Thunderbird Club

[GonePlaid]

Haha! I was always a big Four Seasons fan, being a fellow geezer you probably concur .

Yeah, most of their music. It was an interesting, transitional time. One of their album covers has them with the 'Birds. Prolly the first time I recall seeing one.

 

[dagrev]

Had a set of very light rounds hanging around, and put them on the Bird last night. Interesting, the standout result is the lightening up of hard work getting these stormtrooper bass lines played!
I think I'm just out of shape, I'll use the light gauges to get tuned up... But it's fun to just be able to bend up a whole step with ease. It does change your attack though, she'd it might be for the better.
Digging in hard as a general ethic is what messed up my shoulders- and maybe a few other mechanical aspects of my physical life. Maybe this is the beginning of a good trend.

I used to use heavier strings (not heavy by some standards) and gradually moved to lighter. Found if I don't play like I'm attacking the bass in an alley I can do nicely with med, med-light even some light strings. Even TI Jazz Rounds! The flimsiest string I ever played. Which actually sound big despite their size. No aspersions on those who play hard and need cables, just found there was no reason for me to work that hard even with a great setup.

 

[Count Bassie]

No aspersions on those who play hard and need cables, just found there was no reason for me to work that hard even with a great setup.

That's where I'm leaning.

 

[TBird1958]

you sound worried……antsy?… is it the shipping?

Honestly I'm still in a little bit shock about it, even my Lull wasn't this much money and I paid Mike several times as my T4 was being built. It should arrive at my work Wednesday or Thur (FedEx, yay!) and I'll be pretty stoked to bring it home and play it. My buddy Uwe is alrady telling me to put some Flats on it - Not gonna happen!

 

[GonePlaid]

Honestly I'm still in a little bit shock about it, even my Lull wasn't this much money and I paid Mike several times as my T4 was being built. It should arrive at my work Wednesday or Thur (FedEx, yay!) and I'll be pretty stoked to bring it home and play it. My buddy Uwe is alrady telling me to put some Flats on it - Not gonna happen!

How 'bout if I tell ya?
ADDENDUM(b): EBCF's!

 

[JIO]

LaBellas….i swore to myself 40 years ago that i would never use tapes as the old timers used them but i always liked them…. hate to admit it but they are forgiving and very effective and versatile with the right plucking technique…love the hefty bottom…..folks were praising the boom factor tonight….

I have them (Roto's) on one bass. (Marty Bell finish)

 

[bobyoung53]

How 'bout if I tell ya?

Do you have flats on yours? I've used La Bella DTB on basses before and like them, I like a stiff string anyway. I've even used old 1954s here and there (Jamerson set with .110 E) on Fender P basses. I've got reg gauge Rotosound Swing Bass on my non-reverse (.105) and love them.

 

[JIO]

weird….the 68 hs rear is dark but not quite as much as the front…hard to tell without decent lighting……
my repair…..

View attachment 4543168
View attachment 4543169

That looks like it was repaired but not refinished.

 

[JIO]

Don't be discouraged in any way. Mine has been repaired for at least the 40 years I've owned it and it's never been a problem. And I've "tested" the repair a time or two.... GonePlaid has has the same experience. As we say, "Pay it no mind" and enjoy that baby!

There's more out there that have been repaired than haven't - it's like a right of passage!

 

[bobyoung53]

Yeah, most of their music. It was an interesting, transitional time. One of their album covers has them with the 'Birds. Prolly the first time I recall seeing one.

Radio during that time was great, you'd hear The Beatles, Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Herb Alpert etc. Oldies were anything that wasn't on the current charts. Look at this:

I had that Swan 45 when I was a kid too.

