Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

Which Bartolinis are those, and how do they sound?

They are the Bartolini Classic Humbuckers. They sound nothing like what I was expecting based on previous installations. It might be the strings or possibly the preamp or dare I say, the wood. But these pickups have an exceptionally musical note to them (if that makes any sense). With everything centered and both pups on in single coil mode the bass sounds more like a baritone guitar, crisp, clear and perfectly voiced for chord and harmonics work. Of course you can easily dial in that Jazz nasal tone/burp in single coil mode. For a real thrill, switch to Humbucker mode and crank the bass boost up 18db for massive earth shattering sub bass tones (guaranteed to rearrange all the furniture in the house).

It's actually a similar tone shaping concept to the 2015 TBird except the active preamp in this beast adds a bunch of useable options on the top end and the bottom end has even more beef.

I really like the Bart's, more so than EMG offerings I've tried. Aguilar or SD would have been interesting as well. The Bart's were the closest fit to the existing pup routes but still required a bit of shaving or sanding the cavity to fit proper.

 

[Nocturnal]

I'm more a book person than movie person, so I would have never known what this was about without having seen the Stiller reference in another thread.

Maybe you like to read because you attended:
“The Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Who Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too”??

 

[JIO]

One of the great things about BMM is that it changes so much with the light. It can look lavender or brown or purple or pink. It can look light or dark. All colors change some with different lighting, but BMM changes a lot with different lighting.

That is true, but it's also true that there are many different BBM's out there. (Fender, Squier, Gilson and Epiphone all used it) The same can be said for most of the classic colours. Other than black and straight white (called a few different names), I can't think of one that is truly consistent from guitar to guitar. Fiesta Red varies wildly. CAR can start with a gold or silver base and looks different sitting next to each other. Even Oly white varies. The J in the pic I posted is vintage and has amber'd nicely over time but it's also under warm light further effecting its hue toward a brownish tint. Out of the gate BBM looks more lavender-pink.

 

[dagrev]

I still have no idea.
OTOH, I liked Blue Steels OK for guitar. Have never tried them on bass. Happy enough with the chrome flats that expect to leave them on til they're dead.

I don't think we're missing anything really.
Never used their guitar strings. Chromes were one of those things that never worked for me. Loved the feel. Not the tone. I do like Fender flats (made my DA) on my '76 TBird. Feel the same but they have a thicker, less boomy sound in my uses.

 

[dagrev]

Maybe you like to read because you attended:
“The Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Who Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too”??

 

[GBassNorth]

That’s really cool. Never saw that on a TBird. I’ve got a EBMM StingRay 5 HH that has a switch that gets similar combinations, and I like that too.

I went thru a lot of different wiring options when I was modding this bass and came to the conclusion that it was the most useable coil switching option for the way I play.

I tried Series parallel switching and found that I ended up leaving the switch in series mode nearly all the time, so that option was useless for me. I also tried a triple pole switch option that was outside coils in series/full Humbucker/inside coils in series, but there just wasn't enough difference in sound between the outside and inside coil options to make it worth while. I even tried the 2015 TBird option of two separate switches to allow individual selection of single coil/Humbucker on each pup. But I found that I rarely only needed one pup in single coil at a time and when I did I was usually soloing that pup, so the Vol/Vol knob layout with a single coil split switch met that need. So goes my big adventure in switching options.

 

[GBassNorth]

It’s a mental rabbit hole, thinking about blend vs VV!
I used a Bournes pot if that makes a difference.

I find it does what I need it to do, which adjusts the ratio of bridge/neck so I can get the sound I want. The important thing to me is I can adjust my volume with one knob and I don’t change that blend ratio.
Otherwise, I’m reaching for the Volume on the amp.
At some point I’ll install one in my VP.

I personally like a Vol/Vol layout much more than a typical blend pot due to the inherent drop in volume at Dead center. But I love the useability of a single knob to adjust volume without effecting the blend ratio.

Consequently, my preferred layout is a stacked Vol/Vol pot. That allows you to set each pup at the volume you want and then if you want to turn the overall sound up or down without changing the blend you just grasp both the top and bottom knobs together and turn. Easy solution and eliminates the need for another knob.

On one of my builds I worked with John East to custom design a three knob preamp that was volume, volume, neck bass, neck treb, neck bright, bridge bass, bridge treb, bridge bright. Three stacked pots covered all the bases.

 

[TBird1958]

Me and my "7azz" bass.

 

[JIO]

The Ox doesn't get a lot of screen time here - but he's flyin' on that classic bass-line. There must be more versions of this song by more artists than any other song.

