Thunderbird Club

[heatheroo1]

The new Epi's that are getting all the raves are called Vintage Pros and the reviews are really great but beware that a few of them have come in on the heavy side compared to the 8.5 lbs. bogey you might want to shoot for. Sweetwater will weigh the bass you're ordering for you and you can say yay or nay. Some have been reported at close to 10 lbs. so better to be safe than sorry. Good luck in your search.

A 10lb bass wouldn't bother me. A '77 Bird is no lightweight although I believe it has gotten lighter over the years as it dried out. My left shoulder is permanently higher from holding the bird up all these years while fighting the neck dive (no lie....)

As for ordering the Epi...........I guess I am just old but ordering a bass unseen/played just seems wrong to me. I know that is how its done now, but it just seems weird. Oh well.....I have accepted smart phones and this internet thing........I guess I can deal with the new bass buying paradigm.

 

[Gaolee]

I've driven a couple of the Jag F types and the six cylinder version is the smart buy between it an the V8 Jag. The V8 just has more power than the car can deal with, touch the throttle at just the wrong time and you're wrapped around a telephone pole. The F Type 6 cylinder is the sweet spot for that car. It's a great drivers car with beautiful lines, a beautiful interior, a beautiful engine, and wonderful handling. I've heard a few people complain about reliability but I don't have any first hand knowledge of issues. The boot is smaller than tiny, I don't think you could get a bass tube amp in there. It's also at roughly the same price point as the Cayman GTS. Not sure how it will do on resale.

By comparison, the Cayman GTS is a phenomenal drivers car that is as much at home on the track as it is in the grocery store parking lot. The Cayman looks more muscular but the Jag looks more sexy, so you choose which one visually attracts you most. The Jag interior also looks a bit more high end vs the utilitarian Porsche interior. The Porsche engine and exhaust note are a step above the Jag and IMHO the Cayman GTS (and to a lesser degree, the Boxster) perform better both on the track and on the street. The Cayman is dead reliable and the GTS version seems to be holding its value very well.

So I'd go with the 2015 or 2016 Cayman GTS vs the same year Jag F-Type. I don't personally like the 2017 or newer Cayman as much because Porsche did away with the flat 6 engine and installed a twin turbo four cylinder. I think the HP is the same or better and the car may be a bit lighter and handle a bit better, but I don't like the sound or feel of the new engine.

Edit: just found this clip...

Get into a smoky tail-out slide like those guys were doing, and I'm headed for a hedge, pronto! I always got sideways by throwing it in and then romping on the throttle on skinny tires. Those guys do it for a living and have skill I can't even begin to approach. They are probably faster on a bike, too.

 

[Gaolee]

Never heard o' that. Hadda look it up. Did it in about '78.New, unopened section of Interstate. Honda 550-4.

The ton? I'm not sure where the term came from. Cafe racers in Britain, I guess, but I'm not sure. It's a fairly regular occurrence on the Triumph because it just does fast so smoothly and so well. The scariest ton was a toss-up between a 1972 Ford station wagon with fake wood on the sides and bad shocks, and a 1979 Honda CB650 in a cross-wind on a bridge.

No ton this morning, but some hotshot in a big silver sedan probably did on occasion near me. He sliced over two lanes of traffic - no look, no signal - and required evasive maneuvers to avoid getting knocked down. Then he swerved around the guy in front of me and rushed up to the end of the carpool lane, where he blocked traffic to merge over because he wasn't a carpool. Some people really ought to be smacked around a little.

 

[Gaolee]

It's time to 'fess up: I no longer own a Thunderbird (waits for hubbub to settle). The Epi Blackbird I had was never, in my mind, the real deal, and after mods done it became less than itself... more a garage-bat. Granted, it was a sweet playing, cool garage-bat, but after being a player, with some small cred to my "career" and some colorful history, I decided I needed something I could actually feel good about presenting my bass-player-ness with. So I sold it and made a move.

