Thunderbird Club

[Count Bassie]

I got the bug to play an instrument from my parents, unfortunately I didn’t do anything about it until a decade after my father passed away. He played upright bass as a studio and session player and occasional bar gigs in Los Angeles back in the late 50’s and 60’s. A lot of swing, big band, sock hop and surf stuff. I think his favorites were Boots Randolph and the Ventures. Mom played keyboard, both piano and an old foot pump antique organ. I took keyboard lessons for a short time in Jr High until life got in the way and girls and motorcycles became much more important than scales on a keyboard. Flash forward about 30 years and that’s when I decided to give the bass a try.

An old black and white brownie camera pic (remember those) of Dad and my three sisters poolside at our house in LA around 1965…
View attachment 4332474

Cool! I remember those cameras.

 

[PillO]

A little hyperbolic at best... we all gravitate to a type/style/genre of music (or a broad spectrum of music) and exclude other 'flavors' for any number of reasons. Those artists mentioned were of great notoriety/appreciation in their generation, like anyone is or was since. Personally I can't slag that.

I agree that what he listened to was great music, but he would not listen to anything else. Absolutely unwilling to try anything else. He had a deep-seated prejudice against any other music. To my mind, that is musical bigotry.

 

[dagrev]

Did another little test that borders on pointless. Recorded all four of my bird related basses into Logic, similar groove and attack, but it has some serious handicaps...
Bass 1 is the Cataldo NR41 with brand new DR Pure Blues strings. I don’t love these strings.
Bass 2 is the Fano JM4 with Cobalt Flats
Bass 3 is the Greco ‘Bird with a set of Rotos that have seen better days
Bass 4 is the ‘02 Gibson with Fender Roundwounds. Did two long shows (one outdoors) on the strings, so they’re not dead, but not what they were new


4 TBirds Test

2 and 3 are somewhat similar and have a bigger sound, at least on my Bose home speakers. In a mix it could be a whole different matter. Found 4 to be the least interesting.

 

[PillO]

OK, just kidding, just kidding. I like most Big Band, but some of the pure Jazz then (and now) is less satisfying than hearing the toilet flush.

I like the big band jazz. I actually really like Barney Kessel, although most haven't heard of him. I can't get into Django; I recognize the talent, but it doesn't work for me.

Mum is tone deaf, so music is sonic wallpaper to her. Although her stories of her father hating the Bill Haley she listened to are quite funny given my Dad's extreme dislike of the Iron Maiden I listened to.

 

[dagrev]

Mine too. He's a very nice man.

Seemed like that would be the case. He always carried himself well as they say. Seemed like a class act.

 

[PillO]

My parents were generally tolerant. Black Sabboth though, put Dad over the edge every time. I could play Beatles, CSNY, Yes, Kinks, and the like in the living room. Sabboth was strictly a bedroom band. With headphones when Dad was home.

No music was forbidden (at reasonable volume), but that didn't mean that Dad wasn't going to complain about the talentless hacks we listened to...

Mum was pretty permissive when I was a teen - she thought through decisions pretty well. When I wanted to go parachuting at 16 and needed both parents to sign a permission form, Mum talked Dad into it by pointing out that the danger was similar to driving on the highway and that if they didn't sign, I would just do it in two years anyway (a spot on forecast).

Dad's admonition when I was on the way out was "If you get arrested, don't call me, I'm not coming to bail you out." I never tested that one, but I'm pretty confident that he would allow a night in jail to learn a lesson and Mum would go along with it.

 

[PillO]

DR Pure Blues were one of the least interesting strings I ever tried. Maybe I was expecting too much.

I love Pure Blues on my JC. But for Thunderbirds, I think steel is a necessity...

 

[PillO]

I used to love Mystery Theater on the radio. It was an oasis of sorts on cross country road trips in my youth. Regardless of what state you were driving thru, you could usually find a station playing an episode in the evenings.

Podcasts are the new radio theater. I like to listen to an episode of Welcome to Nightvale as part of my commute listening.

 

[dagrev]

WADR... pure jazz?

