Thunderbird Club

[Christine]

Is that the Welsh spelling?

Well it's a backwards spelling for sure

 

[GonePlaid]

There are a few you can get rides in. Ain't cheap, but there are limited opportunities to do that still. I have a couple friends that have done it and said it was totally worth it.

There's a guy in Kissimmee*,FL,that takes you up in a Mustang but I can't afford it. He also has T6s and is working on a FW190D. *spell check doesn't like Native American names

 

[GonePlaid]

Awesome! My father (Captain) piloted a B-25 Mitchell in WWII. He loved that airplane. There were a couple in disrepair sitting in a local cornfield airstrip outside of Omaha (near Offutt Air Base - Strategic Air Command) where I grew up and he used to take me and my brother to look at them. Years later a couple guys from CA came and fixed one up and flew it out of there. My dad was there 'overseeing' their progress and became friends. A local TV station did a short spot on them and my dad was included.

My dad worked at an a/c instrument repair shop in Miami. One evening he took us for a drive out to MIA-the cargo area. There, in all its beauty, was a Spit.drool

 

[GonePlaid]

The DIY industry offers many body style kits including the Rickenbacker kit amazingly but I think the industry is missing out on a decent opportunity to cash in on a high in demand bass design by not offering the NR. The body designs are mostly bang on but the wiring diagrams and pickup options/locations are out of context to eliminate the copyright factor but it would be so easy and cheaper to just buy the kit and buy the correct options then perform the necessary mods.

Warmoth(sp?) used to have a Bird body but they don't list it anymore. I s'pose they could cut another(?)

 

[GonePlaid]

In case anybody's interested, AMS has an Epi Embassy, minor blemish, for $314 in ebony. Other finishes available.

 

[JIO]

The DIY industry offers many body style kits including the Rickenbacker kit amazingly but I think the industry is missing out on a decent opportunity to cash in on a high in demand bass design by not offering the NR. The body designs are mostly bang on but the wiring diagrams and pickup options/locations are out of context to eliminate the copyright factor but it would be so easy and cheaper to just buy the kit and buy the correct options then perform the necessary mods.

Hah! Really? Ric and Vox are two companies that will legally go after copy's - I designed/built one 'like' each (one-offs and not direct copies - not even close) and they both sent cease and desist letters from their lawyers. I don't go anywhere near either designing a bass.

 

[TBird1958]

Lucky you! Love Boeing field. I saw the B-29 Fifi there. My friend paid for a ride on that B-24 in your pics.

I saw Fifi fly once or twice as well, Boeing Field does has a certain sense of history about - The Museum of Flight is top notch, highly recommended for a visit!
I walked through the B-24 ( actually the second time I'd done so) and cannot help but wonder at the courage of those who flew in WWII, the plane was cramped, not doubt noisy and filled with dangerous objects.
Looking towards the tail gun in the 24

Out the waist gun

In the bomb bay, note the narrow walk way, just forward of the death trap Ball Turret.

Could go into the cockpit....looking up.

Ask any B25 pilot a question and you'll get a "Huh?". They were extremely LOUD inside. Note the prop warning line is right beside the cockpit. I,too am a WWII a/c fanatic. I was at one of those WWII AF theme restaurants where there were a bunch of pix labeled A26. Nope, they were A20s. I re labeled them-doing my part for accuracy.

I'd never been that close to a B-25, what a plane! It was far and away the loudest ****** on the field!

There was a two seat P-51 giving rides....

The '17 taking off.

 

[JJR58]

I saw Fifi fly once or twice as well, Boeing Field does has a certain sense of history about - The Museum of Flight is top notch, highly recommended for a visit!
I walked through the B-24 ( actually the second time I'd done so) and cannot help but wonder at the courage of those who flew in WWII, the plane was cramped, not doubt noisy and filled with dangerous objects.
Looking towards the tail gun in the 24
View attachment 3059464
Out the waist gun
View attachment 3059465
In the bomb bay, note the narrow walk way, just forward of the death trap Ball Turret.
View attachment 3059466
Could go into the cockpit....looking up.
View attachment 3059467




I'd never been that close to a B-25, what a plane! It was far and away the loudest ****** on the field!
View attachment 3059468

There was a two seat P-51 giving rides....
View attachment 3059469

The '17 taking off.
View attachment 3059470

Those are some great pics!

 

[dukeorock]

This was a bit of a tough weekend. Played a 9pm-1:30 gig in St Louis Friday night, had to be loaded in for an event at Busch stadium by 10:00 Saturday morning. Played noon-2:30, loaded up the van and drove 3 hours north to play a street fair from 7-10. We were obscenely over served after the gig. You’d think we’d know better by now! Got up early to make the 6 hour drive in time for our singer to make his gigs in Nashville. He plays two, four hour shows on sundays. Not sure how he’s going to pull it off! Some bad choices were made

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Hah! Really? Ric and Vox are two companies that will legally go after copy's - I designed/built one 'like' each (one-offs and not direct copies - not even close) and they both sent cease and desist letters from their lawyers. I don't go anywhere near either designing a bass.

What?. How did they find out about you doing so?. I know Rickenbacker are hardcore about copyright for sure. Here is one site that has a DIY Ric, near the bottom of the page. Got a sweet RD Artist as well. @RedVee this company is conveniently located near you, lucky guy. Look at those cheap prices.
Invalid Link Removed

 

[JIO]

What?. How did they find out about you doing so?. I know Rickenbacker are hardcore about copyright for sure. Here is one site that has a DIY Ric, near the bottom of the page. Got a sweet RD Artist as well. @RedVee this company is conveniently located near you, lucky guy. Look at those cheap prices.
Invalid Link Removed

I made the mistake of including their name in the copy on eBay, which is easily found by computers searching key-words. "Vox-like", or "Ric-like" and that was enough. The Vox brand was bought by some US guy - no longer a British company. As stated, both were one-offs and hybrids of each (one was headless!) - actually design improvements which isn't hard to do with a Ric. I would understand it if I were actually producing them and they were copies.

