Thunderbird Club

[bobyoung53]

Classic Pro. An awesome Epi take on the modern Gibson Thunderbird. Discontinued a year or so ago, sadly.

Thanks, I'm not up on my T-Bird lingo.

 

[MCF]

Life is good. Live it to the fullest extent you can.

 

[JIO]

Last February 2022 Friday night quiz - name that bass-player! If you "know" me, you'll know who it is. (early '60s... can you tell?)

 

[69'Vette]

...One of the things we ended up discussing was Roger McGuinn's frequent use of a Danelectro 12 string on recordings, but using the Rickenbacker 12 string live.

I am unable to mention this around Rickenbacker elitist's, because tempers flare, and blood vessels burst, and diapers are rapidly filled.

Not surprised by this at all. I did a cover of Mr. Tambourine Man with my band a year ago and the singer used his Danelectro 12. It sounds amazing.

 

[JIO]

I've known a coupla people who got their keesters in a sling on FB 'cos tone of voice doesn't come thru in print. Part of the reason I stay offa FB. I have an account, but dormant would be great description.

I use fb to promote my band and guitar biz, stay in the touch with far-flung friends, and posting an occasional political awareness article or fun picture of Mona (my Pomchi). I don't dwell there, occasionally look at friends posts... I hate Z but will take advantage of him until something "better" comes along. Bottom line is I don't fear it, and 'get' and take advantage of its use as a means of communication. If you want to fear being connected to something - fear being an American in our world today.

 

[KaraQ]

The other day, my somewhat less than expensive tuner just up and decided it was done with tuning my guitars for me:

.....so now I have a new (& improved?) somewhat less than expensive tuner:

So far, it seems to function appropriately, maybe for longer than 15 months?

 

[Mvf]

First rule here. Never sell a Thunderbird. Except to one of us. Got to keep them in the family.

Yeah, I know now. Knew it the day after I sold it. Sorry for breaking rule number one..

 

[JIO]

Last February 2022 Friday night quiz - name that bass-player! If you "know" me, you'll know who it is. (early '60s... can you tell?)
View attachment 4600286

The other day, my somewhat less than expensive tuner just up and decided it was done with tuning my guitars for me:

View attachment 4600360







.....so now I have a new (& improved?) somewhat less than expensive tuner:

View attachment 4600361






So far, it seems to function appropriately, maybe for longer than 15 months?

...but the other one had true bypass!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

First time I went to Singapore there was a yellow line on the floor at the end of baggage claim and a trash barrel just inside the line. The sign on the wall said cross the line with drugs and you will be killed. At least they gave you a chance to throw them away with no penalty.

ever notice folks rushing the (plane) bathrooms on approach when that warning was announced over the PA?….

 

[Mvf]

Yes. I had a tobacco burst Epi Japan bird 15 years ago and foolishly sold it, so I totally get your regret. This should scratch that itch though. I imagine this one could possibly be an Epi Japan model as well. I may be able to narrow it down once it arrives.

Just judging by the knobs, I would say it’s an Epi. Here are some pics of my ”used to own this” Orville, showing another type of knobs. It was all original, except for the Hipshot and the missing truss rod cover, seems to be the story with these, that the former owner replaced with a Gibson dito.
It was a nice sounding bass, just a little heavy, over 5kg if I remember correctly, so when I got my 1990 Gibby, I did not play it anymore, and foolishly decided to sell it

 

[JIO]

Just judging by the knobs, I would say it’s an Epi. Here are some pics of my ”used to own this” Orville, showing another type of knobs. It was all original, except for the Hipshot and the missing truss rod cover, seems to be the story with these, that the former owner replaced with a Gibson dito.
It was a nice sounding bass, just a little heavy, over 5kg if I remember correctly, so when I got my 1990 Gibby, I did not play it anymore, and foolishly decided to sell it


View attachment 4600386 View attachment 4600387 View attachment 4600388

that's a protective case

 

[Mvf]

that's a protective case

And it was really heavy too. The owner before me was flying around gigging, so he had that case made for him.

 

[Mvf]

Probably posted this before, but as we know, there can’t be too many bird pics

So introducing my main bass, an all original Gibson Thunderbird 1990.

Have to take some new pics, I’ve changed the strings since, now it’s equiped with Slinkys. Nice stings, and improved the sound hugely compared to those ”to me unknown strings”, that where on when I bought it. But actually thinking of changing those too, to Cobolt flats.

 

[KaraQ]

...but the other one had true bypass!

It did!





....still does, actually.
It's almost the only feature left



On the positive side, I now have a light-up mute footswitch

 

[GBassNorth]

Last February 2022 Friday night quiz - name that bass-player! If you "know" me, you'll know who it is. (early '60s... can you tell?)
View attachment 4600286

Early surf legends - The Marketts
It’s either Pohlman or Gordon, I can’t ever keep it straight.

 

[GBassNorth]

First time I went to Singapore there was a yellow line on the floor at the end of baggage claim and a trash barrel just inside the line. The sign on the wall said cross the line with drugs and you will be killed. At least they gave you a chance to throw them away with no penalty.

ever notice folks rushing the (plane) bathrooms on approach when that warning was announced over the PA?….

