Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Interestingly enough, Gibson Thunderbirds don't have rolled edges.
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
- Start date
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- Tags
- club thunderbird
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,895
- 142,212
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
This makes me happy, I don't care how simple it is - it's simply brilliant. Thank you ACDC, 2020 does not completely suck now.
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whoa, whoa! let's not get carried away now...
....thanks GB. was wondering if these came stock with pup/bridge covers...can't see the holes in the pics, does yours have them? also, I believe these are set neck?......anxious to try this thing, my luthier tells me the pickups alone are worth the price....
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,964
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
They are so pricy though! I mean, it's cool and all... I just sold one of mine that has somewhat similar retro-styling. (I think I can post it here as it's sold...)
I think of them as pretty young still too, partly because I remember when their Enter Sandman cover first got popular and how young they were then, plus certainly some of what a lot old(er) people experience with "kids" that are a generation or two younger.
The guitarist, Dany, is the oldest at 20, three years younger than my oldest niece.
I have to sometimes remind myself, people from famous bands from my "era" were close to the same age when they started; Vince Neil & Tommy Lee were 19-20 when they started Motley Crue (John Bonham & Robert Plant were the same when Led Zeppelin started), Randy Rhodes was 16 when he started the band that became Quiet Riot, etc.
They've been playing together for a while. The first vids I saw, the bassist and drummer were dwarfed by their instruments. The guitarist wasn't much bigger than hers. I think the bassist and drummer were 9 and 8 at the time, and they already sounded good.
Modern societies discount their kids far too much. A friend of mine grew up in the African bush. He was helping raid cattle from a rival tribe at (IIRC) 10 years old, definitely by 12. (Now he lives here, has a master's, and only raids the fridge.)
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,895
- 142,212
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
I don't think any post '88 Bird even needs that, the neck is already very slim and fast, '76s are only slightly bigger, a VP has noticeably different neck, at least to my hands.
Thanks.
Just waiting for new strings to make it even better.
I guess some people don't like rolled fret edges, but I noticed it immediately when I picked up my VP and plugged it in, especially after trying out a Fender Vintera P bass, and found it strange on a $600 bass, strange but nice.
Strange, because mine definitely has rolled edges.Mine feels the same as the other Epi-Birds I've got.
So I'm assuming not rolled?
Not related question: anyone know what brand/model strings come on the VP from the factory? (Epiphone website says only they're 45-65-85-105)
This newest album is their 17th... not that I've counted but that's what I heard on the radio. Not sure if that includes Live or Compilation releases.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,895
- 142,212
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
whoa, whoa! let's not get carried away now...
Mine had holes for a bridge cover, I picked one up from Scott, it's a nice polished nickel finish. George isn't kidding about the tone, Greco's take no prisoners, angriest Bird ever!
Is yours a II? IV? What strings do you have on it?
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,895
- 142,212
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Mine is a II, I have Ken Smith Rockmaster stainless rounds on it, it RAWRS most agreeably, that single pickup - Whoa!
Do you have a Standard P? A match made in heaven IMO. But I think we’ve pretty much determined that you and I have different tone tastes (or ears anyway).
There are videos of them as tiny kids playing instruments as big as they were.
Man, that was quick. Video already blocked.
Will be interested to hear your take on the Chromes. I installed a set on my BaCH NR bird and although I'm not fond of the sound soloed, it actually works pretty darn good in a mix. Much more top end than I was expecting from a flat. The color of the string is odd as well, very flat battleship grey vs nickel or silver colored. Texture was very smooth and tension was not overly obnoxious like some flats I've tried.
I currently have Fender 7150's on my VP and love em.
Visual report from my birds:
Eppi VP - slight rolled edge
Eppi Goth - no rolled edge
Gibby Gold Anniversary - no rolled edge
Gibby 2015 - no rolled edge
1977 Greco TBird II - rolled edge
BaCH NR Tbird II - slight rolled edge
Never played one. Kinda pricy but they hold their value very well. My OCD is going into overload looking at that pickguard that overlaps the pup trim rings, I'd have to notch that guard out if I owned it.
Your Luthier is spot on. If you get it and want to part with the pups I'll give you good money for them.whoa, whoa! let's not get carried away now...
I don't own a vintage 1960's II or IV but I've played a couple and to be honest, the 1977 Greco II I own plays and sounds better than the vintage birds I've played. Admittedly, I have had a very small exposure to both vintage birds and Greco birds but that's my take on the sound of what I've played. The Greco pups are just flat out amazing. The rest of the bass is pretty much smack dab in the middle of a Gibby and an Eppi in build quality, materials of construction, and fit and finish.
I suspect you're gonna love the sound, the reverse body is going to feel completely different than your NR birds, that might be good or bad. I think the scale is a tad less than the Gibby as well (maybe 33" scale) and the neck is a very well blended set neck design. I do have a bridge cover on mine, which I highly recommend (especially in nickel if you can find one). It hides the threepoint and with the exposed hardtail it really completes the vintage look of the bird.
The only knit I can pick with the Greco is that they installed a hardtail (maybe to eliminate the pulled lug potential) but that means nothing is holding the threepoint in place other than downward frictional pressure, the bridge can slide reward out of position screwing up intonation and tuning until you push it back in place.
What a fantastic quote - Gotta love Angus Young!
