Thunderbird Club

[BklynKen]

Oh! Lookie-lookie!!!

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I guess the Franklin Mint makes a lot of these.

Impostor!

 

[Gaolee]

Same answer for the Mets winning another World Series as getting a lefty VP, NR, etc. "Next year, next year."

It could be worse. You could be a Mariners fan.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Walnut Wednesday, I can do that...

Spector NS2-J Woodstock Special Edition #10 of 14 made
Highly Figured 5A Flamed Walnut top on a Walnut back...
View attachment 3535470
View attachment 3535471

Oh look... here it is with a THUNDERBIRD shaped object...
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what does the "J" stand for? somehow i thought NS2s were neckthrough..

 

[Gaolee]

No, you didn't

But I wasn't speaking about you in this case I was referring to folks, in general, obsessing over a 1/64" difference in string height and not being able to play their instrument because of said difference. And about folks, in general, obsessing over acclimating their instruments before playing.

Not poking at anyone in this thread or any person specifically, in fact. Just my musings about the concept and my experience of going decades of playing all over and never having experienced what those folks are so worried about

I mostly just play. If it needs adjustment, eventually somebody gets around to it. Maybe. So long as it's in tune and the intonation is good, then the prehistoric man his happy.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Impostor!

better?......

 

[GBassNorth]

No, you didn't

But I wasn't speaking about you in this case I was referring to folks, in general, obsessing over a 1/64" difference in string height and not being able to play their instrument because of said difference. And about folks, in general, obsessing over acclimating their instruments before playing.

Not poking at anyone in this thread or any person specifically, in fact. Just my musings about the concept and my experience of going decades of playing all over and never having experienced what those folks are so worried about

No offense taken.
And I agree, if you have to obsess over the frailness of your bass in normal working conditions then you probably have the wrong bass for the job (or you better have some robust backups).

Basses with a thin matte finish or oiled finish were my favorite outdoor extreme temp instruments. After seeing my buddies gorgeous Spector thick gloss finish crack all over like glass I realized not every tool can be used for every job. having the right tool makes all the difference in the world. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to use my Goth or VP in any indoor or outdoor live setting. But with the thick gloss on my Anniversary Bird there's no way I'd take it anywhere in sub freezing weather. Fortunately I have plenty of basses to choose from.

 

[Gaolee]

better?......
View attachment 3535607

Nope. It's not a Thunderbird.

 

[Cardinal Fang]

Or we could all do what the Pros do and hire a roadie and instrument tech to do all that stuff for us ahead of time so all we have to do is walk on stage and pick up the already plugged in, sound checked, tuned bass from the rack. And if we're really important, we can even stand on stage between songs while a hunched over guitar tech hurriedly scampers across the stage to strap a plugged in dropped tuned bass on us just in time to start the next song. LOL - we should all be that lucky.

Since you mention roadies... I was finally able to see Iron Maiden for the first time this year and I noticed that at no point did anyone on stage stomp a pedal, nor were there any pedals on the stage to be stomped now that I think about it. I assume that when one gets to Iron Maiden-level metal ability you 'have a guy for that', probably a roadie/instrument tech.

Pretty frickin' cool show, too.

Thank you for your pictures, they will be a good guideline. Good luck with the foot.

 

[GonePlaid]

Nope. It's not a Thunderbird.

Really short scale?

 

[BklynKen]

Here's another oddity. Sighting of both Guild and Gibson Thunderbirds in same video.

 

[GBassNorth]

what does the "J" stand for? somehow i thought NS2s were neckthrough..

Slight typo on my part, it should be this...

IIRC...
NS = Ned Steinbrenner body design
2 = number of pickups
J = type of pickups
SE = special edition
#10 = tenth bass made out of a 14 bass run
Woodstock, NY = location of manufacture
The Woodstock series is upscale to the European built basses, which are upscale to the Asia built basses.
Woodstock basses come in two price points - bolt on and the more expensive neck through.
Plays wonderfully but hasn't seen much strap time since the THUNDERBIRDS entered the picture.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Slight typo on my part, it should be this...
View attachment 3535617
IIRC...
NS = Ned Steinbrenner body design
2 = number of pickups
J = type of pickups
SE = special edition
#10 = tenth bass made out of a 14 bass run
Woodstock, NY = location of manufacture
The Woodstock series is upscale to the European built basses, which are upscale to the Asia built basses.
Woodstock basses come in two price points - bolt on and the more expensive neck through.
Plays wonderfully but hasn't seen much strap time since the THUNDERBIRDS entered the picture.

