Thunderbird Club

[Gaolee]

I was asked to record some tracks for the client of a drummer I played with last week and am curious to see what you dudes and dudettes think of the tone. I faded out the other instruments during the guitar solo section so you can hear the bass by itself.
VP with RS66s direct into Focusrite, Neck PU, tone way down.
The drums are final, guitar and vocal is a scratch track.

Dropbox - thats the way we roll scratchmiw wTB-2.mp3

That's a really good bass sound. I played the P last night and found I didn't like what I was hearing through an Ampeg rig. (not my amp) The sound you get on that track is exactly what bass on a song like that should sound like that.

And I really like what the drummer did. It's in the pocket, understated, and you can tell he has a lot in reserve.

 

[Gaolee]

Got one of my Christmas gifts last night at a gig in Spring, Texas. 1971 EB3L
View attachment 3256181
Cosmetic condition is shockingly good for its age. Plays great. Having trouble dialing in a sound. Came strung with brand new rounds, but I’m not positive of the brand.
For this gig (Eskimo Brothers), at least, the solo’d mudbucker w/ no choke is pretty terrible. Just a big ol blurry mess. The most usable sound was both pickups on, mudbucker choked. But then the lows were a bit shy. I like the real throaty kids though and LOVE the way the bass feels. Can’t help but think a couple mods are in its future

A Dimarzio One will slot right in. Just saying.

The only bad sound is out of phase. No need for that switch.

 

[BadBassDrummer]

And, as long as you are shopping for gasoline, you want to buy it anywhere in the US except Washington. Hawaii has more expensive fuel, and sometimes California, but not always. Idaho and Oregon are usually cheaper than Washington. Fuel prices are one of the reasons my full sized Chevy van got turned into a Transit Connect. The transformation was magic, and I wasn't allowed to watch.

Correction... never by gasoline in Western Washington. Prices are cheaper on the dry side of the state

 

[dukeorock]

Where is this?

Some biker bar in Conroe, TX. Just outside of Houston

A Dimarzio One will slot right in. Just saying.

The only bad sound is out of phase. No need for that switch.

That sounded pretty good! Agreed I have no need for the phase switch

 

[Nocturnal]

A couple shots from our gig on Weds. Played a cancer benefit for a friend in need. Used the BlackBird for this show. This was our first show playing electric (have played a few acoustic sets over the last few months) and it was a lot of fun!! Hoping for some better shots from some of our friends that were attending.

 

[Engle]

It does look nice!

The thing with the JCB that gets me a little is the pickup colour. If I had the Black JCB I’d want the black pickup not the cream.
Come to think about it I’d almost always want the black.

I have a black JC and wish I could get a black pickup. Or chrome...I ended up taking off the pickguard.

 

[Engle]

And, as long as you are shopping for gasoline, you want to buy it anywhere in the US except Washington. Hawaii has more expensive fuel, and sometimes California, but not always. Idaho and Oregon are usually cheaper than Washington. Fuel prices are one of the reasons my full sized Chevy van got turned into a Transit Connect. The transformation was magic, and I wasn't allowed to watch.

Vancouver is worse:
Vancouver gas prices are the highest in North America — and they may get worse
I’m going to get an electric car!

 

[PillO]

A couple shots from our gig on Weds. Played a cancer benefit for a friend in need. Used the BlackBird for this show. This was our first show playing electric (have played a few acoustic sets over the last few months) and it was a lot of fun!! Hoping for some better shots from some of our friends that were attending.

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As a group you need to decide - hats or no hats. If you go no hats, the name Men Without Hats is already taken.

 

[Engle]

That's a really good bass sound. I played the P last night and found I didn't like what I was hearing through an Ampeg rig. (not my amp) The sound you get on that track is exactly what bass on a song like that should sound like that.

And I really like what the drummer did. It's in the pocket, understated, and you can tell he has a lot in reserve.

Thanks! I’m going to send over the track.
That drummer was a joy to play with

 

[PillO]

I have a black JC and wish I could get a black pickup. Or chrome...I ended up taking off the pickguard.

My red JC still has its pickguard, but the E was lifting so I removed it. I also put a Hipshot bridge on it (or rather, cause one to be put on it). Shiny pick up is easy:
Link Removed

 

[Engle]

A couple shots from our gig on Weds. Played a cancer benefit for a friend in need. Used the BlackBird for this show. This was our first show playing electric (have played a few acoustic sets over the last few months) and it was a lot of fun!! Hoping for some better shots from some of our friends that were attending.

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Nice hat!

 

[TBird1958]

A couple shots from our gig on Weds. Played a cancer benefit for a friend in need. Used the BlackBird for this show. This was our first show playing electric (have played a few acoustic sets over the last few months) and it was a lot of fun!! Hoping for some better shots from some of our friends that were attending.

