Thunderbird Club

[PillO]

And yeah, playing around with the 'Bird

Ahem.

 

[GBassNorth]

'Birds are a little different. Surprise! The neck pickup is fairly close to the P sweet spot. It is a bucker, so it has the heft, but one of the best P sounds I have gotten is with the neck pickup at about 9 and the bridge rolled off. Then about 5 with tone. It is string dependent. 'Birds change character a bit with different strings. My usual sound is neck at about 9 and bridge at about 5. Then I roll the tone on and off to match how bright it should be. Where you play makes a big difference as well. I don't use a pick much at all, so there is a point of reference.

This is very much what I do as well.

I find the bird neck pup to be a sweet sounding thing in solo mode but admit that I roll in the bridge pup as needed to add more bite or to cut through a bit more if needed. Rarely am I ever more than 50% up on the bridge pup, and very very rarely am I ever less than 75% up on the neck pup. My tone knob is almost always on 50% or less. This goes for my birds and my SG basses and even most of my Fender basses.

Now the 2013 EB with its dicola pups and control layout is a completely different story. That bass has significant interplay between the tone and volume knobs, to the point where the tone knob effects volume nearly as much as the volume knobs do unless you have the volume knobs pegged. I suspect the 2015 bird is in a similar boat.

 

[GBassNorth]

Got back from my Gibson/Orange session. Good times! And yeah, playing around with the 'Bird, I found it was capable of all kinds of tones depending on where my V/V/T was set, the amp, and switching between pick and fingers. While I'm primarily a pick player, I can understand why fingerstyle players would call this a THUNDERbird. There's just so much mass in these basses that it becomes something you feel rather than hear. Sure, other basses are capable of doing this, but this bass seems like that's where its home lies.

Oh, and after a good session with both the basses and amps, I'm thinking that my post-rock project will probably use the SG bass and 4 Stroke, and the stoner metal band will be the TB and OB1. EB bass is for home practice and gigs. I really thought that I'd end up keeping the Terror Bass, but it lacks the versatility of the 4 Stroke, and I prefer the dirt of the OB1. But I know a lot of that comes down to the people I'm playing with as well, as their tone and playing complements what I'm looking for in a bass/amp more than just standing in room soloing different tones on my own.

Good to hear you're getting things all sorted out and homing in on the sound you want. IIRC your TB is an Eppi VP, if so that should be a stoner metal match made in heaven played with a pick through the OB1.

 

[Gaolee]

This is very much what I do as well.

I find the bird neck pup to be a sweet sounding thing in solo mode but admit that I roll in the bridge pup as needed to add more bite or to cut through a bit more if needed. Rarely am I ever more than 50% up on the bridge pup, and very very rarely am I ever less than 75% up on the neck pup. My tone knob is almost always on 50% or less. This goes for my birds and my SG basses and even most of my Fender basses.

Now the 2013 EB with its dicola pups and control layout is a completely different story. That bass has significant interplay between the tone and volume knobs, to the point where the tone knob effects volume nearly as much as the volume knobs do unless you have the volume knobs pegged. I suspect the 2015 bird is in a similar boat.

Oddly enough, I haven't noticed that same effect with the '15 'Bird. It's clearly a feature of the '13 EB.

 

[Band Mom]

Good to hear you're getting things all sorted out and homing in on the sound you want. IIRC your TB is an Eppi VP, if so that should be a stoner metal match made in heaven played with a pick through the OB1.

Yeah, I'm pretty thrilled with all of my options these days. It took running through a bunch of gear to get here, but it turns out that what I prefer for guitar (Gibson with Orange) is what I also prefer with bass (Gibson with Orange). I know a lot of people think that basses are an afterthought for both of those brands, and I dunno, maybe they are right, but it fits like a glove regarding what I like to play and hear.

