Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

Better with a picture
View attachment 4361902

She has a long list of accomlishments:
Written hit songs
Leads her own band
Plays bass (but not a Thunderbird, she would be better with a Thunderbird)
Showed us what a douche Lance Armstrong is

Love her. Seen her live a few times, rock Sheryl and Country Sheryl. Great shows. I was playing All I Wanna Do yesterday; it's a fun baseline. Never could understand why she stood by Lance as long as she did.

 

[GonePlaid]

I gotta say, everyone I work with only mentions bass when I don’t bring the Gibson. “Where’s the TBird?!”
Had one bass player in an opening band (who was very active on TB) tell me “you must have the only TBird without a headstock repair.” He also asked me how I deal with the neck dive, so I pulled my hands away to show him there was none. He also mentioned the terrible finish on Gibsons of that era. I told him I bought two Gibson ‘Birds off eBay at a great price and on both the fit and finish were perfect. He kept insisting that virtually every other Gibson out there was a wreck and I just got lucky. The guy was so convinced he knew everything about bass gear. When his band played, his tone was boring and his playing was mediocre at best. No point arguing with folks like that.

He's apparently o/d'd on the "KoolAid".

 

[GonePlaid]

Love her. Seen her live a few times, rock Sheryl and Country Sheryl. Great shows. I was playing All I Wanna Do yesterday; it's a fun baseline. Never could understand why she stood by Lance as long as she did.

"Love(?)is blind". Also often deaf and dumb.

 

[MCF]

And that is where my interest in them lies. They don't seem to come up used very much.

No, but unless it's a local sale, I can't see the point of a used one if it has to be shipped. They're $299 here (at least they were). I like both the green and red ones.

 

[PillO]

No, but unless it's a local sale, I can't see the point of a used one if it has to be shipped. They're $299 here (at least they were). I like both the green and red ones.

the green is too olive drab for me; I would love a vibrant green*. Odd that the red ones are "walnut stain". Black and burst are the least interesting.

I agree, not worth shipping, but I keep my eyes open at the local L&Ms and have yet to see a used one.


*a vibrant green might be converted to 'melon burst'...

 

[GBassNorth]

I gotta say, everyone I work with only mentions bass when I don’t bring the Gibson. “Where’s the TBird?!”
Had one bass player in an opening band (who was very active on TB) tell me “you must have the only TBird without a headstock repair.” He also asked me how I deal with the neck dive, so I pulled my hands away to show him there was none. He also mentioned the terrible finish on Gibsons of that era. I told him I bought two Gibson ‘Birds off eBay at a great price and on both the fit and finish were perfect. He kept insisting that virtually every other Gibson out there was a wreck and I just got lucky. The guy was so convinced he knew everything about bass gear. When his band played, his tone was boring and his playing was mediocre at best. No point arguing with folks like that.

Just remember, there’s a tool for every job, and it looks like the other bass player was the perfect tool for the job of providing ignorant and uninformed bass gear opinions. Can’t fault him, he’s just doing his job.

On the other hand, you could always remind him that it takes a hell of a player to perform with a Tbird that’s constantly popping it’s head off, and diving to the floor while the finish peels and the bridge falls off right before your eyes, not to mention trying to coax more than one muddy sound out of the horrible pickups. Yep, it takes talent to play a Tbird, maybe when he gets some he should give it a try.

 

[GonePlaid]

Just remember, there’s a tool for every job, and it looks like the other bass player was the perfect tool for the job of providing ignorant and uninformed bass gear opinions. Can’t fault him, he’s just doing his job.

On the other hand, you could always remind him that it takes a hell of a player to perform with a Tbird that’s constantly popping it’s head off, and diving to the floor while the finish peels and the bridge falls off right before your eyes, not to mention trying to coax more than one muddy sound out of the horrible pickups. Yep, it takes talent to play a Tbird, maybe when he gets some he should give it a try.

IDK. Doesn't sound like someone we'd want in our group of crazies. Besides, he'd prolly play one song(with the 'Bird up high on his chest)and say "not for me."

 

[PillO]

On the other hand, you could always remind him that it takes a hell of a player to perform with a Tbird that’s constantly popping it’s head off, and diving to the floor while the finish peels and the bridge falls off right before your eyes, not to mention trying to coax more than one muddy sound out of the horrible pickups. Yep, it takes talent to play a Tbird, maybe when he gets some he should give it a try.

I will remember for future use.

 

[dukeorock]

Just remember, there’s a tool for every job, and it looks like the other bass player was the perfect tool for the job of providing ignorant and uninformed bass gear opinions. Can’t fault him, he’s just doing his job.

