Thunderbird Club

[dagrev]

i want one! Near you? Looks along the lines of JIO's idea....have you tried one?..
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No, I've not got to play one--yet. I'm in Louisville, they are in Winchester, which is close to Lexington (Univ of KY), so a couple hours from me. They do a lot of work for some big players. I few years ago they restored several vintage guitars from Lynyrd Skynyrd that were damaged in a flood in Nashville and sat in water. Super nice people. I was going to have them do some work on a couple old basses but then Covid hit. Since I was driving over, they were willing to do what I needed while I waited so I wouldn't have to go back or ship.

 

[dagrev]

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Killer, isn't it?

 

[tyohars]

It's a fantastic deal! But only if you love the bass, which you said you didn't, but I don't recall you saying exactly what you didn't like about the VP you played. I'm no purist and I'm all for individual freedom, but the pickups are half or more of why a person should buy a VP. From what you've said all along I think you would be better off to wait and buy what you really like. Getting an instrument you are not crazy about in hopes you can make it what you want is like marrying some one who looks good but has a questionable personality, yet you tell yourself you can change them to be more of what you want them to be. It never works. Buy what speaks to you and you connect with and think you don't want to be without one.

Yeah I don't like the brightness from it and that's it. But for that price (even cheaper than a CP lol) and how I love the looks for the Thunderbird, I might want to consider it

 

[BklynKen]

The CP officially out of stock. The store apologize to me and offering a new VP for just $534. I think it's a good deal, wdyt? I can change the pickup later, can I?

I say go for it. The mistake people make who check out Thunderbirds for the first time is EQing them the same as Fenders. They won't sound good that way. Start at neutral settings on the amp and go from there.

 

[Nocturnal]

No, I've not got to play one--yet. I'm in Louisville, they are in Winchester, which is close to Lexington (Univ of KY), so a couple hours from me. They do a lot of work for some big players. I few years ago they restored several vintage guitars from Lynyrd Skynyrd that were damaged in a flood in Nashville and sat in water. Super nice people. I was going to have them do some work on a couple old basses but then Covid hit. Since I was driving over, they were willing to do what I needed while I waited so I wouldn't have to go back or ship.

My friend that lives in Lexington raves about their work. IIRC he had a 70's 7ender P refinished and also bought at least one guitar. Says they are great people working there.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

On a roll... ing stones jag - could be a C&W song

Dead Flowers is one of their best (honky tonk) C&W songs. Love this, too.

 

[Gaolee]

The CP officially out of stock. The store apologize to me and offering a new VP for just $534. I think it's a good deal, wdyt? I can change the pickup later, can I?

It is a great price if you like the bass.

 

[Gaolee]

Yeah I don't like the brightness from it and that's it. But for that price (even cheaper than a CP lol) and how I love the looks for the Thunderbird, I might want to consider it

Strings solve a lot of problems.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Threw my hat in, but seller not shipping. Can't blame him for that, he'll probably sell fast without moving from his living room.





Yup. I'm a big Stones fan and consider myself fairly Stones-educated. That being said, Faraway Eyes (Some Girls) was a low-point to me. That song was... painfully awful. Loved most versions they did of Dead Flowers, especially when sung by Keef. Even Jagger said he preferred it when he sang backs.... or not at all.

There’s a live version on Youtube where the guitars at the intro are a train wreck, but I still love that version. I have spent hours chasing versions.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

That foam-stuff is supposed to keep the pickup pushed against the screws (to a certain point), if you want the pickups close to the strings (like me ), you may need to add a spacer of some sort - I tend to add to the old rubber, or replace with new.

My Pro 5 had bits of broken wood paint stir-sticks underneath when I got it

I think they all did.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Doesn't surprise me in the least. I grew to really like the Beatles on a family vacation as a young teen. As I said, I was a big Rolling Stones (pre "Stones") fan and yet I heard but liked Beatles songs on the radio also. We were on vacation in the west staying with friends of my dads in Colorado Springs (ex- WWII pilot like my dad) and they all went off for the day allowing me to stay behind listening to their teen daughters LP collection, which was filled with all the older (older than '66) Beatles LPs. I played one after the other in oder and "got" why they were a phenom. My fave from the "Yesterday and Today" LP's was this song (they show it as being on Revolver... but...), which was also the lead/intro song of The Beatles TV cartoon show which I watched. Think about how dominate "teen"music was on "media" then; The Beatles cartoon show, The Monkees, The Partridge Family, Shindig, Hullaballoo, Where The Action Is, Ready Steady Go (I'm sure I'm leaving a couple out) - today?...