I'd like to get me a real, honest bird, maybe a nice NR. But with my truck getting a new engine and teenagers with new budding life needs, I'm out of the NBD circle for a while. I'd also like to be able to hang with you guys, it's been almost a real-live sanctuary to be able to come to and hide out, when it gets weird out there.
So there it is. Things change, it's a big workd full of stuff and opportunities. Glad to know you guys, even when I'm scarce I still feel kinda connected here. Not to get sentimental, but hey. We're folks.

That's all.

There will be Birds...

Hah! You think you can leave so easily? Hah! We will track you down and drag you back in!

 

[theFixer]

It's time to 'fess up: I no longer own a Thunderbird (waits for hubbub to settle). The Epi Blackbird I had was never, in my mind, the real deal, and after mods done it became less than itself... more a garage-bat. Granted, it was a sweet playing, cool garage-bat, but after being a player, with some small cred to my "career" and some colorful history, I decided I needed something I could actually feel good about presenting my bass-player-ness with. So I sold it and made a move.

I'd like to get me a real, honest bird, maybe a nice NR. But with my truck getting a new engine and teenagers with new budding life needs, I'm out of the NBD circle for a while. I'd also like to be able to hang with you guys, it's been almost a real-live sanctuary to be able to come to and hide out, when it gets weird out there.
So there it is. Things change, it's a big workd full of stuff and opportunities. Glad to know you guys, even when I'm scarce I still feel kinda connected here. Not to get sentimental, but hey. We're folks.

That's all.

There will be Birds...

Is a preacher still a preacher, when he's not behind his pulpit? Is a doctor still a doctor, when he's not curing the sick? Where do I cast my vote?

 

[Rob Martinez]

Sorry to hear that your '77 is being considered for retirement.

Also sorry we go on about all things non-TBird related in here but I think it makes us all a bit closer as a "Club" goes here on TalkBass.

The new Epi's that are getting all the raves are called Vintage Pros and the reviews are really great but beware that a few of them have come in on the heavy side compared to the 8.5 lbs. bogey you might want to shoot for. Sweetwater will weigh the bass you're ordering for you and you can say yay or nay. Some have been reported at close to 10 lbs. so better to be safe than sorry. Good luck in your search.

My Epi Vintage Pro Thunderbird weighs in at 7.6 lbs. For some reason, I notice at Sweetwater this latest batch are all in the 8 to 9 lb range, even 10. I wonder why that is? I thought the smaller tuners would take weight off the bass but these seem to weigh more.

 

[lowend1]

I pop in to view the posts regularly. Until this recent thread, it seemed the conversation was non-TBird related and I wasn't motivated enough to go back through it all to see what was actually being discussed. That being said: I am a lifelong T-Bird player, having bought a '77 new. Its still my daily player but is getting shaky. I had a thread in the setup forum regarding a broken truss rod. I ended up driving 800 miles round trip to have Dan Erlewine look at it. He repaired the truss rod but the neck wont straighten out/untwist. Currently I am just living with it. With the E and A bridge saddles at the very end of their adjustment, the intonation is pretty close. Even though I keep telling myself "if Dan says that is as good as it can get and just leave it alone"...I unstrung it yesterday and made a jig to backbow the neck. I left it like that for 1/2 the day and then tried to tighten the truss rod. No go....it will not move and I am definitely not going to force it. I restrung it and it was better initially but now it has mostly gone back to the bow that was there previously. Oh well......it is what it is. Me and that bass have been together through 40+ years of crappy bars to nice theaters. I am thinking about ordering an Epi Pro T-Bird (or whatever they are called....) to see how they sound with the idea of retiring the '77. I wish I knew of some place local I could try one.

Anyway.....thanks for listening.

