Thunderbird Club

[Gaolee]

I briefly had a crush on a repro. They have a reputation for quirkiness.

Ampeg 1966 AMPEG AEB-1 Bass 1966 Black | The Guitar Broker

Ampeg AUB-1 Red Sunburst 1967

The repro:

I had a chance to play one of those about eight years ago. It was a good bass and sounded great.

And, quirkiness runs in the family around here.

 

[Gaolee]

I believe there are threads in gen pop talking about these basses. There may be QC issues.

The one I saw had some finish roughness in hard to see places. It was the kind of small QC issue that drives the GP nuts, but it didn't bother me much, because the Eastwood version was completely inexpensive when I looked at it. It sounded very much like my EB-2 with a Dimarzio One. That's a wonderful sound.

 

[GonePlaid]

I had a chance to play one of those about eight years ago. It was a good bass and sounded great.

And, quirkiness runs in the family around here.

Possibly explaining My interest in one!

 

[TwyreZ]

My time in SF was marred with "world bicycle naked" day... lots more dongs than boobs... my kids thought it was gross and they weren't wrong. Friggin' freaks.

I already have pain in the ass with a cycling bib short, so ride a bike naked...

 

[JJR58]

I had a chance to play one of those about eight years ago. It was a good bass and sounded great.

And, quirkiness runs in the family around here.

I think that bass has got a killer tone.

 

[Gaolee]

We have news of Gibson? just to know if the Thunderbirds will become a rare bird...

They will probably end up being fairly rare anyway. Whoever takes over Gibson in the end will probably make a zillion Les Pauls, some J45s, and the occasional SG. If you have a whole lot of pull with some insider, you might be able to get them to make a custom shop Thunderbird, but that's iffy at best. 2018 may be the last of the lot.

 

[Gaolee]

I really liked this little fellow, might not be great for my current band but it had a very warm, fat tone that was quite pleasing to my ear.
View attachment 3017571

What's the string spacing like on that one? Hofners are uncomfortable due to how close together the strings are. I haven't tried an Epi violin bass.

 

[Gaolee]

People sleep on the sidewalks in the Tenderloin..

They do that up here, too.

 

[Gaolee]

My time in SF was marred with "world bicycle naked" day... lots more dongs than boobs... my kids thought it was gross and they weren't wrong. Friggin' freaks.

There's a Solstice Day parade up here with naked bicycle riders. A classmate of my son's refused to ride a bicycle when she was little. She thought you had to be naked to do that, and she didn't want to be out in public naked. I don't think it scarred her for life.

Expanding on that story - when my son was in about 7th grade, he was recruited to play his trumpet on a float in that parade. It's a big production for all it's weirdness, after all. So, there he was with a few other 7th graders and 8th graders. The people who came next were a skit, I guess you call it a skit, of a wedding party. I don't remember what the groom was wearing or not wearing, but the "bride" was stark naked with the exception of some white paint, white heels, and a veil. The "bridesmaids" were topless and unpainted. They were all well suited for being displayed like that. As a biologically healthy male human, I more or less hurt myself when I went down to the end of the parade to collect the kid. There were all these attractive naked or nearly naked women milling around right next to the kids. The kids acted like they had seen it all before and hardly noticed. Hmmmm... What's wrong with the kid? Actually nothing. He thought they were kinda old. From his perspective, they were. I thought that was really funny.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I was about to say, hand built with a huge attention to detail. The body is 1 piece and shaped to look like 3, that all takes time and care as opposed to Gibson who have more of a production line going on. Hand made stuff is always going to be expensive and if you want it then you need to dig deep into your purse/wallet

I have modded a bunch of guitars but never built one from scratch like you have. Would you say a neck through is harder to build than a bolt on? Easier?

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Recipes



I have 3 T Birds, one of which has Cobalt flats and it sounds awesome. If I only had one T Bird, I’d probably run rounds on it, but there’s a lot of options, depending on what you’re going for.



I think it’s all about what works for each person, but there’s a small handful around here that seem to think if your tastes aren’t the same as theirs, you must be wrong. I get that it’s presented as a joke, but that doesn’t explain why the ‘joke’ gets pounced on every single day by the same people...over and over. And over. Part of why I love Gibson basses is because I don’t want to look and sound like everyone else. And they suit me for whatever reason. That’s not the same thing as saying everyone else is ‘wrong,’ and (sort of) joking or not, it’s becomming a total drag to read through the same broken record ‘jokes’ everyday.

Sorry for the rant. I’ve no desire to dictate what folks want to talk about, so obviously I just need to step away and find threads where folks like to talk about about gear and the process of making music and aren’t fussed by the fact that different folks like different things

Beautifully said.

