Thunderbird Club

[dagrev]

The Portaflex B-15 (and 18) was made for 20 years, 1960-1980. During that time it went through a few changes, but was essentially the same - a 30watt tube amp that folded into itself for travel. Every recording studio worth their salt has one to this day. In NYC, (not sure what years - it's folklore) a consortium of bass players and guitarists pooled their money and bought up as many Portaflexes as they could and parked them in all the studios so they would for sure all have at least one. This was logical for bass-players especially because they didn't want to have to keep navigating the various studio sessions in NYC dragging a heavy amp. Guitarist love them too - I bought mine from a guitarist. They are not about 'loud' - they are about tone, with a capital T so as much as they can be used live, they are primarily used for recording. A RI was made about 10 years ago and I think it had 40watts but otherwise was an authentic reproduction. (and pricy) I was lucky to buy my '76 (with Thiel ported cab) for a very good price right before the RI was on the cover of BassPlayer magazine which caused a spike in awareness/prices for the vintage ones.

But to get back to getting optimal sound - I owned mine for years liking the sound/tone but a pot went out and I had it serviced by a local amp wizard here in SF. He replaced the pot, did a once-over, put a couple new tubes in and biased it. When I got it back it was like a different amp - much cleaner/flavorful at higher volume and just the way it should sound. So point being, if one works it still may not be optimally dialed/set-up and would give a less than "wow" response. Once you hear one in top stripe, you will hear the "wow" and then will know why it's the most famous amp for recording bass players.

Nice history! Thanks!

 

[JIO]

Good description. It is subtle--and it does do something helpful in my experience. Normally it's on as much as it's off. I find whenever I do turn it on, I don't turn it off. My settings are Lo: 1:30-2:00 / Process about 10:00. About the reverse of your settings. It seems to make the sound bigger in some ways, but have more definition at the same time. I brought it home, and it seems to do the same with the 06 Gibson. It will be on next Sunday.

I'll try it with those reversed settings. When I first got it (used) I tried a bunch of different settings and settled on the ones I described. I feel it's part personal tonal preference and part dialing the sound for the specific space.

 

[MCF]

Lot of WD, and D series users are selling off their amps for that TT.

They seem to be. One little caveat to all this is that while the WD’s and D’s five year warranties are transferable, apparently the TT’s will not be. Doesn’t dissuade me at all because it’ll be the last amp purchase for me. Those transferable warranties make buying used Ds and WDs very attractive.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

day activities......

Covid19 compliant night activities.......

 

[dagrev]

I'll try it with those reversed settings. When I first got it (used) I tried a bunch of different settings and settled on the ones I described. I feel it's part personal tonal preference and part dialing the sound for the specific space.

Yes, and enchanting or correcting what any given rig might need per those preferences, which would also vary a good deal. Some think it useless, but I like it as you do and find it useful. I don't think I would ever be without it--unless I were to get a HPF that does something better. But I have no intention on looking for one.

 

[GBassNorth]

Ever have an ancient stanky decrepit over the hill set of flatwounds on a bass that sounded so good you hate to take them off? That's my dilemma, leave the raunchy COVID Infused strings on and savor their sonic beauty until they fall off the bass or call in a HazMat team to remove them and install nice neat bright shiny new ones.
Decisions, decisions, decisions... I'll sleep on it.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Ever have an ancient stanky decrepit over the hill set of flatwounds on a bass that sounded so good you hate to take them off? That's my dilemma, leave the raunchy COVID Infused strings on and savor their sonic beauty until they fall off the bass or call in a HazMat team to remove them and install nice neat bright shiny new ones.
Decisions, decisions, decisions... I'll sleep on it.
View attachment 3877821

James Jamerson once got very upset at LaBella cause they couldn’t repair his well broken in, broken D string.....keep ‘em on..

 

[JIO]

James Jamerson once got very upset at LaBella cause they couldn’t repair his well broken in, broken D string.....keep ‘em on..

I read about a blues bass player who had the same dead flatwotunds for over 20 years!

 

[TBird1958]

Ever have an ancient stanky decrepit over the hill set of flatwounds on a bass that sounded so good you hate to take them off? That's my dilemma, leave the raunchy COVID Infused strings on and savor their sonic beauty until they fall off the bass or call in a HazMat team to remove them and install nice neat bright shiny new ones.
Decisions, decisions, decisions... I'll sleep on it.
View attachment 3877821

It's just me, after 3 months of use I want new strings, I don't like old ones at all. The flats that were on my new Studio Bird just sucked the life out of that bass - Guess I'm just a Rounds kind of Gurl

 

[JIO]

Yes, and enchanting or correcting what any given rig might need per those preferences, which would also vary a good deal. Some think it useless, but I like it as you do and find it useful. I don't think I would ever be without it--unless I were to get a HPF that does something better. But I have no intention on looking for one.

I agree - I'm pretty critical of my effect-boxes. None are superfluous for my needs and they all get used during a set.

 

[RedVee]

day activities......
View attachment 3877809

Covid19 compliant night activities.......
View attachment 3877810

sorry Chuck, I have no idea

 

[GonePlaid]

sorry Chuck, I have no idea

Don't feel alone . I looked at it and thought "yeah, easy for you to say"

 

[GBassNorth]

It's just me, after 3 months of use I want new strings, I don't like old ones at all. The flats that were on my new Studio Bird just sucked the life out of that bass - Guess I'm just a Rounds kind of Gurl

I'm normally right there with you. But these nasty Roto flats are on the Greco I just got. They sound horrid soloed BUT in a mix they just slay every bird I own.

