Thunderbird Club

[Markamb1]

All this talk of non TBird basses modded or built to deliver the TBird sound got me thinking a bit (and acting quite impulsively).

The guys I play with want to branch out to the current country rock, country western and classic southern rock genre. I said to myself, wouldn't it be cool to have something that visually fit perfect in a country western setting, something that would look perfectly at home in Buck Owens hands, but still sounded like (or close) to a bird. Something that a sound man or other band members aren't even going to suspect, a TBird sleeper, essentially a TBird cloaked in a country western disguise!

Hollow body would be a step too far. But maybe a semi hollow. Gotta be a Fender variant if it's gonna fool people. But must be able to house TBird type Humbuckers without looking like it's been modded.

Bingo...
Fender Starcaster in 3TSB
View attachment 3239282
...looks the part and with the right pups might even sound the part.

Things working against me:
1) the maple neck (possible brighter tone and more prounounced attack)
2) semi hollow body (possible woody more upright less TB tone)
3) maple Top and back (possible brighter tone)
4) short scale (possible enhanced bottom end)

Sounds like a fun challenge. Found a nice used one on line for peanuts, picking it up tomorrow. Will spend about a month with it to see if it's a keeper and worth modding with some TB type pups and pots. Should be a fun experiment, if all goes as planned I'll unveil it to my band mates after the new year. Won't even mention the mods (they'll never see it in its original configuration) so it should be a true sleeper.

Here's a cool video of one in stock form in a mix...

...and at about 2:50 into the clip the bassist switches to a Thunderbird. May have all been dubbed in but I can't tell much difference in the sound, which leads me to believe I can probably pull this off with the right mods.

Such fun!

BLACKBIRD

IMHO it makes zero difference.


These make WAY more of a difference. But I've played one, and honestly, being semi-hollow, I think the differences are less pronounced than they would be if it was totally hollow. I think you'll dig it.

I’ve never understood people who say that a maple neck and fretboard especially one piece make zero or little difference. That’s insanity. Of course it makes a difference

 

[Markamb1]

Double post

 

[MCF]

After The Goldrush is an American/Canadian classic. I suspect our friend @GBaseNorth will disagree...but it’s all good.

All this talk of non TBird basses modded or built to deliver the TBird sound got me thinking a bit (and acting quite impulsively).

The guys I play with want to branch out to the current country rock, country western and classic southern rock genre. I said to myself, wouldn't it be cool to have something that visually fit perfect in a country western setting, something that would look perfectly at home in Buck Owens hands, but still sounded like (or close) to a bird. Something that a sound man or other band members aren't even going to suspect, a TBird sleeper, essentially a TBird cloaked in a country western disguise!

Hollow body would be a step too far. But maybe a semi hollow. Gotta be a Fender variant if it's gonna fool people. But must be able to house TBird type Humbuckers without looking like it's been modded.

Bingo...
Fender Starcaster in 3TSB
View attachment 3239282
...looks the part and with the right pups might even sound the part.

Things working against me:
1) the maple neck (possible brighter tone and more prounounced attack)
2) semi hollow body (possible woody more upright less TB tone)
3) maple Top and back (possible brighter tone)
4) short scale (possible enhanced bottom end)

Sounds like a fun challenge. Found a nice used one on line for peanuts, picking it up tomorrow. Will spend about a month with it to see if it's a keeper and worth modding with some TB type pups and pots. Should be a fun experiment, if all goes as planned I'll unveil it to my band mates after the new year. Won't even mention the mods (they'll never see it in its original configuration) so it should be a true sleeper.

Here's a cool video of one in stock form in a mix...

...and at about 2:50 into the clip the bassist switches to a Thunderbird. May have all been dubbed in but I can't tell much difference in the sound, which leads me to believe I can probably pull this off with the right mods.

Such fun!

Your band mates don’t follow you here?

 

[MCF]

I built this parts bass as a T-Bird back-up.

View attachment 3239363
View attachment 3239364

Nice strap too. Can you tell us what it is?

 

[Markamb1]

Your band mates don’t follow you here?

No way. Bass players are from another planet. No one else wants to go there.

 

[bylar13]

Nice strap too. Can you tell us what it is?

