Thunderbird Club

[PillO]

As long as it is metallic, I am IN!

The shallow rules - sparkly is always better.

 

[Count Bassie]

As long as it is metallic, I am IN!

COME ON!!
Seriously I think that would kill em all. And bright sparkly metal flake, heck yes.

 

[Gaolee]

COME ON!!
Seriously I think that would kill em all. And bright sparkly metal flake, heck yes.

I just took a look at some metallic ocher paint colors. Bronze-gold with a bit of green. I am sold. It has to happen. The Flamingo took me a couple years to get around to, and this probably will, too. But it has to happen. What a great color! And I had not thought of it before.

Getting the poly finish off will probably cause it to lose a pound of weight as well.

 

[PillO]

I just took a look at some metallic ocher paint colors. Bronze-gold with a bit of green. I am sold. It has to happen. The Flamingo took me a couple years to get around to, and this probably will, too. But it has to happen. What a great color! And I had not thought of it before.

Getting the poly finish off will probably cause it to lose a pound of weight as well.

You now have me thinking about a Thunderbird refin - saffron...

 

[WillyW]

You now have me thinking about a Thunderbird refin - saffron...

 

[Nocturnal]

Question - my VP has black knobs. I just focused on that a few nights ago and thought it was odd. They come with gold knobs, don't they? Or do they put black knobs on black ones?

I am contemplating a refin. Black instruments aren't really my thing. Purple or green would be better. Or maybe orange.

My black VP came with gold knobs. Maybe something changed since I bought mine in 2017.

 

[Engle]

Post hand surgery, my fingers are still weak and are likely to remain that way for 4-6 months (but ongoing improvement). I have been contemplating reducing string gauge to compensate. 45-105 is about right for D standard. I am thinking 100 or 95 might be needed for a few months for the standard tuned basses.

I found 45-105 too floppy for Eb standard and went to 50-110. Could be I’m heavy handed

 

[dagrev]

My journey was a bit different.

Well, we wouldn't expect anything less.

That's certainly an interesting and unique path to the Ultimate Destination--Thunderbird.

 

[dagrev]

Intonation can be an issue with heavier gauge strings. Easily solved with lighter strings. 45-105 are as thick as my VP will accept and still intonate

Ah, that would explain why I've not had any issues. I never use anything above 105. (The old Fender taper core Super Bass was 110, but didn't feel like 110.)

 

[Engle]

I just took a look at some metallic ocher paint colors. Bronze-gold with a bit of green. I am sold. It has to happen. The Flamingo took me a couple years to get around to, and this probably will, too. But it has to happen. What a great color! And I had not thought of it before.

Getting the poly finish off will probably cause it to lose a pound of weight as well.

I wonder how much it actually weighs? Even if it weighed 1/2 pound, I would get busy with the heat gun. Otherwise, just sand to rough it up and spray over it.
The look of poly doesn’t bother me.
I’d like to do a VP in red nitro, though. Maybe in the summer.

 

[dagrev]

Adele is a very talented singer. But I keep hearing a snippet of one of the songs from the new album and I can't get past the fact that it sounds like she is yodeling. I am not a fan of her music but I think she is very talented.

I both agree and disagree. She's the artist, she gets to express a preference. If she truly believes that the songs need to be delivered in the order o the album, then I expect that when she performs live, she will do the new songs in teh album order, else it diminishes the argument that the song order is important.

However, I am the consumer and I get to listen how I want. If I want to skip tracks or play them in a different order, that is my privilege.

In reality, I wonder how much of the song order thing is just diva behaviour for the sake of it (or to steal the spotlight from Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga/Madonna/<insert your favourite diva> (ahem)).

I admit I am always amused when reading or seeing what some artists require in in their contracts for shows. There must be a book or class they take to come up with some of that goofy stuff. That or some of them score way beyond whatever is after egomaniac making a nameless former Pres of your choice the poster child for humility.

 

[dagrev]

Post hand surgery, my fingers are still weak and are likely to remain that way for 4-6 months (but ongoing improvement). I have been contemplating reducing string gauge to compensate. 45-105 is about right for D standard. I am thinking 100 or 95 might be needed for a few months for the standard tuned basses.

I tore my left hand and several fingers up once and were it not for TI Jazz Rounds I would not have been able to play. A couple of my fingers couldn't be used for weeks. But they ain't cheap, but sound great.

I'm glad you haven't given up on playing and are persevering. It will be rewarded.

 

[PillO]

I found 45-105 too floppy for Eb standard and went to 50-110. Could be I’m heavy handed

No, I used to think 105 was too floppy for D standard, but with the current situation, it is just right.

 

[PillO]

Well, we wouldn't expect anything less.

