Thunderbird Club

[Instagator]

Wow. Makes me wonder how the seller came by it. Case and parts are worth more than that.

 

[dukeorock]

I know I'll be getting a second 'Bird, that's an undisputed fact and I'm not even gonna try to pretend otherwise. That TBird voodoo thing is just too compelling not to surrender to.

Apart from knowing I want a neck-through model, I'm not sure what to focus on: a Gibby, which is always choice numero uno, but for all the love I have for playing bass and 'Birds, music is still a hobby and spending 3K CDN for a new instrument doesn't fully register. Used 'Birds are rather scarce around here but I'm keeping my eyes opened. I also usually steer clear of active basse, so it rules out another model, leaving only the discontinued Classic Pro IV (which I know and owned in the past, but doesn't sound quite as full as I'd like) or the more recent Vintage Pros, which I haven't tried because no local shops carry them at this point.

Time for a drink.

a CP with ThunderBuckers or Lollars would be sweet if you can’t find a Gibson

Anyone know what these pickups are?

They look like TV Jones pickups to me

EDIT- probably not

 

[MCF]

Wow, flashed - I'd nearly forgotten that phenomenon. Brings to mind "streaking"

Eveyting’s beautiful.

 

[Count Bassie]

What does the HPF do for you?

Stops low freqs at a selected frequency. I have it set around 50, and it seems to me to have made a difference in percieved presence for the live mix.
Being that very low freqs take more power to produce, and the speakers aren't that good that low anyway, I don't let them into the party. It's supposed to save wear and tear on speakers and make your sound less blurry.
I think it's actually doing that.

 

[Nocturnal]

a CP with ThunderBuckers or Lollars would be sweet if you can’t find a Gibson



They look like TV Jones pickups to me

I asked him about the pickups and this was his response:

"They’re Chinese single coil guitar pickups
Sounded pretty good but I have EMGs in there now & its sounds WAY better"

So it doesn't really clear it up but the P90 guess may be correct.

 

[BklynKen]

Stops low freqs at a selected frequency. I have it set around 50, and it seems to me to have made a difference in percieved presence for the live mix.
Being that very low freqs take more power to produce, and the speakers aren't that good that low anyway, I don't let them into the party. It's supposed to save wear and tear on speakers and make your sound less blurry.
I think it's actually doing that.

Interesting. Maybe I just lack in experience, but that sort of thinking never occurred to me. I just plug in with my dirt pedal, tweak some EQ, and go.

 

[MCF]

I asked him about the pickups and this was hi response:

"They’re Chinese single coil guitar pickups
Sounded pretty good but I have EMGs in there now & its sounds WAY better"

So it doesn't really clear it up but the P90 guess may be correct.

I had fun watching and listening to some of their videos. Another band to pay attention to. I love this place.

 

[dukeorock]

Interesting. Maybe I just lack in experience, but that sort of thinking never occurred to me. I just plug in with my dirt pedal, tweak some EQ, and go.

Typically, a dirt box shrinks some of the deepest lows anyway, but HPF’s do work for real. Many times, your amp is losing headroom trying to reproduce deeps lows you’re not really hearing anyway. I shave off below around 40hz on electric and closer to 60hz on upright. Works well

 

[BklynKen]

Typically, a dirt box shrinks some of the deepest lows anyway, but HPF’s do work for real. Many times, your amp is losing headroom trying to reproduce deeps lows you’re not really hearing anyway. I shave off below around 40hz on electric and closer to 60hz on upright. Works well

Hmmm. The Damnation does let a lot of clean bass through, but I'll definitely think about it if it comes up with the current project I'm working with. But also, like I've mentioned before, in NYC you're usually at the mercy of whatever house rig you're forced to play through. How many times have I gotten to use the GK MB500 I got years ago when I was playing consistently in a band? 0. Wishful thinking I guess.

 

[JIO]

Typically, a dirt box shrinks some of the deepest lows anyway, but HPF’s do work for real. Many times, your amp is losing headroom trying to reproduce deeps lows you’re not really hearing anyway. I shave off below around 40hz on electric and closer to 60hz on upright. Works well

I think that's what my BBE Sonic Stomp pedal does - I think of it as a comb that clarifies the tone/sound w/o changing it. I leave it on whenever plugged in whether with or w/o other pedals.

 

[Count Bassie]

Interesting. Maybe I just lack in experience, but that sort of thinking never occurred to me. I just plug in with my dirt pedal, tweak some EQ, and go.

