Thunderbird Club

[Bassmike62]

Any mentionnable tone difference between Epi classic pro iv and the more recent vintage pro models ?

 

[GBassNorth]

A Gin and Tonic double should make practice on the TBird extra fun tonight...

 

[MCF]

View attachment 3447165 Gig report. Outdoor festival, of course it rains during our set and every one ran for cover as the band played on. My wife captured this from backstage. The usual Hiwatt/Thunderbird setup. I was pretty happy overall, and the rig was smoki'n!

Well, so what if they ran for shelter. You got to soar your bird on that amazing rig. Wish I could do that.

 

[RedVee]

Any mentionnable tone difference between Epi classic pro iv and the more recent vintage pro models ?

Yes, others are better placed to comment than I and I’m sure they’ll come by soonish.
The Vintage Pro has new pickups and aims to be closer in sound to the models from the 60s.

 

[MCF]

*sigh* ... I miss my T-Bird. Shouldna sold it. Alpine white classic iv Epi, to which I added a black pickguard, she was a sight to see and sound to hear...

So now you get a Vintage Pro.. Do it! Come back to the fold!

 

[Engle]

Say, what’s that gray one in the back? Have you shown that one yet?

I built that many years ago when weight didn’t matter. It’s a 2 piece maple neck through with ash wings. It’s the heavy type of ash that looks like oak.
It’s set up for C# tuning. I use it for 2 songs in my heavy band.

 

[MCF]

A Gin and Tonic double should make practice on the TBird extra fun tonight...
View attachment 3447162

So you got the place to yourself for the evening? I’ll notify Cal Tech to watch for the quake.

 

[Engle]

Hey I’ve never seen one of these before:
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All else aside it appears to be a mahogany neck through Tbird shaped object...

 

[dagrev]

A Gin and Tonic double should make practice on the TBird extra fun tonight...
View attachment 3447162

I'm thinkin' your creativity will be much better!

 

[dagrev]

Any mentionnable tone difference between Epi classic pro iv and the more recent vintage pro models ?

Yes, but some who have more playing time with both are better to answer this. But, for the time being....The VP (which I have), is more aggressive sounding, closer to the originals. From what I recall the Pros are more modern sounding, but with less upper mids and a smoother, slightly darkishness to them if my memory is accurate. Likely an awful description, but I can say they don't sound the same.

 

[ToddOfThunder]

Until all the digital offerings supply liner notes and such, I can't take it too seriously. Plus I still prefer the ritual of actually putting an album on, be it CD or vinyl.

I just bought a bunch of cd’s but my new passion is Vinyl! I just need to find a decent turntable. The older or vintage ones are getting harder to find and much more expensive. I figured I’d just walk into a Goodwill or Salvation Army and find one but I guess turntables became popular again when I wasn’t looking! There are a few electronic stores who sell newer versions. New stuff is not my style but I’m almost to the breaking point of buying one.

 

[PillO]

I had a cardio check this week (leaky bicuspid aorta valve). An annual thing, sometimes includes a stress test on a treadmill plus an ultrasound, other times just the ultrasound. It’s just preventative maintenance essentially, just to make sure the aorta doesn’t start swelling and the valves don’t worsen.

Anyway I thought it was the treadmill this year (it wasn’t) and was a little anxious about it.

I have a couple of good mates at work who were ‘cheering me up’ by requesting one of my ‘guitars’ when I cark it during the test.

(All good in the end)

Glad that all is well. Mitral leakage is a big deal. It can lead to prolapse, heart failure, and other long/short term sequelae. Keep a close watch on that one, and when time comes for valve replacement, don't wait.

 

[godofthunder59]

Any mentionnable tone difference between Epi classic pro iv and the more recent vintage pro models ?

Big, big difference in tone. The Vintage Pro comes equipped with Epiphone 760 Probuckers, recreations of 60's Thunderbird pickups. These pickups have the treble/mid zip and zing fundamental lows and mild inherent distortion 60's birds are known for. The Classic Pro has modern TB plus ceramic magnet units, they are clean sounding with thick mids and lows.

