Thunderbird Club

[Gaolee]

I've been noticing a lot lately people wearing guitar straps with the strap buckle in the front. Any ideas why? I never wore it like that.

There is a buckle? There's a fat part and a skinny part.

 

[Gaolee]

Yah, but that's more about emulating the glorification of the myth of "American individualism" ... so individual... which one is my bike?

View attachment 4320789

Harleys are fun. You can drag a floorboard and make the pedestrians on the corner jump when you make horrible grindy noises and sparks at a relatively sane speed. Among other things. They are a blast to ride.

Hoards of Harleys are not so much fun.

 

[Gaolee]

Yeah, especially considering the lefty one on eBay keeps getting reposted at the same $1,467.33 + $130 shipping, and it says it might need a fret job.

But how cool is this?

Greco MTB-65 Used Electric Bass | eBay

That is very cool! And this one popped up as similar when I clicked on your link:

Greco TB-700 Thunderbird Red 1990 Made in Japan Bass Guitar Very Rare Vintage QQ | eBay

 

[Warpeg]

Congratulations on marrying such a great wife! And on the new Thunderbird. '15s are tone machines. Glad to have you on board.

It's my #1 of the 15 basses I own. There are a few of us here who have them. Feel free to ask any questions.

Here's mine with the obligatory black pick guard:
View attachment 4320732

I love that pickguard. Where did you get it?

 

[JIO]

I've been noticing a lot lately people wearing guitar straps with the strap buckle in the front. Any ideas why? I never wore it like that.

I've seen cyclist wearing their helmet backwards... I laugh and then think.., at least they are wearing a helmet!

 

[Gaolee]

Might be a great sounding rig, but all I see is Swiss cheese. Sorry, I can’t rock it as is, chalk it up to my shallow self that places aesthetics and image at nearly the same value as functionality.

My shallow self likes it. John Williams owes a debt of gratitude to George Martin. Star Wars is the March of the Meanies only more dramatic and more LA than London.

 

[JIO]

My shallow self likes it. John Williams owes a debt of gratitude to George Martin. Star Wars is the March of the Meanies only more dramatic and more LA than London.

oh yah -

 

[Gaolee]

So what can the club collective tell me about the 2015 models? I know they have EB pickups in them and coil tap switches. Are these models generally regarded as the good, the bad, or the ugly in terms of tone and quality?

Welcome to the world of '15 'Birds. They are fantastic bass guitars. Just be aware that you have to replace the white pick guard with a black one with a gold logo to get the best tone.

And for the record, your wife is awesome!

 

[GonePlaid]

My shallow self likes it. John Williams owes a debt of gratitude to George Martin. Star Wars is the March of the Meanies only more dramatic and more LA than London.

And the theme from "Pirates of the Caribbean" is 'borrowed' from a Jewish orchestral/concert band piece that I've played but the name of which escapes me ATM.

 

[JIO]

John Williams is a hack compared to George Martin

 

[Gaolee]

You'd certainly be able to tell who's a musician in the audience from their WT7 expressions.

I get those expressions whenever I play the fretless 'Bird.

 

[Gaolee]

One of many reasons I was a hard-core Bowie favorite from the beginning - I still have the original "oh by jingo" LP

It gets louder. Plus, Gibson content.

 

[Gaolee]

While I don't have one, I wish that I did, those are a really cool variation of the traditional concept - I think they'll be quite collectable as time goes on. Congratulations, I do think you'll enjoy it, give us some pics we it shows and I'll have a number for you, please be welcome here!

I'll be happy to bequeath mine to you one of these days. You probably won't want it and it won't be collectible when I'm done with it, though.

 

[JIO]

It gets louder. Plus, Gibson content.

Yah, it was nice that the torch-bearers of the early '90s re-kindled the flames of early Bowie... he (Bowie) was the kind of artist that never settled for sounding "the same" ... like Miles, a tireless innovator over so many decades.

 

[Gaolee]

I like them. They’re very hot pickups. They respond differently to different strings and a bit of patience is needed to adjust pickup height to get what you like and eliminate chorus effects. In full humbucker mode, you can get a modern Tbird tone. I’ve been using Cobalt flats on mine for awhile and dial in a Hofner like tone when playing Beatles songs. Although I’m wanting to put nickel rounds on it again to see how it sounds with those through a new amp and cab I recently got.

The stock Babicz bridge is wonderful.

Most of them are now in the hands of players who will keep them, so they’re harder to find than they were a few years ago.

The usual wisdom is to raise 'Bird pickups to right under the strings. If you do that with a '15, you will think something is drastically wrong with your signal chain. Those have to be lowered practically as low as you can get them. I have tapes on mine, and it's still a beast.

 

[Gaolee]

I acknowledge your amusement of how poorly they are designed... and I'll just leave it at that.

It's like the difference between good scotch and Anny Greensprings jug wine. They are what they are, and the purpose is different. Both do what they are supposed to do very well. Overdo either one and it will hurt, just in a different way.

 

[Gaolee]

And the theme from "Pirates of the Caribbean" is 'borrowed' from a Jewish orchestral/concert band piece that I've played but the name of which escapes me ATM.

Plagiarism is basic to all culture. I stole that from somebody.

 

[JIO]

The usual wisdom is to raise 'Bird pickups to right under the strings. If you do that with a '15, you will think something is drastically wrong with your signal chain. Those have to be lowered practically as low as you can get them. I have tapes on mine, and it's still a beast.

Under 1/4" from the bottom of the E string to the neck pu on my '64 II. Pretty much the way it's been for decades. Not going to split millimeters other than that ball-park #.

 

[JIO]

I get those expressions whenever I play the fretless 'Bird.

No one notices the bass player... seriously...

 

[Gaolee]

Thanks, I acknowledge that (from afar) and I avoid jug wine like the plague. Too much affiliated negative baggage attached to HD for me to be remotely interested - and Im a hard-core road two-wheeler.

I'll ride anything with two wheels and figure out what makes it fun. Riding a Harley while wearing a hi-viz yellow textile suit and plain white full-face helmet confuses the pirates. That's ornery fun in it's own right. I may be shallow, but I'm also shameless and incapable of going along with the program.

I'll probably never own a Harley unless it's one of the new adventure bikes they just came out with. And then only in enough years that it's cheap. Until then, I have a bike that's a whole lot faster and more nimble than any Harley, and another one that's a whole lot more nimble and goes places a Harley would shudder at. Those are a blast, too.