Thunderbird Club

[dagrev]

Random thoughts from my day in the shed.

Why are the screw heads so large one the VP pickup screws? I’m getting used to them, but as a player who plays over both pickups it is annoying.

I have no clue what some players are talking about when they refer to Cobalt Flats as cheese graters.
Mine feel so good on the ‘15.

Not sure there is a good reason for the large--and often rough--screw heads on the VP PUs. One of mine was pretty rough and I had to file them down a bit.

It's a weird thing with me and apparently PillO, and likely says something about both of us. I like the feel at first, but after I've played a while I notice an odd soreness in my finger tips that I don't get with other strings. They don't slice anything, but maybe metaphysically don't mesh with my fingers for some reason. Likely the uranium in the strings. But I don't really notice it when playing out. More going on, but at home I do after a while.

 

[Shannon]

They did a GTO station wagon???

No, but they did make a Tempest based wagon, and some GTO parts fit since they were the base. It was apparently relatively easy to give your Tempest wagon a GTO look and even badging.

 

[PillO]

Loud was tone back then..

Loud still is tone. Right?

 

[PillO]

Finishing school and then the kids were my primary focus.

You went to finishing school!?

 

[GBassNorth]

swells...
View attachment 3963974

Point Lobos?

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

1. A
   

   Point Lobos?

   yessir

 

[JIO]

Loud still is tone. Right?

..er.., no. - presence...

 

[JIO]

That is awesome. Pure and simple awesome. My neighbor who was a couple years older than me, I was 12, built a Heathkit version of a Twin Reverb with his Dad (who worked for FEC at the time and who went on to do the Disneyland Light Parade). It was a great sounding amp. I was just starting to play bass when they moved down to Anaheim. I’ve always wondered what could have been had they not moved and we got to play together for a few years.

Yes, my dad and I built/soldered/assembled it. It was a bit over $200 I think. Seriously didn't have "disposable income" then so it was probably a lot but still less than a new brand name amp. (I lusted over Kustom amps then) Who knows, maybe it sounded good - but like I said, I was clueless and as long as it made loud bass sounds I was happy! It was the 'dawn of solid state', so definitely not what players were used to hearing from their tube amps. I played through a used Ampeg B-18 flip-top for a gig when my amp was in the shop once but can't recall much other than liking the lit up Ampeg Plexi slab on the amp...

 

[JIO]

No, but they did make a Tempest based wagon, and some GTO parts fit since they were the base. It was apparently relatively easy to give your Tempest wagon a GTO look and even badging.

The thought of a GTO wagon was pretty exciting... my dad had a '62 Pontiac Catalina that I used as a gig vehicle in the later '60s and thought it was pretty cool. Ours was this colour with a creme top and full hubcaps. (not as generic looking) It had a big payload for amps and drums.

 

[JIO]

I believe those were 2x12 (Jensens if I recall right) decent sound that more expensive amps of the same characteristics had nothing on other than name and possibly looks...

Oh wow... another myth debunked! For whatever reason I remember 2x15 - but that was a long time ago...

 

[JIO]

Loud was tone back then..

Maybe so... at least to the unaware...

 

[Engle]

Got a set of Dunlop Flats SS 40-100 for the MIJ Burns NRk. The rounds on there were rusty:

Put on Hipshot Ultralites I had:

It’s super punchy and articulate. I think it will be really cool when the strings mellow.

 

[GonePlaid]

Got a set of Dunlop Flats SS 40-100 for the MIJ Burns NRk. The rounds on there were rusty:
View attachment 3964150

Put on Hipshot Ultralites I had:

View attachment 3964149

It’s super punchy and articulate. I think it will be really cool when the strings mellow.
View attachment 3964151

You're gonna wind up with a really cool faux 'Bird.

 

[JIO]

Got a set of Dunlop Flats SS 40-100 for the MIJ Burns NRk. The rounds on there were rusty:
View attachment 3964150

Put on Hipshot Ultralites I had:

View attachment 3964149

It’s super punchy and articulate. I think it will be really cool when the strings mellow.
View attachment 3964151

awesome!

 

[Engle]

You're gonna wind up with a really cool faux 'Bird.

Its actually useable already. I’m hoping to use it for Reggae. A Bird shaped object I can throw in a gigbag and not worry about.

 

[GonePlaid]

That's why I'm gonna look at the Epi Embassy expected in the fall.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

You went to finishing school!?

Always the tone of surprise.

 

[Engle]

awesome!

I’m having fun with this one! Reminds me of the guitars in the sears catalog when I was a kid.
String spacing is 16mm, so I’m thinking about ordering one of these for $27 CAN and cutting one end off to make it a 4 string bridge:

 

[GonePlaid]

I’m having fun with this one! Reminds me of the guitars in the sears catalog when I was a kid.
String spacing is 16mm, so I’m thinking about ordering one of these for $27 CAN and cutting one end off to make it a 4 string bridge:
View attachment 3964177

You could write an article: performing a bris on a bridge.

 

[JIO]

I’m having fun with this one! Reminds me of the guitars in the sears catalog when I was a kid.
String spacing is 16mm, so I’m thinking about ordering one of these for $27 CAN and cutting one end off to make it a 4 string bridge:
View attachment 3964177

That's going to be dicy... it's most likely chrome-plated brass. You can cut it but it will not be seamless and the cut-off point will eb into the bridge plate screw hole... I'm prone to modding - but that's something I wouldn't attempt.