Thunderbird Club

[bobyoung53]

We had a family get together yesterday to celebrate my Mother's 90th Bday, this is the view from the 41st floor in the building my brother lives at. The left margin faces due west and wraps around to the northeast. The building to the left and just behind the Space Needle is Climate Pledge Arena, I saw many concerts there, Alice Cooper, Led Zep, Tull, Deep Purple, Rush.......

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Beautiful view. I live on the 9h floor here and can see the mountains which surround Lima but not the ocean even though it's only a couple of miles from here.

 

[GBassNorth]

Yeah, where can a guy get one of those basses?

Probably from some guy that was insane enough to build one.

It would take EQing during a song..or inbetween...or after the set a bit of a challenge. I'd be afraid to touch anything. "Oh no, I wanted more treble, not the out of phase coil splitter with delayed flanger."

Great studio basses. But you’re right, with some of the more knob intensive Alembics once on stage - don’t mess with the knobs. The opposite is true with my Alembic Essence bass, just three knobs (vol, pan, “tone”). No problem dialing it in good and quick on the fly.

 

[dagrev]

my CP was my first firebird bass, and it inspired me to continue my firebird bass journey.

got mine with the hardcase for $200, I have seen them without a case for $750 lately.

with mods I have about $255 into her… $30 is the pickguard.


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Given the decent savings one would think you could spring for some decent shoes.....

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

We had a family get together yesterday to celebrate my Mother's 90th Bday, this is the view from the 41st floor in the building my brother lives at. The left margin faces due west and wraps around to the northeast. The building to the left and just behind the Space Needle is Climate Pledge Arena, I saw many concerts there, Alice Cooper, Led Zep, Tull, Deep Purple, Rush.......

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nice shot! what a purdy city…GO MOM!!

 

[Count Bassie]

I had the separate head and cab version. It was freaking loud. And godawful heavy. Nice amp for the money in those days for those of us who couldn’t afford ACCs.

I think they sound really good. But I'm not your high-end afficionado really. I have an Eden WT405, and it's super nice. But I don't really like it for me... I had it because of my granddaughter, because it has this sweet, deep low end. Not harsh at all.
It may go up for sale, she doesn't really need me to have it anymore. Maybe it'll become part of a car for the one in college.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I've never played nor even seen an Alembic.

almost pulled the trigger on a series 1 (may have been a SC model) about 4 years ago….dude wanted 5k…should have gone through with it….they were asking 19k euro for this in Paris less than three months ago….

 

[dagrev]

We had a family get together yesterday to celebrate my Mother's 90th Bday, this is the view from the 41st floor in the building my brother lives at. The left margin faces due west and wraps around to the northeast. The building to the left and just behind the Space Needle is Climate Pledge Arena, I saw many concerts there, Alice Cooper, Led Zep, Tull, Deep Purple, Rush.......

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Congrats to your mother. That's an achievement!

I'm not crazy about city views and looking at rooftops, but that's a sweet view.

 

[GBassNorth]

I've never played nor even seen an Alembic.

Wonderful looking basses with impeccable build quality and materials of construction that sound phenomenal in the studio and are frequently heavier than a boat anchor. This was my main stage bass for years until it nearly got stolen between sets. By dumb luck I went out to my car during break and happened to see the schmuck running to his car with my bass case. Managed to corner him before he could get away, so he dropped the case and ran. From that point on I never took it to another gig, it was Fenders and Squiers after that.

BTW - this was the knob layout option that I could have had with my Alembic Dragon Wing, kinda glad I didn’t do it…

 

[Count Bassie]

almost pulled the trigger on a series 1 (may have been a SC model) about 4 years ago….dude wanted 5k…should have gone through with it….they were asking 19k euro for this in Paris less than three months ago….
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That's the Alembic I'd want.

 

[GBassNorth]

almost pulled the trigger on a series 1 (may have been a SC model) about 4 years ago….dude wanted 5k…should have gone through with it….they were asking 19k euro for this in Paris less than three months ago….
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In the same boat. Still kicking myself for passing on an Alembic Brown Bass a couple of years ago (looks like the one in your pic but slightly different woods and voicing). Most of them are priced out of my range now, so very unlikely I’ll ever get one. But I’m always on the hunt for a sweet Alembic deal.

