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Thunderbird Club

#16,726
Gaolee said:
Yes. I have a '15 and other 'Birds to compare it to. I also have an EB that I sold but bought back. It's that good. The EB and the '15 'Bird sound different, as you would expect based on construction and woods used. Both get a huge variety of sounds. The '15 can sound like a Thunderbird and the EB, when adjusted right, can sound a bit nasal and whiny like a 7ender Jazz. The surprise, to me, is how much the '15 can sound like a Precision if you dial it in right. It's a sharp, barking, growling Precision that probably has a machete hidden under its jacket, but you get the idea. Thumpier strings would probably make it less ferocious sounding.

My '15 needs to be professionally set up, since there's an ongoing dead spot issue on the G string that I haven't completely sorted out. The EB has nothing like that on its neck, nor do the other 'Birds I have, so I think it's just unique to this specific bass guitar. I'm also sure it will adjust away. I may also need new strings or different strings, but that's another whole can of worms. The EB has DR Sunbeams (I think) on it, and it sounds fantastic. The '15 has the same strings, and due to a combination of construction and setup, those strings just don't work quite as well for it.

They are going for about the same price as any other Thunderbird these days. I don't recall what I paid for mine, but I'm usually a bottom-feeder anyway. That means I probably bought it because I thought it was going cheap, so there are deals out there if you are patient. It was all wacked out as far as setup, but that's been pretty typical of Thunderbirds I bought over the years. I don't know what it is about them that is so hard to figure out. If you find somebody who doesn't understand the way they balance and doesn't understand how to set them up, you can get some pretty good bargains.

This and installing the third pickup in the bolt-on are reasons I really need to get to Mike Lull's shop. Time and other commitments keep getting in the way. I need a clone.
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A T3 ? Would the VVT controls be changed to VVV ? Just wondering,
 
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#16,730
RedVee said:
A T3 ? Would the VVT controls be changed to VVV ? Just wondering,
Click to expand...
Yes, VVV.

For what its worth, I played the '15 last night. It was it's turn in the rotation. The weak G string is going to drive me nuts because it sounds so good otherwise. I was getting all kinds of sounds out of it that were appropriate (and sometimes inappropriate but entertaining) for the songs. It can roll off and get thumpier than any other 'Bird I own for the time being. I have been raising the treble side of the pickups to see about balancing the string output, and I'm beginning to wonder if the magnets are damping down the vibrations. It's not so much a dead spot as a fairly dead string, and the D isn't as vibrant as the E and A. I know those magnets could probably pick up a Volkswagen, but I didn't realize they could eat the string's vibration like that. Assuming that's what's going on. More experimenting to come.
 
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#16,733
Gaolee said:
Yes, VVV.

For what its worth, I played the '15 last night. It was it's turn in the rotation. The weak G string is going to drive me nuts because it sounds so good otherwise. I was getting all kinds of sounds out of it that were appropriate (and sometimes inappropriate but entertaining) for the songs. It can roll off and get thumpier than any other 'Bird I own for the time being. I have been raising the treble side of the pickups to see about balancing the string output, and I'm beginning to wonder if the magnets are damping down the vibrations. It's not so much a dead spot as a fairly dead string, and the D isn't as vibrant as the E and A. I know those magnets could probably pick up a Volkswagen, but I didn't realize they could eat the string's vibration like that. Assuming that's what's going on. More experimenting to come.
Click to expand...

Apologies up front for the long winded response, but that's really interesting as I play with a pick and noticed the E string is a bit weaker on downstrokes. After chatting with my tech we came to the conclusion this is due to the alignment of the pole pieces. The E pole is above the E string (if that makes sense) so on a downstroke I am pushing the string away from the pole but on an upstroke I am pulling the string into the magnetic field of the pole. The A and D strings are aligned and therefore sound equal on both down and up strokes whereas the G string pole is below the G string so I have the opposite issue to the E string. When I played finger style I found the E string to be fine as I was pulling the string towards the pole piece, however the G sounded weaker. As you find the G string sounds weak I wondered if you were playing finger style?

This might not be the answer to the issue but it's the only conclusion we came to as the pups are definitely not weak!!! I don't find it to be too much of a problem and it isn't noticeable in a live setting but it might be more noticeable when recording, but I haven't tried that yet.
 
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#16,734
JELLIS78 said:
Apologies up front for the long winded response, but that's really interesting as I play with a pick and noticed the E string is a bit weaker on downstrokes. After chatting with my tech we came to the conclusion this is due to the alignment of the pole pieces. The E pole is above the E string (if that makes sense) so on a downstroke I am pushing the string away from the pole but on an upstroke I am pulling the string into the magnetic field of the pole. The A and D strings are aligned and therefore sound equal on both down and up strokes whereas the G string pole is below the G string so I have the opposite issue to the E string. When I played finger style I found the E string to be fine as I was pulling the string towards the pole piece, however the G sounded weaker. As you find the G string sounds weak I wondered if you were playing finger style?

This might not be the answer to the issue but it's the only conclusion we came to as the pups are definitely not weak!!! I don't find it to be too much of a problem and it isn't noticeable in a live setting but it might be more noticeable when recording, but I haven't tried that yet.
Click to expand...
Yes, I play with my fingers, not a pick. I may try a pick and see what happens.

I'm completely convinced that the issue will adjust away or resolve, once I figure out what's causing it. A bad string is also a possibility.
 
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#16,739
Justice said:
well, i contacted the seller and it turns out they mistakenly sent me two bridge pickups. I'll be sending them pics of the pickups this evening and they should be sending me a neck pickup.
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How did you (or they) know this?

I got a set a little while back, and they look identical with no markings, that show which is which...
 

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