I retired my '76 from regular duty years ago. It was my first "real" bass - an early object of gear lust that tagged along through the 70s and 80s in NY/NJ s**thole bars too numerous to mention - without a headstock break. I figured, why tempt fate? The last time I took it to a rehearsal, the singer turned around and whacked his Tele into the headstock - no damage, but Full Stop. Played J and P variants for several years (still do, sometimes), but always knew something was missing. I knew I had to return from whence I came, so beginning with an Epi CS/LE 'bird, and subsequently another three variants - a Gibson T-Bird Studio, an Epi Classic Pro, and finally a Vintage Pro - I enthusiastically returned to the fold. There is also a Fenderbird, in the embryonic stages. I think I'm done now, lol.
The Vintage Pro is clearly the most beautiful, accurate execution of the original Thunderbird concept and tone ever, but the Classic sees the most jam time, along with a P-body / J-neck / T-Bird pickup (Chinabuckers) mongrel that my guitar repair guy screwed together for me. The Classic's smaller headstock and lighter weight make it a better choice in close quarters with knuckleheads nearby.
With regard to your "dilemma" - the build quality of the Vintage Pro seems to be pretty consistent, based on what I've read and from my own experience. If you order from a reputable dealer online (Mark always speaks highly of Sweetwater), you can return it if it doesn't live up to your expectations. That's not likely, though, IMHO - so eat the cake, as they say.

 

[Dadagoboi]

Is there a general consensus at to whether the Bach t-birds are worthwhile?

I've had two, a Series 2 thin and a Series 1. They're both gone. Compared to a run of the mill Chinese SX or Brice the finish was poor. I had to level the frets on both. The thin one looked cool but the trussrod was frozen. Probably straight enough for most players but I got rid of it when I could. That's just my experience, YMMV.

Outside NRs are (modded) Bachs, inside are the first two I built.

 

[Gaolee]

A 10lb bass wouldn't bother me. A '77 Bird is no lightweight although I believe it has gotten lighter over the years as it dried out. My left shoulder is permanently higher from holding the bird up all these years while fighting the neck dive (no lie....)

As for ordering the Epi...........I guess I am just old but ordering a bass unseen/played just seems wrong to me. I know that is how its done now, but it just seems weird. Oh well.....I have accepted smart phones and this internet thing........I guess I can deal with the new bass buying paradigm.

Sweetwater isn't perfect, but they are about as close to foolproof as you can get when it comes to buying over the internet. A used one pops up here every so often, but not often enough to count on it. Later 'Birds, built after 1988 or so, have smaller, lighter headstocks and lighter tuners, which makes dive problems mostly go away from my experience. Those are easier to find, even though they aren't exactly thick on the ground. I have a 2001 that's magical, a 1991 that's very good, and a 2015 that is its own thing. The '15 has a bit of a dead spot around the fifth to seventh fret, depending on the day, but it's not much of a problem. That kind of issue is why buying sight unseen is a little iffy, but I think it's fairly unusual. I picked up a 2012 or so 'Bird at a Guitar Center a while ago and was astonished at how light it was. No neck dive, either. It was cheap for a Gibson, so I should have bought it, but I was in Pennsylvania at the time and I live in Seattle. They would have shipped it, but it just wasn't to be. Good ones are out there. Especially good ones are out there, too. I don't know what it is about the 2001, but it's must have been sprinkled with pixie dust sometime before I got it.

 

[Larry V]

My Epi Vintage Pro Thunderbird weighs in at 7.6 lbs. For some reason, I notice at Sweetwater this latest batch are all in the 8 to 9 lb range, even 10. I wonder why that is? I thought the smaller tuners would take weight off the bass but these seem to weigh more.

Scott(@godofthunder59) said that his second(?) Vintage Pro's body was noticeably thicker and a bit of a hog on the scale. Not sure how that happens in an automated process of manufacture but it appears to be happening with Epi VP's.

 

[JJR58]

I've had two, a Series 2 thin and a Series 1. They're both gone. Compared to a run of the mill Chinese SX or Brice the finish was poor. I had to level the frets on both. The thin one looked cool but the trussrod was frozen. Probably straight enough for most players but I got rid of it when I could. That's just my experience, YMMV.

View attachment 3025056

Outside NRs are (modded) Bachs, inside are the first two I built.

That walnut or cherry NR is beautiful.

 

[Inky13]

You're always welcome here Roger!

For everyone else that reads this that isn't a member or owner of a T Bird, you're welcome too. It should be quite obvious from our view count that lots of folks stop by without posting - The welcome mat is always out, what draws us together (Thunderbird basses) is just the beginning of sharing and getting to know one another.
View attachment 3024917

I'm only here for the food and car talk.