 

[WillyW]

Given the decent savings one would think you could spring for some decent shoes.....

not a priority, I still need a couple more sets of Pyramid Gold flats…

did you get the latest coupon code? 11% off…

 

[bobyoung53]

Wonderful looking basses with impeccable build quality and materials of construction that sound phenomenal in the studio and are frequently heavier than a boat anchor. This was my main stage bass for years until it nearly got stolen between sets. By dumb luck I went out to my car during break and happened to see the schmuck running to his car with my bass case. Managed to corner him before he could get away, so he dropped the case and ran. From that point on I never took it to another gig, it was Fenders and Squiers after that.
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BTW - this was the knob layout option that I could have had with my Alembic Dragon Wing, kinda glad I didn’t do it…
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Wow, that was luck! I don't even like two tones like on EB-3s or Rics although I like them better on an EB-3 than on a Ric, I like either VVT or VT. That thing would have driven me nuts. I was a P bass player for way too long to contend with a studio control room on my bass.

 

[TBird1958]

Congrats to your mother. That's an achievement!

I'm not crazy about city views and looking at rooftops, but that's a sweet view.

I'm still more of a "house" person myself, too many things I like to do that need space - Bass Guitars, model trains etc., but my brother and his wife sold a large house in the 'burbs and downsized to a very nice condo in this building and I have to admit to a certain amount of envy at the simple and uncluttered life they have every time I visit with them.
Dual income no kids (DINKS) is a good place to be, for some of us.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

The CP had the 1.5 nut. Most Goths are 1.73. There have been reports on here of Goths with a 1.5 nut, but Ive never seen one. That CP sounds like the better deal.

The CP is a steal.

 

[dagrev]

Finally some sound clips of the Tbird Shootout! (Test details are listed in the post quoted above).

Recall there were six Tbirds in the shootout (two Gibsons, two Epiphones, a Greco and the BlingBird) and a total of three different heats. I’ll wait until tuesday to reveal the actual order they were recorded in each heat, but I will say that I did keep the recording order the same for each heat. So if the Greco was the first bass recorded in the first heat it is also the first bass in the second and third heats, and so on.

Keep in mind that each bass is sporting different strings, and that can also go a long way in how a bass sounds. Finally, don’t forget, this was meant to be a quick and dirty test of the basses, not my playing ability, so please try to overlook the clams and sloppy playing. And as always, better speakers or headphones will make it easier to hear the differences between basses.

On with the shootout…

Heat One - noodeling around on the G and D strings (I forgot to trim the 30 second dead air time before the first bass)


Heat Two - a slow run up the A string with LedZep in mind


Heat Three - a short walk on the A and E strings


Did you have an overall favorite? Or a favorite in each heat? Was there as much difference as you were expecting? Can you spot the Nylon Tape strings or the Cobalt Flats or the Optima Golds?

fingers crossed that the sound files loaded correctly.

Listening now. All I can discern is a little neck dive which seems fairly even across the board.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Probably from some guy that was insane enough to build one.

If you're looking to get rid of it, I'll give it a good home. 8^)

 

[GBassNorth]

Listening now. All I can discern is a little neck dive which seems fairly even across the board.

LOL - the 30 second dead air time at the beginning of the first heat was when I was quickly trying to reinstall the headstock that had just fallen off.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Sounds like it is voiced differently, most of an amp's power goes into the deep frequencies, with less bottom an amp can go a lot louder. I think part of the reason an SVT can go so loud with so much bottom is because of the big output transformers they use and the big power supply section, the power tranny also weighs a ton.

the 8 x 10 enclosure tuned to the third harmonic is a crucial contributor…

 

[GBassNorth]

If you're looking to get rid of it, I'll give it a good home. 8^)

Maybe some day, but having too much fun with it right now. Tone wise, it’s clearly the most flexible bird I own.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Wonderful looking basses with impeccable build quality and materials of construction that sound phenomenal in the studio and are frequently heavier than a boat anchor. This was my main stage bass for years until it nearly got stolen between sets. By dumb luck I went out to my car during break and happened to see the schmuck running to his car with my bass case. Managed to corner him before he could get away, so he dropped the case and ran. From that point on I never took it to another gig, it was Fenders and Squiers after that.
View attachment 4594569

BTW - this was the knob layout option that I could have had with my Alembic Dragon Wing, kinda glad I didn’t do it…
View attachment 4594570

That's really straightforward for Alembic.