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Thunderbird Club

THunderbird Thursday - Ebony VPs, post the Blackbirds em if ya got em...
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You have a Vintage Pro. For reasons, you can have only one more bass for the time being. The only ones available are another VP and a Classic Pro, both in your favorite color.

Which do you get, and why?
If I already had a VP I'd opt for a Classic Pro as the second bass. Logic being, the VP and CP are voiced differently. I find the VP to be naturally more agressive and raw sounding than my modern Gibson Thunderbird which is supposed to sound very much like the Eppi CP. The CP should be generally a bit more laid back and smoother sounding.

Of course you can use string choices and playing styles to make either bass sound pretty much like the other, but if I had a VP and a CP I'd probably try to make them sound as different as I could. I'd put some growling agressive strings on the VP to really bring out its personality, maybe Cobalts or stainless strings. And I'd put some deep creamy smooth strings on the CP to take it the other direction, maybe some Deep Talkin Flats or Tape wounds or Nickels.

That would give me two very different sounding TBirds, each playing to their strengths.

PS - Because the CP has black pups I'd select a White finish for it and go with black hardware and pickguard if possible. The VP with chrome pups looks best in black to me but with a parchment or cream pickguard vs the stark white one.
 
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I’ll put any one of my Epis up against a vaunted Classic Vibe or any other Squier. It wouldn’t be close to a fair fight.


I could be tempted by one of those LE’s in colours! And with chrome pickups. Metallic Red or Pelham Blue.

You have a Vintage Pro. For reasons, you can have only one more bass for the time being. The only ones available are another VP and a Classic Pro, both in your favorite color.

Which do you get, and why?

Do I already have a Gibson? If not, I’d go the Classic.
 
Underneath my avatar, I am an endorsing artist of Mike Lull Thunderbird pickups - it's why I do not discuss them here, it would be a CUP violation.

All my Birds have Thunderbuckers but I'm more of a 'kiss of death' vandal, therefore manufacturers are probably happiest when I don't mention their products.
 


@RexxRokket

Here is the other part of clips I promised.

Classic Pro, Fender flats, Broughton P-15 flat, Union Tube & Transistor LAB both knobs at 10:00. Neck, bridge, both in parallel (stock wiring).

Hope this helps!

And here's the previous post so it's easier to listen to the clips back to back.

@RexxRokket
Here's my demo, only one beer in. Still have some buzz to nail down, sorry.

This was all one take, Broughton P-15 all controls at noon, Union Tube & Transistor LAB compressor, both at 10:00, brand new GHS PressureWound M7200.

Neck, Bridge, Both in Parallel (Stock wiring), Series (Both, non stock).

I hope you enjoy it and make the mod to yours, I think it's a great thing.

Sorry for the playing in advance...



First and foremost, thank you very much for taking the time to do these demos, Dave. I find the playing just right and steady.

I don't know if you posted before this but I listened to both of the tracks. The first one on the upper side of the post is the Epiphone Classic Pro (right?) completely stock, and the second one being the Vintage Pro (I think), the VP has 2 sounds, 1st parallel stock and 2nd modified to series.

Considering that one of the most important things here, the strings, do vary between the demos, I find that the sound is not really that different and would be even less noticeable in a band mix. Nevertheless, I found out that the series wiring sound somehow darker, with more growl, of course, to my ears.

Now I am a little bit confused here, did you were actually playing a VP in the 2nd record or I am mistaken and you just did modify the pickups, pots, and wiring from parallel to series in the CP?
 
First and foremost, thank you very much for taking the time to do these demos, Dave. I find the playing just right and steady.

I don't know if you posted before this but I listened to both of the tracks. The first one on the upper side of the post is the Epiphone Classic Pro (right?) completely stock, and the second one being the Vintage Pro (I think), the VP has 2 sounds, 1st parallel stock and 2nd modified to series.

Considering that one of the most important things here, the strings, do vary between the demos, I find that the sound is not really that different and would be even less noticeable in a band mix. Nevertheless, I found out that the series wiring sound somehow darker, with more growl, of course, to my ears.

Now I am a little bit confused here, did you were actually playing a VP in the 2nd record or I am mistaken and you just did modify the pickups, pots, and wiring from parallel to series in the CP?


In that post, the Classic Pro is first. Stock wiring, neck, bridge, both on full. GHS Pressurewound.

Next clip is Vintage Pro. Neck, bridge, both parallel, both series. Fender flats.
 
In that post, the Classic Pro is first. Stock wiring, neck, bridge, both on full. GHS Pressurewound.

Next clip is Vintage Pro. Neck, bridge, both parallel, both series. Fender flats.

Great, the VP sounds very bright and there are lots of mids, I find the CP to be darker in tone and more ''rounded'' than middy. I would like to try to mod it from parallel to series just to try, far as I'm aware they were wired that way before. Do you have any wiring diagram by chance? I think I can do it myself, at least that mod I can haha.
 
THunderbird Thursday - Ebony VPs, post the Blackbirds em if ya got em...
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Very creative inclusion of footwear (and foot)!

I loved the Weiner Dog Art. Gary Larson had a hilarious take on animal thought processes, especially dogs.

But this is one of my all time favourites. I laugh every time I see it.
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Great, the VP sounds very bright and there are lots of mids, I find the CP to be darker in tone and more ''rounded'' than middy. I would like to try to mod it from parallel to series just to try, far as I'm aware they were wired that way before. Do you have any wiring diagram by chance? I think I can do it myself, at least that mod I can haha.

This is what I used.
upload_2020-5-1_7-3-8.jpeg
 
It is important for the wiseass to amuse him/herself as others will rarely take the trouble to amuse the wiseass.*



* Brought to you by the PillO Philosophy School of Philosophy**
** A division of PillO Melons Inc.
*** Founding Board Member of The New Epiphone, and Gibson by Epiphone (but not a member of the design team)
There, you left something out.