Thunderbird Club

[GonePlaid]

Funny thing is that I just flat don't like the specific tone he uses before all hell breaks loose very much. It's too nasal and a murky, flat light green that doesn't do it for me. I sure do appreciate his playing, though.

He had a couple of 360s, and it appears that he also had a 320/408 stack. I had one of those for a while, and if you can't have a 360, that's a close second.

You're gentler/kinder/nicer/whatever about his tone. I [strongly dislike*] it. And the tone of anyone who emulates his tone.

*4 letter word beginning w/ "H" and ending w/ "E".

 

[godofthunder59]

A quick demo of the 360, I'll do a more in depth and coherent one later.

 

[JIO]

64 or 76?....
View attachment 4222962

Not a '64 for sure. Small-plate, no rivet. Post mid '70s. They are nice quality tuners - were installed on later '70s-'80s Fender basses also. Plus, serial# on my '64 is stamped into the back of the hs. And yes, clock-wise is reverse.

 

[GonePlaid]

A quick demo of the 360, I'll do a more in depth and coherent one later.

Da-yum! Loved the "WHO" lick. Used to do that with a group I was in in the early 70's. Unfortunately, I was on VOX organ in that band.

 

[MCF]

A quick demo of the 360, I'll do a more in depth and coherent one later.

Yes! More please.

 

[JIO]

Funny thing is that I just flat don't like the specific tone he uses before all hell breaks loose very much. It's too nasal and a murky, flat light green that doesn't do it for me. I sure do appreciate his playing, though.

He had a couple of 360s, and it appears that he also had a 320/408 stack. I had one of those for a while, and if you can't have a 360, that's a close second.

That tone became his 'voice' as he essentially was a funk player and favored burpy articulation when he wasn't lyrically phrasing via a fretless vibrato sound. But, hearing him live through a 360 provided bottom that you don't hear on recordings. I saw/heard him with Weather Report on his first tour with them in '76. I have a theory that the reason he liked/used the Acoustic was that it provided 'physical' bass - it literally punches your chest if you are in line with it's wide waves. And Jaco was a physical person - he was in your face both personally and in his music/bass playing.

 

[GonePlaid]

That tone became his 'voice' as he essentially was a funk player and favored burpy articulation when he wasn't lyrically phrasing via a fretless vibrato sound. But, hearing him live through a 360 provided bottom that you don't hear on recordings. I saw/heard him with Weather Report on his first tour with them in '76. I have a theory that the reason he liked/used the Acoustic was that it provided 'physical' bass - it literally punches your chest if you are in line with it's wide waves. And Jaco was a physical person - he was in your face both personally and in his music/bass playing.

I met him in ~71- before he became "JACO". He auditioned(?) with the group I was playing keys with. He didn't fit and clearly wasn't interested in what we were doing. Waste of his time and ours.

 

[Bassmike62]

A quick demo of the 360, I'll do a more in depth and coherent one later.

Never played those before but man does it sound and that fuzz is absolutely killer !!
Some of the guys over in the Effects forum would probably be ready to sell a kidney to get a sound like that. Looking forward to hear more of it.

 

[JIO]

I met him in ~71- before he became "JACO". He auditioned(?) with the group I was playing keys with. He didn't fit and clearly wasn't interested in what we were doing. Waste of his time and ours.

That happens, I've been there.

 

[TBird1958]

A quick demo of the 360, I'll do a more in depth and coherent one later.

That's one of the few older amps I'd really like to own - with good reason! My 4001 Rick sounded very good through the one I got to borrow.

 

[JIO]

That's one of the few older amps I'd really like to own - with good reason! My 4001 Rick sounded very good through the one I got to borrow.

It was the only amp I wanted as a new player in the late '60s but I didn't have the money to buy one. Saw a local trio (bass/B3/drums) where the bass-player played through one. (probably brand new then) I think it was around a grand then - way out of my price-range. Now? As much as I could probably hunt one down and budget it - it's big, heavy, and I have no practical use for it. One of those "admire from afar" things that will stay that way.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

'64, (ok, I'm guessing!) a real '76 would have a decal S/N as would some '77s. I've forgotten exactly when Kalamazoo started stamping S/Ns in '77. IIRC some '76s were made in Nashville too, but I could be wrong

Prolly.

