Thunderbird Club

[Count Bassie]

We probably have. My memory is terrible.

Hey, remember that time you offered to trade your 2013 'Bird for my dirt pedal?...

 

[GonePlaid]

I think we have discussed this before...

Short answer - Yes!

Long Answer - Yes! It is really good beer.

Rhyme and Reason, Ransack the Universe and Saint of Circumstance are go-to beers for me.

I don't limit to one brewery. I am also a fan of (in no particular order) Great Lakes (the one in Toronto, not the one in Cleveland, not that there is anything wrong with the one in Cleveland), Sawdust City, and Double Trouble. I am always open to trying a new beer.

May I suggest Innis and Gunn Bourbon Barrel Porter and Founder's KBS(Kentucky Breakfast Stout)?

 

[Gaolee]

Simply put, if you leave it out (where you will be more apt to grab and play it!) in a room that gets average sunlight - it will slowly amber.

Absolutely. The circumstance it will live in is a little different. The music room is in the basement with only north facing windows. The bass guitars have a rotation, and I don't play any one of them all that much, even though I play plenty. The ones that are not in use are in their cases, with the exception of the fretless, which is my figuring out things tool for some reason. The PinkBird will get played. It may become the usual gig bass, just because it will be outrageous looking. For now, the '01 is that bass. It looks like every other burst reissue Thunderbird.

I fully expect it will amber with time no matter what. It won't stay blue/lavender/pink forever. My expectation is that the finish will oxidize a bit over time and change color, whether it's in UV light or not. Letting that happen will be part of the joy of having this bass. It's not like I'm ruining a priceless '63 if something happens to it. It's a refinished, somewhat battered '91 reissue that's already been modified and had some holes drilled in it to install covers, pickup rings, and different tuning machines. In time, I expect it to be a different color under the covers and pickguards.

I don't know how fast it will change color. That's going to be a new adventure.

 

[Gaolee]

Thanks! That was very intentional! The tail-piece is from a 60's Japanese short-scale bass. I designed the body so with a Dunlop Strap-Lok strap installed - it stands securely upright against an amp. No need for a separate stand at a gig.

That's ingenious. Thunderbirds are the exact opposite of that.

 

[BklynKen]

Hey, remember that time you offered to trade your 2013 'Bird for my dirt pedal?...

Yeah, but then you realized it was left-handed and decided to just give me your dirt pedal anyway. Still waiting for that.

 

[GonePlaid]

That's ingenious. Thunderbirds are the exact opposite of that.

True! Ya wanna see neckdive? Lean yer TBird against an amp, then step away.

 

[JD Ronson]

A moment of thankfulness:
2 of my basses are neck-through - my LTD Bunny Brunel Fretless, and my Epi Vintage Pro T-Bird. Then there's my old Squier Jazz bass that I have been upgrading. The great thing about the neck-through basses is that they don't suffer the bolt-on neck warp issues - the bad is that if the necks ever DO have warping, they can't be swapped out. Personally, I'm REALLY HAPPY with my neck-through basses.

My Jazz bass has a warped neck. I'm at a crossroads. I bought it for $75, upgraded the crap knobs and junk pickguard. I really want to fix the neck - but then I'm pushing another few $$.

I'm loving that I have a 'junk' bass to work on, but REALLY THANKFUL that I have 2 outstanding basses with well-built components. Right now, I'm still EXTREMELY happy with my T-Bird. Interestingly going to add:

The PUPS on the T-BIRD are HOT. I was gigging a couple weeks back, and with my fretless Aguilar OBP-3 Preamp on, it still doesn't have the output gain level anywhere close to the T-bird - and the T-bird is passive. It sports the Epi ProBucker Bass pups, and I LOVE them.

I'm attempting to convert that Jazz Bass to a 5-string so that I have 2 basses with similar output. I think the T-Bird is my main bass at the moment. It's interesting, because my band is a country / classic rock cover band, and the T-bird definitely has an interesting sound with country music.

 

[Gaolee]

...I think the T-Bird is my main bass at the moment. It's interesting, because my band is a country / classic rock cover band, and the T-bird definitely has an interesting sound with country music.

Proving once again that you can play any kind of music on any bass and make it work perfectly. Once a Thunderbird chooses you, you can play anything and it will fit right in.

Your Squier sounds like a fun project. It's always a blast to make something out of not much. In my experience, it usually costs more in the end, but the entertainment in figuring it out and making it work is worth the premium in time and money over just buying something else.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Proving once again that you can play any kind of music on any bass and make it work perfectly. Once a Thunderbird chooses you, you can play anything and it will fit right in.

Your Squier sounds like a fun project. It's always a blast to make something out of not much. In my experience, it usually costs more in the end, but the entertainment in figuring it out and making it work is worth the premium in time and money over just buying something else.

Not just entertainment. For most of us, education as well.

 

[JD Ronson]

Not just entertainment. For most of us, education as well.

My fretless bass taught me all about replacing pots, and the importance of tweaking a setup... Junk pots came out of the Korean factory. Scratchy as sin when blending the Neck / Bridge pickups. I learned a little about boring holes for the upgrades...

