Thunderbird Club

[TerribleTim68]

I've actually been trying to learn how to play slap, because my wife said she likes it. I won't say I'm successful at it, or even at learning it. So far it's been pretty feeble at best. But then again, I am a member of the mediocre club, so I guess that membership is valid thus far.

 

[dagrev]

What?

Actually, my hearing is fine, and that definitely qualifies as a miracle.

That's amazing. I can tell that my left ear is less than my right. I only noticed it when I put an earbud in my right and then my left and noticed it was not as loud. I try to go very couple years and have an ENT pull and flush out a of nasty stuff I've collected. Maybe I need to make that appt. Could be actual loss. I think 95% of my band settings I'm to the right of everything or at least the drums, exposing my left to most of the sound action.

 

[dagrev]

It is all a rich tapestry of poor decisions...

I like that. Reminds of the Dylanish saying: Your brain has been mismanaged with the greatest of care. Or something like that.

 

[Count Bassie]

Well if it's a pedal that can run on batteries, it can be modded to run on an adapter.

I'd figure... I mean, right?

 

[fasterpussycat]

I have never liked the term "Slap/Slapping" as applied to the bass guitar. I guess it makes a certain amount of sense, but I've always thought it's kind of a sloppy term.
Just kinda weird. I can dig it if it's musical, but it often just comes off as wankery.

And there you have it.

Well Johnny Long says 'thump'. He's a 'bit of a card' as we would say.

 

[Count Bassie]

Well Johnny Long says 'thump'. He's a 'bit of a card' as we would say.

This guy's pretty entertaining.

 

[Engle]

That's amazing. I can tell that my left ear is less than my right. I only noticed it when I put an earbud in my right and then my left and noticed it was not as loud. I try to go very couple years and have an ENT pull and flush out a of nasty stuff I've collected. Maybe I need to make that appt. Could be actual loss. I think 95% of my band settings I'm to the right of everything or at least the drums, exposing my left to most of the sound action.

I got my hearing tested a few weeks ago. I have a little loss at higher frequencies and the left is worse than the right. It's not surprising considering all the power tool use and loud music over the years.
I have fitted plugs and I wear them when playing loud / at shows.

 

[Engle]

Well Johnny Long says 'thump'. He's a 'bit of a card' as we would say.

I'm pretty sure Larry Graham said thumping, and he's the guy that started it.

 

[dagrev]

Good morning, and happy Friday everyone. I am back at my desk, working on files for next week and listening to a little Grateful Dead. I am planning on leaving a little early and going to see a guy on the south hill that has worked on my Portaflex once before. The tech at the authorized Ampeg service place is no longer there, so I have found someone else to work on it. It is a great amp, but has developed a bit of a rattle. I have tried to find it, even separating the head from the cab, to no avail. I am also taking my little Ashdown tube head in as well. I had a reply from Ashdown, and while it could be the 12AX7, it may also be one of the ICs. Anyway, hoping to get it repaired, as there is a gig coming up on the 11th. On New Years eve day, the new lead guitarist called me, and said he was out. There has been some dysfunction with this particular mix of people, and rehearsals have been a bit tense. I expected this to happen, but thought it would occur after the gig. The rest of us are meeting Sunday for a final (yikes!) rehearsal, band meeting and set list revision. Fortunately our keyboardist can also play guitar, and it will work fine. Just a little more band drama than I am accustomed to. I hope everyone has a good Friday and a great weekend. Go 'Hawks.

I really hate that. I don't like drama or adults who do. Band breakups can be and mostly are emotionally draining. Unless there's massive money life is too short for that kind of nonsense. Hopefully you can carry on with the rest or find a band of more adults.

 

[Greg P Schmidt]

My band has been together for 9 years, all original lineup. After 42 years of humping a bass and being in literally so many bands I've forgotten a lot them, the secret to our success is we rarely practice. If we are gigging steadily, we fix mistakes on the fly. We practice if there's been a lull in gigging and we need to blow some cobwebs off. Seriously. Not that we haven't wanted to kill each other from time to time, but since we don't see each other weekly, it helps.

Who said, a band is like a marriage to multiple partners, just no sex. That's pretty close.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

As far as that pedal of mine loaded with AC batteries, I don't know what to say. Pleading blinkard ignorance. But now I'll bring it to my electronics engineer friend- who likes to explain things to me in Electrese- and get him to sort me out with it.
I shall return with a straight story. And maybe a modded pedal...

or modded batteries.

 

[Count Bassie]

or modded batteries.

