- swapping out the pickups and whether I could be bothered and watching the $AU creeping up.
Eventually decided to go for it and it sold (it had been for sale for a fair while too).
Just wasn't meant to be.
Hope it didn’t seem like I was dissing Dingwall. I’ve owned a Super J and think they do remarkable work. Nothing but respect for them!
When I think of a Gibson T Bird, they’re just a bit brutish and old school. Big sounding, but somewhat unrefined. I happen to like that a lot and it works well not only with my personal aesthetic, but also for a lot of the gigs I play. The D Bird is more ‘sophisticated.’ That’s not a bad thing by any stretch, but it’s not gonna be for everyone, just as a Gibson T Bird isn’t for everyone. As for the Dingwall headstock, I’ve just grown to know and love that big a$$ clumsy looking headstock on a Gibson, so my mind has to adjust to the more elegant D Bird headstock. It’s more of a personal thing, not negative judgement intended toward the Dingwall. I also gravitate more toward natural finishes or 60’s type paint jobs. The Dingwall thing is by and large, very brash and modern when it comes to visuals. That’s awesome if it’s what you’re looking for. For me, it’s just a bit ‘much.’ As a pick player, it would also take some getting used to having all 3(!) pickups right under where I like to pick.
As for the sound. It’s totally cool if anyone likes that more modern thing Dingwall does. I like it too, but that’s not the sound I think of with a Gibson T Bird. Heck, for all I know I’ll wind up with one at some point for what it does. I was just curious what everyone here does and doesn’t like about em
With the Dingwall, I’m surprised at it having the pickups so close together.
I enjoy new clips too. Until some fool calls one a magazine, that is. It's getting harder and harder to find print newspapers to roll up and beat such people with - and using a Kindle instead is just not as satisfying.
Oh, you meant music clips?! I like those. Yes, quite.
Oh, you meant music clips?! I like those. Yes, quite.