US Top 40 Singles for the Week Ending 28th March, 1964

TW LW TITLE –•– Artist (Label)-Weeks on Chart (Peak To Date)

1 1 SHE LOVES YOU –•– The Beatles (Swan)-10 (2 weeks at #1) (1)
2 2 I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND –•– The Beatles (Capitol)-11 (1)
3 7 TWIST AND SHOUT –•– The Beatles (Tollie)-3 (3)
4 3 PLEASE PLEASE ME –•– The Beatles (Vee-Jay)-9 (3)
5 4 DAWN (Go Away) –•– The Four Seasons (Philips)-9 (3)
6 5 FUN, FUN, FUN –•– The Beach Boys (Capitol)-7 (5)
7 19 SUSPICION –•– Terry Stafford (Crusader)-6 (7)
8 10 HELLO, DOLLY! –•– Louis Armstrong (Kapp)-7 (8)
9 13 MY HEART BELONGS TO ONLY YOU –•– Bobby Vinton (Epic)-5 (9)
10 15 GLAD ALL OVER –•– The Dave Clark Five (Epic)-7 (10)

11 11 HI-HEEL SNEAKERS –•– Tommy Tucker (Checker)-8 (11)
12 12 KISSIN’ COUSINS –•– Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)-6 (12)
13 6 NAVY BLUE –•– Diane Renay (20th Century)-10 (6)
14 8 JAVA –•– Al Hirt (RCA Victor)-13 (4)
15 23 THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO –•– The Temptations (Gordy)-5 (15)
16 22 THE SHOOP SHOOP SONG (It’s In His Kiss) –•– Betty Everett (Vee-Jay)-5 (16)
17 9 I LOVE YOU MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY –•– Al Martino (Capitol)-9 (9)
18 20 STAY –•– The Four Seasons (Vee-Jay)-7 (18)
19 34 DON’T LET THE RAIN COME DOWN (Crooked Little Man) –•– The Serendipity Singers (Philips)-5 (19)
20 25 NEEDLES AND PINS –•– The Searchers (Kapp)-4 (20)

21 16 CALIFORNIA SUN –•– The Rivieras (Riviera)-10 (5)
22 17 SEE THE FUNNY LITTLE CLOWN –•– Bobby Goldsboro (United Artists)-12 (9)
23 54 YOU’RE A WONDERFUL ONE –•– Marvin Gaye (Tamla)-3 (23)
24 24 BLUE WINTER –•– Connie Francis (MGM)-7 (24)
25 18 GOOD NEWS –•– Sam Cooke (RCA Victor)-10 (11)
26 14 I SAW HER STANDING THERE –•– The Beatles (Capitol)-8 (14)
27 — CAN’T BUY ME LOVE –•– The Beatles (Capitol)-1 (27)
28 28 PENETRATION –•– The Pyramids (Best)-9 (18)
29 33 IT HURTS ME –•– Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)-5 (29)
30 21 I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU –•– Dusty Springfield (Philips)-10 (12)

31 41 HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE –•– The Swinging Blue Jeans (Imperial)-4 (31)
32 43 THINK –•– Brenda Lee (Decca)-4 (32)
33 32 STARDUST –•– Nino Tempo and April Stevens (Atco)-6 (32)
34 44 DEAD MAN’S CURVE –•– Jan and Dean (Liberty)-4 (34)
35 38 HEY JEAN, HEY DEAN –•– Dean and Jean (Rust)-6 (35)
36 30 OH BABY DON’T YOU WEEP (Part 1) –•– James Brown and the Famous Flames (King)-10 (23)
37 57 AIN’T NOTHING YOU CAN DO –•– Bobby Bland (Duke)-4 (37)
38 26 THE SHELTER OF YOUR ARMS –•– Sammy Davis, Jr. (Reprise)-17 (17)
39 35 UNDERSTAND YOUR MAN –•– Johnny Cash (Columbia)-7 (35)
40 46 MY HEART CRIES FOR YOU –•– Ray Charles (ABC-Paramount)-5 (40)

THIS WEEK’S DROPS

45 39 BABY, DON’T YOU CRY (The New Swingova Rhythm) –•– Ray Charles (ABC-Paramount)-6 (39)
47 27 WHO DO YOU LOVE –•– The Sapphires (Swan)-12 (25)
48 37 WORRIED GUY –•– Johnny Tillotson (MGM)-6 (37)
49 40 I WISH YOU LOVE –•– Gloria Lynne (Everest)-12 (28)

POWER PLAYS

 

[GonePlaid]

Do you have flats on yours? I've used La Bella DTB on basses before and like them, I like a stiff string anyway. I've even used old 1954s here and there (Jamerson set with .110 E) on Fender P basses. I've got reg gauge Rotosound Swing Bass on my non-reverse (.105) and love them.