 

[godofthunder59]

Big, big difference in tone. The Vintage Pro comes equipped with Epiphone 760 Probuckers, recreations of 60's Thunderbird pickups. These pickups have the treble/mid zip and zing fundamental lows and mild inherent distortion 60's birds are known for. The Classic Pro has modern TB plus ceramic magnet units, they are clean sounding with thick mids and lows.

Btw I have a bunch of 60's birds and love the Vintage Pro so much I bought two!

 

[PillO]

Hey I’ve never seen one of these before:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

All else aside it appears to be a mahogany neck through Tbird shaped object...

Harley Benton is a house brand for Thomann in Deutchland. The gear can be delivered to N America. The prices are spectacular and by all reports the stuff is good. It appears that they are selling the gear cheap to try to establish a position in the market.

https://www.thomannmusic.com/search.html?gf=electric_basses&bf=harley_benton&ls=100
https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_bt_70vs.htm

Looks like a set neck, but at a price of U$159 +U$34 shipping, a pretty spectacular deal.

 

[RedVee]

Glad that all is well. Mitral leakage is a big deal. It can lead to prolapse, heart failure, and other long/short term sequelae. Keep a close watch on that one, and when time comes for valve replacement, don't wait.

Ta.

Dr suggested going to 24 month checks but I requested we stay at 12 months.

 

[GonePlaid]

*sigh* ... I miss my T-Bird. Shouldna sold it. Alpine white classic iv Epi, to which I added a black pickguard, she was a sight to see and sound to hear...

Maybe you 2 weren't quite right for each other. Another one will find you.

 

[Bassmike62]

Yes, but some who have more playing time with both are better to answer this. But, for the time being....The VP (which I have), is more aggressive sounding, closer to the originals. From what I recall the Pros are more modern sounding, but with less upper mids and a smoother, slightly darkishness to them if my memory is accurate. Likely an awful description, but I can say they don't sound the same.

Yup, that's the way I remember my Bird sounding. I think I might be into that new aggressive sounding Bird.

Big, big difference in tone. The Vintage Pro comes equipped with Epiphone 760 Probuckers, recreations of 60's Thunderbird pickups. These pickups have the treble/mid zip and zing fundamental lows and mild inherent distortion 60's birds are known for. The Classic Pro has modern TB plus ceramic magnet units, they are clean sounding with thick mids and lows.

Yes, others are better placed to comment than I and I’m sure they’ll come by soonish. The Vintage Pro has new pickups and aims to be closer in sound to the models from the 60s.

I had an opportunity to play a Gibson Bird (unshure make and year, but recent) a few months ago in a shop, it belonged to another customer who let me try it while he was talking to a store clerk. I was amazed at the low-end gushing out of it, compared to an Epi pro classic iv I AB'd it with. You guys feel the same about the Epi vintage Pro ?

 

[ToddOfThunder]

About the only Fender razzing I've seen In this club has been light hearted tongue in cheek stuff more or less as a parody of the sometimes serious Thunderbird and general Gibson hazing that goes on in the TB GP. Tort comments here abound very much in the same manner as a reoccurring Monty Python punch line.
Anyone who is triggered by these things to the point of despise and disgust is probably reading way way too much into the comments.

I'd venture a guess that more than 90% of the members of this club either have or have had a FSO. I actually have more of those than I do Gibby/Eppi basses. And some of them even have tort guards.
Here's a spread of about half of my Fender clan...
View attachment 3446447
There isn't a bad one in the bunch, if there was I wouldn't still own it.

The whole point of this thread isn't that we dislike Fender shaped objects, it's that we like Thunderbird shaped objects. I'm not aware of any member in this club that's here because they loath Fender, they are here because they love Thunderbirds. Whether or not they hold Fenders in such high regard is irrelevant, as is the occasional light hearted joking about FSO.

Some people need to learn how to read in context and not be so literal and thin skinned. Now, please pardon me while I go admire my latest Thunderbird acquisition.

+1 I know that I’m on here because I love basses, almost all basses. I am a member of the Thunderbird Club because, for one, a Thunderbird chose me, two, the members here rock in more ways than one and three, the members here ROCK!

 

[MCF]

How do I un-hear this?(and I have documented hearing loss)

You can’t. Her un auto tuned voice is horrible. And certain friends of mine hear don’t like Neil Young. Go figure.