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Nice Andy, Rock on!

 

[Engle]

My red JC still has its pickguard, but the E was lifting so I removed it. I also put a Hipshot bridge on it (or rather, cause one to be put on it). Shiny pick up is easy:
Link Removed

I found the pickguard rattled. I could hear it when playing at home. I think it would look good with a 3 layer black pickguard.

 

[PillO]

View attachment 3254063

I'll see if I can take a better picture later.

Better late than never...

This shows the maple top better.

And although I omitted a shoe, the price tag on the cabinet is visible. Yeah, I am going to leave it there to remind me of the bargain that it was.

 

[JJR58]

Better late than never...

This shows the maple top better.
View attachment 3257597

And although I omitted a shoe, the price tag on the cabinet is visible. Yeah, I am going to leave it there to remind me of the bargain that it was.

Looks great with the white guard.

 

[GBassNorth]

...
That sounded pretty good! Agreed I have no need for the phase switch

Did sound nice. But I think I still like the flexibility of my FrankenGoth best.

I have parallel/series switching on many of my basses and I find that I just end up keeping them in series nearly all the time. I guess I just like a bass that has balls. I've also had phase switching and found it to be nearly useless, always kept the pups in phase.

The switch I wired into the FrankenGoth is a coil split that lets me choose between both pups in full Humbucker mode (in phase and series) or both pups in single coil mode (neck coil on neck pup and bridge coil on bridge pup, both in series with each other and in phase with each other. In essence a single super ultra wide Humbucker.

It really sounds sweet, super musical in split mode (almost baritone guitar sound, and thats with La Bella black tapes). It's super ballsy in dual Humbucker mode (TBird on steroids). Plus with the vol/vol control layout you can split the coils and dial in just one pup for a Jazz bass type sound (which also delivers the signature jazz single pup soloed hum that we all despise, goes away if you bump the other pup up just above off). And the bass and treble knobs are full cut to 18db boost each with center detent for flat.

In hindsight, I'm not completely sold on the Bart pups I installed but went with them because of the close fit and minimal routing. The Damarizo 1 or some Dark Star pups might be more interesting as long as they are a four conductor plus ground design. Also, given adequate control cavity depth, I would have preferred a stacked Vol/Vol and stacked tone/tone layout. Fewer knobs is my preference, less cluttered look, plus you can grab both the upper and lower sections at the same time to adjust volume while always keeping the ratio of the two blended pups about the same.

 

[redstrand]

Did sound nice. But I think I still like the flexibility of my FrankenGoth best.

I have parallel/series switching on many of my basses and I find that I just end up keeping them in series nearly all the time. I guess I just like a bass that has balls. I've also had phase switching and found it to be nearly useless, always kept the pups in phase.

The switch I wired into the FrankenGoth is a coil split that lets me choose between both pups in full Humbucker mode (in phase and series) or both pups in single coil mode (neck coil on neck pup and bridge coil on bridge pup, both in series with each other and in phase with each other. In essence a single super ultra wide Humbucker.

It really sounds sweet, super musical in split mode (almost baritone guitar sound, and thats with La Bella black tapes). It's super ballsy in dual Humbucker mode (TBird on steroids). Plus with the vol/vol control layout you can split the coils and dial in just one pup for a Jazz bass type sound (which also delivers the signature jazz single pup soloed hum that we all despise, goes away if you bump the other pup up just above off). And the bass and treble knobs are full cut to 18db boost each with center detent for flat.

In hindsight, I'm not completely sold on the Bart pups I installed but went with them because of the close fit and minimal routing. The Damarizo 1 or some Dark Star pups might be more interesting as long as they are a four conductor plus ground design. Also, given adequate control cavity depth, I would have preferred a stacked Vol/Vol and stacked tone/tone layout. Fewer knobs is my preference, less cluttered look, plus you can grab both the upper and lower sections at the same time to adjust volume while always keeping the ratio of the two blended pups about the same.

I concur with the series parallel switch, with tbird pickups it rules, did it to my Embassy right off the bat and it kills in a mix

 

[GBassNorth]

I concur with the series parallel switch, with tbird pickups it rules, did it to my Embassy right off the bat and it kills in a mix

Cool. Aren't the Embassy pups the same as the Eppi VP Bird?
Wonder if its wired series or parallel?

 

[Moosehead1966]

Can I get a number? Just got this 2007 Thunderbird last week in a trade. Here she is with the team. Marc

 

[JJR58]

I concur with the series parallel switch, with tbird pickups it rules, did it to my Embassy right off the bat and it kills in a mix

This has got me to thinking of doing that to my Bird with the Lollars.