Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

thanks G, such a different experience from RS66 lol...silky, smooth, minimal fret noise. took your advice from a few pages back on ordering lights. definitely the right thing to do as they feel just right. still tweaking the action of the A as it’s bottoming out a bit in the 2nd/3rd position. currently going into a GK 250 with an MB NY 2 X 12 box and initially playing with fingers with the bridge pup dimed, tone between 2 and 3 and using the neck pup as the bass “control”....sweet, sweet tone...really pleased. pretty much what I was anticipating and perfect for an up and coming R&B recording project.

Great! Glad to hear they're working well for you. That string with fingers is the perfect set up for R&B, Motown, Swing, Reggae and Country/Western. I don't play with a pick so can't offer any insight there. These things last forever, I think I'm on at least year 15 with one set on my Jazz bass, although the last couple of years it's only been played a few times (Thunderbirds rendered it irrelevant).

 

[GBassNorth]

Anybody out there have experience with both Chrome Flats and Deep Talkin Flats? I have Chromes on my BaCH bird that sound good but was curious about how DTF would sound in compairson.

 

[GonePlaid]

Anybody out there have experience with both Chrome Flats and Deep Talkin Flats? I have Chromes on my BaCH bird that sound good but was curious about how DTF would sound in compairson.

I put DTF's on my Ibby semi-hollow after the D'addario tapes croaked. So far, not knocked out. I've had Chromes on the 67. Liked them but like the EBCF's better. I think I have Chromes on my Squire VM Jaguar backup bass.
But that's more the bass than the strings. I prolly shoulda gone with 1/2 rounds. Next time....maybe.

 

[Engle]

Anybody out there have experience with both Chrome Flats and Deep Talkin Flats? I have Chromes on my BaCH bird that sound good but was curious about how DTF would sound in compairson.

I’ve used both on a number of basses. If you want to nail the old school 60s/70s sound, get the DTFs. I have them on my P and Casady. Chromes are brighter and almost sound like rounds when new, but they mellow into a nice flatwound tone with a little more midrange than the DTFs. I have them on my J and my daughters fretless. They work well on the J, especially in the upper register for melodic stuff.
I also have DTFs on my EBO and I’m happy with that combo.

 

[MCF]

Anybody out there have experience with both Chrome Flats and Deep Talkin Flats? I have Chromes on my BaCH bird that sound good but was curious about how DTF would sound in compairson.

The only DTFs I’ve tried were the gold ones when they came out a few years ago. This probably isn’t worth listening to Since they weren’t the standard DTFs, but I’ll tell you anyway....I put them on the first Goth I had. I found them too “brittle” feeling. The A string actually broke after a couple months, so that was the end of the experiment. I think the skinny tuner posts contributed to the problem. I wasn’t liking the sound at all. Gave up on them rather than trying to get a replacement string.

I’m going to try chromes on one of the Epis; first one that needs a change will get them.

 

[GBassNorth]

I put DTF's on my Ibby semi-hollow after the D'addario tapes croaked. So far, not knocked out. I've had Chromes on the 67. Liked them but like the EBCF's better. I think I have Chromes on my Squire VM Jaguar backup bass.
But that's more the bass than the strings. I prolly shoulda gone with 1/2 rounds. Next time....maybe.

I have a new spare set of Cobalt Flats laying around that I could put on the BaCH. So maybe the better question is - does anybody have experience with both Cobalt Flats and Chrome Flats on the same bass (at different times of course), How do they compare?

FWIW - the BaCH pup (single pup bass) is brighter sounding than my modern Gibson TBirds, slightly more agressive as well but not quite as much as a VP and no where near the level of insanity of the Greco.

I'm looking to darken up the sound of the BaCH a bit. It seems like the Chromes are a bit brighter than a typical flat wound, but might just be my faulty ears. I just assumed the Cobalts would be more in line with the Chromes, a bit brighter than a typical flat also.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I have a new spare set of Cobalt Flats laying around that I could put on the BaCH. So maybe the better question is - does anybody have experience with both Cobalt Flats and Chrome Flats on the same bass (at different times of course), How do they compare?

FWIW - the BaCH pup (single pup bass) is brighter sounding than my modern Gibson TBirds, slightly more agressive as well but not quite as much as a VP and no where near the level of insanity of the Greco.

I'm looking to darken up the sound of the BaCH a bit. It seems like the Chromes are a bit brighter than a typical flat wound, but might just be my faulty ears. I just assumed the Cobalts would be more in line with the Chromes, a bit brighter than a typical flat also.

For flats, I have only used the Cobalts, but went with them in part because they were supposed to brighter than typical flats. They are nowhere near a set of RS66s, but they definitely have some mids and top end unless I roll the tone off, at which point they do the whole Motown and early rock thing beautifully. While a lot of time I keep the tone at 0, these strings were the first to convince me to turn it up some of the time.