The Squier is already invaluable. I'm going to try to correct the Ski Ramp warp on my own with the factory neck. Being that it's mainly just a minor choke on the 15th fret, I think some fret leveling may just take care of it. If I upgrade to the 5 string neck in the end, I'll sure likely have some fun with the Dremel making it fit. In the end, I can't imagine the body of the Squier (Especially of this era) is too dramatically different than that of a MIA Fender. If I'm correct, the MIM stuff in the mid 90's were basically loads of MIA parts that were shipped there for assembly.

What I've learned here is that there are SO many variables that it's nearly impossible to find a wrong answer. Every bass has its own tone, its own vibe, its own life. Even if we mod them, it just makes them that much more tuned into what makes them OURS. Being that I'm not just a musician, but that I'm also a tinkerer and garage handyman, it only adds layers to the dimensions of entertainment I get and can pass on.

 

[Count Bassie]

Yeah, but then you realized it was left-handed and decided to just give me your dirt pedal anyway. Still waiting for that.

Oh yeah... lol...

 

[PillO]

Proving once again that you can play any kind of music on any bass and make it work perfectly. Once a Thunderbird chooses you, you can play anything and it will fit right in.

Yeah. Just don't mix your drivers or heads will explode.

 

[georgiagoodie]

What are the pickups on your '54 P?

Nordy Big Splits (or maybe Big Singles...they were on her when I got her).

 

[georgiagoodie]

yeah, I like'em....prolly cause I've been playing'em forever....they can't touch a T-Bird for many things (specially tone) but as a whole...are those white pups all DiMarzio's?.....my Elite....
View attachment 3485894

The pups on "Pearl" are Fralins (after-market white covers) and the pups on the '74 are DiMarzio Model Js.

 

[JIO]

That's ingenious. Thunderbirds are the exact opposite of that.

Yep - was especially inspired as a T-bird owner/player. Even a Jazz bass can lean against an amp - and a T-bird is only secure from a neck-hanging stand.

 

[GBassNorth]

A moment of thankfulness:
2 of my basses are neck-through - my LTD Bunny Brunel Fretless, and my Epi Vintage Pro T-Bird. Then there's my old Squier Jazz bass that I have been upgrading. The great thing about the neck-through basses is that they don't suffer the bolt-on neck warp issues - the bad is that if the necks ever DO have warping, they can't be swapped out. Personally, I'm REALLY HAPPY with my neck-through basses.

My Jazz bass has a warped neck. I'm at a crossroads. I bought it for $75, upgraded the crap knobs and junk pickguard. I really want to fix the neck - but then I'm pushing another few $$.

I'm loving that I have a 'junk' bass to work on, but REALLY THANKFUL that I have 2 outstanding basses with well-built components. Right now, I'm still EXTREMELY happy with my T-Bird. Interestingly going to add:

The PUPS on the T-BIRD are HOT. I was gigging a couple weeks back, and with my fretless Aguilar OBP-3 Preamp on, it still doesn't have the output gain level anywhere close to the T-bird - and the T-bird is passive. It sports the Epi ProBucker Bass pups, and I LOVE them.

I'm attempting to convert that Jazz Bass to a 5-string so that I have 2 basses with similar output. I think the T-Bird is my main bass at the moment. It's interesting, because my band is a country / classic rock cover band, and the T-bird definitely has an interesting sound with country music.

Great story and info!
If you love to tinker you've gotta try different types of strings on your VP Bird. The pups on that bird are incredibly responsive to different types of strings, moreso than just about any other bass I own. Cobalt flats on a VP would make a killer Country / Classic rock machine.

 

[JIO]

Proving once again that you can play any kind of music on any bass and make it work perfectly. Once a Thunderbird chooses you, you can play anything and it will fit right in.

Your Squier sounds like a fun project. It's always a blast to make something out of not much. In my experience, it usually costs more in the end, but the entertainment in figuring it out and making it work is worth the premium in time and money over just buying something else.

Played my '64 II for years in Chicago playing in a blues band. Both guitarists also played Gibsons (335's) so it was a Gibson stronghold. My rig was an Acoustic 150b with a 2x15" cab.

 

[JIO]

View attachment 3486029

Nice! Is the finish original?

 

[GBassNorth]

?.....The '62 has a killer neck with amazing pattern ins the grain. You'd pay extra for a neck that looks like that now.
View attachment 3486029

Very nice Jazz! I have its younger brother, a 1968 Precision, aged to a wonderful French vanilla color...

...love how this one plays and sounds.

 

[DDXdesign]

Hey there Bird brothers! I have an opinion question!!

If one were to want to add a strap button extension via a plate from the neck heel, instead of adding a post and button to the upper bout itself, which of these configurations do you think would be more useful especially to combat the “bass rolling away from you” phenomenon? Mimicking where it would be and how it would be oriented as if you *were* using a post and button coming out from the bout itself (left side of pic) or placing the button facing forward from a flat plate (right side of pic)?

Thanks!!