On the other hand, you could always remind him that it takes a hell of a player to perform with a Tbird that’s constantly popping it’s head off, and diving to the floor while the finish peels and the bridge falls off right before your eyes, not to mention trying to coax more than one muddy sound out of the horrible pickups. Yep, it takes talent to play a Tbird, maybe when he gets some he should give it a try.

Solid

 

[JIO]

'68 NR I on eBay (no affiliation) I guess it's black as it is shot in bright sunlight and looks greenish. I wouldn't describe it being "in great shape", more 'player grade' and less $ because of that.

gibson thunderbird bass 68 | eBay

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Just remember, there’s a tool for every job, and it looks like the other bass player was the perfect tool for the job of providing ignorant and uninformed bass gear opinions. Can’t fault him, he’s just doing his job.

On the other hand, you could always remind him that it takes a hell of a player to perform with a Tbird that’s constantly popping it’s head off, and diving to the floor while the finish peels and the bridge falls off right before your eyes, not to mention trying to coax more than one muddy sound out of the horrible pickups. Yep, it takes talent to play a Tbird, maybe when he gets some he should give it a try.

all I had to do with drummer schmoe was show him the bass construction and compare ít to the cheap P bass construction sitting right next to it and say “you can’t beat all mahogany construction and humbuckers, wait till you hear it” at this time, I had his full attention and the rest of course is history….

 

[TBird1958]

'68 NR I on eBay (no affiliation) I guess it's black as it is shot in bright sunlight and looks greenish. I wouldn't describe it being "in great shape", more 'player grade' and less $ because of that.

gibson thunderbird bass 68 | eBay

You'd think he could get the pickup and bridge covers in the right positions........

 

[WillyW]

'68 NR I on eBay (no affiliation) I guess it's black as it is shot in bright sunlight and looks greenish. I wouldn't describe it being "in great shape", more 'player grade' and less $ because of that.

gibson thunderbird bass 68 | eBay

You'd think he could get the pickup and bridge covers in the right positions........

AND you can buy 3 brand new ones for that price.

 

[TBird1958]

AND you can 3 brand new ones for that price.

If it's the real deal (as in not a re-fin) that would be a very rare bass, black was a custom color.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

You'd think he could get the pickup and bridge covers in the right positions........

yeah, like this?….

 

[TBird1958]

yeah, like this?….
View attachment 4362359

Mike's going to sneak up behind you and install a bridge cover on that!

 

[dagrev]

just love symmetric cutaway or LP type basses……anything non 7enderish really……

View attachment 4361654

I like the looks, a lot, but never cared for the sound of a PU up against the neck. I should say I was never able to get what I call a good sound out of one.

 

[dagrev]

Finally got around to yanking the Nexus strings off the Blackbird, so I could try these...

View attachment 4361672



...nickel Roto 66s? that came on the Redbird. And I'm reminded of some of the several reasons why I really like coated strings

I also discovered, the Nexus strings weren't necessarily what made this bass so loud. After changing over & tuning, I plugged in, and immediately had to turn down (2 am, apartment, etc. ).
With the bass vol all the way up, I don't need to use od or distortion. But, it's so very bright , and picks up every tiny bit of string/pick noise.


But it does sound pretty great down-tuned to Nikki's typical DGCF.....

Roto Bass strings sound really, really good on VPs. Roto's less expensive NPS.

 

[GBassNorth]

I like the looks, a lot, but never cared for the sound of a PU up against the neck. I should say I was never able to get what I call a good sound out of one.

It is an interesting looking bass, can’t say I ever heard one live so who knows how it sounds. As for pups up at the neck - now that I’m not gigging I love em. Nice and deep and on a short scale should be even more thunderous. The problem I had with that pup location when gigging was it had a tendency to get lost in the mix, I always ended up dialing up the bridge pup then blending in a bit of the neck to thicken up the tone. In a bedroom setting full on neck sans the bridge sounds just fine to me. JMHO

 

[dagrev]

I gotta say, everyone I work with only mentions bass when I don’t bring the Gibson. “Where’s the TBird?!”
Had one bass player in an opening band (who was very active on TB) tell me “you must have the only TBird without a headstock repair.” He also asked me how I deal with the neck dive, so I pulled my hands away to show him there was none. He also mentioned the terrible finish on Gibsons of that era. I told him I bought two Gibson ‘Birds off eBay at a great price and on both the fit and finish were perfect. He kept insisting that virtually every other Gibson out there was a wreck and I just got lucky. The guy was so convinced he knew everything about bass gear. When his band played, his tone was boring and his playing was mediocre at best. No point arguing with folks like that.

Unbelievable someone could have that much narrowly defined wrong information in one head. Like the saying goes....You can't fix stupid.

"Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues." See, this is all he had to do, but noooo!