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Thunderbird Club

#158,641
Happy Thursday......

I really miss playing out a lot, here's something from a hot, sweaty bar in the logging town of Pt. Angeles, WA., hard to believe it's more than ten years ago. '76 Thunderbird through GK 1001 RBII and a LINE6 pedal, we're coping "No use for a name's" version here.

 
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#158,645
20200805_185005.jpg

I tried to play the Embassy at practice last night due to it's extremely light weight and a sore back, after 30 minutes or less, just couldn't do it. It sounded like someone threw a blanket over the speaker. Thank goodness I brought the Thunderjazz, all was right again.

One thing I've learned in this comparison is that these pickups like to be run wide open. With the blend setup of the Embassy, running the bridge PUP wide open yielded a thin nasally tone, adding some neck pickup added volume but also bass, no pleasing angry piano tone o_O.

The Embassy is stock, other than upgraded tuners and DR nickel Lowriders. I may have to upgrade to CTS pots and VVT? Any other suggestions?
 
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#158,648
TBird1958 said:
Happy Thursday......

I really miss playing out a lot, here's something from a hot, sweaty bar in the logging town of Pt. Angeles, WA., hard to believe it's more than ten years ago. '76 Thunderbird through GK 1001 RBII and a LINE6 pedal, we're coping "No use for a name's" version here.

Click to expand...

That's a great version and the bass comes through!
 
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#158,649
Thumper said:
View attachment 3933739
I tried to play the Embassy at practice last night due to it's extremely light weight and a sore back, after 30 minutes or less, just couldn't do it. It sounded like someone threw a blanket over the speaker. Thank goodness I brought the Thunderjazz, all was right again.

One thing I've learned in this comparison is that these pickups like to be run wide open. With the blend setup of the Embassy, running the bridge PUP wide open yielded a thin nasally tone, adding some neck pickup added volume but also bass, no pleasing angry piano tone o_O.

The Embassy is stock, other than upgraded tuners and DR nickel Lowriders. I may have to upgrade to CTS pots and VVT? Any other suggestions?
Click to expand...
Some time back I played an Embassy and a VP in a Sam Ash. The VP was definitely more aggressive and what I think of as normal sounding. The Embassy sounded very, very dull. I don't know if it was just dead strings or what. I know there would be a little difference between the two, but by and large, they should sound almost identical. That was the only embassy that I have ever played, so I don't know if it was just that one or that tends to be something of the characteristic of them.

Also, looks like your neck PU is a little closer to the bridge on the Jazz than on the Embassy. Could just be an illusion. But if so, that will add a little to the darker tone.

And what was the address of that cool room? ;):D
 
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#158,652
Thumper said:
View attachment 3933739
I tried to play the Embassy at practice last night due to it's extremely light weight and a sore back, after 30 minutes or less, just couldn't do it. It sounded like someone threw a blanket over the speaker. Thank goodness I brought the Thunderjazz, all was right again.

One thing I've learned in this comparison is that these pickups like to be run wide open. With the blend setup of the Embassy, running the bridge PUP wide open yielded a thin nasally tone, adding some neck pickup added volume but also bass, no pleasing angry piano tone o_O.

The Embassy is stock, other than upgraded tuners and DR nickel Lowriders. I may have to upgrade to CTS pots and VVT? Any other suggestions?
Click to expand...
Do the Thunder Jazz and the embassy have the same strings?
 
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#158,656
Thumper said:
Jazz has DR Sunbeam lites, the Embassy has medium DR nickel Lowriders
Click to expand...
That might make a huge difference. If you like how the Jazz sounds and it has similar pickups to the embassy, then put some sunbeam lites on the embassy and raise the pups up near the strings. If a string change and pup adjustment doesn't get you close then move on to internal component swaps.
 
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#158,657
GBassNorth said:
That might make a huge difference. If you like how the Jazz sounds and it has similar pickups to the embassy, then put some sunbeam lites on the embassy and raise the pups up near the strings. If a string change and pup adjustment doesn't get you close then move on to internal component swaps.
Click to expand...
I was thinking that to add brightness, move to ss strings.
 
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#158,658
Thumper said:
so maybe VVT and CTS pots will fix the Embassy. The bridge PUP is actually closer of the Embassy. Also, the jazz has Chinabuckers, but they shouldn't sound that much better than 760s
Click to expand...
I may be wrong, but I believe I have heard that the Chinabuckers tend to be a little more bright and maybe not as full in the lows. Someone who has both can confirm or deny.
The bridge pickup on the embassy may be closer, but if the neck pickup is farther, that will deepen the sound quite a bit. Maybe more than having the bridge pickup closer to the bridge would brighten it. A little bit makes a big difference when it comes to pickup placement. No new news there I know.
 
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