 

[Larry V]

I think it’s all about what works for each person, but there’s a small handful around here that seem to think if your tastes aren’t the same as theirs, you must be wrong. I get that it’s presented as a joke, but that doesn’t explain why the ‘joke’ gets pounced on every single day by the same people...over and over. And over. Part of why I love Gibson basses is because I don’t want to look and sound like everyone else. And they suit me for whatever reason. That’s not the same thing as saying everyone else is ‘wrong,’ and (sort of) joking or not, it’s becomming a total drag to read through the same broken record ‘jokes’ everyday.

Sorry for the rant. I’ve no desire to dictate what folks want to talk about, so obviously I just need to step away and find threads where folks like to talk about about gear and the process of making music and aren’t fussed by the fact that different folks like different things

I for one would be disappointed to lose your input on bass and all things performing or recording. Please reconsider.

 

[Christine]

I have modded a bunch of guitars but never built one from scratch like you have. Would you say a neck through is harder to build than a bolt on? Easier?

Different, you don't have to bother with a neck joint of any type with a through neck which is a time saver but you do have to work around the extra length of timber. For hand building given a choice I would rather build a neck through especially the way Gibson do them and that clever joint to the body. It's much easier to get the geometry right with a neck through too, with a joint there is always room for error and then you end up shimming and stuff. The act of shaping though is slightly easier on a bolt on though because of the shorter length.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Different, you don't have to bother with a neck joint of any type with a through neck which is a time saver but you do have to work around the extra length of timber. For hand building given a choice I would rather build a neck through especially the way Gibson do them and that clever joint to the body. It's much easier to get the geometry right with a neck through too, with a joint there is always room for error and then you end up shimming and stuff. The act of shaping though is slightly easier on a bolt on though because of the shorter length.

Cool. Makes sense. Thanks! At the risk of treading through dangerous waters here, will a bolt on sound brighter and more (lol) 7enderish?

 

[JIO]

People sleep on the sidewalks in the Tenderloin..

many people - sad but true

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

They do that up here, too.

I know, Aurora (99) is pretty gnarly..

 

[Christine]

Cool. Makes sense. Thanks! At the risk of treading through dangerous waters here, will a bolt on sound brighter and more (lol) 7enderish?

Wood for wood? I don't think it would, slightly more sustain perhaps in a neck though but that's an opinion rather than knowledge

 

[JIO]

Different, you don't have to bother with a neck joint of any type with a through neck which is a time saver but you do have to work around the extra length of timber. For hand building given a choice I would rather build a neck through especially the way Gibson do them and that clever joint to the body. It's much easier to get the geometry right with a neck through too, with a joint there is always room for error and then you end up shimming and stuff. The act of shaping though is slightly easier on a bolt on though because of the shorter length.

Yep, a bolt-on is more adjustable and repairable. A neck-thru or set-neck has to be spot-on from the start. Takes more luthier skills.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Yep, a bolt-on is more adjustable and repairable. A neck-thru or set-neck has to be spot-on from the start. Takes more luthier skills.

I was just asking to try and justify (in my head) the price of a Lull compared to that of a vintage Gibson. Not surprising. Sadowsky 7ender types cost more than 7enders but at least they are "improving" on a design that was bolt on from the get-go.

 

[Christine]

I think it’s all about what works for each person, but there’s a small handful around here that seem to think if your tastes aren’t the same as theirs, you must be wrong. I get that it’s presented as a joke, but that doesn’t explain why the ‘joke’ gets pounced on every single day by the same people...over and over. And over. Part of why I love Gibson basses is because I don’t want to look and sound like everyone else. And they suit me for whatever reason. That’s not the same thing as saying everyone else is ‘wrong,’ and (sort of) joking or not, it’s becomming a total drag to read through the same broken record ‘jokes’ everyday.

Sorry for the rant. I’ve no desire to dictate what folks want to talk about, so obviously I just need to step away and find threads where folks like to talk about about gear and the process of making music and aren’t fussed by the fact that different folks like different things

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and you're quite right to voice yours, why should you not.

I'm sorry, I'm one of the jokers, a persistent one at that, the silly thing is that even tough I've been teasing today about flats, I actually have them on my Gibson and like them but that's just between you and me. I will try and refrain from the persistent in future, I have no right to bang on if it is causing any sort of annoyance.

Like @Larry V I would greatly miss your contributions here, God forbid you're one of the few who have anything worthwhile to share on a regular basis and I'm sure I say that on everybody's behalf