Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

Indeed. It's part of a bigger pic, but Sauter is still the coolest looking guy in it. Sorry Ted!
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You don't have to apologize to that scum-bag.

 

[PhR75]

You don't have to apologize to that scum-bag.

But he tries so hard. . No wonder Sauter got the boot pretty soon, 'though he did have two solos on the album. I like the drummer Cliff Davies too. He played with UK jazz-rockers If before the Ted gig.

 

[JIO]

I’m sure I’m in the minority on this, but one of the very few basses I ever let go was a beautifully made G&L 2500 (Asian model). The control layout and dual humbuckers truly offered a staggering level of tone options along with a passive switch that by itself was worth the price of admission.

I ended up offing it because the output was so hot it just unmercifully slammed the preamp section of every amp I owned into full clip mode. In passive mode it was one of the best I’ve ever played, but I flat out couldn’t use any other setting on it without completely adjusting my rig. Not a problem if it had been my only bass or if I had another like it, but I was actively gigging then and needed a useable backup. For me, at the time, it just didn’t fit the bill, so off it went with no regrets.

This is why there are so many different options which we should all be grateful for. For me, owning a few active basses including the awesome Kubicki Ex-Factor 18 & 9v versions... the (US made) G&L L-2000 is the most user-friendly, most versatile, most real-world useful active bass made. There isn't a setting active or passive that isn't useable in my opinion. The Kubicki Ex-Factor has a distinctive tone, but the pre-amp has its issues. But the L-2000's 9v pre and MFD pu combo is perfect. And I'm not alone in this assessment. Every bass 'sits' in amp settings differently. That is a 'problem' unless you discover the combination that makes it sing.

 

[JIO]

But he tries so hard. . No wonder Sauter got the boot pretty soon, 'though he did have two solos on the album. I like the drummer Cliff Davies too. He played with UK jazz-rockers If before the Ted gig.

that's being nice...

 

[GBassNorth]

?…..Every bass 'sits' in amp settings differently. That is a 'problem' unless you discover the combination that makes it sing.

So true!
I have a Spector Euro 4LX that sounded like garbage thru my SVT, no matter how much I adjusted the amp or the onboard bass settings I just couldn’t find anything I liked. Before getting rid of it I plugged into one of my other rigs, and there it was, one of the best sounding active basses I own. It too has a very very hot preamp (non trim tone pump for you Spector guys). Quite possibly, all that was lacking with my G&L was the right pairing with amp and cab, but to be honest, it was easier to ditch the offending bass since all my other basses got along with my rigs just fine.

 

[dagrev]

I have permanent brain damage from a mirrored guitar. Somewhere in the 70s, it is a bit fuzzy, at the Winterland in SF Ronnie Montrose was playing Bad Motor Scooter and a spot went straight into my eyes off his guitar. I'm sure it was the light and not all the "smoke" in the hall...

Secondhand smoke is overrated. I'm leaning towards the more concentrated smoke directed into the lungs.... But I wasn't there and it could have been aliens, who really knows.

 

[dagrev]

To some they are - my guitarist friend (now in Madison WI) is a total G&L guy. He owns a number of key vintage G&L guitars and an early '80s L-1000 bass. He just got this late '80s Broadcaster, a somewhat rare and highly sought-after G&L guitar based on Leo Fenders' 1st electric 6-string guitar, which was originally badged the Broadcaster before becoming the Telecaster. The man knew how to create great instruments.

View attachment 4576895
This is my heavily modded tribute to Leo's legacy - the L2K Mk II - a bass that can do it all.
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I love the Leoish bass you made. Would love to hear it and better play it.

We can forget that without Leo, we would had little chance of eventually having a Thunderbird. His designs were often simple and very practical, but they pushed limits at the time and other manufactures.

 

[dagrev]

How about 2015 T’bird with the exposed poles and tapping ?

I can't compare, largely because some here have snatched all the '15s up. G&Ls have a neat electronics also. Active/passive, series/parallel, bright 2 band eq. While they are active, you can still play them if the battery dies. The old L1000s were made of this stuff called mahogany, which I understand is a great choice for some basses!

 

[dagrev]

I’m sure I’m in the minority on this, but one of the very few basses I ever let go was a beautifully made G&L L2500 (Asian model, called Tribute IIRC). The control layout and dual humbuckers truly offered a staggering level of tone options along with a passive switch that by itself was worth the price of admission.

I ended up offing it because the output was so hot it just unmercifully slammed the preamp section of every amp I owned into full clip mode. In passive mode it was one of the best I’ve ever played, but I flat out couldn’t use any other setting on it without completely adjusting my rig. Not a problem if it had been my only bass or if I had another like it, but I was actively gigging then and needed a useable backup. For me, at the time, it just didn’t fit the bill, so off it went with no regrets.

I know what you mean. I hardly ever use active with them, when I do I have to roll the vol way back. Unlike some active basses, the eq still works, which is a great feature. G&Ls also seem to sound more consistent whether the vol is wide open or rolled back.

Yes, the Tribute series is made in Indonesia (Cort plant I believe where VPs are made). Great quality, just like the Skyline series. (I think that's where they are still made.)

 

[dagrev]

G&L L-2000 is the most user-friendly, most versatile, most real-world useful active bass made. There isn't a setting active or passive that isn't useable in my opinion.... But the L-2000's 9v pre and MFD pu combo is perfect.