Bad and imprecise term used on the fly by me. I'm not sure what the proper term is but some Jazz has more of an "out there" feel to it. Has more of an experimental feel, that while technically may work, tends to have a pretty odd feel and sound with chords and changes that seem on the verge of being out of place, but are done because they can be. More erratic than melodic maybe. To me some of it sounds as though some are trying to do as many clever things as possible and in places and ways others haven't. Hard to do for sure, but just sounds weird to me, but I appreciate others love it. It's better than the record of just noise the guy made in the 60s! (Can't recall his name off the top of my head.)

 

[PillO]

Bad and imprecise term used on the fly by me. I'm not sure what the proper term is but some Jazz has more of an "out there" feel to it. Has more of an experimental feel, that while technically may work, tends to have a pretty odd feel and sound with chords and changes that seem on the verge of being out of place, but are done because they can be. More erratic than melodic maybe. To me some of it sounds as though some are trying to do as many clever things as possible and in places and ways others haven't. Hard to do for sure, but just sounds weird to me, but I appreciate others love it. It's better than the record of just noise the guy made in the 60s! (Can't recall his name off the top of my head.)

I just assume that all Jazz is played to a crowd of 12 or less. Any more and they must be working in some other music...

 

[BC Blackmur]

We still doing Tubesday around here?

Just got this back from repair. Was going to have it fixed up Spring of 2020, but, yeah. It had been moth balled for a few years because of problems with volume cutting in and out. Got rid of the 70lb 15" PA speaker I used to use with it and went with the lightweight Rumble 100.

I don't have a bass cab to go with it, but am thinking of modding the Rumble to use as a cab. I've been playing guitar through it since I do have a guitar cab, sounds so clean I have to throw a tube screamer in front to dirty it up a little just for fun.

...and a little night glow

 

[Bassmike62]

Love the family-related musical background stories we're seeing...

My father doesn't get music. At all. Never saw it as something you pursued and doesn't get buying another guitar when you already have one.
Mom was the opposite: she sang a bit and played a old duct-taped accordeon, probably only 2-3 songs, but I still recall vivdly that sound and mostly the pleasure she had playing the thing. She always encouraged us discreetly and probably would've done more for us if the old man would've agreed. I have 2 brothers, one who played drums quite well (but doesn't anymore due to arthritis) and another one who gave it quite a go, fronting a metal band playing guitar and handling lead vocals. They opened for a couple of well-known QC bands in the 90s, but eventually called it quits. I started on guitar at 14 (1976), focussing more on bass since 2008 and added (modest) keyboards 3 years ago. My daughter asked me to teach her guitar and she plays and sings quite well, more in a singer-songwriter style (Ed Sheeran, Tracy Chapman), but is not planning to do anything more than playing in her living room for now. And that's all right with me, it makes her happy and if my kids are happy, I'm good.

My old man still doesn't get it.

 

[GonePlaid]

Love the family-related musical background stories we're seeing...

My father doesn't get music. At all. Never saw it as something you pursued and doesn't get buying another guitar when you already have one.
Mom was the opposite: she sang a bit and played a old duct-taped accordeon, probably only 2-3 songs, but I still recall vivdly that sound and mostly the pleasure she had playing the thing. She always encouraged us discreetly and probably would've done more for us if the old man would've agreed. I have 2 brothers, one who played drums quite well (but doesn't anymore due to arthritis) and another one who gave it quite a go, fronting a metal band playing guitar and handling lead vocals. They opened for a couple of well-known QC bands in the 90s, but eventually called it quits. I started on guitar at 14 (1976), focussing more on bass since 2008 and added (modest) keyboards 3 years ago. My daughter asked me to teach her guitar and she plays and sings quite well, more in a singer-songwriter style (Ed Sheeran, Tracy Chapman), but is not planning to do anything more than playing in her living room for now. And that's all right with me, it makes her happy and if my kids are happy, I'm good.

My old man still doesn't get it.

