Thunderbird Club

[bylar13]

Thunderbird in Action: My wife and I playing gig last night at a really fun place called The El Bar (underneath the elevated train tracks) in Philadelphia.
Opening act was an all female performance art troupe who did 45 minutes on the power and beauty of a certain part of the the female anatomy.....no pics!

FWIW, I had two folks comment on the Thunderbird. It happens to me pretty regularly.

 

[GonePlaid]

You gotta be kidding me!

Nope, not kidding. And here I thought I was making a funny. Well I guess I have to buy it, huh?

Now I'm kidding you I'm about bassed out. Won't rule out getting another one entirely, but the likelihood is low.

I would love to have it but I'm currently fighting a case of the Italian sickness: mufunzalo.

 

[JJR58]

No, it's a singer post.

Ours quit yesterday. Not entirely surprising, but there you go. We begin again again.

As long as the rest of the band stays intact...................

 

[PillO]

View attachment 3358358

Thunderbird in Action: My wife and I playing gig last night at a really fun place called The El Bar (underneath the elevated train tracks) in Philadelphia.
Opening act was an all female performance art troupe who did 45 minutes on the power and beauty of a certain part of the the female anatomy.....no pics!

FWIW, I had two folks comment on the Thunderbird. It happens to me pretty regularly.

One question, one comment...

FWIW, I had two folks comment on the Thunderbird. It happens to me pretty regularly.

Windmills?

Opening act was an all female performance art troupe who did 45 minutes on the power and beauty of a certain part of the the female anatomy.....no pics!

Don't believe you. Pics or it didn't happen.

 

[JJR58]

When I stopped playing with men, I found the negative Thunderbird comments went away, like magic.

Drummers started magically responding to emails and texts.
Guitarists started magically learning songs.

I tell you, there's something in this pink glitter unicorn business.

Not all of us men are all that difficult to play music with.

 

[JJR58]

LOL! Can't do it, man. Love the look and sound but the reach is too long for me. Maybe if someone makes a T-Bird in 30" scale

It's ok JM, long as you show up here from time to time. We like having you around.

 

[PillO]

Not all of us men are all that difficult to play music with.

Yeah! Some of us choose to be difficult in other ways.

 

[JJR58]

Yeah! Some of us choose to be difficult in other ways.

I can see how that could be.

 

[JJR58]

@GBassNorth Hope you're ok man. The only bad news we wanna hear is the Jizzmaster showed up and not the Bird.
I think even the trombone would be ok.

 

[JIO]

The one thing my new bandmates do notice is that I have more than one bass. Generalising here but having 20 guitars may be more of a boy thing.

I think that's an accurate generalization.

That Factorbird is completely rad, Geo.

Thanks Kat! I've posted it here in the past - it was my first foray into designing/making basses in the late 90's. The body is old-growth Koa made with 3 pieces following specs of my '64 II. All ergo sculpting started from an exact copy of it with tapered wings and V joints. It took a couple years off and on working with a woodworker/craftman friend who made the tricky cuts/routs look easy. I've come a long way since then and do all that myself now. The neck/tuner-bridge is from a Kubicki Ex-Factor - Phil made the fretless neck for me in '94. The Koa is dense, heavy wood so it's a bit heavy (9lbs/6oz) - but no neck dive!

This is a recording I was part of playing it - the DU part is a loop, all else was played real time on top of it.

 

[GonePlaid]

 

[Engle]

From last night’s 100lb Hound rehearsal:

The rehearsal space makes custom signs for the room doors

I defied TB common wisdom by playing an 11.5 lb bass with an EMG active pickup (too sterile apparently) through a PF500 (those always die don’t they?) through a cab with mixed drivers (oh the horror).
Other than a master volume that goes from too quiet to crushing loud in just a hair’s width of movement, the PF500 wasgreat through that Traynor cab. (I just left on crushing loud)

And I always have fun jamming with DW:

 

[JIO]

And I always have fun jamming with DW:
View attachment 3358463

I can't show this pic to my drummer - his dream kit would be blue sparkle...

 

[BklynKen]

LOL! Can't do it, man. Love the look and sound but the reach is too long for me. Maybe if someone makes a T-Bird in 30" scale

Jimmy, you've played one with the strap pin at the neck heel? When I first got my Gibson, I was surprised that the way it hangs actually pulled the neck in towards me, requiring less of a reach for the first fret compared to my Carvin, by about two frets.

I've played a Thunderbird at many shows over the years, either my '64 II or various T-bird spin-offs I've made and the only one that ever got any kind of attention was my Factorbird fretless - and that was only once. Mostly no one mentions/comments on what bass I play and a few times someone told me they like my playing, which I appreciate. It always cracks me up reading tb bass-style fussing because 99% of the time we are the only ones who care! (which is legit - just as long as we realize it!)

View attachment 3358192

Wow, I love that bass so much. I don't remember seeing it before. Thanks for the later explanation. I did also always love the regular Kubicki body style.

That is super cool. I take it that Robert Smith did not join you all?

That would've been interested, but this was about 10 years after Smith's time in the band! Imagine Smith doing double duty on that tour.

View attachment 3358358

Thunderbird in Action: My wife and I playing gig last night at a really fun place called The El Bar (underneath the elevated train tracks) in Philadelphia.
Opening act was an all female performance art troupe who did 45 minutes on the power and beauty of a certain part of the the female anatomy.....no pics!

FWIW, I had two folks comment on the Thunderbird. It happens to me pretty regularly.

Wow, that's so excellent that you guys play together, and she on a Les Paul! No bloodshed I hope?

View attachment 3358462

Where's What?

 

[PillO]

View attachment 3358462

Watt's on second?

 

[PillO]

From last night’s 100lb Hound rehearsal:

...

I defied TB common wisdom by playing an 11.5 lb bass with an EMG active pickup (too sterile apparently) through a PF500 (those always die don’t they?) through a cab with mixed drivers (oh the horror).
Other than a master volume that goes from too quiet to crushing loud in just a hair’s width of movement, the PF500 wasgreat through that Traynor cab. (I just left on crushing loud)

...

My 1510 sounds fantastic with my PF350. It makes me happy because:
1. It sounds good,
2. It is plenty loud, and
3. The heads of the mixed driver police would explode.

It has been my experience that the louder you play, the fewer complaints you hear... Would someone please answer that phone.

 

[Mike.C.]

Happy St Patty’s Day, Bird Lovers!!

 

[Mike.C.]

One question, one comment...


Windmills?


Don't believe you. Pics or it didn't happen.

We’re gonna need video on this one.

 

[PillO]

We’re gonna need video on this one.

If a picture is worth 1000 words, then surely a minute of video is worth 1.44mm words...

 

[Mike.C.]

If a picture is worth 1000 words, then surely a minute of video is worth 1.44mm words...

At the very least, repeat viewings.