I am an iconoclast and can never do things normally.

 

[PillO]

I admit I am always amused when reading or seeing what some artists require in in their contracts for shows. There must be a book or class they take to come up with some of that goofy stuff. That or some of them score way beyond whatever is after egomaniac making a nameless former Pres of your choice the poster child for humility.

Yeah, you wonder about some of it. No one backstage is allowed to look at the performer, TV that gets the cricket, only white furniture, no one can use the letter 't' in the presence of the performer. (one of these might not be real; only one...)

And what kind of egomaniac was Jimmy Carter anyway???

 

[WillyW]

Post hand surgery, my fingers are still weak and are likely to remain that way for 4-6 months (but ongoing improvement). I have been contemplating reducing string gauge to compensate. 45-105 is about right for D standard. I am thinking 100 or 95 might be needed for a few months for the standard tuned basses.

for roundwounds on my fretlesses I’m using 40-95’s

my fretted flats are 40-100

I only ever had a trigger finger surgery on my picking hand, but I can tell you when it’s gonna rain.

I barely have E standard tuning down I ain’t confusing myself with anything different.

 

[GBassNorth]

Almost 22 years in and I finally got my first T-Bird. I was concerned because it got stuck in the FedEx black hole for two extra weeks but eventually arrived flawless and nearly in tune.

Link Removed

I’ve been playing a P-bass exclusively for the past two years so it took a few days to adjust but now I absolutely love this thing. Looks badass and the pickups sound great.

The only issue I could find was slight neck dive, definitely not bad, but enough to bug me. A wide strap would probably be enough to fix it but I’m not a fan of them. I also really like the Wilkinson tuners and don’t want to bother replacing them.

The control cavity on these is in a great spot so I bought some adhesive wheel weights from Harbor Freight ($10) and added 7oz. Totally fixed the balance and the bass still only weighs right at 9lbs overall.

Link Removed
(not pictured is the strip of electrical tape I put on top of the weights for added security)

I’ve got some flats on the way. I know this is typically a rock bass but I’ll be using it in my classic country band for now.

Needless to say I’m a fan!

Congrats on the bird! She’s a sweet looking one. The VPs are very versatile great playing basses, sound wise they’ll fit in pretty much any genre. There have been some creative strap pin locations to help with neck dive if it’s still a problem.

Oh, and many of us are running flats on our birds. I have TI Jazz Flats on my 1977 Greco Tbird, Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats on my Goth Tbird, Chrome Flats on my BaCH NR Tbird and La Bella Black Tapes on my 2015 Tbird. The Cobalts are my favorite flat for the Tbird. I do have birds with rounds as well, Boomers really bring out the bottom end.

Question - my VP has black knobs. I just focused on that a few nights ago and thought it was odd. They come with gold knobs, don't they? Or do they put black knobs on black ones?

I am contemplating a refin. Black instruments aren't really my thing. Purple or green would be better. Or maybe orange.

My early model Black VP has Gold knobs.

My black VP came with gold knobs. Maybe something changed since I bought mine in 2017.

Same here.

 

[WillyW]

For vol/vol/tone I prefer 7ender amp knobs

I do eventually wire em’ vol/blend/tone or even vol/blend I prefer Marshall amp knobs

I have a metric buttload of the craptastic stock knobs…

 

[MCF]

Almost 22 years in and I finally got my first T-Bird. I was concerned because it got stuck in the FedEx black hole for two extra weeks but eventually arrived flawless and nearly in tune.

Link Removed

I’ve been playing a P-bass exclusively for the past two years so it took a few days to adjust but now I absolutely love this thing. Looks badass and the pickups sound great.

The only issue I could find was slight neck dive, definitely not bad, but enough to bug me. A wide strap would probably be enough to fix it but I’m not a fan of them. I also really like the Wilkinson tuners and don’t want to bother replacing them.

The control cavity on these is in a great spot so I bought some adhesive wheel weights from Harbor Freight ($10) and added 7oz. Totally fixed the balance and the bass still only weighs right at 9lbs overall.

Link Removed
(not pictured is the strip of electrical tape I put on top of the weights for added security)

I’ve got some flats on the way. I know this is typically a rock bass but I’ll be using it in my classic country band for now.

Needless to say I’m a fan!

Congrats! And welcome to the enlightened. Nothing wrong with a nice P bass, but your new bird can do it and a lot more. Enjoy it.

 

[MCF]

Question - my VP has black knobs. I just focused on that a few nights ago and thought it was odd. They come with gold knobs, don't they? Or do they put black knobs on black ones?

I am contemplating a refin. Black instruments aren't really my thing. Purple or green would be better. Or maybe orange.

My black 2017 came with gold knobs.