Thunderbird Club

[RedVee]

Do any of you use ReverbNation ?

 

[MCF]

me neither, a couple of the early albums were pretty groundbreaking but after that...

They got spotty after a while. The worst was the freebie they did to distribute through iTunes.

 

[Engle]

Do any of you use ReverbNation ?

I have stuff there for a couple of different bands. It works. They try really hard to get you to pay them for promotions.

 

[Klondike]

Know your Thunderbirds.....How to spot a Gibson and an Orville

Back side of the headstock, the green is an Orville, the purple is Gibson. Note the shape of the tuners, and how they're mounted, also of note is the threading on the tuner shaft.
View attachment 3753480

Note the width of the Orville's headstock.
View attachment 3753481

Note the shape of the neck heels
View attachment 3753482

Most telling here, note how the center block meets the body near the neck, while there is some inconsistency with Gibson over the many years of production, '76s don't seem to have this.

View attachment 3753483

Thank you so much for showing the differences. I am very visual and with a simple explanation I most certainly would NOT have gotten it. I like both of those but there is something about that Gibson that speaks to me!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Know your Thunderbirds.....How to spot a Gibson and an Orville

Back side of the headstock, the green is an Orville, the purple is Gibson. Note the shape of the tuners, and how they're mounted, also of note is the threading on the tuner shaft.
View attachment 3753480

Note the width of the Orville's headstock.
View attachment 3753481

Note the shape of the neck heels
View attachment 3753482

Most telling here, note how the center block meets the body near the neck, while there is some inconsistency with Gibson over the many years of production, '76s don't seem to have this.

View attachment 3753483

Awesome. Thanks V.

 

[Shannon]

 

[JIO]

Idle hands...

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

(rough mix)

somehow this slipped by - nice extended bed/platform

 

[JIO]

Know your Thunderbirds.....How to spot a Gibson and an Orville
Back side of the headstock, the green is an Orville, the purple is Gibson. Note the shape of the tuners, and how they're mounted, also of note is the threading on the tuner shaft.
View attachment 3753480
Note the width of the Orville's headstock.
View attachment 3753481

My '64 II for further comparison. Note the upper E side 'peak' - most likely curved from hand sanding after it was cut out. T-bird hs's vary greatly in how the raised section resolves at both the top and lower area.

Overall shape more pronounced from behind showing the two E side 'peaks'.

 

[JIO]

View attachment 3754317

do not "like"

 

[Miles_ONeal]

View attachment 3754317

I had never realized he played bass.

 

[PillO]

My white Thunderbird is currently tuned to drop D. I have the thought this morning to tune to D standard. It would put the notes where they are supposed to be. Anyone already doing that; if so, what are the advantages/disadvantages?

 

[GonePlaid]

I had never realized he played bass.

I'm guessing he didn't either.

 

[GonePlaid]

My white Thunderbird is currently tuned to drop D. I have the thought this morning to tune to D standard. It would put the notes where they are supposed to be. Anyone already doing that; if so, what are the advantages/disadvantages?

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work for me as I have to read 'charts' with a coupla bands. To attempt to think about the notes not being in the same place they've been for the past 53 years would be a major PITA. Maybe if I'd tried it early on, but not now. Definitely an old dog in this case.

 

[heatheroo1]

Lets hear about your first thunderbird experiences !!!

Late 70's a friend let me hold a bicentennial while he was going through some issues. I didn't gig with it for fear of damage but I found it very interesting while noodling. I tried to buy it but he wasn't having it. Early 2000's I paid about 400 bux for a Korean Epi. Beautiful fit and finish. I ended up upgrading the PUPs. I remember auditioning for a Steely Dan tribute band with it and getting some odd looks from the other candidates. I got the call, BTW but decided the ride was farther than I had realized. Finally got a Gibson in 2007 and four more over the years.

....my first good bass. A '77, it had been in the window of Zapf's in Philly for a at least a year. I had been saving $ and was waffling between the T-Bird and a Rick (I was in my prog rock phase....). Zapf's finally dropped the price on the Bird and I bought it in '79 for about $500.00. Still my #1 bass. I still have the receipt, hang tag, pickup covers... and I'm still using the OHSC.

 

[Glenn Johnson]

Very informative Thunderbird lesson, keep em coming! Thx


I never give two thoughts about a performers position on any topic - until he/she/they force me to listen to their tripe as part of a performance. Once they do that it's game over, they're dead to me. U2 falls into that category for me as do a few other performers. I wouldn't listen to them even if they played Thunderbirds.

I wish entertainers of all kind would just entertain us. Getting into politics just alienates many of their fans, and that is just plain DUMB.

 

[bylar13]

....my first good bass. A '77, it had been in the window of Zapf's in Philly for a at least a year. I had been saving $ and was waffling between the T-Bird and a Rick (I was in my prog rock phase....). Zapf's finally dropped the price on the Bird and I bought it in '79 for about $500.00. Still my #1 bass. I still have the receipt, hang tag, pickup covers... and I'm still using the OHSC.

Loved Zapf's. Really miss those large, local music stores.

 

[Mvf]

Know your Thunderbirds.....How to spot a Gibson and an Orville

Back side of the headstock, the green is an Orville, the purple is Gibson. Note the shape of the tuners, and how they're mounted, also of note is the threading on the tuner shaft.
View attachment 3753480

Note the width of the Orville's headstock.
View attachment 3753481

Note the shape of the neck heels
View attachment 3753482

Most telling here, note how the center block meets the body near the neck, while there is some inconsistency with Gibson over the many years of production, '76s don't seem to have this.

View attachment 3753483

Yep, I can confirm, my Orville -91 is just like yours Only mine is sunburst. What year is yours?

 

[TBird1958]

Yep, I can confirm, my Orville -91 is just like yours Only mine is sunburst. What year is yours?

Unknown, I bought it from a buddy in Detroit, it's modified with a Tone Pros Two Point and refined by HMR Guitars.

Better times....

 

[fasterpussycat]

Unknown, I bought it from a buddy in Detroit, it's modified with a Tone Pros Two Point and refined by HMR Guitars.

Better times....
View attachment 3754636

Serial number?

 

[TBird1958]

Serial number?

Nope, lost in the refin, before I bought it.