Today they have MTV!

Oh. Wait…

 

[Miles_ONeal]

The CP officially out of stock. The store apologize to me and offering a new VP for just $534. I think it's a good deal, wdyt? I can change the pickup later, can I?

Very good deal. Put on some Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats and turn the bridge pickup and tone down, and re-eq the amp.

 

[KaraQ]

I think they all did.

Those bits of stick came in handy as a sort of pad when re-installing bridge inserts

...'til they fell apart, anyway


The Pro 5 now has nice, new bits of rubbery things under the pickups ....enough that they'll push up on the strings if I had some reason to
Also, keeps them from vibrating inappropriately

 

[11th Street Kid]

That foam-stuff is supposed to keep the pickup pushed against the screws (to a certain point), if you want the pickups close to the strings (like me ), you may need to add a spacer of some sort - I tend to add to the old rubber, or replace with new.

My Pro 5 had bits of broken wood paint stir-sticks underneath when I got it

I’ve gone ahead and booked a pro set up with a respected technician locally, he’s in demand so my slot is towards the end of June but that’s fine. The service is really thorough and he covers everything from frets to wiring and everything in between. He’s going to sort out what’s going on under the pickup covers and change the screws to something more durable (those Epiphone threads are like sticking a screwdriver in butter).

Never had a pro set up before so excited to see what comes back!

 

[tyohars]

Try the Alpine White one and I think I can live with the VP. I don't like the Alpine White one but they don't have the sunburst or ebony one. They ask me to wait while checking the stock for a few days. Should I pull the trigger on Alpine White or waiting for sunburst or ebony (which I prefer)?

 

[11th Street Kid]

Try the Alpine White one and I think I can live with the VP. I don't like the Alpine White one but they don't have the sunburst or ebony one. They ask me to wait while checking the stock for a few days. Should I pull the trigger on Alpine White or waiting for sunburst or ebony (which I prefer)?

My advice would be to hold out for the one that you prefer.

 

[tyohars]

Can someone gimme a dimensions of these bass? I need to make a custom case cause the one from Epiphone isn't available here.

 

[dagrev]

Yeah I don't like the brightness from it and that's it. But for that price (even cheaper than a CP lol) and how I love the looks for the Thunderbird, I might want to consider it

One word then: Flats.

The strings that come on those are some bright version of a stainless steel I would imagine. In other words the strings that are on it are probably really bright from the factory. As you know, there are many options if you don't want bright strings even if you are around. There are coated strings, tapes and then flats of many flavors. GHS Pressurewounds are a great option to tone down brightness and string noise. As I said at the beginning, I do not like a really bright sounding bass. None of my VPs are shrill or bright sounding by any means. Big, fat and punchy. It's all about the strings in the app settings for that part. VPs do not have to be harsh, cranky or bright. But they can be and do it well. Thunderbirds are not one trick ponies and neither are VPs.

 

[tyohars]

One word then: Flats.

The strings that come on those are some bright version of a stainless steel I would imagine. In other words the strings that are on it are probably really bright from the factory. As you know, there are many options if you don't want bright strings even if you are around. There are coated strings, tapes and then flats of many flavors. GHS Pressurewounds are a great option to tone down brightness and string noise. As I said at the beginning, I do not like a really bright sounding bass. None of my VPs are shrill or bright sounding by any means. Big, fat and punchy. It's all about the strings in the app settings for that part. VPs do not have to be harsh, cranky or bright. But they can be and do it well. Thunderbirds are not one trick ponies and neither are VPs.

Tbh I don't like flats too. My favorite strings are GHS Boomers (tried more expensive strings than this and don't like it). Might go with pressure wounds. Thanks! Can you give me the dimensions of the bass? There's someone who make custom case for Thunderbird here, but it's for CP/Gibson/more normal Thunderbird. They don't have a dimensions for VP.

 

[dagrev]

Try the Alpine White one and I think I can live with the VP. I don't like the Alpine White one but they don't have the sunburst or ebony one. They ask me to wait while checking the stock for a few days. Should I pull the trigger on Alpine White or waiting for sunburst or ebony (which I prefer)?

Don't use emotions to think with. Not their purpose. Wait for what you really want then the happiness factor will be higher instead of the regret factor. No one should ever buy a bass they don't really love.

But white is cool...