My Dad played sax, clarinet, and flute(which got him a partial scholarship to Stetson University where he studied other things at which he was able to make a living ). The music ability also got him into the 28th Infantry Division Band in WWII, which prolly kept him alive. I started on piano at age 7(never got all that good), then clarinet and sax through high school. My music abilities allowed me to go into the USN music program, which helped keep me from getting my @$$ shot off in Viet Nam. My last year in the Navy(67-68), I picked up bass[Navy issue 66 Gibson EB-3], and I knew I'd found my "home". Bought my own EB-3 shortly after leaving the 'canoe club', and gigged with a few local Miami bands 'til 1970 when I held a Thunderbird for the first time. The quest began! In '72, while doing a strange gig in NYC, I bought the 67 NR TBird seen numerous times in these pages. It's been my number one ever since playing many different kinds of music, including being in a 17 piece big band with my Dad(full circle). My daughter loves lotsa kinds of music, but wasn't interested enuff to stick to piano lessons.
In its original configuration:

 

[Gaolee]

We did when they were little. The elder had a gift for guitar, and the younger was a pretty good drummer when she was six!
Now the younger does have an electric guitar and we did a Christmas CD last year. But it's a rare event. She's always studying now, in college. I'm horrified...

You have a studious, diligent kid? Oh, the horror!

 

[Gaolee]

WADR... pure jazz?

The Chicago Art Ensemble will clear a room very effectively.

 

[GonePlaid]

The Chicago Art Ensemble will clear a room very effectively.

While not familiar with that specific group, I've seen-not in person-performances where many of the attendees seem to be there because they think they should be(seen)there. Are they really getting it or do they feel the need to appear to be getting it?

 

[dagrev]

We still doing Tubesday around here?

Just got this back from repair. Was going to have it fixed up Spring of 2020, but, yeah. It had been moth balled for a few years because of problems with volume cutting in and out. Got rid of the 70lb 15" PA speaker I used to use with it and went with the lightweight Rumble 100.

I don't have a bass cab to go with it, but am thinking of modding the Rumble to use as a cab. I've been playing guitar through it since I do have a guitar cab, sounds so clean I have to throw a tube screamer in front to dirty it up a little just for fun.

View attachment 4333183

View attachment 4333184

...and a little night glow
View attachment 4333186

Probably sounds awful together....

 

[dagrev]

Love the family-related musical background stories we're seeing...

My father doesn't get music. At all. Never saw it as something you pursued and doesn't get buying another guitar when you already have one.
Mom was the opposite: she sang a bit and played a old duct-taped accordeon, probably only 2-3 songs, but I still recall vivdly that sound and mostly the pleasure she had playing the thing. She always encouraged us discreetly and probably would've done more for us if the old man would've agreed. I have 2 brothers, one who played drums quite well (but doesn't anymore due to arthritis) and another one who gave it quite a go, fronting a metal band playing guitar and handling lead vocals. They opened for a couple of well-known QC bands in the 90s, but eventually called it quits. I started on guitar at 14 (1976), focussing more on bass since 2008 and added (modest) keyboards 3 years ago. My daughter asked me to teach her guitar and she plays and sings quite well, more in a singer-songwriter style (Ed Sheeran, Tracy Chapman), but is not planning to do anything more than playing in her living room for now. And that's all right with me, it makes her happy and if my kids are happy, I'm good.

My old man still doesn't get it.

Nobody in my family was/is a musician on either side of the family. Including me, but I give it a go. Maybe they knew their limitations and I ignore mine. Music to my family seems to have been what you observe, if you so desire. Other people do it.

 

[Bassmike62]

My Dad played sax, clarinet, and flute(which got him a partial scholarship to Stetson University where he studied other things at which he was able to make a living ). The music ability also got him into the 28th Infantry Division Band in WWII, which prolly kept him alive. I started on piano at age 7(never got all that good), then clarinet and sax through high school. My music abilities allowed me to go into the USN music program, which helped keep me from getting my @$$ shot off in Viet Nam. My last year in the Navy(67-68), I picked up bass[Navy issue 66 Gibson EB-3], and I knew I'd found my "home". Bought my own EB-3 shortly after leaving the 'canoe club', and gigged with a few local Miami bands 'til 1970 when I held a Thunderbird for the first time. The quest began! In '72, while doing a strange gig in NYC, I bought the 67 NR TBird seen numerous times in these pages. It's been my number one ever since playing many different kinds of music, including being in a 17 piece big band with my Dad(full circle). My daughter loves lotsa kinds of music, but wasn't interested enuff to stick to piano lessons.
In its original configuration:
View attachment 4333213

Music and military run deep in the Plaid clan !
BTW Mike, congrats to your Bolts, well deserved champeenship .

 

[dagrev]

The Chicago Art Ensemble will clear a room very effectively.

The adage "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should" is often under used.