Yes! Contrast that with the wildly more popular MM StingRay (another Leo creation), which is a one trick pony if there ever was one IMO. Which is fine if that's your thing, just contrasting. I had one once--give me a G&L any day one or two PU version. I actually liked my SR 5er with two PU much better than the SR, but not enough to keep it.

 

[dasherf17]

Happy to add you to the club's roster if you like - we just want a pic of your Thunderbird.

Right now, I'm afraid, we'll have to look at the "glamor shot" in my av...it's on the back burner for a couple other projects...I'm putting Performance pickups in it, made it necessary to route the cavities. The bit loosened up and rode over to top ...wood putty will help, but I have other easier projects first...
Will definitely give a NBD heads up...
Thanks for the welcome!

 

[JIO]

Yes! Contrast that with the wildly more popular MM StingRay (another Leo creation), which is a one trick pony if there ever was one IMO. Which is fine if that's your thing, just contrasting. I had one once--give me a G&L any day one or two PU version. I actually liked my SR 5er with two PU much better than the SR, but not enough to keep it.

I've never had a Stingray in my hands - it became thee bass in the '80s played by so many great players, maybe especially Tony Levin. Leo Fender was like Miles Davis - he just kept innovating over three separate companies/decades. In many ways, G&L was the culmination/pinnacle of all his best developments.

 

[godofthunder59]

How the pyramids were built, in the winter duh! I purchased this for my son to go with his Terror Bass head. He has a busy summer coming up. I gave him my 2013 Nonreverse, he's gonna sound great and look good doing it.

 

[TBird1958]

Still Winter in New York, I see!

 

[GBassNorth]

Yes! Contrast that with the wildly more popular MM StingRay (another Leo creation), which is a one trick pony if there ever was one IMO. Which is fine if that's your thing, just contrasting. I had one once--give me a G&L any day one or two PU version. I actually liked my SR 5er with two PU much better than the SR, but not enough to keep it.

Stingrays are ok. I’ve had a couple, still have one, a 1979 Pre Ernie Ball Stingray…

Don’t play it much anymore but it it always sounds great. Not quite the range of sounds that I can get out of my Tbirds, but still plenty flexible.

I never got on with the newer single pup SR5 I owned…

It too was one of the few basses I’ve offed because it didn’t pull its weight. Funny enough, I sold it and bought the G&L L2500 Tribute (which I later offed for the same reason). Used that money to buy my Spector Rex5 Pro Tbird inspired bass, my first Tbird shaped object and the reason I’m in this club today.

 

[TBird1958]

Stingrays are ok. I’ve had a couple, still have one, a 1979 Pre Ernie Ball Stingray…
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Don’t play it much anymore but it it always sounds great. Not quite the range of sounds that I can get out of my Tbirds, but still plenty flexible.

I never got on with the newer single pup SR5 I owned…
View attachment 4577389 It too was one of the few basses I’ve offed because it didn’t pull its weight. Funny enough, I sold it and bought the G&L L2500 Tribute (which I later offed for the same reason). Used that money to buy my Spector Rex5 Pro Tbird inspired bass, my first Tbird shaped object and the reason I’m in this club today.

I had a Pre EB 'Ray at one time, I bought it as a back up to my 4001, it was a very comfortable player, but I really never liked it tone - wise. I was using a pick a lot at the time and couldn't find the magic, but damn, it was comfy to play.

 

[Gaolee]

These Pop!
LightFX/Holoflash Paint jobs — Mean Street Guitars
…and his refin prices aren’t bad either.

Those are outrageous looking. I only paid $400 for it, so putting a lot into a refinish is silly, except that it would be even sillier if I had paid more for it. I was thinking about getting it stripped of the thick poly and having is shot with nitro in Rallye Green metallic or Plum Crazy metallic. But holoflash might be even more outrageous. Hmmm....

It will be years before I do anything anyway.

 

[Gaolee]

I am curious. My 2018 Epiphone has the jack on the front face. Did Gibson put it on the edge for the same model year? I saw someone advertising a new EBTB that had it on the side but said it was Epiphone...Also, all the pictures of EBTB models have a 2 piece bridge but the one for sale is the one piece like mine.

There are different models. I expect your 2018 is a bolt-on Thunderbird. Epiphone Classic Pro and Vintage Pro Thunderbirds have the jack on the edge like modern Gibsons. Pro V and Pro IV Thunderbirds also have the jack on the edge. Unless you are talking about 1960s or 1970s Thunderbirds, Gibsons all have the jack on the edge. I don't know what an EBTB is, so there's that. The only Thunderbirds with two piece bridges are originals from the 1960s, a few Grecos, and the recent Vintage Pro.

 

[dagrev]

How the pyramids were built, in the winter duh! I purchased this for my son to go with his Terror Bass head. He has a busy summer coming up. I gave him my 2013 Nonreverse, he's gonna sound great and look good doing it. View attachment 4577315 View attachment 4577316 View attachment 4577317

I think I'm your son as well, Dad!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

How the pyramids were built, in the winter duh! I purchased this for my son to go with his Terror Bass head. He has a busy summer coming up. I gave him my 2013 Nonreverse, he's gonna sound great and look good doing it. View attachment 4577315 View attachment 4577316 View attachment 4577317

yep, one stone at a time….