 

[theFixer]

I pop in to view the posts regularly. Until this recent thread, it seemed the conversation was non-TBird related and I wasn't motivated enough to go back through it all to see what was actually being discussed. That being said: I am a lifelong T-Bird player, having bought a '77 new. Its still my daily player but is getting shaky. I had a thread in the setup forum regarding a broken truss rod. I ended up driving 800 miles round trip to have Dan Erlewine look at it. He repaired the truss rod but the neck wont straighten out/untwist. Currently I am just living with it. With the E and A bridge saddles at the very end of their adjustment, the intonation is pretty close. Even though I keep telling myself "if Dan says that is as good as it can get and just leave it alone"...I unstrung it yesterday and made a jig to backbow the neck. I left it like that for 1/2 the day and then tried to tighten the truss rod. No go....it will not move and I am definitely not going to force it. I restrung it and it was better initially but now it has mostly gone back to the bow that was there previously. Oh well......it is what it is. Me and that bass have been together through 40+ years of crappy bars to nice theaters. I am thinking about ordering an Epi Pro T-Bird (or whatever they are called....) to see how they sound with the idea of retiring the '77. I wish I knew of some place local I could try one.

Anyway.....thanks for listening.

For future reference, you don't hafta wait for the conversation to roll around your way. If you have a comment or question... just drop it on us

 

[Christine]

Hi all

As promised I said I would keep you posted on my next builds which will be that pair of Les Pauls The Les Paul Twins

 

[theFixer]

Hi all

As promised I said I would keep you posted on my next builds which will be that pair of Les Pauls The Les Paul Twins

Christine!!! So glad to see you! I'll be watching your builds!

 

[Engle]

A 10lb bass wouldn't bother me. A '77 Bird is no lightweight although I believe it has gotten lighter over the years as it dried out. My left shoulder is permanently higher from holding the bird up all these years while fighting the neck dive (no lie....)

As for ordering the Epi...........I guess I am just old but ordering a bass unseen/played just seems wrong to me. I know that is how its done now, but it just seems weird. Oh well.....I have accepted smart phones and this internet thing........I guess I can deal with the new bass buying paradigm.

I know what you mean. I found a used VP at a Guitar Center and I’m having it shipped to the GC closest to me. If I don’t like it, I’ll do a return and lose $24 for the shipping.

 

[heatheroo1]

I retired my '76 from regular duty years ago. It was my first "real" bass - an early object of gear lust that tagged along through the 70s and 80s in NY/NJ s**thole bars too numerous to mention - without a headstock break. I figured, why tempt fate? The last time I took it to a rehearsal, the singer turned around and whacked his Tele into the headstock - no damage, but Full Stop.

The Vintage Pro is clearly the most beautiful, accurate execution of the original Thunderbird concept and tone ever, but the Classic sees the most jam time, along with a P-body / J-neck / T-Bird pickup (Chinabuckers) mongrel that my guitar repair guy screwed together for me. The Classic's smaller headstock and lighter weight make it a better choice in close quarters with knuckleheads nearby.

I hear you. I have managed to keep my head stock intact all these years but it does seem like tempting fate these days. A vintage T-Bird head stock vs. one of those built like a tank Teles? My T-bird is sitting over in the corner and I swear I just heard it wimper

I cant bring myself to like the look of the newer T-Birds with the small head stock/tuners. That is why the Epi PRO grabbed my attention. I guess when I have a couple extra $ I will have to take the leap and try one out

 

[TBird1958]

Hi all

As promised I said I would keep you posted on my next builds which will be that pair of Les Pauls The Les Paul Twins

Wow! Nice shop set up Christine!

 

[Christine]

Wow! Nice shop set up Christine!

I'm afraid it's very small compared to my old workshops, I had 2 at about 50' by 30' one for the benches an one for the machines, this one is 15 x 9

 

[Count Bassie]

Hah! You think you can leave so easily? Hah! We will track you down and drag you back in!

This is indeed true, you ain't going no where Rog.

Like being married all over again... lol! Glad to hanging around, thanks you guys (the lot of you... I do, after all this time, consider myself one of you... us...)!