Thunderbird Club

[dagrev]

100 Watts of pure 1959 Deluxe glory..
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Ooooooo weeee!

 

[MCF]

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I am not a big fan of the JC tonewise. Maybe I would like it better if it had a neck that didn't go out of adjustment every other week, and if the 12th fret could be properly seated on the E string side. Even so, I don't dig the tone. YMMV.

I don’t have enough exposure to them to know one way or the other. My local where I got the Goth had a new old stock one last year (new owners cleaning house at great price) that I played a bit. Didn’t seem to fit me right so I passed. Went back, gave it some more play, but decided it was not for me. Wasn’t really concentrating on tone, more of a playability thing with that particular one. I’ll probably pick up a hollow body one day, but more likely a Hag over a JC. Who knows.

 

[dagrev]

Not certain but I believe it's an amplifier.

Mystery solved!

 

[dagrev]

And then there is cabinet design. And horn loading. And folded horns. Mmmm! Folded horns!

Been a long time since I got to play through a folded horn cab. Sure loved it. I recall Peter Frampton's bassist (John Regan) used one in recent years.

 

[FlyingPigSound]

One additional factor to consider:

With the JC being semi-hollow, it has a light body and a propensity to neck dive. With an extra pound or so at the bridge. It balances well (small tug countered by strap friction). I suspect adding Hipshot ultralights would be even better.

I thought the same thing, but I found that the Hipshot, while heavier than the stock bridge, didn’t make a significant difference in balance or tone. I went back to the stock bridge. I found that Hipshot to be ugly and not well suited to the JC body which isn’t flat. I’ve read threads where players used washers or spacers of different sorts to make the Hipshot or Babicz work, but I found all those fixes halfazz and wonky.
I’ve never had any issues with neck dive on a Gibson or Epi that a simple 2” leather strap didn’t resolve (other than an Epi EB-3 that was a hopeless neck diver)

 

[FlyingPigSound]

I looked at those-and others-to replace the P/J pups on[no longer]my EpiBird 5er. With the routing involved-beyond my abilities-and the fact that the neck and my left hand never quite got along, the project didn't get off the ground.

Many of them, the SD pups included don’t need any mods.
I’m just going to stick with my beautiful Gibson TBird with stock everything, it works just fine. I only added chrome knob indicator washers and TI jazz flat strings. Quite happy

 

[FlyingPigSound]

Well Thunderbird players, the verdict is in on the new to me Gibson RD after band rehearsal last night.
By the third song, I was back to my TBird, and we all agreed that the RD had a bit more bite and sustain, the TBird sounded better in the mix.
That and the TBird is sexier and MUCH lighter

 

[PillO]

I thought the same thing, but I found that the Hipshot, while heavier than the stock bridge, didn’t make a significant difference in balance or tone. I went back to the stock bridge. I found that Hipshot to be ugly and not well suited to the JC body which isn’t flat. I’ve read threads where players used washers or spacers of different sorts to make the Hipshot or Babicz work, but I found all those fixes halfazz and wonky.
I’ve never had any issues with neck dive on a Gibson or Epi that a simple 2” leather strap didn’t resolve (other than an Epi EB-3 that was a hopeless neck diver)

As @GonePlaid would say - twitchy zone.

Aesthetics are a personal thing. I like the look and functionality of the Hipshot, so I have it on the JC. I don't think that (for me) bridge has any impact on tone. But I am a hack who wears a watermelon helmet.

My EB3 really does head for the floor and I don't think that ultralights or anything else will ever help it. But it is awesome strung BEAD. It makes the case for having some bridge pick up blended in.

 

[PillO]

Playing keyboards out at a fish camp today on the edge of the swamp. Gotta look to my right to keep an eye on the gators cruising by. I will get with the manager and try to get a gig with another band out here so I can rock my t-bird and swat the skeeters simultaneously.
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Good thing you are not a bird watcher. That appears to be some sort of crane, not an alligator (which, as far as I know, is not a bird).

 

[BklynKen]

Been a long time since I got to play through a folded horn cab. Sure loved it. I recall Peter Frampton's bassist (John Regan) used one in recent years.

Interesting. Regan played with Ace Frehley in the Frehley's Comet days.

 

[dagrev]

Interesting. Regan played with Ace Frehley in the Frehley's Comet days.

Did not know that. I heard he's played with a lot of people, but never looked into who. Didn't recall Frehley had a solo thing. But I was never interested in KISS so that might explain it. Seems like Anton Fig did as well for a while, according to the interwebs.

 

[Larry V]

Did not know that. I heard he's played with a lot of people, but never looked into who. Didn't recall Frehley had a solo thing. But I was never interested in KISS so that might explain it. Seems like Anton Fig did as well for a while, according to the interwebs.

Yup, I saw Frehley's Comet open up for the Scorpions in the late 80's. It was a mess but the Scorpions were the reason I was there in the first place.

 

[PillO]

Interesting. Regan played with Ace Frehley in the Frehley's Comet days.

The dangers of not reading the quoted post. My first thought was "Ronald Reagan wasn't a musician..." And then a little look around the inter-tubes demonstrates that indeed Ronald Reagan did associate with some rock stars...

For that matter, so did Maggie Thatcher - she was friends with Ian Rubbish.


And it all has to be true because it is on the internet!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

The dangers of not reading the quoted post. My first thought was "Ronald Reagan wasn't a musician..." And then a little look around the inter-tubes demonstrates that indeed Ronald Reagan did associate with some rock stars...
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For that matter, so did Maggie Thatcher - she was friends with Ian Rubbish.


And it all has to be true because it is on the internet!

I don’t recall who it started with (Carter?), but most -if not all - presidents since Nixon have associated with at least a couple of rock stars at some level. Can’t recall about Agnew.
Nixon almost associated with Grace Slick, but that didn’t happen. Probably for the best, given that she planned to drop acid into his drink if she could. Unlikely to have pulled it off, but still.

 

[PillO]

I don’t recall who it started with (Carter?), but most -if not all - presidents since Nixon have associated with at least a couple of rock stars at some level. Can’t recall about Agnew.
Nixon almost associated with Grace Slick, but that didn’t happen. Probably for the best, given that she planned to drop acid into his drink if she could. Unlikely to have pulled it off, but still.

Didn't Nixon deputize Elvis?

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I thought the same thing, but I found that the Hipshot, while heavier than the stock bridge, didn’t make a significant difference in balance or tone. I went back to the stock bridge. I found that Hipshot to be ugly and not well suited to the JC body which isn’t flat. I’ve read threads where players used washers or spacers of different sorts to make the Hipshot or Babicz work, but I found all those fixes halfazz and wonky.
I’ve never had any issues with neck dive on a Gibson or Epi that a simple 2” leather strap didn’t resolve (other than an Epi EB-3 that was a hopeless neck diver)

your post may point to the often asked question of the origin of the three point...
seems like from the get-go Gibson used floating bridges on their basses because the early Gibson basses were arched top?

then they modified it and added the third stud and used it on solid body basses as well instead of designing a more appropriate bridge since they already had something that 'worked'? dunno...

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Didn't Nixon deputize Elvis?

would love to hear about that.

 

[PillO]

would love to hear about that.

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[GonePlaid]

Good thing you are not a bird watcher. That appears to be some sort of crane, not an alligator (which, as far as I know, is not a bird).

Thassa Great Blue Heron.

 

[fasterpussycat]

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I am not a big fan of the JC tonewise. Maybe I would like it better if it had a neck that didn't go out of adjustment every other week, and if the 12th fret could be properly seated on the E string side. Even so, I don't dig the tone. YMMV.

Cool. More for the rest of us.