Thunderbird Club

[WillyW]

Don’t see many fret less birds, should look and sound interesting. Would love to hear a clip after you get it all sorted out.

these are some of the fretless... I don't have the Franklin Pbass anymore.

I don't like the balance on the purple non, so I intend to maybe part it out when the new one arrives.

 

[D.M.N.]

For Thunderbird Thursday this week, I done got myself another Greco.

I know, I know, not a Thunderbird, but I hardly think I could post it in the Rickenbacker club, and I know y'all appreciate Greco's build quality. Might have to start a Greco club...

 

[dukeorock]

For Thunderbird Thursday this week, I done got myself another Greco.

View attachment 4359577


I know, I know, not a Thunderbird, but I hardly think I could post it in the Rickenbacker club, and I know y'all appreciate Greco's build quality. Might have to start a Greco club...

Cool bass! My only problem with a Greco club is how many folks will find out and drive up the prices!

 

[PillO]

Tasted better too. (not that I've tasted tort. Tortellini, yes.)

Teenage mutant ninja tort?

 

[D.M.N.]

Cool bass! My only problem with a Greco club is how many folks will find out and drive up the prices!

Smart man, probably best to keep it hush hush!

Speaking of prices, I saw this bass on eBay earlier this week listed around $1200, and while I thought that was a bit high, was hemming and hawing about it. Next day I went back and the listing had been pulled (man, those Rick boys are quick to strike clone listings!). After doing more research on the build quality of these clones, I found a link some one on TB posted here to a site called jauce.com which acts as a broker for overseas sales from Yahoo Auctions in Japan. Looking through it, i found the exact bass that had been on eBay! Put a bid on it, and won! The kicker? 78000 yen, which is roughly $707, though Paypal takes a dig on the exchange so probably more like $720, and now I just have to get the shipping sorted. There's a number of cool Grecos and Burny instruments up, and various other instruments, on the site. I'm definitely keeping an eye on it from now on!

 

[dagrev]

Nope.

I figured I could count on you to be part of the resistance as well, but didn't want to assume. We know how that often ends up....

 

[dagrev]

Sweet Jazz. I hear ya on the tort. I have tort on a grand total of two basses (out of about 50) and both are FSO white basses, the only body color and shape that I’d ever even consider having tort on.

This is the only other bass that has anything close to tort. It looks more like taught in the picture than it really is. It has a lot of dark and basically orange flakes, fortunately. Hard to describe. Looks great in person, if I could take decent pics.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Gnarly might be an understatement, 10 days might be an over statement for playing your bass at home, but I’d imagine going out and about and high energy stuff like stage performances might be hampered a bit for a week or two. Never had the joy of that operation but one of my golf buddies did a few months ago. He wasn’t swinging a club for a couple of weeks.


What year is that Jazz? I think I have it’s brother…
View attachment 4359221
All original 1968 Fender Precision bass, with glorious original tort, which IMHO looks fine on a FSO but hideous on a bird.

totally agree, don’t think Gibson ever adopted tort….wasn’t originally a 7ender exclusive thing? sure looks good on butterscotch….

 

[WillyW]

no tort, no sunburst

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

This is the only other bass that has anything close to tort. It looks more like taught in the picture than it really is. It has a lot of dark and basically orange flakes, fortunately. Hard to describe. Looks great in person, if I could take decent pics.
View attachment 4359619

had I had that fingerboard on mine I would have never gotten my latest one…..great pic.

 

[dagrev]

no tort, no sunburst

Right on! Right on! Never liked the natural finishes Fender did in the mid-70s either. I love grain, but slap some stain on there first!

 

[dagrev]

had I had that fingerboard on mine I would have never gotten my latest one…..great pic.

Thanks Chuck! I admit, I love this bass. It's up there very close to the Thunderbirds. always wanted one of those deluxes like yours, but never ran across one at the right price. They seem really interesting and I imagine they have a lot of possible tones.

 

[Gaolee]

This isn't strictly (or remotely, I guess ) Thunderbird related but....

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....I don't know if I should be inspired to practice more , or inspired to just give up & sell off all my music stuff






(assuming that link works, of course)

I didn't click on the link, but it's pretty easy to guess what it's about. My fragile ego doesn't need any more reminders that I suck! Of course, buying expensive gear and still being lousy is a goal in and of itself. Gotta keep the crappy to expense ratio in proper balance as the skills improve a little here and there.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I listened to some of it and came away thinking that there's a future for bass players. Glad to see kids like her and @Larry V 's kids keeping R&R alive.
I listen to(or watch)me on tape from the early 80's and wonder what happened to the dexterity that I had then. Hmm. Maybe 23 years holding a large steering wheel and shifting 9, 10, and 13 speed transmissions plus unloading freight has something to do with it.
Nah.

Rock bands may become franchises, the old salsa bands worked like that, like a company, you join, work and retire……of the opinion that as much as people like to listen to classical or opera centuries after the originals were first written and performed a market will exist for interpreters of rock/pop classics….this stuff needs to be heard live…..hence all the Tribute stuff imho…

 

[Gaolee]

It's better, but still brings back memories of hating that song when Melanie did it.

Fun fact. Barry Lee Harwood was asked by Skynyrd to be the third guitar player since he had done some studio work with him before, and was from Jacksonville. He turned it down because he had committed to doing a European tour with Melanie and didn't like to back out and not honor his word. Ultimately honoring his commitment may have saved his life.

I hated that song, but this version makes it pretty good. She brings the perfect attitude to make it a very different song.

 

[WillyW]

 

[dukeorock]

The great tort debate still rages on. What a goofy hill some folks pick to die on.

Tour is going well and the tort warriors can rest easy knowing there’s none in this caravan. Two tele’s, a TBird and an upright

 

[Gaolee]

totally agree, don’t think Gibson ever adopted tort….wasn’t originally a 7ender exclusive thing? sure looks good on butterscotch….
View attachment 4359626

My 2013 EB came originally with a tort pick guard. It's different from Fender tort, but it's been replaced with black anyway.

 

[Gaolee]

The great tort debate still rages on. What a goofy hill some folks pick to die on.

Tour is going well and the tort warriors can rest easy knowing there’s none in this caravan. Two tele’s, a TBird and an upright
View attachment 4359645

The neck on that Tele looks like it's been played a few times.

 

[BklynKen]

For those who've had a Babicz bridge on their Thunderbird for a while and have taken it off, have you found it's left some sort of impression? I may have just bought a black 2018 Thunderbird and am thinking of replacing the black hardware with nickel. I'm guessing a nickel Babicz would be more seamless than a Hipshot.