All 4 of my basses have flats. EBCFs on the TBird and Les Paul 5er, D'addario tapes on the Ibanez AGB200, and, uhh, I don't recall on the EB-0. Might be DTFs; might be EBCFs.

 

[bobyoung53]

All 4 of my basses have flats. EBCFs on the TBird and Les Paul 5er, D'addario tapes on the Ibanez AGB200, and, uhh, I don't recall on the EB-0. Might be DTFs; might be EBCFs.

I've never tried the Cobalt flats. I like Fender flats too.

 

[GonePlaid]

Radio during that time was great, you'd hear The Beatles, Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Herb Alpert etc. Oldies were anything that wasn't on the current charts. Look at this:

I had that Swan 45 when I was a kid too.

US Top 40 Singles for the Week Ending 28th March, 1964
View attachment 4543564 View attachment 4543565

TW LW TITLE –•– Artist (Label)-Weeks on Chart (Peak To Date)

1 1 SHE LOVES YOU –•– The Beatles (Swan)-10 (2 weeks at #1) (1)
2 2 I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND –•– The Beatles (Capitol)-11 (1)
3 7 TWIST AND SHOUT –•– The Beatles (Tollie)-3 (3)
4 3 PLEASE PLEASE ME –•– The Beatles (Vee-Jay)-9 (3)
5 4 DAWN (Go Away) –•– The Four Seasons (Philips)-9 (3)
6 5 FUN, FUN, FUN –•– The Beach Boys (Capitol)-7 (5)
7 19 SUSPICION –•– Terry Stafford (Crusader)-6 (7)
8 10 HELLO, DOLLY! –•– Louis Armstrong (Kapp)-7 (8)
9 13 MY HEART BELONGS TO ONLY YOU –•– Bobby Vinton (Epic)-5 (9)
10 15 GLAD ALL OVER –•– The Dave Clark Five (Epic)-7 (10)

11 11 HI-HEEL SNEAKERS –•– Tommy Tucker (Checker)-8 (11)
12 12 KISSIN’ COUSINS –•– Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)-6 (12)
13 6 NAVY BLUE –•– Diane Renay (20th Century)-10 (6)
14 8 JAVA –•– Al Hirt (RCA Victor)-13 (4)
15 23 THE WAY YOU DO THE THINGS YOU DO –•– The Temptations (Gordy)-5 (15)
16 22 THE SHOOP SHOOP SONG (It’s In His Kiss) –•– Betty Everett (Vee-Jay)-5 (16)
17 9 I LOVE YOU MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY –•– Al Martino (Capitol)-9 (9)
18 20 STAY –•– The Four Seasons (Vee-Jay)-7 (18)
19 34 DON’T LET THE RAIN COME DOWN (Crooked Little Man) –•– The Serendipity Singers (Philips)-5 (19)
20 25 NEEDLES AND PINS –•– The Searchers (Kapp)-4 (20)

21 16 CALIFORNIA SUN –•– The Rivieras (Riviera)-10 (5)
22 17 SEE THE FUNNY LITTLE CLOWN –•– Bobby Goldsboro (United Artists)-12 (9)
23 54 YOU’RE A WONDERFUL ONE –•– Marvin Gaye (Tamla)-3 (23)
24 24 BLUE WINTER –•– Connie Francis (MGM)-7 (24)
25 18 GOOD NEWS –•– Sam Cooke (RCA Victor)-10 (11)
26 14 I SAW HER STANDING THERE –•– The Beatles (Capitol)-8 (14)
27 — CAN’T BUY ME LOVE –•– The Beatles (Capitol)-1 (27)
28 28 PENETRATION –•– The Pyramids (Best)-9 (18)
29 33 IT HURTS ME –•– Elvis Presley (RCA Victor)-5 (29)
30 21 I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU –•– Dusty Springfield (Philips)-10 (12)