And I really need to throw some new strings on the VP TB, so I can get some of that zing back. I like the strings that came with it, but I get the feeling they've never been changed from the stock strings. I'm also picking up a Gibby TB today (hooray for financial irresponsibility!) that I'm really looking forward to playing at the next stoner metal band practice.

 

[Engle]

Got back from my Gibson/Orange session. Good times! And yeah, playing around with the 'Bird, I found it was capable of all kinds of tones depending on where my V/V/T was set, the amp, and switching between pick and fingers. While I'm primarily a pick player, I can understand why fingerstyle players would call this a THUNDERbird. There's just so much mass in these basses that it becomes something you feel rather than hear. Sure, other basses are capable of doing this, but this bass seems like that's where its home lies.

Oh, and after a good session with both the basses and amps, I'm thinking that my post-rock project will probably use the SG bass and 4 Stroke, and the stoner metal band will be the TB and OB1. EB bass is for home practice and gigs. I really thought that I'd end up keeping the Terror Bass, but it lacks the versatility of the 4 Stroke, and I prefer the dirt of the OB1. But I know a lot of that comes down to the people I'm playing with as well, as their tone and playing complements what I'm looking for in a bass/amp more than just standing in room soloing different tones on my own.

IMO the soundscape/room makes a huge difference and while you can make some predictions (based on experience) about how a particular bass and/or amp will work in a band situation, you don’t really know how it will work until you are playing it with the band.

 

[Engle]

Yeah, I'm pretty thrilled with all of my options these days. It took running through a bunch of gear to get here, but it turns out that what I prefer for guitar (Gibson with Orange) is what I also prefer with bass (Gibson with Orange). I know a lot of people think that basses are an afterthought for both of those brands, and I dunno, maybe they are right, but it fits like a glove regarding what I like to play and hear.

And I really need to throw some new strings on the VP TB, so I can get some of that zing back. I like the strings that came with it, but I get the feeling they've never been changed from the stock strings. I'm also picking up a Gibby TB today (hooray for financial irresponsibility!) that I'm really looking forward to playing at the next stoner metal band practice.

Rotosound RS66

 

[GBassNorth]

Yeah, I'm pretty thrilled with all of my options these days. It took running through a bunch of gear to get here, but it turns out that what I prefer for guitar (Gibson with Orange) is what I also prefer with bass (Gibson with Orange). I know a lot of people think that basses are an afterthought for both of those brands, and I dunno, maybe they are right, but it fits like a glove regarding what I like to play and hear.

And I really need to throw some new strings on the VP TB, so I can get some of that zing back. I like the strings that came with it, but I get the feeling they've never been changed from the stock strings. I'm also picking up a Gibby TB today (hooray for financial irresponsibility!) that I'm really looking forward to playing at the next stoner metal band practice.

Rotosound RS66

Rotos would be good. If you want over the top, in your face, screaming, blazing ear burners, I'd suspect Cobalt Rounds would deliver that in spades. But according to our Queen, there may be a sleeper string out there that none of us have tried on a bird yet - Helbourg strings might just be the silver bullet on the VP. I have a set but haven't installed them yet because I'm enjoying my Fender strings on the VP so much.

 

[GBassNorth]

Oddly enough, I haven't noticed that same effect with the '15 'Bird. It's clearly a feature of the '13 EB.

That's good news! It was the only reason I was holding back on buying a 2015 bird.
"Houston - we have GAS, all systems are go, proceed with countdown!"

 

[JIO]

'Birds are a little different. Surprise! The neck pickup is fairly close to the P sweet spot. It is a bucker, so it has the heft, but one of the best P sounds I have gotten is with the neck pickup at about 9 and the bridge rolled off. Then about 5 with tone. It is string dependent. 'Birds change character a bit with different strings. My usual sound is neck at about 9 and bridge at about 5. Then I roll the tone on and off to match how bright it should be. Where you play makes a big difference as well. I don't use a pick much at all, so there is a point of reference.

