Thunderbird Club

[Miles_ONeal]

How were your T-Bird experiences while recording?

We are going to record some demo songs and had a first talk with the recording engineer/producer a few days ago. He seemed a little sceptical because of "birds lacking highs" and rather liked to record with a P or J. I for myself am aware that birds are not known for their highs, especially if you are a member of the rare fingerstyle bird players like me. Anyway, I have always liked the sound in our band situation (early 80s style metal).

Given that this is my first time studio experience, I'm a little irrited about this comment. Can anybody share his experiences with birds in a similar context with me?

Haven’t recorded with it but have played it through a mixer into phones, and a VP with Rotosound RR66s has all the high end you could ask for. Other bird/string combos, plus effects and amps, will vary, but there’s more high end available in many cases than I ever want from a bass.

 

[Engle]

Good info. Thanks so much for the details. The Thunderbird that is arriving will have black beauties on it so I am very interested in how they sound, having never tried them before.

As for the VW. I admire the persons persistence even after having hitting the wall several times! But at some point persistence isn't everything and one should just stop pushing the gas pedal. Persistence ended up causing just about everything needing to be fixed on the car. A man's got to know his limitations. In this case when to get off the accelerator and stay off.

Could be the accelerator got stuck at some point.

 

[Engle]

How were your T-Bird experiences while recording?

We are going to record some demo songs and had a first talk with the recording engineer/producer a few days ago. He seemed a little sceptical because of "birds lacking highs" and rather liked to record with a P or J. I for myself am aware that birds are not known for their highs, especially if you are a member of the rare fingerstyle bird players like me. Anyway, I have always liked the sound in our band situation (early 80s style metal).

Given that this is my first time studio experience, I'm a little irrited about this comment. Can anybody share his experiences with birds in a similar context with me?

What the huh? I guess I can only speak for the Vintage Pro, but I’ve used it for several several recordings playing fingerstyle and the engineers love it. This is with new Fender flats:

 

[dagrev]

Could be the accelerator got stuck at some point.

Possibly. Take it out of gear! Especially after the first, second.... hits! I see people on TV/movies with a runaway car and they never think to put it in neutral or go to a lower gear to slow down. Of course that would take the drama out of it.

 

[tom_t]

Ugh. A lot of us suspected. Sorry that happened.
But... you can get new bolts and nuts. Maybe Loctite them.

That is exactly what I am going to do, but I'll wait few days and see if I can get some response from Epi.

 

[Nocturnal]

It was a doc on Amazon Prime. Pretty good.

I thought it was pretty good as well.

 

[dagrev]

What the huh? I guess I can only speak for the Vintage Pro, but I’ve used it for several several recordings playing fingerstyle and the engineers love it. This is with new Fender flats:

Sounds great!

Looked more more of band. I really like what you all are doing. Sounds like music. Good music. Not, "well that was different" music. Great stuff! Would love to see you all live.

 

[FlyingPigSound]

Either my Reverb seller or UPS is suffering from rectal-cranial inversion, as the tobacco sunburst Epi VP that I purchased a week ago (Saturday, 5/9) still hasn't arrived from LaCrosse, Wisconsin to the suburbs of Illinois.
I thought that seemed a bit too long for delivery, so I checked the UPS routing number this morning.
It's out for delivery today! Yay!
In Van Nuys, California! Boo!

 

[dagrev]

Either my Reverb seller or UPS is suffering from rectal-cranial inversion, as the tobacco sunburst Epi VP that I purchased a week ago (Saturday, 5/9) still hasn't arrived from LaCrosse, Wisconsin to the suburbs of Illinois.
I thought that seemed a bit too long for delivery, so I checked the UPS routing number this morning.
It's out for delivery today! Yay!
In Van Nuys, California! Boo!
View attachment 3831658

I know the feeling all too well. I have no idea where my Gibson Thunderbird is. Tuesday will be two weeks since dropped off at the Post Orifice (thanks GBassNorth for the nomenclature). It's somewhere between the coasts is all I know.

 

[MCF]

Either my Reverb seller or UPS is suffering from rectal-cranial inversion, as the tobacco sunburst Epi VP that I purchased a week ago (Saturday, 5/9) still hasn't arrived from LaCrosse, Wisconsin to the suburbs of Illinois.
I thought that seemed a bit too long for delivery, so I checked the UPS routing number this morning.
It's out for delivery today! Yay!
In Van Nuys, California! Boo!
View attachment 3831658

What the heck? Seems like these stories are popping up every other day or so. Glad I’m not in the market right now.
Congrats on your new THUNDERBIRD!

 

[GBassNorth]

Great information.

Today will be the deep dive day now that the neck adjustments have settled for a day. Probably minor tweaking on the action followed by some loud heavy playing. I'll get back to the club here with my findings later today after a few hours of playing various kinds of music. We'll see if the Tapes really are an improvement over the Black Beauties on this bass.

How were your T-Bird experiences while recording?

We are going to record some demo songs and had a first talk with the recording engineer/producer a few days ago. He seemed a little sceptical because of "birds lacking highs" and rather liked to record with a P or J. I for myself am aware that birds are not known for their highs, especially if you are a member of the rare fingerstyle bird players like me. Anyway, I have always liked the sound in our band situation (early 80s style metal).

Given that this is my first time studio experience, I'm a little irrited about this comment. Can anybody share his experiences with birds in a similar context with me?