Thanks! I don't know. I got it in 1987 when my first bass (Rickenbacker 4001) got stolen. I would esitmate that I have played a 400+ shows with it. Its the one constant in my life, when it comes to gear....

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Sound wise, I'm sure I could make that work great, probably even better than the Starcaster. Unfortunately, Thunderbird pups in place of Gen 1 Precision single coil or the Gen 2 split coil would be a dead give away. I could possibly pull it off with a Blacktop P bass, which I think had Humbuckers but that's a bit of an odd ball P bass and not well known. Remember, I want this to be a sleeper. Nothing about it (other than the sound) should say Thunderbird in any way.

Plus, this just looks REALLY cool.

 

[dukeorock]

Been absent a minute...no way can I backtrack through nearly 500 posts since my last visit

I told you all about this one superfan who seems keen on giving me basses. He’s already given me a pristine walnut Ric 4003 and a ‘67 Hofner Beatle Bass. Apparently for Christmas, he just pulled the trigger on this 1971 EB3L. I don’t know a ton about these basses, but those slotted headstocks are just so cool to me...any thoughts?

 

[Count Bassie]

View attachment 3239564 View attachment 3239565 Been absent a minute...no way can I backtrack through nearly 500 posts since my last visit

I told you all about this one superfan who seems keen on giving me basses. He’s already given me a pristine walnut Ric 4003 and a ‘67 Hofner Beatle Bass. Apparently for Christmas, he just pulled the trigger on this 1971 EB3L. I don’t know a ton about these basses, but those slotted headstocks are just so cool to me...any thoughts?

I'd watch him if I were you...

 

[TBird1958]

View attachment 3239564 View attachment 3239565 Been absent a minute...no way can I backtrack through nearly 500 posts since my last visit

I told you all about this one superfan who seems keen on giving me basses. He’s already given me a pristine walnut Ric 4003 and a ‘67 Hofner Beatle Bass. Apparently for Christmas, he just pulled the trigger on this 1971 EB3L. I don’t know a ton about these basses, but those slotted headstocks are just so cool to me...any thoughts?

Does your friend like Drag Queens?

 

[dukeorock]

Does your friend like Drag Queens?

Who doesn’t?!

 

[TBird1958]

Who doesn’t?!

Priceless!

 

[Gaolee]

All this talk of non TBird basses modded or built to deliver the TBird sound got me thinking a bit (and acting quite impulsively).

The guys I play with want to branch out to the current country rock, country western and classic southern rock genre. I said to myself, wouldn't it be cool to have something that visually fit perfect in a country western setting, something that would look perfectly at home in Buck Owens hands, but still sounded like (or close) to a bird. Something that a sound man or other band members aren't even going to suspect, a TBird sleeper, essentially a TBird cloaked in a country western disguise!

Hollow body would be a step too far. But maybe a semi hollow. Gotta be a Fender variant if it's gonna fool people. But must be able to house TBird type Humbuckers without looking like it's been modded.

Bingo...
Fender Starcaster in 3TSB
View attachment 3239282
...looks the part and with the right pups might even sound the part.

Things working against me:
1) the maple neck (possible brighter tone and more prounounced attack)
2) semi hollow body (possible woody more upright less TB tone)
3) maple Top and back (possible brighter tone)
4) short scale (possible enhanced bottom end)

Sounds like a fun challenge. Found a nice used one on line for peanuts, picking it up tomorrow. Will spend about a month with it to see if it's a keeper and worth modding with some TB type pups and pots. Should be a fun experiment, if all goes as planned I'll unveil it to my band mates after the new year. Won't even mention the mods (they'll never see it in its original configuration) so it should be a true sleeper.

Here's a cool video of one in stock form in a mix...

...and at about 2:50 into the clip the bassist switches to a Thunderbird. May have all been dubbed in but I can't tell much difference in the sound, which leads me to believe I can probably pull this off with the right mods.

Such fun!

The only person who didn't change clothes and instruments repeatedly in that video is the drummer. The bass solo sounds great. It sure sounded like it was recorded using a 'Bird.