 

[dagrev]

Came across this article about flats. Thought some here might find it interesting as we continue trying different things to learn about the tones of our Thunderbirds.
The best flatwound bass strings 2020: how to choose the right flatwounds for you | Guitar World

Thanks for posting that! Good reading. Interestingly enough his take on Chromes was my area of dislike in the past--that scooped nature they exhibit. Everyone's ranking would be different, but a good overall summary.

 

[dagrev]

Cool link. Thanks. I don’t know much about flats. Very helpful.

You've got to have a bass (or more) with flats! They even sound great on Thunderbirds.

 

[dagrev]

I won this in a raffle at work after we shipped a part code-named for the guy. (Not the mug full if sunflowers.) What looks coolest to you?
View attachment 3909981

Saw TL in the late 70s. They were pretty good as I recall.

 

[dagrev]

OLD SCHOOL....
View attachment 3910093

NEW SCHOOL...
View attachment 3910098

Being something of a traditionalist, I was unsure how good it would look, but it looks great!

 

[GonePlaid]

I have a new spare set of Cobalt Flats laying around that I could put on the BaCH. So maybe the better question is - does anybody have experience with both Cobalt Flats and Chrome Flats on the same bass (at different times of course), How do they compare?

FWIW - the BaCH pup (single pup bass) is brighter sounding than my modern Gibson TBirds, slightly more agressive as well but not quite as much as a VP and no where near the level of insanity of the Greco.

I'm looking to darken up the sound of the BaCH a bit. It seems like the Chromes are a bit brighter than a typical flat wound, but might just be my faulty ears. I just assumed the Cobalts would be more in line with the Chromes, a bit brighter than a typical flat also.

The EBCF's replaced the Chromes on the 67 TBird (and, later, the same switch on the EpiBird 5er). They allow me 'klank' if I want it(I seldom do)and more options with the tone knob. I used to run tone[neck pup only]at 10 and go to 7ish for ballads. Now I'm at ~7 most of the time, 5 for ballads, and 10 to get nasty(ish). I also have EBCF's on the LPB2/5. I vaguely recall having 1/2 rounds on it.(?)

 

[dagrev]

Anybody out there have experience with both Chrome Flats and Deep Talkin Flats? I have Chromes on my BaCH bird that sound good but was curious about how DTF would sound in compairson.

If you want darker, stay away from Chromes and Cobalts. The DTFs have more mids. I found they had good highs as well. Not as rich and thunky sounding as GHS Precision flats or Pyramids, or the Low Tension version. Chromes (in my experience) were big on lows and on upper highs (clanky). I would say DTFs are more even across the freqs than Chromes. Consider the Low Tension DTF as well. I have a set on a Pbass and they feel and sound great. But I didn't find the light sets of DTFs too stiff. And I don't like cables. Great darker sets I liked would be GHS and Pyramids. The LTDTFs are a little brighter I would say. I like them better than the regulars. A little bigger sounding. But only a very little. TIs when they have a lot of time on them.

Cobalts have more mids than Chromes, in my experience. Better choice of the two IMO.

 

[Instagator]

Just a little messing around with the VP pickguard on a 98 degree day.
I just traced out the decal with a fine brush using blue and red acrylic..maybe it should have a “VP” in the space..Sort of a take on my Bicentennial Bird..Something a little different..Cheers!

Looks fine from a foot away

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Anybody out there have experience with both Chrome Flats and Deep Talkin Flats? I have Chromes on my BaCH bird that sound good but was curious about how DTF would sound in compairson.

funny you mention, Chrome flats is what I had on that TB IV before the makeover. the bass had 70's sidewinders (now safe in a drawer) and the chrome three point....really dug the tone of that bass in that config and with those strings! totally worked from a tone and tension perspective...they're 105's...looking to putting them back on my P...

 

[dagrev]

I used the DR Black Beauties today on the 06 Gibson. Might be the string! They came on the bass, but who knew? Overall they sounded better with (miles) pick, fingers, neck pu only or both. I was really liking the neck only, pick or fingers. Going to leave them on and see how it goes. I have a set of DR Dragon Skins with the same K3 coating. They are not black and don't feel the same. Might not be a bad option either. But the black strings are growing on me. Good tone today and a happy camper with that bass. No more while playing thinking, "What can I change or adjust to sound better."

 

[dagrev]

Just a little messing around with the VP pickguard on a 98 degree day.
I just traced out the decal with a fine brush using blue and red acrylic..maybe it should have a “VP” in the space..Sort of a take on my Bicentennial Bird..Something a little different..Cheers!View attachment 3910733View attachment 3910735View attachment 3910736

Looks fine from a foot away

I like it! I have a white VP as well, and a little something like that to break up all the white is something I've contemplated.

 

[Instagator]

I like it! I have a white VP as well, and a little something like that to break up all the white is something I've contemplated.

I guess I could tighten up the lines a little bit..It was all free hand.I can still adjust that.Close up pictures are un forgiving

 

[Instagator]

Yep...better Looking

from a few feet away

 

[GonePlaid]

Yep...better Looking View attachment 3910826 from a few feet away

Hey, no problem. People are s'posed to be 6' away anyhow.