always wanted one...that body style is pretty rad and plays very comfortably

 

[JIO]

Or we could all do what the Pros do and hire a roadie and instrument tech to do all that stuff for us ahead of time so all we have to do is walk on stage and pick up the already plugged in, sound checked, tuned bass from the rack. And if we're really important, we can even stand on stage between songs while a hunched over guitar tech hurriedly scampers across the stage to strap a plugged in dropped tuned bass on us just in time to start the next song. LOL - we should all be that lucky.

I saw Wilco a few years ago - they are essentially a guitar band, sometimes as many as 3 guitars and a bass played on some songs. At the end of a number of songs, a separate tech for each guitarist would appear and hand each guitarist a different guitar and grab the one just played. We're talking Nascar pitstop fast - so pro. As would be expected from a bass-player, he used the same bass the whole show!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I mostly just play. If it needs adjustment, eventually somebody gets around to it. Maybe. So long as it's in tune and the intonation is good, then the prehistoric man his happy.

I learned to play on an acoustic 6 string with no truss rod that spent several years in a Georgia (S) attic. Once it spent some time stringless against a wall, and was converted from steel to nylon strings, it was ~3/4-7/8" high at the 12th fret. This may be why I prefer the action be as low as possible, but it's also why I can play high actions (though I dislike them).
Fortunately THUNDERBIRDS are perfectly happy with low action.

 

[BklynKen]

I saw Wilco a few years ago - they are essentially a guitar band, sometimes as many as 3 guitars and a bass played on some songs. At the end of a number of songs, a separate tech for each guitarist would appear and hand each guitarist a different guitar and grab the one just played. We're talking Nascar pitstop fast - so pro. As would be expected from a bass-player, he used the same bass the whole show!

When I saw Living Colour in 1989, Doug Wimbish did a bass switch by tossing them back and forth across the stage with his roadie.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

No offense taken.
And I agree, if you have to obsess over the frailness of your bass in normal working conditions then you probably have the wrong bass for the job (or you better have some robust backups).

Basses with a thin matte finish or oiled finish were my favorite outdoor extreme temp instruments. After seeing my buddies gorgeous Spector thick gloss finish crack all over like glass I realized not every tool can be used for every job. having the right tool makes all the difference in the world. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to use my Goth or VP in any indoor or outdoor live setting. But with the thick gloss on my Anniversary Bird there's no way I'd take it anywhere in sub freezing weather. Fortunately I have plenty of basses to choose from.

It wouldn't bother me if my Epi IV finish cracked, but if I had a vintage, custom, or fancy, expensive bass with a nice finish, I would definitely not be subjecting it to major local climate change.

 

[GonePlaid]

I saw Wilco a few years ago - they are essentially a guitar band, sometimes as many as 3 guitars and a bass played on some songs. At the end of a number of songs, a separate tech for each guitarist would appear and hand each guitarist a different guitar and grab the one just played. We're talking Nascar pitstop fast - so pro. As would be expected from a bass-player, he used the same bass the whole show!

I gotta wonder: how many people in the audience could discern any difference(sonically)between guitars. Not talking how each 'feels' to the player. Only the sounds the crowd hears. And at "normal" R&R show volumes, can anyone hear a difference?

 

[Kriegs]

It wouldn't bother me if my Epi IV finish cracked, but if I had a vintage, custom, or fancy, expensive bass with a nice finish, I would definitely not be subjecting it to major local climate change.

Some people want to use their stuff, others....

 

[Miles_ONeal]

In another thread, @Green Knight said, "One bass to rule them all, one bass to grind them, one bass to rock them all and in the pocket bind them."
THUNDERBIRD!

 

[GBassNorth]

always wanted one...that body style is pretty rad and plays very comfortably

It's a fairly small body, so it can look a bit odd on big and tall players but fits my 6 foot frame perfectly sitting or standing. Note that the Bolt on NS basses have a flatter less rounded body, almost a cross between a Spector and a Fodera. The Euro LX models are neck through and have the fully rounded NS2 type body, they are a real bargain on the used market. Here's my Euro 4 LX...