Yes, it's either a '64 or '76.

Not a '64 for sure. Small-plate, no rivet. Post mid '70s. They are nice quality tuners - were installed on later '70s-'80s Fender basses also. Plus, serial# on my '64 is stamped into the back of the hs. And yes, clock-wise is reverse.

NONE of the above!!
89 Greco!!!

 

[GonePlaid]

It was the only amp I wanted as a new player in the late '60s but I didn't have the money to buy one. Saw a local trio (bass/B3/drums) where the bass-player played through one. (probably brand new then) I think it was around a grand then - way out of my price-range. Now? As much as I could probably hunt one down and budget it - it's big, heavy, and I have no practical use for it. One of those "admire from afar" things that will stay that way.

My Kasino was my 'big' amp purchase back in '70($381.50*). I bought an SVT/810 in'80. Don't remember the price, but I hadda have one 'cos that's what all the cool bass players had. Shoulda saved the $.
*still have the amp/sales slip. shoulda bought the extension(2nd 2x15"cab w/built-in 200W amp, controlled from main)

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Oui, je les ai vu en spectacle jadis. He and his 2 UZEB cohorts, guitarist Michel Cusson and percussionnist Paul Brochu, are legends in QC and rightfully so. At a time where our music scene gravitated from folky-rootsy stuff towards progressive, harder-edged rock, punk and new-wave, these guys went in their own direction with their brand of fusion jazz and generated a near-fanatical following. Can't say you heard about them everyday, but anybody remotely connected with music knew about them and still do. I remember this gig when they opened the show by coming out from the back of the venue playing their instruments (drummer had a small cymbal tied to a tom held with shoulder straps) and built the intensity when they got to their full arsenal on stage. Absolutely awesome.

thought so, phenomenal player and a really nice (met him a couple of times) down to earth guy.

 

[TBird1958]

NONE of the above!!
89 Greco!!!

I don't remember how the tuners are arranged on mine..... It's my Friday and I'm focused on leaving work early and adding alcohol to my bloodstream later today.

 

[GonePlaid]

I don't remember how the tuners are arranged on mine..... It's my Friday and I'm focused on leaving work early and adding alcohol to my bloodstream later today.

Hmm. Thought it was the other way 'round.

 

[GBassNorth]

At the neck heel works for me. I have had a couple 'Birds that had the strap button on the top side of the vestigial upper bout, and moved those.

Ditto. I like the heel best.

You're gentler/kinder/nicer/whatever about his tone. I [strongly dislike*] it. And the tone of anyone who emulates his tone.

*4 letter word beginning w/ "H" and ending w/ "E".

Never been a Jaco fan. Just not my thing. I view his style very much like modern art. Yes there's talent there but so far out in left field I just don't see a need or application for it. I do give him credit though for constantly pushing the envelope and expanding the bass as an instrument in directions it traditionally wasn't envisioned to go.

 

[GBassNorth]

For those about to get back to gigging again here's some outer wear that might give the sound man a clue...
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[Chucky Stiletti]

It was the only amp I wanted as a new player in the late '60s but I didn't have the money to buy one. Saw a local trio (bass/B3/drums) where the bass-player played through one. (probably brand new then) I think it was around a grand then - way out of my price-range. Now? As much as I could probably hunt one down and budget it - it's big, heavy, and I have no practical use for it. One of those "admire from afar" things that will stay that way.

plus they were unreliable and not really roadworthy (that amp mounted at the bottom subjected to monster vibrations was not optimal imho and went the way of the Dodo the way Polytones did for the same reason) way other manufacturers were. Really dug their tone and flexibility but they were like the Betamax of the battle for the superior bass amp. In the end, the SVT’s multiple (smaller) drivers approach won (Trace, SWR, Eden, etc.) and pushed the path forward. Acoustics were also AC coupled by way of a capacitor which I never really cared for for any leakage (common back then) would roast the coil.
Again, really DUG their tone but there is a reason why they went away and SVTs didn’t...

 

[godofthunder59]

Sounds way better than a SVT imho.