Now that's an interesting idea!

...

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Now that's an interesting idea!

...

Little bitty fission-powered AC generators.

 

[Nocturnal]

I am surprised that you can return earplugs.



am I the only one playing in a group with an accordion?

I'm looking forward to getting the good ol' mouth organ happening this year.

If I played in a band with an accordion I would WANT to wear earplugs!!!

Gibson Thunderbird vs. Gibson Krist Novoselic Signature RD?
View attachment 3654023

I have the TBird, but I'd love to hear any input from anyone who's played the RD (not the Artist RD)

I owned one of the RD Novoselic sig basses for a couple of years. At 11 lbs +/- it was the heaviest bass I have ever played (Although my Schecter Sixx sig is pretty damn close in weight.). I found the Jazz pickups to be very weak sounding so I modified it to have some real balls. I added a Dimarzio X2NB in the neck and a Bill Lawrence L500 in the bridge. I had both pickups wired for coil tapping with push/pull pots, moved the input jack to the end (Like on a Tbird), added a kill switch in the original input jack hole, and replaced the 3 point with a Hipshot. It was a nice bass that had a lot of usable sounds but if I did it again I would use the Dimarzio X2N instead as the X2NB could get close to Mudbucker wooliness. I ended up flipping it when I needed to cover a major purchase as I didn't play it as much as my other basses because of the weight. I would absolutely own another RD (Such as a 2018 model) if the right deal presented itself.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Little bitty fission-powered AC generators.

one of these will do it, notice how small it is...it would not be even noticed in the battery pack..1.5Vdc to 1.5Vac conversion....but, since an AC powered pedal will usually work with a DC supply...becomes a no-care..

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

My band has been together for 9 years, all original lineup. After 42 years of humping a bass and being in literally so many bands I've forgotten a lot them, the secret to our success is we rarely practice. If we are gigging steadily, we fix mistakes on the fly. We practice if there's been a lull in gigging and we need to blow some cobwebs off. Seriously. Not that we haven't wanted to kill each other from time to time, but since we don't see each other weekly, it helps.

Who said, a band is like a marriage to multiple partners, just no sex. That's pretty close.

i was in a house band with these clowns for almost 7 years at a bar called The Navy in Marbella in the mid 80's. we played six nights a week and the contract included a 4 bedroom apartment where we all lived above the bar....we would avoid each other on our time off....if you walked into a bar and saw another band member you would either walk out or ignore.....it got so bad, the keyboardist (white suit) would setup the PA (in the summer we played beach parties on Sundays since we didn't play Sunday nights) so that it was grounded at a different gnd feed point than the amplifier backline so that the guitarist (left) would zap his lips every time he sang and had his hands on the guitar strings cause he used to scam on his girlfriends...one day, i woke up and thought enough and off to California i went..

 

[TBird1958]

i was in a house band with these clowns for almost 7 years at a bar called The Navy in Marbella in the mid 80's. we played six nights a week and the contract included a 4 bedroom apartment where we all lived above the bar....we would avoid each other on our time off....if you walked into a bar and saw another band member you would either walk out or ignore.....it got so bad, the keyboardist (white suit) would setup the PA (in the summer we played beach parties on Sundays since we didn't play Sunday nights) so that it was grounded at a different gnd feed point than the amplifier backline so that the guitarist (left) would zap his lips every time he sang and had his hands on the guitar strings cause he used to scam on his girlfriends...one day, i woke up and thought enough and off to California i went..
View attachment 3654221

So, of the gentlemen left out of your narrative you are that handsome guy in the suspenders?

 

[gaffster]

AC batteries, LOL. Some of those wall-worts are just transformers that do put out AC. I designed avionics hardware for about 40 years. One of the most fun projects I did was a cockpit audio mixer for regional jets. Lots of equipment (radios, sitcom, nav equipment, etc) put out aural alerts and they need prioritization and mixing. Ground proximity warning takes precedence over collisions and they both take priority over windshear alerts. If you get all three simultaneously, well you booked a bad flight. Many electrical engineers happen to be musicians. Makes sense since music is math....sort of. One company I worked for was called ROCK-WELL. Didn't wanna let them down.

 

[gaffster]

i was in a house band with these clowns for almost 7 years at a bar called The Navy in Marbella in the mid 80's.
I remember playing in a band with a guy that always wore "Hammer pants".

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

So, of the gentlemen left out of your narrative you are that handsome guy in the suspenders?

Lol!! c'mon, it was the 80s!