The silks are all ratted out, some of the strings are wound around the tuners from the bottom up, some from the top down, one post has five wraps, another post has just barely one wrap, and the previous owner didn't even bother to insert the string tip in the post hole on the A string so it has three inches of "poke your eye out" wire just looking for a victim (I cut it off to protect innocent bystanders)....

I'll most likely replace them just to eliminate the embarrassment factor of being seen with something so atrocious. But I'll take my time doing it, in the meantime I'll close my eyes when I play the Greco and instead just focus on the eargasim it creates.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

sorry Chuck, I have no idea

Don't feel alone . I looked at it and thought "yeah, easy for you to say"

sorry guys, top one is a process to clean silicon (wafer) surfaces during semiconductor device manufacture...these semiconductors could be anything from power transistors such as the ones used in bass amps to Intel processors to LEDs or Flash memory etc..
the bottom is an early tape Echoplex unit that would work by recording and instantly playing back by way of a playback head positioned next to the recording one....playing with tape speed varied length of the delay....crude but pretty badazz...Roger Waters' P going through a couple on this..

 

[GonePlaid]

sorry guys, top one is a process to clean silicon (wafer) surfaces during semiconductor device manufacture...these semiconductors could be anything from power transistors such as the ones used in bass amps to Intel processors to LEDs or Flash memory etc..
the bottom is an early tape Echoplex unit that would work by recording and instantly playing back by way of a playback head positioned next to the recording one....playing with tape speed varied length of the delay....crude but pretty badazz...Roger Waters' P going through a couple on this..

OK, The Echoplextm I recognized; the other? WT7. I'm totally analog. Our group that did the H.S. concerts had a Binson Echorec in the PA chain.

 

[RedVee]

I'm normally right there with you. But these nasty Roto flats are on the Greco I just got. They sound horrid soloed BUT in a mix they just slay every bird I own.

The silks are all ratted out, some of the strings are wound around the tuners from the bottom up, some from the top down, one post has five wraps, another post has just barely one wrap, and the previous owner didn't even bother to insert the string tip in the post hole on the A string so it has three inches of "poke your eye out" wire just looking for a victim (I cut it off to protect innocent bystanders)....
View attachment 3877993

I'll most likely replace them just to eliminate the embarrassment factor of being seen with something so atrocious. But I'll take my time doing it, in the meantime I'll close my eyes when I play the Greco and instead just focus on the eargasim it creates.

So you like it then...???

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I'm normally right there with you. But these nasty Roto flats are on the Greco I just got. They sound horrid soloed BUT in a mix they just slay every bird I own.

The silks are all ratted out, some of the strings are wound around the tuners from the bottom up, some from the top down, one post has five wraps, another post has just barely one wrap, and the previous owner didn't even bother to insert the string tip in the post hole on the A string so it has three inches of "poke your eye out" wire just looking for a victim (I cut it off to protect innocent bystanders)....
View attachment 3877993

I'll most likely replace them just to eliminate the embarrassment factor of being seen with something so atrocious. But I'll take my time doing it, in the meantime I'll close my eyes when I play the Greco and instead just focus on the eargasim it creates.

Would have never believed it but there’s a lot of truth in what they say about Birds with flats...

 

[Iristone]

My experience with long-scale Roto 77s is that they are not wound consistently across the same set. The E string sounds like rounds, gradually darkens until the G string which sounds like regular thumping flats.

 

[PillO]

sorry guys, top one is a process to clean silicon (wafer) surfaces during semiconductor device manufacture...these semiconductors could be anything from power transistors such as the ones used in bass amps to Intel processors to LEDs or Flash memory etc..
the bottom is an early tape Echoplex unit that would work by recording and instantly playing back by way of a playback head positioned next to the recording one....playing with tape speed varied length of the delay....crude but pretty badazz...Roger Waters' P going through a couple on this..

Well now I feel embarrassed that I understood the post. I was going to post a quip about plasma being something completely different in my line of work.

Shortly after arriving in silicon valley I was visiting a friend who worked at NatSemi and noted that everyone seemed to keep bottled water for potable needs. His comment was that the semiconductor industry had been in California longer than the EPA.*


* the semiconductor industry manufactures semiconductors by doping pure silicon (or germanium) with heavy metals ( \m/ ). The implication being that various toxic elements have leeched into the ground water.

 

[PillO]

I'm normally right there with you. But these nasty Roto flats are on the Greco I just got. They sound horrid soloed BUT in a mix they just slay every bird I own.

The silks are all ratted out, some of the strings are wound around the tuners from the bottom up, some from the top down, one post has five wraps, another post has just barely one wrap, and the previous owner didn't even bother to insert the string tip in the post hole on the A string so it has three inches of "poke your eye out" wire just looking for a victim (I cut it off to protect innocent bystanders)....
View attachment 3877993

I'll most likely replace them just to eliminate the embarrassment factor of being seen with something so atrocious. But I'll take my time doing it, in the meantime I'll close my eyes when I play the Greco and instead just focus on the eargasim it creates.

So, just file this under 'stupid questions"...

If you like the sound with the existing Roto 77s, couldn't you just replace those nasty strings* with a fresh set of Roto 77s?


* Although you previously stated a concern about covid, when I get a new (to me) instrument, I always want to change the strings. Even a new instrument in the shop has been handled by god knows who with their grubby hands. I always assume the strings are infected with bubonic plague, leprosy, anthrax, and hepatitis A thru D.