T-bird center of neck pu > 27-3/4" - P-bass center of split pu > 28.5" Not what I would consider close and the only bucker (combo) that I've ever heard sound like a P is (my) G&L L-2000. Dual-coils have their sound and a single has its sound and that's what makes the world go round.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Rotos would be good. If you want over the top, in your face, screaming, blazing ear burners, I'd suspect Cobalt Rounds would deliver that in spades. But according to our Queen, there may be a sleeper string out there that none of us have tried on a bird yet - Helbourg strings might just be the silver bullet on the VP. I have a set but haven't installed them yet because I'm enjoying my Fender strings on the VP so much.

not to discredit but 66s are cheaper and you know what you get every time..

 

[GBassNorth]

not to discredit but 66s are cheaper and you know what you get every time..

Part of the joy in playing basses is experimenting with different strings to see just what works best with each bass.

Sure I have trusted old favorites like Black Beauties, La Bella Tapes, Chromes and Rotos that I use on my Fender basses. However, I've found that my TBirds don't necessarily react the same way with strings that I regularly use on my Fenders and other basses. Case in point, I always use Black Beauties on my Stingrays to tame the top end. So my VP being too bright on the top end looked like a perfect candidate for some BB's. I put a set of Silver Stars (DR strings identical to BB's but Silver in color) on the VP and it completely killed the top end vs just taming it a bit. Ended up with Fender nickel rounds on the VP which I've never tried on any other bass, and they work great. I also put La Bella tapes on my FrankenGoth (mostly for the look but I also like the subdued woody Motown thump sound they normally produce). Problem is, on the Goth they ended up being Bell clear, hifi, piano type tone monsters across the entire spectrum - who'd a thunk? It's now darn near a baritone guitar in playing style, loves chords and harmonics - not what I intended or expected.

Sometimes you just have to play around to see what you like best and not assume the same old string is the best string.

 

[GBassNorth]

The difference between cats and dogs is kinda like the difference between Gibsons and Fenders. Both are cute and loveable, and can make great companions but one is just plain cool and the other is just plain.

Gibsons - going down the stairs with style...


Fenders - going down the stairs with a bang...

 

[Engle]

Part of the joy in playing basses is experimenting with different strings to see just what works best with each bass.

Sure I have trusted old favorites like Black Beauties, La Bella Tapes, Chromes and Rotos that I use on my Fender basses. However, I've found that my TBirds don't necessarily react the same way with strings that I regularly use on my Fenders and other basses. Case in point, I always use Black Beauties on my Stingrays to tame the top end. So my VP being too bright on the top end looked like a perfect candidate for some BB's. I put a set of Silver Stars (DR strings identical to BB's but Silver in color) on the VP and it completely killed the top end vs just taming it a bit. Ended up with Fender nickel rounds on the VP which I've never tried on any other bass, and they work great. I also put La Bella tapes on my FrankenGoth (mostly for the look but I also like the subdued woody Motown thump sound they normally produce). Problem is, on the Goth they ended up being Bell clear, hifi, piano type tone monsters across the entire spectrum - who'd a thunk? It's now darn near a baritone guitar in playing style, loves chords and harmonics - not what I intended or expected.

Sometimes you just have to play around to see what you like best and not assume the same old string is the best string.

My VP came to me with Black Beauties and like you I found they just didn't have enough top end. With the Rotosound RS66's, after a few months the strings have mellowed a bit and the bass is a tone chameleon. I don't like the VVT setup, but dammit - it's flexible!

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Part of the joy in playing basses is experimenting with different strings to see just what works best with each bass.

