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Thunderbird Club

#173,742
FlyingPigSound said:
Lovely!
I have an ebony (which I may have refinished in Pelham Blue) and a 'burst....but I'm thinking an Alpine White with a black pickguard and black knobs would * pop * on stage (a stage and gig in the future that is)
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Had a drummer say he thought my white wold look cool with gold hardware. At first I thought it would be gaudy, but the gold knobs do look good. Can you have too much of a good thing?
 
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#173,745
GBassNorth said:
If they sound good that's important, but I'm not a fan at all of the different silks on the same bass. It makes it look like you've installed one string from four completely different brands. Kinda the Punky Brewster of string selections.


Great question. Quick answer - for the same price or even a few hundred more go with the vintage Greco (pre 2000 Greco, the one with the Chrome or nickel pups and rings).

Both are fantastic basses and neither will dissapoint. The fit and finish, hardware and construction is better on the VP. The pups are better on the Greco (and that's saying a lot considering how good the pups are on the VP). Sound wise, the Greco pups have more content and volume at nearly every tone and volume setting. I'm running nickel Rounds on my VP and Ancient TI Jazz flats on my Greco, so the VP has a bit more grit and growl and the Greco is deeper and smoother, but I suspect that is purely a function of the strings.

I have played the two basses back to back with the tone set on each bass to come as close to matching as I could. With the VP tone at 2 and the Greco tone at 4 they are about equal in tone. However, the VP volume had to be set at 9 just to barely keep up with the Greco volume at 2. Set the Greco volume at 3 or higher and it completely walks all over the VP. I don't know if the Greco pups are hotter or what, but I can say there is infinitely more headroom in the Greco. I also have a '68 Fender P bass with a well worn set of flats on it, and it can't even keep up with the Greco.
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Thanks. Another great review.

Wonder how difficult the Greco PUs are to find? I could search, but...
 
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#173,746
Larry V said:
Hahaha... :roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

I went through this phase. I've owned 10 different Thunderbirds. I had 8 at one time. Now I'm down to 5... 4 Gibsons and a Classic Pro.

I'm down to the right number though I could be talked into selling my short scale TBird and maybe my Classic Pro... maybe. :cautious:
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I can’t ever imagine letting go of my short scale Thunderbird.
9712306D-F0F7-456D-A238-5B241DF557C4.jpeg
 
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#173,748
PillO said:
At the risk of displaying my ignorance and opening myself up to endless teasing about it, the totality of my fashion knowledge: you have to either match or contrast. Well that, and a watermelon is always the right choice.
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I'm not really hugely into fashion, either, but contrasting is always a good choice too :thumbsup:

I personally just don't care for a lot of....chaos? I guess?
For example, if the silks had been two alternating colors, and matched each other, I'd be fine with that. But the four colors of the silks don't match the three colors of the ball-ends, and I just find it a bit annoying, I guess.

I think that may be one of the reasons I like the DR colored strings so well, same color from one end to the other :D
 
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#173,749
KaraQ said:
I do have plans to get rid of one of the Thunderbirds - I've got two tobacco burst Classic IVs, with only minor difference between them (pickup placement, mostly), so the second will likely get a new home.
But it'll probably get replaced with another that has more difference to the others I have.
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Like a shiny new Gibson Non-reverse? You know you want to....
 
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#173,751
FlyingPigSound said:
Always wanted a white VP and always wanted to buy a guitar from Anderton’s in the UK (Chicago burbs here)...

Achieved both today, as they had one in stock!
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Congrats!
I also picked up a white VP recently, and I love it.
The VP and especially my most recent, a Hofner HCT 500/1, are very different animals than the rest of my basses - mainly Precisions, Jazz Basses, Rics and active Spectors and Jacksons.
I find myself gravitating more towards vintage style basses with humbuckers these days. There's just something about that rich, warm vintage type of tone...
 
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#173,756
KaraQ said:
I'm not really hugely into fashion, either, but contrasting is always a good choice too :thumbsup:

I personally just don't care for a lot of....chaos? I guess?
For example, if the silks had been two alternating colors, and matched each other, I'd be fine with that. But the four colors of the silks don't match the three colors of the ball-ends, and I just find it a bit annoying, I guess.

I think that may be one of the reasons I like the DR colored strings so well, same color from one end to the other :D
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When I had Red Devils on my JC, one of the sales people at my local L&M commented that it looked like the silks went the length of the string (when in fact there were no silks).
 
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#173,757
PillO said:
Despite the emergence of VP cult here (which I may join some time, especially if they start offing some really cool colours) I still love my CP. It is really a great bass.
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We all know I'm a freak. I love my CP better than the VP. Although I am way overdue to try EBCFs on the VP again. I like the Rotos, but I just don't need Fullbore Angry Piano that often.
 
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#173,759
Instagator said:
Happy Thunderbird Thursday!!
Here’s Vintage Pro Row..the Epiphone Army.
last week I received the burst VP from a solid member of our TB community.He just couldn’t bond with the shape of a Thunderbird so I bought it from him.It happens to some people. It’s the first generation with the wide tuners (BT 2).The grain and finish work is outstanding.Mint condition.
I bought it to refinish in Lake Placid Blue but after seeing it in person Mrs Gator put a stop to that plan..I can have any Bass that I want..she picks the colors.In my household I’m the boss..and I have her permission to say so.. :)

For those with a sharp eye..I did glue the volume knob insert back in after the picture was taken.

So I guess I’m still on the lookout for a banged up VP..Cheers Everyone.


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Yeah. While I really like the look of my burst VP, I was considering either a metallic color or candy apple red as a refin, but Sharon really like the burst. So the old bolt-on will get refinned instead. Probably with belly cut and arm bevel as well. Kinda old-school Tele-like otherwise. Still very playable, just not as comfy once you get used to the others.
 
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#173,760
Chucky Stiletti said:
heard that mentioned before and in all honesty, don’t know how numbers can help anyone in a live situation when you have to very quickly alter your tone or volume a skosh....I don’t even look at the knobs but rather fish for them by position and adjust strictly by ear....but that’s just me...
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Not *just* you, Chuck!
 
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