I've been interested in it, especially playing dub-style reggae during the summers... get a combination of enough lows and enough presence in the mix has always been an issue. Lately I've found that I don't need much below 80Hz to deliver, much lower than that starts sucking up available power for little result.

 

[Count Bassie]

Typically, a dirt box shrinks some of the deepest lows anyway, but HPF’s do work for real. Many times, your amp is losing headroom trying to reproduce deeps lows you’re not really hearing anyway. I shave off below around 40hz on electric and closer to 60hz on upright. Works well

Better than my labored explanation.

 

[dukeorock]

I've been interested in it, especially playing dub-style reggae during the summers... get a combination of enough lows and enough presence in the mix has always been an issue. Lately I've found that I don't need much below 80Hz to deliver, much lower than that starts sucking up available power for little result.

How high you set an HPF can also depend on how steep the slope is on any given unit. My Grace Felix pre has two pretty decent HPF’s and my Broughton HPF/LPF works really nice on certain tube amps

 

[fasterpussycat]

How high you set an HPF can also depend on how steep the slope is on any given unit. My Grace Felix pre has two pretty decent HPF’s and my Broughton HPF/LPF works really nice on certain tube amps

When I'm using supplied backline the H+LPF helps to stop speakers being flogged to death and allows tuning out of low end boom (car subwoofer effect).

When used with the Traynor YBA200, the H+LPF works in conjunction with the resonance (feedback) knob to give lots of low end 'pillow' without it turning to mush.

 

[BklynKen]

When I'm using supplied backline the H+LPF helps to stop speakers being flogged to death and allows tuning out of low end boom (car subwoofer effect).

Ok, now I'm understanding the use of these in a live setting. You've encountered that boom often? I know what you're talking about, but I think I've historically used my dirt pedal to tighten things up. Granted, the HOF would probably be the more elegant way. Like a lightsaber. I guess if I start playing out regularly with this project, I'll see if the need comes up.

 

[TBird1958]

I know I'll be getting a second 'Bird, that's an undisputed fact and I'm not even gonna try to pretend otherwise. That TBird voodoo thing is just too compelling not to surrender to.

Apart from knowing I want a neck-through model, I'm not sure what to focus on: a Gibby, which is always choice numero uno, but for all the love I have for playing bass and 'Birds, music is still a hobby and spending 3K CDN for a new instrument doesn't fully register. Used 'Birds are rather scarce around here but I'm keeping my eyes opened. I also usually steer clear of active basse, so it rules out another model, leaving only the discontinued Classic Pro IV (which I know and owned in the past, but doesn't sound quite as full as I'd like) or the more recent Vintage Pros, which I haven't tried because no local shops carry them at this point.

Time for a drink.

I'd suggest an Orville, Epiphone Elitist or Greco as nice choices at less $$$ than Gibson, but that said, I love my Gibson Birds best of all, they're the Real Deal.

 

[Glenn Johnson]

The "Fender style" straight neck with string-guide along with it being a bolt-on was a cost-saving move. The intention was cost-saving to make but also repair-minded for gigging musicians, as in; if the hs or neck broke - a new neck is installed and the guitar would quickly be playable again. Although the "Gibson style" set-back hs is a superior design, a neck-thru is more costly (time & money) to make & repair.

Superior is subjective. The neck - thru is "superior" to the set neck, and the set neck is "superior" to the bolt on - in some ways. In other ways, those 2 designs are inferior to the bolt on. Also, there are tonal differences between all 3 designs that distinguish them from each other. Some players prefer the feel and sound of a bolt on neck. Others don't. I guess what I am saying is that none of these designs are subjectively superior to the other - just different.

 

[Glenn Johnson]

I've had nothing but flats on my 67 NR Bird for about 20 years.

Anyone playing the new ovalwound strings yet?

 

[TBird1958]

I hear ya, never really understood until I saw them live for the first time at the Seattle Coliseum, probably 1982. Hooked ever since. Saw more shows every chance I had. Bobby brought Ratdog to the old Fox theater in Spokane a few years ago and played a great show. I wish Phil would come to town, love his sound and style of playing.

Ahhh. The Colisuem in Seattle, saw my very first show there in '73, Alice Cooper Billion Dollar Babies tour - it was my first date with a girl too

 

[Glenn Johnson]

yep, I’ve been fine except for smoke induced asthma and ashes and burnt leaves falling. I’m just far enough away, the bush and fields close to me luckily stayed unburnt except for little bits here and there.
One day I found ‘crow feathers’ in the backyard. Turned out to be gum leaves burnt totally black that had drifted in on the wind.

What is going on there is just terrible. All you from down under be safe and stay healthy!!!