 

[GBassNorth]

The '15 does something similar. The pickups are tapped. I am not sure if that is single coil or just weaker. They sound thinner, so I assume single coil. It is hard to remember the last time I has no the switched. Neck pickup is nearly always full on except about 90% volume. That is a sweet spot on that bass.

I have the 2015. Yes the pups are individually coil tapped for Humbucker/single coil I assume all in series vs parallel. And you're dead on, the sweet spot on volume is around 90%. Anymore than that and the volume pot takes on a bizarre tone control override drastically increasing treble and changing the whole tone of the bass. I don't know why the volume pots on this bass behave this way, none of my other basses act similar (except my EB which has the same pots and controls).

 

[JIO]

Lightening bolts look promising. This looks even more promising:

Link Removed

Looks like it would have been a hit at Andy Warhols Factory in the 60's.

 

[JJR58]

Me and my "7azz" bass.

Vixen!!!

 

[JIO]

I personally like a Vol/Vol layout much more than a typical blend pot due to the inherent drop in volume at Dead center. But I love the useability of a single knob to adjust volume without effecting the blend ratio.

Consequently, my preferred layout is a stacked Vol/Vol pot. That allows you to set each pup at the volume you want and then if you want to turn the overall sound up or down without changing the blend you just grasp both the top and bottom knobs together and turn. Easy solution and eliminates the need for another knob.

On one of my builds I worked with John East to custom design a three knob preamp that was volume, volume, neck bass, neck treb, neck bright, bridge bass, bridge treb, bridge bright. Three stacked pots covered all the bases.

Experimenting with a myriad of tonal possibilities at the electronics is cool. My most sophisticated set-up to date has 2 Peavey buckers with each coil split and switchable for 15 setting options. It was fun working it all out (and believe me, I had help as I'm no electronics whiz) but at the end of the day - I love a simple system.

 

[Gaolee]

That is true, but it's also true that there are many different BBM's out there. (Fender, Squier, Gilson and Epiphone all used it) The same can be said for most of the classic colours. Other than black and straight white (called a few different names), I can't think of one that is truly consistent from guitar to guitar. Fiesta Red varies wildly. CAR can start with a gold or silver base and looks different sitting next to each other. Even Oly white varies. The J in the pic I posted is vintage and has amber'd nicely over time but it's also under warm light further effecting its hue toward a brownish tint. Out of the gate BBM looks more lavender-pink.

This is also all true. Andy asked if I wanted any UV inhibitor in the clear to mimize yellowing. I didn't. It will age as fast or as slow as it ages. Probably pretty slow here unless I leave it in a window.

 

[dagrev]

Me and my "7azz" bass.

Just betting it's a Jazz bass sound I can dig!

 

[PillO]

You are indeed full of.....bad ideas! Possibly bordering on criminally bad ideas. The sad thing is those likely do sell.

I specialize in bad advice!*

A friend once asked for an opinion of what to do - his ex had invited him to her wedding. I suggested that he RSVP for 3 and show up with two hookers call girls and if asked, explain that it is so that each have someone to talk to after he is finished.

* Mostly for my own amusement, but if someone takes it, it only adds to my amusement...

 

[JIO]

This is also true. Andy asked if I wanted any UV inhibitor in the clear to mimize yellowing. I didn't. It will age as fast or as slow as it ages. Probably pretty slow here unless I leave it in a window.

Will it have a lacquer clear-coat? If so it won't take as long as you think if left out in a sunny room. I have a bass neck that got cut-off sunlight (in not so sunny Pacifica!) and it amber'd on the part exposed in a less that favorable way! Luckily it's a prototype so no biggy.

 

[PillO]

I still have no idea.
OTOH, I liked Blue Steels OK for guitar. Have never tried them on bass. Happy enough with the chrome flats that expect to leave them on til they're dead.

Zoolander - Wikipedia

 

[Gaolee]

Will it have a lacquer clear-coat? If so it won't take as long as you think if left out in a sunny room. I have a bass neck that got cut-off sunlight (in not so sunny Pacifica!) and it amber'd on the part exposed in a less that favorable way! Luckily it's a prototype so no biggy.

Yes. Lacquer clear. It will mostly live in its case, and I do not play a lot of outdoor shows. It may not get into sunlight much at all. The amber will be an adventure. If I knew exactly what it would do, it would spoil some of the value for me.

 

[PillO]

Maybe you like to read because you attended:
“The Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Who Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too”??