Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Recommended Posts

Posted
2 hours ago, Old Man Riva said:

7354D44F-8F80-4938-814C-90238F3446FC.jpeg

Oh my god, if I tried to play like that I'd destroy my wrist in seconds. Looks hideously uncomfortable.

Posted
23 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

The Man and his sparkly suit beg to differ 😆

 

 

6f5f56fb94344bd2126ede4b21285f91.jpg

I've never even played a Thunderbird before, but playing in a Who covers band, this picture always makes we want to splash out on an Epi Vintage Pro...agreed with the chrome covers and hardware, just looks altogether more...right to me.

For those easily offended, I would need to play it at this height though...not necessarily to emulate JE, but just because of my wee stubby arms, I simply couldn't do the Murdoc from Gorillaz / Simon from The Cure stance...!

  • Like 2
Posted
12 minutes ago, lou24d53 said:

I've never even played a Thunderbird before, but playing in a Who covers band, this picture always makes we want to splash out on an Epi Vintage Pro...agreed with the chrome covers and hardware, just looks altogether more...right to me.

 

If you're in a Who tribute, you have no choice but to get a VP 😁

  • Haha 1
Posted
5 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

If you're in a Who tribute, you have no choice but to get a VP 😁

Haha, you've no idea how much your post will play on my mind after a few red wines this Saturday night...!!! 🙈😂

  • Haha 1
Posted
On 27/01/2021 at 13:57, Cosmo Valdemar said:

Why? Just go the whole hog and reissue the original '64. It had better pickups (so I hear) and doesn't have that oil rig bridge.

Absolutely agree; IHMO the original '64 T'bird was the finest passive bass that Gibson ever produced.   The "tune-a-matic" type bridge is a joy, and the pickups sublime - they're the units that Mike Lull and Thunderbucker Ranch "reverse engineered" for their Thunderbird pickups.   Only downsize was the big headstock on a skinny mahogany neck with no volute; they had a strong tendency to snap at the top of the neck with any impact.    I think the headstock on the bicentennial (and onwards) was smaller and thus stronger.

Entirely gratuitous pic of my 1965 T'bird IV - 

65 Tbird 1.JPG

  • Like 7
Posted
2 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

Absolutely agree; IHMO the original '64 T'bird was the finest passive bass that Gibson ever produced.   The "tune-a-matic" type bridge is a joy, and the pickups sublime - they're the units that Mike Lull and Thunderbucker Ranch "reverse engineered" for their Thunderbird pickups.   Only downsize was the big headstock on a skinny mahogany neck with no volute; they had a strong tendency to snap at the top of the neck with any impact.    I think the headstock on the bicentennial (and onwards) was smaller and thus stronger.

Entirely gratuitous pic of my 1965 T'bird IV - 

65 Tbird 1.JPG

Absoflipinglutely gorgeous!

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, MacDaddy said:

Frankie Poullain of The Darkness performing at The Regency Ballroom Stock  Photo - Alamy

I concede..!

3 hours ago, Rich said:

Oh my god, if I tried to play like that I'd destroy my wrist in seconds. Looks hideously uncomfortable.

I agree. It’s not for everyone, it has to be said!

I think Pete decided very early on in his career to focus on throwing shapes and the rest would follow... which it did!

Edited by Old Man Riva
Posted

It's a subject for a whole new thread I know - and it's probably already been done - but seems to me that bass playing height / playing stance goes very much with era and musical fashion:

  • In the 1960's it was as the John Entwhistle pic in posts above: standing fairly stationary (unless you were Jet Harris) with bass at mid-height,  and plunking away (though of course JE took the plunking to a whole new level)
  • In the 1970's the rockers started slinging the bass l-o-o-o-w (as Pete Way, and also most of the punk rockers) plus adoption of the "power stance" and / or prowling about on stage (Phil Lynott, Chris Squire etc etc)
  • In the 1980's bass playing height either got even lower (hair metal), or if you were a funkster the bass was up under your armpit (as Mr Mark King  - no Thunderbird pictured of course, but definitely a Thunderthumb...)
  • After that - anything goes.......

wp666ccacf_05_06.jpg

  • Like 1
Posted

I sit down with a bass, get comfy, then adjust strap to suit that seated position.

For pretty much everything that works. 
 

For Thunderbirds...not so much.

My back is terribly fragile though.

Posted

Gibsons biggest mistake with the Thunderbird was making the Epiphone Vintage Pro so good. I think it sounds better and its a grand cheaper. 

I own a vintage pro and have played a 2020 Gibson and maybe I'm biased but I don't think the Gibson was a thousand pounds better. It just seemed to be slightly nicer finished. 

  • Like 4
Posted
On 27/01/2021 at 13:07, BigRedX said:

When the rest of your band are Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, and Keith Moon; standing completely motionless looking cool as **** can be a useful strategy.

Fixed.

  • Like 3

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...