Sounds awesome! Building a bass is actually on my bucket list ( not like id do a good job but it would be fun ) i just wish i had the time to do so or the experience for that matter though as of now that sounds like my best shot
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
Sounds awesome! Building a bass is actually on my bucket list ( not like id do a good job but it would be fun ) i just wish i had the time to do so or the experience for that matter though as of now that sounds like my best shot
The weather was questionable so left the t-bird home sorry about playing the competition it a 2000 fender Jazz deluxe with Sadowsky s/c and electronics. This is me playing with my Moms band at the Atlantic Highlands Firemans Fair Wednesday Night.
Not the greatest photo but got the blackbird properly set up. Thanks for the advice quite a few pages ago about the bridge. Been busy with work but got them both set up over the last couple days. Blackbird has Nikkis signature strings on it and is tuned to drop c. The p has a set of fender 45-100 flatwounds on it tuned to standard.
Haji
Supporting Member
Haji
Supporting Member
I've got my Birds strung with Dunlop Heavy Cores, Heavier on my main and Heaviest on my Usta-Bea-Goth. For me, standard gauge (typically medium lights) are like rubber bands tuned to drop C. Too floppy for me to play. The Heavier set is a .115 on the top, the Heaviest is a .120...IIRC.
I like these in drop C. Although I'm tempted to do it BEAD at some point.It's handy ad I tend to play either standard/drop d or c so this way saves the neck of both basses. Still unsure on my feelings of flatwounds on the p though
Haji
Supporting Member
Flats are a love 'em or hate 'em thing, I think. Lots of people like that combo on a P...but I absolutely detest every single aspect of flats, on any bass.
Never been a big fan of flats myself. If they work for you great, but they just don't do it for me. I've always removed them from any bass I've bought that had them installed.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,208
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Yup, I tried some TI Flats once.........Not what I want from a string. I gotta have that big, angry piano sound.
The first bass I ever had, some pawn shop Jazz knock off, came with huge flats on it. The plus side of learning on that instrument, is that it built up serious hand strength, but between the massive bow in the neck and the suspension bridge cables that were passing themselves off as strings, I don't have very fond memories of flats.
Haji
Supporting Member
Come to think of it, the very first bass I messed around with-borrowed from a guitar playing friend when I was prolly a sophomore in high school-looked like a giant ES-335 with crappy flats and an unreal high action. Not knowing any better at the time, that could have been the end of playing bass for me. Good thing I dug it even though the action was so high it hurt to play.
I was in Nashville yesterday with my buddy who had to run an errand down there after work. We stopped by Sam Ash just to goof off, and of the five basses I messed with, three had flats. I don't care for that dead sound, but I could probably make that work if I had to. Its that slick feel that I hate most of all. Its almost like I can't get a grip on the string and it feels like soap. I need to feel those wire wraps.
I was in Nashville yesterday with my buddy who had to run an errand down there after work. We stopped by Sam Ash just to goof off, and of the five basses I messed with, three had flats. I don't care for that dead sound, but I could probably make that work if I had to. Its that slick feel that I hate most of all. Its almost like I can't get a grip on the string and it feels like soap. I need to feel those wire wraps.
Im currently in two minds with the flats. I wanted to try them out and I needed new strings and thought "if they are good enough for Steve harris" so far I'm finding them kinda fun. I do ALOT more slides than I usually do though....
The sound is different to what I usually want from a bass but that's why I have two right?
That said if I'm not 100% sold on them in a month or so I'll put rounds on it instead
The sound is different to what I usually want from a bass but that's why I have two right?
That said if I'm not 100% sold on them in a month or so I'll put rounds on it instead
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,208
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Haji, I agree completely on the feel of flats, can't stand them - and I don't even play that much fingerstyle......With a pick ugh, worse than trying to piss into the wind.
I'm the exact opposite, can't stand the clang of rounds. too much buzz and nonsense. I settled on half rounds for the tbird though 
Happy Ford of July.
This is the Thunderbird club, after all.
This is the Thunderbird club, after all.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,208
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Happy Ford of July.
This is the Thunderbird club, after all.
Nice! Is it yours by chance Dylan?
Yeah, my grandfather bought it in '72 and it's been passed down. My dad and I are working on restoring it. Outside the obvious paint work it needs, the roof also needs new hydraulics and some rechroming and interior stuff. But the engine runs pretty strong, it's a '62 Sports Roadster with the tonneau cover to make it a two seater, 390 V8 (not the dual-barrel carb M-code though).
I settled on half rounds for the tbird though
I have half rounds in my Pro, and Chromes on my Epi IV(banger)