 

[GonePlaid]

I saw Fifi fly once or twice as well, Boeing Field does has a certain sense of history about - The Museum of Flight is top notch, highly recommended for a visit!
I walked through the B-24 ( actually the second time I'd done so) and cannot help but wonder at the courage of those who flew in WWII, the plane was cramped, not doubt noisy and filled with dangerous objects.
Looking towards the tail gun in the 24
View attachment 3059464
Out the waist gun
View attachment 3059465
In the bomb bay, note the narrow walk way, just forward of the death trap Ball Turret.
View attachment 3059466
Could go into the cockpit....looking up.
View attachment 3059467




I'd never been that close to a B-25, what a plane! It was far and away the loudest ****** on the field!
View attachment 3059468

There was a two seat P-51 giving rides....
View attachment 3059469

The '17 taking off.
View attachment 3059470

The P51 in Kissimmee(screw spelchek!)is a 2 seater w/ extended rudder- "Crazy Horse"

 

[GonePlaid]

Just trotted out the Marshall JTM 45/100 for its live debut. Marshall into 4x12 (Celestion Vintage 30s) with the Greco and its new pup. One of my bass playing buddies was there (plays in Howlin' Rain, we try to hit each others shows to evaluate tonez), he said it was really cool sounding, firm lows but definitely midrange focused, very 60s/70s sounding. I was only able to take the amp up to 2 on each channel (jumping channels) and it could have torn the place down. More people should try out guitar rigs for bass, they can kick ass.
View attachment 3059284

When I started playing bass(1967),I was using a Navy issue EB-3 through a Super Reverb(also Navy). Low volume(4)but great sound through those 4 10s.

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

I made the mistake of including their name in the copy on eBay, which is easily found by computers searching key-words. "Vox-like", or "Ric-like" and that was enough. The Vox brand was bought by some US guy - no longer a British company. As stated, both were one-offs and hybrids of each (one was headless!) - actually design improvements which isn't hard to do with a Ric. I would understand it if I were actually producing them and they were copies.

That was a bit extreme. What did you do with your basses?.

 

[JIO]

That was a bit extreme. What did you do with your basses?.

They are still posted for sale sans any reference - just not on eBay.

 

[Nocturnal]

No Bird content in surf?, I really expect to find an NR in the genre somewhere, Im imagining a pelham blue one to surface eventually. Ok 1 more and I'll stop. One of my favorite songs since I was a little guy watching Jack Lord say "Book em Dano"!. This is a great performance.

There has to be a pelham blue NR in surf!.
View attachment 3058966

I have seen several 'Musicians Wanted" ads that specifically asked for bassists with Fender "Style" gear to fit in with the look and vibe of the band. I think a NR would fit right in for a surf band.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

There's a guy in Kissimmee*,FL,that takes you up in a Mustang but I can't afford it. He also has T6s and is working on a FW190D. *spell check doesn't like Native American names

My buddy went on that ride as well out of Mansfield MA. Paid 2500 for 1 hour!
Said he would do it all over again no prob. Said the pilot strafed the ground at 50 ft doing 400 knots!!!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I have seen several 'Musicians Wanted" ads that specifically asked for bassists with Fender "Style" gear to fit in with the look and vibe of the band. I think a NR would fit right in for a surf band.

The Fenders were from Fullerton CA. Much closer to the surf scene. They were also cheaper. Most "real" surfers
I know are usually broke...

 

[PillO]

Hah! Really? Ric and Vox are two companies that will legally go after copy's - I designed/built one 'like' each (one-offs and not direct copies - not even close) and they both sent cease and desist letters from their lawyers. I don't go anywhere near either designing a bass.

A cease and desist letter is low cost and is a warning shot. It costs a couple of hundred dollars to get done and it arrives on the letterhead of a law firm that looks like it could rack up substantial billings dragging you through court. It is the equivalent of a professional wrestler stomping around the ring and flexing.

So, for a couple of hundred bucks, the company has demonstrated to you that it has seen what you are doing, aren't happy about it, and might be willing to spend a substantial amount of money testing all this in court. Your response is either "I can't afford a lawyer for a cease and desist let alone a protracted legal process so I better stop" or to call the bluff - put 20 more up for sale and say "come sue me". You might never hear from them again, or you might get invited to a deposition.

Probably, they got what they wanted out of the letter - you not using their trademark.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I saw Fifi fly once or twice as well, Boeing Field does has a certain sense of history about - The Museum of Flight is top notch, highly recommended for a visit!
I walked through the B-24 ( actually the second time I'd done so) and cannot help but wonder at the courage of those who flew in WWII, the plane was cramped, not doubt noisy and filled with dangerous objects.
Looking towards the tail gun in the 24
View attachment 3059464
Out the waist gun
View attachment 3059465
In the bomb bay, note the narrow walk way, just forward of the death trap Ball Turret.
View attachment 3059466
Could go into the cockpit....looking up.
View attachment 3059467




I'd never been that close to a B-25, what a plane! It was far and away the loudest ****** on the field!
View attachment 3059468

There was a two seat P-51 giving rides....
View attachment 3059469

The '17 taking off.
View attachment 3059470

Thank you for those awesome photos!! Often wondered the same, raids over northern Europe in mid winter at 400 hours without a pressurized cabin at 20000 feet against FW-190s, ME-109s, Me-162 and 262s? Those guys were made of steel. They had to be genetically different! The 8th Air Force lost over 60 thousand guys over Europe in WWII. Every single one of them a true hero in my opinion..