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Thunderbird Club

#81,421
Gaolee said:
Quality is a funny thing. Fancy construction doesn't make an instrument better. I don't want fancy inlays on the fretboard, for example, but I can certainly appreciate that kind of thing. I saw a Gibson Super 400 that was spectacular with all kinds of deco pattern inlays on the back of the guitar. Nobody would ever see that work when it was being played, and it wouldn't make the guitar sound better. It was spectacularly expensive, and I would have bought it if I had a zillion extra dollars floating around, just for the beautiful work. So, I'm inconsistent. So it goes.

I got no issues with bolt-on. I'm really happy with a bolt-on 'Bird and also the 7enderbird that's also a bolt-on. The construction doesn't make anything better or worse so long as it's done well within the technique.

A completely different thing to think about is the price of a Ford Mustang and some other more exotic cars. The Mustang is faster, more efficient, quicker turning, quicker stopping, and cheaper. It just doesn't have such fancy finishes and is a production product as opposed to a boutique product. Fancier isn't always better.
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Well put - and an interesting auto-related example. As a sort of parallel, now that the Epi gen 1 T-bird IV RI exists - why would anyone want/buy a new Gibson T-bird which has never done an authentic replica/RI and costs much more? I thought this as soon as I saw what they released. Usually companies would avoid such a move as it would torpedo the more costly product they produce. Maybe it's some sort of marketing strategy related to the recent trajectory of Gibson.
 
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#81,422
TBird1958 said:
Owning a Lull and several Gibsons I can tell you that there is an easily discernible difference in the quality, which is no surprise, one is a mass production bass, the handmade with greater attention to detail. Personally, I love my Gibsons, they're the "real thing" and there simply is no substitute for that, as I acquired them they each visited Mike's shop to be set up, with that kind of careful attention they've become fantastic players, each with it's own unique tone - I really like that about them as well, no two sound identical for any number of reasons.
The Lull is a treasure, perfect for what my band does, great player that's easy to get dialed in at any venue. There are some differences in materials from Gibson i.e. fret board woods, and of course I got to have mine made as a TB II an option Gibson hasn't offered in more than 50 years.
One reason I own the number of 'Birds that I do is the differences they each have from one another which I choose to enjoy.
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Thank you TBird1958. Valid points, ones I agree with wholeheartedly. I would have to guess the reason for the price issue I'm referring to, this being why would a used bolt on not the "real thing" (as you put it) cost as much or more than say a 76 is one of availability and geographical location point of sale.
 
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#81,423
JIO said:
The machines don't assemble the instruments - they CNC cut the body, neck/hs, wings (if applicable) precisely for a 'perfect' fit one to the other. A Plek is a machine that laser levels frets. Boutique builders use these machines just like the big producers do. With boutique builders it's a matter of less product going through less hands = more control of quality (mostly) post manufacturing of parts.
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Worth the X10 price tag? Don't think so. At the end of the day, playability is what I worry about..
 
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#81,432
Chucky Stiletti said:
and it's a 250 dollar Squire..
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Again that relates to the handmade vs mass produced thing.
I don't know about in the States but in the UK there is an old saying stating that a bad craftsman blames his tools. I never really appreciated that statement until I had been a furniture maker for a good number of years. I initially thought it was because I believed that a good craftsman wouldn't buy or use lesser quality tools but as I became more knowledgable I was taught that it was that a good craftsman knows how to tune his or her tools to suit their personal needs. Once I knew how my tools were largely just the type you can buy in any quality hardware shop, only they probably had the best part of a day's work going into something like a plane to make it into a fine tool. On the other hand I also bought some more expensive tools that pretty much worked out of the box, they are my special tools and I rarely use them but I sure as hell wouldn't be without them as there are some timbers which only those are good enough to get a clean cut straight from the tool
 
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#81,435
PillO said:
Strangely, in the Tenderloin, those sleeping on the street use high end camping gear
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Chucky Stiletti said:
:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:
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That is what I have seen first hand. As I puzzled through that one, I postulated that the explanation revolves around the wealthy dot com types in SF generating positive self-esteem by donating high end camping gear to aid organizations that then distribute it.

[soapbox]while donating such things to aid organizations may abate an immediate problem, it does nothing to the root causes, and in some cases may make fixing the root causes more difficult by making 'the street' a more comfortable alternative. I don't have any solutions; I am just wary of making a problem worse through attempts at amelioration. [/soapbox]
 
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#81,436
PillO said:
That is what I have seen first hand. As I puzzled through that one, I postulated that the explanation revolves around the wealthy dot com types in SF generating positive self-esteem by donating high end camping gear to aid organizations that then distribute it.

[soapbox]while donating such things to aid organizations may abate an immediate problem, it does nothing to the root causes, and in some cases may make fixing the root causes more difficult by making 'the street' a more comfortable alternative. I don't have any solutions; I am just wary of making a problem worse through attempts at amelioration. [/soapbox]
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Or just leaving the stuff outside for garbage collection..
 
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#81,437
Chucky Stiletti said:
Patitucci hosting lol!
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Yes, like JP - Michael is in the virtuoso category. He's a local East Bay cat and I've seen/heard him a few times and met him through a mutual friend. A nice guy and scary talented.
 
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#81,439
PillO said:
That is what I have seen first hand. As I puzzled through that one, I postulated that the explanation revolves around the wealthy dot com types in SF generating positive self-esteem by donating high end camping gear to aid organizations that then distribute it.

[soapbox]while donating such things to aid organizations may abate an immediate problem, it does nothing to the root causes, and in some cases may make fixing the root causes more difficult by making 'the street' a more comfortable alternative. I don't have any solutions; I am just wary of making a problem worse through attempts at amelioration. [/soapbox]
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Gentrification due to the wealth brought in by high tech is a huge problem here. San Fran is losing a lot of it's charm and character IMHO..
 
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