Where's the bass with the girl....?
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
Those are nice looking basses. I tried one several years ago and after playing it back to back with this...
Spector Rex Brown Signature 5-String Bass with Gig Bag
I bought the Spector (with the holoflash finish). It just flat out played the Dean in every way. If you can swing the few dollars extra I'd strongly suggest going with the Rex, you won't regret it.
Be careful not to get the Spector Legend by accident, the Rex is an all maple body/neck with neck through construction and upgraded pups and controls. The price on this one seems a tad high, right around $650 was the going rate for these but they are getting harder to find. Get em while you can.
Edit:
Here's a 4 string Rex currently at Guitar Center...
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It The right price ($650) and has the holoflash finish which constantly changes depending on how the light hits it. Great on stage with all the lighting. I can post pics of mine in various light if you want to see how it looks.
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A couple of quick questions...
Are any of our mid-western members planning on going to Sweetwater Gearfest? I received an email about it and see that Rudy Sarzo is appearing there.
Anyone in Ontario planning on going to Cosmofest? I plan on attending later in the day with my daughter. We plan on seeing Finger Eleven (formerly the Rainbow Butt Monkeys), Sloan, and Chilliwack. Finger Eleven is actually local to us - they grew up in our neighbourhood.
Are any of our mid-western members planning on going to Sweetwater Gearfest? I received an email about it and see that Rudy Sarzo is appearing there.
Anyone in Ontario planning on going to Cosmofest? I plan on attending later in the day with my daughter. We plan on seeing Finger Eleven (formerly the Rainbow Butt Monkeys), Sloan, and Chilliwack. Finger Eleven is actually local to us - they grew up in our neighbourhood.
Alternate response: “Man, that road has great bottom end!”
I’m scared of the EMGs.
Thanks! I have drooled over your pics so no need, but thanks. My wife even drooled.
Still cleaning that one up.
650 for a Spector? Chinese made I guess....
Korean actually. Any of these I have tried have been very well made. A step up in quality from the Legend series I had. My Legend 4X was nice but not the same quality as the Rex models I have played.
Korean actually, and built every bit as good (actually a bit better) than any Gibson or Epiphone TBird I've had my hands on. A couple of years ago I did a detailed shoot out between my Gibby Anniversary Bird and the Rex5 Pro. The Rex came out ahead in the fit and finish department (Gibby edged slightly ahead in the tone department).
I can't say the same for a Spector Legend X body, wasn't that impressed with that bottom of the line model. Of course there's always the Forte if you want to go Spector premium, but they can be pricey even used. And now that Spector has been sold off to another builder, who knows what direction the brand will take. It might be a good time to buy a used one, they could get a whole lot more expensive on the used market if the new ones aren't as good.
This was round two (just looking at fit, finish and overall quality) of the Gibby Tbird/Spector Rex shootout...
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But can your strings make this bass sound like an angry piano?
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
If you pick up a '15, you won't regret it.I was about to make an offer until I noticed the tug bar
- Mar 8, 2011
- 12,232
- 51,187
- Disclosures
- Authorized greenboy designs builder/Owner of BNA Audio
Gaolee - what strings are you running on your 2015?
I put Cobalt flats on mine and they sound great in solo mode or in a 3 piece band but start to get lost in a medium to heavy mix. I might still need to adjust the pup heights some more.
Edit:
Just spent some time mucking around on the 2015 and found what I suspect is part of the problem. I had the action set fairly low (a Bees dick higher than my 2013 bird but still low). It wasn't a problem if I played with a normal to light touch like I mostly would in a 3 piece setting or solo. But when I dig in for extra volume (like I might unconsciously have a tendency to do in a heavy mix) the strings were choking out on the frets and losing focus and sustain. So I put a gnats a$$ more front bow in the neck and ended the fret choke. Too late tonight to plug it in and test it but I'll plug in tomorrow evening to see if that helped solve the problem. Still interested in your 2015 string selections.
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First impressions - just looks like the centre piece top glued on has come loose - time to take apart and double check
Looks like a job for Tite Bond III!
Interesting. Never seen that before. I'm not a luthier or builder, just a hack that does a lot of my own work. If it were mine, I'd carefully remove the raised section using a sharp utility blade or box cutter to score a line around the perimeter (so the body paint doesn't lift when the top is popped off). And then a metal putty knife gently worked under the lifted section to hopefully pop it off in one piece. Tape the wings to protect the paint and block sand the glued area on the body and the underside of the raised piece to get the old glue off.
Once that's done I'd decide if I wanted the old raised section glued back on and the seam repainted or if I wanted to use it as a template for something more interesting. A nice new piece of figured stained wood, or maybe some diamond plate or Formica with an interesting pattern, even a sheet of pickguard material or carbon fiber (no Tort please) might look really cool in place of it. On the bolt on Eppi that top block is just ornamental so the sky's the limit on what you want to do with it.
Just a thought. Looks like a neat little project with some real upside potential to make this bass very unique and cool looking. Keep us posted.
godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
- 9,057
- 38,405
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Cataldo Basses, Whirlwind products, Thunderbucker pickups
Sweetwater is blowing out Bright Cherry birds for $999! I'd grab one but I'm stuck on the VP Thunderbird at the moment.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BAT43H18C7BCd2--gibson-thunderbird-2018-bright-cherry
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BAT43H18C7BCd2--gibson-thunderbird-2018-bright-cherry
Thank you godofthunder59!
Also there is a small crack on the neck at the treble side of the nut. There is light finish delamination at the treble side of the nut. There are other fine scratches on various parts of this guitar!
Just gonna barge right in with this one. Rudy’s custom Pensa. His take on an NR.
