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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
This may be blasphemy, but the only other bass i can hang with next to a Bird, is a Ric.
Probably brought up to death already, but what strings are you using on your 'birds? I'm using Galli stainless steel 45-105
- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
This club moves fast, so I don’t think it hurts to bring certain topics as a refresher. Never tried Galli strings. You like em? Why? Curious here!
I’ve tried a few things just for fun, but at the moment...
‘02 Gibson- SS DR Lo Riders 45-105
‘14 Gibson- nickel Ken Smith Bass Burners 45-105
Cataldo NR41- Roto nickel RS66 45-105
'Birds first came onto my radar in I'm thinking somewhere around '08. At the time my main bass (actually, only bass) was my Precision. There was a music shop on the mainland I always tried to go into whenever I was off-island. I recall walking in to their bass room one day, and while they did usually have a decent selection of Epiphone and some Gibson basses (mostly SGs and Les Paul), on that day, hanging there was this big wonky shaped thing made of this incredible wood. I'd never seen any bass like it, and it was about as far removed from my Fender as I could imagine. I played it a bit, and to be perfectly honest I wasn't 100% sold on it. The string spacing was much tighter than my Precision, the neck was small and made my hand cramp up, and the frets were like railroad ties (my main issue with pretty much all modern Gibsons, and Fenders as well). But it looked incredible and smelled great (still smells great, I need to get that scent and put it in my laundry). More over, my father who was with me and is a carpenter, was blown away by the wood. He loved the way it looked too. Of course, being in 9th grade I didn't really have the cash for it. I worked hard that summer to try to save up, but still didn't have enough. But, knowing how much I wanted it, and liking it himself, my dad helped me cover the rest of the money as long as I paid him back. And that's how I got the Zebrabird.
It sort of became a case queen, really only took it out for performances/to show off because of the aforementioned issues I had with it (string spacing, small neck). I also found the pickups to be far too dark compared to the brightness and attack of the Precision, which remained #1 (and really, it still is).
Through trying a number of different basses (Jazz, Rick, EB-3), I came to realize I like simplicity in my basses, by which I mean the Precision setup of one pickup, a volume and a tone control. I'd seen Glenn Cornick play a T-bird II with the precision-esque setup, and so reading through TB and Fly Guitars started to hunt for one of those, eventually landing on the Greco II. I loved the look of the II, stripped down, back to basics without the second pickup cluttering everything up. Though I've since adapted and neck size nor string spacing bother me anymore, the Greco felt much more like home, with the wider neck, smaller frets, and larger spacing. Plus, it looks more like an original one, with all the Chrome, large headstock, etc, which I'd come to far prefer over the black hardware on the newer birds (Zebrabird included). There's a reason I have all the chrome covers on my Fenders.
At this point I find the birds just very ergonomically comfortable, keeps my right arm fairly straight as it rests across the lower fin, and it feels proportionately right (doesn't look small or overly large on me). With the pin at the neck, it also keeps the bass at roughly a 45° angle, which allows me to keep my left wrist and arm fairly straight, helping with speed. I've spent the last week almost exclusively playing the Zebrabird (it's my only bass with newish rounds on it currently, so it's the brightest), and boy does it play great. Still not 100% loving the tone, it's just a bit dark, but it has it's place and I have my other basses (once they get new strings) for my brighter sounds.
It sort of became a case queen, really only took it out for performances/to show off because of the aforementioned issues I had with it (string spacing, small neck). I also found the pickups to be far too dark compared to the brightness and attack of the Precision, which remained #1 (and really, it still is).
Through trying a number of different basses (Jazz, Rick, EB-3), I came to realize I like simplicity in my basses, by which I mean the Precision setup of one pickup, a volume and a tone control. I'd seen Glenn Cornick play a T-bird II with the precision-esque setup, and so reading through TB and Fly Guitars started to hunt for one of those, eventually landing on the Greco II. I loved the look of the II, stripped down, back to basics without the second pickup cluttering everything up. Though I've since adapted and neck size nor string spacing bother me anymore, the Greco felt much more like home, with the wider neck, smaller frets, and larger spacing. Plus, it looks more like an original one, with all the Chrome, large headstock, etc, which I'd come to far prefer over the black hardware on the newer birds (Zebrabird included). There's a reason I have all the chrome covers on my Fenders.
At this point I find the birds just very ergonomically comfortable, keeps my right arm fairly straight as it rests across the lower fin, and it feels proportionately right (doesn't look small or overly large on me). With the pin at the neck, it also keeps the bass at roughly a 45° angle, which allows me to keep my left wrist and arm fairly straight, helping with speed. I've spent the last week almost exclusively playing the Zebrabird (it's my only bass with newish rounds on it currently, so it's the brightest), and boy does it play great. Still not 100% loving the tone, it's just a bit dark, but it has it's place and I have my other basses (once they get new strings) for my brighter sounds.
- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
This may be blasphemy, but the only other bass i can hang with next to a Bird, is a Ric.
Sounds like two great choices to me!
I had tried the older bolt on Epis and never been impressed, but once the Classic Pro IV hit, I HAD to have one. She doesn't see as much use these days with my Americana band, but thats mostly because my Jack Casady is perfect for that project. Still, cranked her up the other day and still in love 
And also Simon Gallup
And also Simon Gallup
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I think you're too apologetic. Nothing wrong with liking what you like.This may be blasphemy, but the only other bass i can hang with next to a Bird, is a Ric.
The Gallis are, and bear with me as I'm not very good at describing, have a bright piano-like highend with a booming low. Also, I'm using the stainless steel, but but they're not chewing my fingers apart to my surprise. I found them by accident. There's a guy in the Bazzar in the classifies that selling them for $14 a set (I HAVE NO AFFILIATION WITH HIM) so I figured I'd try something new. I ordered them on Thursday and they arrived on Saturday (He's in California, I'm in Florida). I ordered 2 sets. One went on my Thunderbird and the other I'm saving. In a twist of fate, my new Fender Rumble 40 arrived to same day. SO MUCH MAGIC!
- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Maybe it’s because I’ve spent so many years on upright, but I can’t think of a set of electric strings that are especially tough on my hands...SS, nickel, whatever. They feel different, but I never seem to interpret one as better or worse.
I may be completely offbase because I have avoided stainless steel strings for the better part of 20 years. When I first started playing back in 1994, Doug Wimbish was my hero. I was hanging around my local music store after my weekly lesson when I saw they were selling Doug Wimbish signature series Trace Elliot brand bass strings. I assume this was during the time Gibson owned TE because I don't see an amp company going into the string business. Anyway, being a dumb teenager, I fell for the marketing that if I bought DW strings, that I would be awesome like him, right? NOPE! Not only did I still suck, but then I hated practicing because those strings hurt SO BAD. Maybe I just remember them hurting worse than they actually did because these Gallis don't hurt at all. Or, maybe it's the Swedish steel. IDK
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Well i ordered the wrong pots and don't want to spend a bunch more money to buy the right ones and have them shipped so....I just drilled out the controls a bit more and I might have chipped a little bit of the finish off. Luckily those little spots will be covered by the knobs so Im not too concerned. Still sucks though.
....and not a single FSO in sight! Gotta love it.
My concern, and I may be over-paranoid here, is that it says they were made famous by "The Who's". You'd think if they had a serious claim to fame, they'd spell it correctly.
This is who I'm going with when the start taking order again.Invalid Link Removed
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- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Watched a really great panel discussion the other day on YouTube. The two speakers were Roger Sadowsky and Michael Tobias. I’ve never owned a bass by either maker and doubt I ever will, but between the two of em, they’ve built over 10,000 basses, which gives them a lot of credibility. The subject was the dreaded ‘Tonewood’ discussion. They both had slightly different takes on body and neck wood, but both agreed wholeheartedly that fingerboard material makes the most noticeable difference every time. I honestly wouldn’t have thought I had a ‘favorite’ because every bass is different anyway. But I have to wonder, as my two favorite basses I own share some interesting attributes
‘02 Gibson- mahogany body and neck, ebony fingerboard
Drake Custom- (mostly) mahogany body, Jatoba (looks very similar to mahogany) neck and ebony fingerboard
Could be a coincidence, or could be that I at least somewhat, gravitate toward certain things
‘02 Gibson- mahogany body and neck, ebony fingerboard
Drake Custom- (mostly) mahogany body, Jatoba (looks very similar to mahogany) neck and ebony fingerboard
Could be a coincidence, or could be that I at least somewhat, gravitate toward certain things
Yeah. You pays your money and you take your chances....I have a set of Lollar's in my Thunderbird but don't want to drop $400+ on a set.
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This is Jazz bass pick up to Thunderbird pick up conversion in a Fender Blacktop Bass so price is a consideration...
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I always figured that fretboard wood, would be the least noticeable difference. Because of the minimal amount used, and that the strings actually contact the frets, not the board (as opposed to fretless). I'm really surprised!
- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Look forward to your review!
I have Thunderbucker Ranch and Lollars. Love both a whole lot. I should be trying a whole new pickup very soon that a friend is developing. Very excited about those