That's actually a fairly common sound manager or producer comment. The bottom line usually is that they know the exact formula to make a P bass or Jazz sound the way they want it to sound. It's less work for them if you bring one of those vs a TBird. Some would call their position a sign of just being lazy, they might counter with "time is money" and do you really want us futzing around on your sound for hours when we could have it nailed in minutes.

If it were me I'd just tell the producer/sound man you have a custom bird with P bass guts under the pup covers. You won't have any problem hitting the highs and he won't have a clue you don't have a P bass.

View attachment 3831269
Not the best quality picture, but you can see what happened.

So no, you can not flip saddle on your Epi VP.

You probably knew that. I learned it today.

So sorry to see this happen. I was hoping the nut would break free and spin off but looks like something else broke loose instead. Keep us posted on the fix.

Haven’t recorded with it but have played it through a mixer into phones, and a VP with Rotosound RR66s has all the high end you could ask for. Other bird/string combos, plus effects and amps, will vary, but there’s more high end available in many cases than I ever want from a bass.

I've never found a TBird to be incapable of hitting the highs if needed.

What the huh? I guess I can only speak for the Vintage Pro, but I’ve used it for several several recordings playing fingerstyle and the engineers love it. This is with new Fender flats:

I think I've said this before but your band really needs to do a cover of the song Barracuda. Your vocalist has the perfect voice for it.

Either my Reverb seller or UPS is suffering from rectal-cranial inversion, as the tobacco sunburst Epi VP that I purchased a week ago (Saturday, 5/9) still hasn't arrived from LaCrosse, Wisconsin to the suburbs of Illinois.
I thought that seemed a bit too long for delivery, so I checked the UPS routing number this morning.
It's out for delivery today! Yay!
In Van Nuys, California! Boo!
View attachment 3831658

What a cluster fark. There are a few of us LA area club members. If you need somebody on this end to do something just holler (that's Kentucky speak for yell).

I know the feeling all too well. I have no idea where my Gibson Thunderbird is. Tuesday will be two weeks since dropped off at the Post Orifice (thanks GBassNorth for the nomenclature). It's somewhere between the coasts is all I know.

Looks like I get to enjoy your new bass along with Flying Pig's bass. Now you know how I've built up a collection of over 50 basses.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Could be the accelerator got stuck at some point.

Kill switch engage

 

[Gaolee]

Either my Reverb seller or UPS is suffering from rectal-cranial inversion, as the tobacco sunburst Epi VP that I purchased a week ago (Saturday, 5/9) still hasn't arrived from LaCrosse, Wisconsin to the suburbs of Illinois.
I thought that seemed a bit too long for delivery, so I checked the UPS routing number this morning.
It's out for delivery today! Yay!
In Van Nuys, California! Boo!
View attachment 3831658

What!!??

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Either my Reverb seller or UPS is suffering from rectal-cranial inversion, as the tobacco sunburst Epi VP that I purchased a week ago (Saturday, 5/9) still hasn't arrived from LaCrosse, Wisconsin to the suburbs of Illinois.
I thought that seemed a bit too long for delivery, so I checked the UPS routing number this morning.
It's out for delivery today! Yay!
In Van Nuys, California! Boo!
View attachment 3831658

What have some of you done to piss off the carriers?

 

[Gaolee]

I know the feeling all too well. I have no idea where my Gibson Thunderbird is. Tuesday will be two weeks since dropped off at the Post Orifice (thanks GBassNorth for the nomenclature). It's somewhere between the coasts is all I know.

UPS has my new to me guitar. Somewhere in Kansas. They say it will be delivered on Wednesday. I will be nervous until it gets here.

 

[dagrev]

What have some of you done to piss off the carriers?

Not that I'm aware of, but it's certainly happening the other way around that's for sure.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Not that I'm aware of, but it's certainly happening the other way around that's for sure.

When the burst VP notice of delivery came, I drove around trying to find it because it wasn’t here. A neighbor got home and found it on his porch, screened from street view by bushes.
A different carrier delivered packages three days in one week to the same (wrong) house on another street.

 

[Gaolee]

My son's girlfriend is an oboe and English horn player. She is a classical music person who plays what is written no matter what. I gave her a washboard to mess with. She loves it! It is loud, obnoxious, and completely without notation of any kind. It will take a while, but she will enter into the vast world of unwritten music. BWAHAHAHA!

 

[bylar13]

My tail of shipping woe:

Traded another TB'er for a Darkglass Vintage Microtubes pedal. He shipped it and sent the tracking info. Supposed to be delivered yesterday but it does not arrive. Check the tracking and shows it was delivered.

?????

Turns out it was delivered to an unrelated address, about 15 miles from here. Another town, another house and I am willing to bet they have no idea what it is. USPS say I can't file a claim for 15 days for a lost package.

The Tb'er tracked down the number for that branch of the local post office. I will call them on Monday....

I think the system overall is starting to breakdown beause of the volume of pacakges being shipped.

 

[BklynKen]

My tail of shipping woe:

Traded another TB'er for a Darkglass Vintage Microtubes pedal. He shipped it and sent the tracking info. Supposed to be delivered yesterday but it does not arrive. Check the tracking and shows it was delivered.

?????

Turns out it was delivered to an unrelated address, about 15 miles from here. Another town, another house and I am willing to bet they have no idea what it is. USPS say I can't file a claim for 15 days for a lost package.

The Tb'er tracked down the number for that branch of the local post office. I will call them on Monday....

I think the system overall is starting to breakdown beause of the volume of pacakges being shipped.

Wow. I don't understand the weak link here. It's got your address right on the label.