31 41 HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE –•– The Swinging Blue Jeans (Imperial)-4 (31)
32 43 THINK –•– Brenda Lee (Decca)-4 (32)
33 32 STARDUST –•– Nino Tempo and April Stevens (Atco)-6 (32)
34 44 DEAD MAN’S CURVE –•– Jan and Dean (Liberty)-4 (34)
35 38 HEY JEAN, HEY DEAN –•– Dean and Jean (Rust)-6 (35)
36 30 OH BABY DON’T YOU WEEP (Part 1) –•– James Brown and the Famous Flames (King)-10 (23)
37 57 AIN’T NOTHING YOU CAN DO –•– Bobby Bland (Duke)-4 (37)
38 26 THE SHELTER OF YOUR ARMS –•– Sammy Davis, Jr. (Reprise)-17 (17)
39 35 UNDERSTAND YOUR MAN –•– Johnny Cash (Columbia)-7 (35)
40 46 MY HEART CRIES FOR YOU –•– Ray Charles (ABC-Paramount)-5 (40)

THIS WEEK’S DROPS

45 39 BABY, DON’T YOU CRY (The New Swingova Rhythm) –•– Ray Charles (ABC-Paramount)-6 (39)
47 27 WHO DO YOU LOVE –•– The Sapphires (Swan)-12 (25)
48 37 WORRIED GUY –•– Johnny Tillotson (MGM)-6 (37)
49 40 I WISH YOU LOVE –•– Gloria Lynne (Everest)-12 (28)

POWER PLAYS

Wow! Covers all the bases('cept polka bands).

 

[Engle]

That looks fantastic!! The wood grain is beautiful.

@GBassNorth what body is that? I’m sure you’ve said, but I missed it.

 

[JIO]

I'm not sure in what this response relates to a collective thunderbird poll, please excuse my lack of understanding the correlation.

However, i do agree with your statement about the whole bar magnet vs pole magnets output characteristic.

Sorry! I'm not sure how that happened - I thought I was responding to @Bent77 's post (below) about his project bass...

So here’s where the test mule (LocoMule) science project is at:

Yes that’s an SG/EB pickup at the neck/Rick position. Cause why not

By itself, glorious beautiful, but thick tone. Not like a mudbucker though

With a touch of bridge, adds mids and clarity, but not a ton

In cancellation, it’s one of the weirdest pissed of bridge plucked heavy sound. Very cool, not a lot of output or low end

that middle position. With a little neck rolled in, it’s aggressive but smooth. By itself? It’s angry AF. I like it
View attachment 4542546 View attachment 4542548

 

[JIO]

I used a pick about 30-40% of the time. Now, after needing it for the '06 to sound more defined I use a pick about 75% of the time. Depends on my mood and the bass really. I tend to use both PUs more with a pick and the neck tends to get more of just fingers, but not exclusively by any means. I never favor the bridge over the neck. Neck is always on 10 and the bridge can be anywhere.

Once I started using a pick primarily I developed the skill of cupping it in my hand so I could also play a finger-style passage within the same song. When I played with Bond Girl, we did Skyfall and I'd play the intro with finger-style through a chorus pedal, and the chorus section straight with a pick, and back again. I rarely drop a pick. (Dunlop 1.14's/grey textured)

 

[dagrev]

Dear GOD!!!!!!!

It is going to be amazing and if it doesn't sound as good as it looks, there are remedies.

Who cares what it sounds like!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

That looks like it was repaired but not refinished.

but is it black? or just dark sunburst hue?

 

[dagrev]

Honestly I'm still in a little bit shock about it, even my Lull wasn't this much money and I paid Mike several times as my T4 was being built. It should arrive at my work Wednesday or Thur (FedEx, yay!) and I'll be pretty stoked to bring it home and play it. My buddy Uwe is alrady telling me to put some Flats on it - Not gonna happen!

Never had flats on the '64 as I recall, but flats do sound great on other 'Birds. A highly guarded secret! Might be worth a try some time.

 

[Engle]

Once I started using a pick primarily I developed the skill of cupping it in my hand so I could also play a finger-style passage within the same song. When I played with Bond Girl, we did Skyfall and I'd play the intro with finger-style through a chorus pedal, and the chorus section straight with a pick, and back again. I rarely drop a pick. (Dunlop 1.14's/grey textured)

I always wonder about the row of picks you see taped on mic stands. How many picks do some guys drop?