Sure I have trusted old favorites like Black Beauties, La Bella Tapes, Chromes and Rotos that I use on my Fender basses. However, I've found that my TBirds don't necessarily react the same way with strings that I regularly use on my Fenders and other basses. Case in point, I always use Black Beauties on my Stingrays to tame the top end. So my VP being too bright on the top end looked like a perfect candidate for some BB's. I put a set of Silver Stars (DR strings identical to BB's but Silver in color) on the VP and it completely killed the top end vs just taming it a bit. Ended up with Fender nickel rounds on the VP which I've never tried on any other bass, and they work great. I also put La Bella tapes on my FrankenGoth (mostly for the look but I also like the subdued woody Motown thump sound they normally produce). Problem is, on the Goth they ended up being Bell clear, hifi, piano type tone monsters across the entire spectrum - who'd a thunk? It's now darn near a baritone guitar in playing style, loves chords and harmonics - not what I intended or expected.

Sometimes you just have to play around to see what you like best and not assume the same old string is the best string.

Next time you change strings on your Ray, try Ken Smith Compressors. They’re pressure wound strings. They take off the hard edge of the highs but don’t lose much shimmer.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Part of the joy in playing basses is experimenting with different strings to see just what works best with each bass.

Sure I have trusted old favorites like Black Beauties, La Bella Tapes, Chromes and Rotos that I use on my Fender basses. However, I've found that my TBirds don't necessarily react the same way with strings that I regularly use on my Fenders and other basses. Case in point, I always use Black Beauties on my Stingrays to tame the top end. So my VP being too bright on the top end looked like a perfect candidate for some BB's. I put a set of Silver Stars (DR strings identical to BB's but Silver in color) on the VP and it completely killed the top end vs just taming it a bit. Ended up with Fender nickel rounds on the VP which I've never tried on any other bass, and they work great. I also put La Bella tapes on my FrankenGoth (mostly for the look but I also like the subdued woody Motown thump sound they normally produce). Problem is, on the Goth they ended up being Bell clear, hifi, piano type tone monsters across the entire spectrum - who'd a thunk? It's now darn near a baritone guitar in playing style, loves chords and harmonics - not what I intended or expected.

Sometimes you just have to play around to see what you like best and not assume the same old string is the best string.

That’s my point. You have to “try” them to see if you “like” them. RS66s never disappoint and with the very large number of known players using them on different basses and different styles of music over decades, Rotosound’s repeatability is close to unmatched.


If you told me that a set of strings that costs 4 times what RS66s cost would make me 4 times the player that I am I would definitely consider them. Doubt that’s the case however..

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

That’s my point. You have to “try” them to see if you “like” them. RS66s never disappoint and with the very large number of known players using them on different basses and different styles of music over decades, Rotosound’s repeatability is close to unmatched.


If you told me that a set of strings that costs 4 times what RS66s cost would make me 4 times the player that I am I would definitely consider them. Doubt that’s the case however..

To be honest I’m probably never going to get another set of Roto’s. Didn’t like them, sound nor feel.

 

[JIO]

Next time you change strings on your Ray, try Ken Smith Compressors. They’re pressure wound strings. They take off the hard edge of the highs but don’t lose much shimmer.

GHS makes a nice set of Pressure-wounds also.

 

[Gaolee]

That's good news! It was the only reason I was holding back on buying a 2015 bird.
"Houston - we have GAS, all systems are go, proceed with countdown!"

We are here to enable. I probably better verify now, since there are consequences. I really do not remember ever noticing it with the 'Bird, and I play it a lot. I wont be able to check until Monday.

 

[GBassNorth]

We are here to enable. I probably better verify now, since there are consequences. I really do not remember ever noticing it with the 'Bird, and I play it a lot. I wont be able to check until Monday.

Try this...
Put neck volume at 25% on, bridge volume off, and tone off. Play a few bars and note the volume then turn the tone knob up to 50% on and note the volume, then turn the tone knob to 100% on and note the volume. If the bird is like my EB you'll hear significant volume changes with each tone knob adjustment.

Next do the same thing except set the neck volume on 100% and step through the different tone settings. You shouldn't hear any volume changes.

I'll put my GAS in check until you report back. Thx for the help.