I find that my EB-2 probably sounds like a 40 year old Dimarzio One, and if I put the same pickup in another bass, at the same location, it would sound similar enough to fool just about everyone into thinking it was the same bass, just to hear it. It's got a bright, convex brown sound to it that's different from anything else. If it had a mudbucker, it would sound completely different, and the hollow body, maple construction, and short scale wouldn't matter all that much.

 

[Gaolee]

No way. Bass players are from another planet. No one else wants to go there.

And especially here. Can you imagine the average normal person, even a musician, trying to figure out all of this?

 

[Gaolee]

View attachment 3239564 View attachment 3239565 Been absent a minute...no way can I backtrack through nearly 500 posts since my last visit

I told you all about this one superfan who seems keen on giving me basses. He’s already given me a pristine walnut Ric 4003 and a ‘67 Hofner Beatle Bass. Apparently for Christmas, he just pulled the trigger on this 1971 EB3L. I don’t know a ton about these basses, but those slotted headstocks are just so cool to me...any thoughts?

You will just have to play it and find out. There's no shortcuts, y'know.

And introduce the friend to searching for Thunderbirds on Reverb. And Carlo. He needs to know Carlo.

 

[Gaolee]

And don't even ask about what happens if you post pictures of tort.

Good to see you back. And Duke 'o' Frock popped back in, too. Now we have to find out where Fixer went.

 

[dukeorock]

You will just have to play it and find out. There's no shortcuts, y'know.

And introduce the friend to searching for Thunderbirds on Reverb. And Carlo. He needs to know Carlo.

Dude, I’m just too uneasy getting such nice stuff for free. I just let him get what he likes. So far, so good! The fan in question is a big fan of my T Birds. In fact, because he loves my main one, he just bought a similar one for Jackie Newhouse (Stevie Ray Vaughn’s original bass player). For what he spent on the EB3L, I’d probably rather commission Carlo, or maybe even the right Gibson Ripper. I’m not really jonesing for anything other than that at the moment. My Gibson T Bird with the Lollars and my Cataldo are seeing the most action live, but I record with all of my basses. Never know which one will work best on any given track!

 

[GBassNorth]

BLACKBIRD



I’ve never understood people who say that a maple neck and fretboard especially one piece make zero or little difference. That’s insanity. Of course it makes a difference

Yeah, I've found there is a noticeable difference especially to the player. Not so sure the average audience member would hear a difference in a typical rock mix in a loud bar with lots of drinks flowing. Then again, half of the average audience members in that setting don't know the difference between a guitar and a bass anyway.

 

[GBassNorth]

Your band mates don’t follow you here?

Not unless they've figured out who GBassNorth is, and even then they'd probably rather spend their time on guitar or drum sites, which is just fine with me.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

All this talk of non TBird basses modded or built to deliver the TBird sound got me thinking a bit (and acting quite impulsively).

The guys I play with want to branch out to the current country rock, country western and classic southern rock genre. I said to myself, wouldn't it be cool to have something that visually fit perfect in a country western setting, something that would look perfectly at home in Buck Owens hands, but still sounded like (or close) to a bird. Something that a sound man or other band members aren't even going to suspect, a TBird sleeper, essentially a TBird cloaked in a country western disguise!

Hollow body would be a step too far. But maybe a semi hollow. Gotta be a Fender variant if it's gonna fool people. But must be able to house TBird type Humbuckers without looking like it's been modded.

Bingo...
Fender Starcaster in 3TSB
View attachment 3239282
...looks the part and with the right pups might even sound the part.

Things working against me:
1) the maple neck (possible brighter tone and more prounounced attack)
2) semi hollow body (possible woody more upright less TB tone)
3) maple Top and back (possible brighter tone)
4) short scale (possible enhanced bottom end)

Sounds like a fun challenge. Found a nice used one on line for peanuts, picking it up tomorrow. Will spend about a month with it to see if it's a keeper and worth modding with some TB type pups and pots. Should be a fun experiment, if all goes as planned I'll unveil it to my band mates after the new year. Won't even mention the mods (they'll never see it in its original configuration) so it should be a true sleeper.

Here's a cool video of one in stock form in a mix...

...and at about 2:50 into the clip the bassist switches to a Thunderbird. May have all been dubbed in but I can't tell much difference in the sound, which leads me to believe I can probably pull this off with the right mods.

Such fun!

Peavey T-40