A funny (in hind sight) story from my Asia region business travels…

In 2010 I was touring several major research center construction projects in Japan, China and Singapore. While in Beijing I did a little bit of shopping with some local business partners who insisted that we hit some of the back alley mom and pop shops vs department stores. We stopped at a little hole in the wall place to eat lunch, tiny place with maybe three tables and at least a dozen cats crawling all over everything (maybe they kept the rodent population under control, or maybe they were on the menu, who knows). Anyway, I had some of the best green tea I’d ever tasted there.

As I was raving about the tea one of my friends called over the owner and had what sounded like a heated discussion with him, with a lot of going back and fourth, all in Chinese, which I don’t speak. The owner walks off in a huff and a few minutes later comes back with a brick of green tea hand wrapped in cellophane. It was a very nice gift from my friends. The next day I departed to Singapore for my first time traveling to that country.

While in flight but nearing our approach to Singapore an announcement comes over the loud speaker about the penalty for smuggling drugs into the country being death. Then it hit me, in my checked bag I have a brick of tightly packed green leafy material hand wrapped in cellophane with no label or markings of any kind on it that I got from a person I don’t even know who runs a pretty shady looking little dive in a back alley, and I don’t even really know for certain that it’s tea.

No access to the checked bag, so no way to flush it down the plane toilet. Needless to say, for the next half hour I was sweating bullets with all kinds of thoughts about arrest, cavity searches and death by public hanging running around in my head. I started frantically looking up contact info for the US Consulate and emergency legal support.

Once we landed I got off the plane and cautiously made my way towards baggage claim where the infamous yellow line of death is painted on the floor. I debated about leaving the bag unclaimed but figured if I did that they’d just eventually open it and trace it back to me anyway. So I got the bag and made my way towards the immigration check. Much to my relief they rubber stamped my passport and I exited to a waiting limo for a ride to my hotel - where I promptly held my own little Boston Tea Party and broke the brick up and flushed it down the toilet. Lesson learned.

 

[icefly]

By way of information, the penalty for international drug trafficking (heroin and perhaps others) in Singapore is death by firing squad.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

A funny (in hind sight) story from my Asia region business travels…

In 2010 I was touring several major research center construction projects in Japan, China and Singapore. While in Beijing I did a little bit of shopping with some local business partners who insisted that we hit some of the back alley mom and pop shops vs department stores. We stopped at a little hole in the wall place to eat lunch, tiny place with maybe three tables and at least a dozen cats crawling all over everything (maybe they kept the rodent population under control, or maybe they were on the menu, who knows). Anyway, I had some of the best green tea I’d ever tasted there.

As I was raving about the tea one of my friends called over the owner and had what sounded like a heated discussion with him, with a lot of going back and fourth, all in Chinese, which I don’t speak. The owner walks off in a huff and a few minutes later comes back with a brick of green tea hand wrapped in cellophane. It was a very nice gift from my friends. The next day I departed to Singapore for my first time traveling to that country.

While in flight but nearing our approach to Singapore an announcement comes over the loud speaker about the penalty for smuggling drugs into the country being death. Then it hit me, in my checked bag I have a brick of tightly packed green leafy material hand wrapped in cellophane with no label or markings of any kind on it that I got from a person I don’t even know who runs a pretty shady looking little dive in a back alley, and I don’t even really know for certain that it’s tea.

No access to the checked bag, so no way to flush it down the plane toilet. Needless to say, for the next half hour I was sweating bullets with all kinds of thoughts about arrest, cavity searches and death by public hanging running around in my head. I started frantically looking up contact info for the US Consulate and emergency legal support.

Once we landed I got off the plane and cautiously made my way towards baggage claim where the infamous yellow line of death is painted on the floor. I debated about leaving the bag unclaimed but figured if I did that they’d just eventually open it and trace it back to me anyway. So I got the bag and made my way towards the immigration check. Much to my relief they rubber stamped my passport and I exited to a waiting limo for a ride to my hotel - where I promptly held my own little Boston Tea Party and broke the brick up and flushed it down the toilet. Lesson learned.

who mentioned flushing anything down the toilet?….…
would have been ironic if you got busted for spitting as you left the airport…crazy place..

 

[Count Bassie]

By way of information, the penalty for international drug trafficking (heroin and perhaps others) in Singapore is death by firing squad.

I get the problem with trafficking.
But I think Portugal has the best policy of them all- it's not a crime to do drugs, they see addiction as a disease and will help you if you seek it.

 

[PillO]

Not 100% true, but getting true-er every day.....

"Newsom signed a bill to ban the sale of most flavored tobacco, including menthol cigarettes"
"Smoking is prohibited in all government and private workplaces, public schools, restaurants, bars, casinos/gaming establishments (tribal establishments exempt), retail stores, recreational/cultural facilities and childcare facilities. E-cigarettes are included in the state's clean indoor air law."



But what I wrote had lots of hyperbole & sarcasm with it, neither of which translate well on the internet.

Not there yet, but some keep trying...