Thunderbird Club

[GonePlaid]

Looks fake (stuffed alligator) or photoshopped - not likely this would happen w/o being staged.

Yeah, it was sent to me but on further examination, sumpin' ain't Kosher.

 

[fasterpussycat]

I am oncall 24/7 two weeks on ... two weeks off. For a fortnight I'm a slave to my phone, then I ignore it completely. Outside of work, I use a traditional computer for recording music and I still maintain a website for a friend. That is it. I want no more complicated interaction with technology than what I can do on my iPad with Safari and a text editor.

 

[GonePlaid]

I am oncall 24/7 two weeks on ... two weeks off. For a fortnight I'm a slave to my phone, then I ignore it completely. Outside of work, I use a traditional computer for recording music and I still maintain a website for a friend. That is it. I want no more complicated interaction with technology than what I can do on my iPad with Safari and a text editor.

Partly because family is 145 miles away, mine is always on. I always look to see who's calling. If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer. If it's a legitimate call, they'll leave a message. I get very few messages. Lotta robocalls, though.

 

[GBassNorth]

Looks fake (stuffed alligator) or photoshopped - not likely this would happen w/o being staged.

That pool is in Florida. Look closely and you'll see, like nearly every pool in Florida, the swimming pool in the picture is screened in. .... So how did the gator get inside? Probably a photoshop job.

 

[Gaolee]

Freak.

Thank you. That is the nicest thing anybody has said in a long time.

 

[Gaolee]

Technically I don't consider myself a luddite as I'm not against progress, I just choose to not be part of certain aspects of it as a socio-political statement. To begin with I don't want to be connected 24-7, I'm not a doctor or a drug-dealer. When driving and as a cyclist/motorcyclist, I'm constantly irritated by drivers texting and not giving a s_it doing so. It's part of the general disregard people have for their 'fellow man' - "yah, I'm texting while driving and if you don't like it, F-you" When walking in a crowd of people, I'm one of the few who isn't staring into their iPhone. Our 30-something keyboardist/singer who I am so happy to have in our band might as well have her iPhone superglued to her hand. At rehearsal, any brief moment between songs - the phone is being checked. And don't get me started on "tech culture" as I am surrounded by it in the Bay Area. Too many aspects I could vent about. To avoid that and refer to your last 'note' - I agree with you about missing snail-mail. I love writing and used to send postcards and letters all the time. I'd turn the white envelop into a complex multi-colour picture, where the address would be part of the cartoon. I bet mail-delivery people really enjoyed them.

I plug in where I need to - and leave the vacuous world of tech to those with their iPhone grafted to their hand.

Yes. Tech is a tool. Not a lifestyle. Somehow Microsoft people found me in the 1990s and wanted to know how I used Excel. They were amazed to see how a basic construction estimate came about. The idea of "creating" information was apparently stunning to them. They also did not understand why I was not interested in "cool stuff" updates could do. It is a tool to accomplish things that exist and matter. That is all.

I do not have a lifestyle, anyway. I prefer to be alive.

 

[Gaolee]

I have been playing my different basses and haven’t quite settled in yet. Originally I had a 5 string signature fretless, and needed a backup, so I bought the Thunderbird. Now I’ve acquired a Squier Jazz Bass.

They all play so differently. I’ve been putting in extra time with the new bird just because it’s such a radical departure from the light touch of my fretless. I am curious if any of you have experimented with TI flats on a Thunderbird. I like the lighter tension on the fretless, and was thinking that may be a good direction. When I had the bird setup I had them throw on DiAddario flats, and they have extremely tight tension. I love the sound, but my fingers are getting one hell of a workout....

I have Chromes on my fretless - they are pretty much right on for my CroMagnon fingers on it.

 

[Gaolee]

Just my personal experience with TI's, (like that old folklore about neck dive) Not floppy at all. I have a set that just might go on the Bird with CBuckers. Thing is, i really want to put them on one of those, unmentionable basses.

I had TI flats on a Ric. Ric is gone and so are they, but it was a decent combination. I like cobalt or chromes better for sound reasons.

 

[JIO]

Yes. Tech is a tool. Not a lifestyle. Somehow Microsoft people found me in the 1990s and wanted to know how I used Excel. They were amazed to see how a basic construction estimate came about. The idea of "creating" information was apparently stunning to them. They also did not understand why I was not interested in "cool stuff" updates could do. It is a tool to accomplish things that exist and matter. That is all.

I do not have a lifestyle, anyway. I prefer to be alive.

In a nutshell - (not intended to be a double entendre!)

 

[Engle]

You guys are crazy! I use computers for work, occasionally record and edit music, and to kibitz in TalkBass. Other than that, they are turned off!

I connect them

 

[dukeorock]

I love TI flats on my Hofner, but never tried em on a 34” scale bass. The (many) reports of em being floppy kinda scared me off and I don’t play with a light touch...would like to try em on a 34” scale bass at some point though

 

[PillO]

Yes. Tech is a tool. Not a lifestyle. Somehow Microsoft people found me in the 1990s and wanted to know how I used Excel. They were amazed to see how a basic construction estimate came about. The idea of "creating" information was apparently stunning to them. They also did not understand why I was not interested in "cool stuff" updates could do. It is a tool to accomplish things that exist and matter. That is all.

I do not have a lifestyle, anyway. I prefer to be alive.

90% of computer programs are either a database or a text editor or some combination of the two.

 

[RedVee]

For me living 1/2 block from the Pacific Ocean - the concept of "for the season" is pretty funny. I go through windshield wiper fluid like nobodies business. Luckily it's pretty cheap, but it is a constant.

Yeah, comes right from the tap here

Looks fake (stuffed alligator) or photoshopped - not likely this would happen w/o being staged.

Still amusing though

 

[RedVee]

I am oncall 24/7 two weeks on ... two weeks off. For a fortnight I'm a slave to my phone, then I ignore it completely. Outside of work, I use a traditional computer for recording music and I still maintain a website for a friend. That is it. I want no more complicated interaction with technology than what I can do on my iPad with Safari and a text editor.

I was seemingly on call 365/24/7 for about 20 years. Mine was the system that broke in the end.

Re programming. I spent some time as a ‘maintenance programmer’ in Basic for Pick/Universe. I’m no good with the blank screen but am (well, was) pretty good at fixes, and mods.

 

[Nocturnal]

Partly because family is 145 miles away, mine is always on. I always look to see who's calling. If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer. If it's a legitimate call, they'll leave a message. I get very few messages. Lotta robocalls, though.

That is my method as well. 98% of unrecognized calls that I skip do not leave a message.

 

[RedVee]

did a little sound comparison between the dingwall dbird standard and custom...
since it's a "thunderbird copy", i thought i'd drop the video here

Thanks for that. I’ll take the cheaper Bird of those two.

Good enough for me.
(Well, exceedingly better than that actually.)

 

[fasterpussycat]

Started experiencing crackling and signal dropouts (which prompted me to order a couple of new cables).

New cables were no better, if anything it was worse. Please don't let it be my amp! Direct plugin, play, play, play, play, no crackle -- well that's good news.

The next step was the process of eliminating stomp box suspects from enquiries. It was the CatTail what dunnit! The piece of gaffer tape I wrapped around the clipping diodes had unstuck itself and the leads were contacting the box. Layered in some gaffer tape below and above the diodes. No more crackle. Should write myself an invoice, then pay myself $50.

A happy ending -- and finally I have some spare guitar leads. Beers all round.

 

[Larry V]

Started experiencing crackling and signal dropouts (which prompted me to order a couple of new cables).

New cables were no better, if anything it was worse. Please don't let it be my amp! Direct plugin, play, play, play, play, no crackle -- well that's good news.

The next step was the process of eliminating stomp box suspects from enquiries. It was the CatTail what dunnit! The piece of gaffer tape I wrapped around the clipping diodes had unstuck itself and the leads were contacting the box. Layered in some gaffer tape below and above the diodes. No more crackle. Should write myself an invoice, then pay myself $50.

Make it $100! You're worth it!

A happy ending -- and finally I have some spare guitar leads. Beers all round.

...and who doesn't love a happy ending?!

AHEM

 

[PillO]

Started experiencing crackling and signal dropouts (which prompted me to order a couple of new cables).

New cables were no better, if anything it was worse. Please don't let it be my amp! Direct plugin, play, play, play, play, no crackle -- well that's good news.

The next step was the process of eliminating stomp box suspects from enquiries. It was the CatTail what dunnit! The piece of gaffer tape I wrapped around the clipping diodes had unstuck itself and the leads were contacting the box. Layered in some gaffer tape below and above the diodes. No more crackle. Should write myself an invoice, then pay myself $50.

A happy ending -- and finally I have some spare guitar leads. Beers all round.

Make it $100! You're worth it!



...and who doesn't love a happy ending?!

AHEM

Indeed. If there is a happy ending, the invoice should be at least $100

And a beer is nice. Recognizing the expense and difficulty of getting beer halfway round the world, I'll just have one out of the fridge and say it is from you. Don't say I never do anything for you...

 

[BklynKen]

And a beer is nice. Recognizing the expense and difficulty of getting beer halfway round the world, I'll just have one out of the fridge and say it is from you. Don't say I never do anything for you...

This is definitely a state of things I love. Easier and easier to get great beer directly from the breweries. These days I mostly drink from my local, Other Half Brewing. The beers that are often in my fridge have never traveled more than a couple of miles since being brewed.