The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Other Bass Brands => Topic started by: Basvarken on October 17, 2017, 07:52:34 AM
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Dutch luthier Sander de Gier had a go at the Thunderbird.
Here's the result:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqslYFrHoAE
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Sounds nice and looks like a cross between a Bird and an RD.
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He made several designs and I had to get used to the Tbird meets SG looks. Now, after seeing it a lot of times, I like it. Sander de Gier went quite far. He already makes the Firebird-style Volt-guitars and now this undder his own name. He tried several old ones and I made a gazillion pics of mine and I used a caliper to give him all the exact dimensions of my '76. Curious about this one in real life!
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Uwe measured his 64 Thunderbird too for Sander.
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I wonder if the bridge combination is the same as the ones on the new Epiphone Vintage Pro Embassy and Thunderbird.
They look exactly the same. I wonder if Sander has found the supplier of that specific hardware?
Lowlander bridge set
(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0099-e1503496229184.jpg)
Epi Vintage Pro Embassy/Thunderbird bridge set
(https://d1aeri3ty3izns.cloudfront.net/media/27/276311/1200/preview.jpg)
(http://images.epiphone.com/Products/Bass/Thunderbird-Vintage-PRO-Bass/TBIRDVPRO3.jpg)
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Uwe measured his 64 Thunderbird too for Sander.
And man, that was hard work! He was very specific.
I like the look of that DuB (Dutch Bird) too, but there is something that reminds me of ESP about it. Not that I mean that as an insult, ESPs are fine in my book and even where they emulate classic models of other brands, they have their own "cut".
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Epi Vintage Pro Embassy/Thunderbird bridge set
(https://d1aeri3ty3izns.cloudfront.net/media/27/276311/1200/preview.jpg)
That barrel jack is a bit disappointing!
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Why?
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Why?
It isn't period correct for the type for one thing, and I personally don't like working on them. They seem more sensitive to heat than a conventional jack, and you have to install them from outside the instrument, then solder them in, then tighten up the mounting nut in a cramped electronics cavity. Once they start to fail they are basically useless as well.
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The elongated upper horn bothers me more in terms of period correctness.
All the installment trouble you describe wouldn't be an issue for me since it is already installed... ???
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Anti-Design-Revisionism-Rant:
I don't get it - why should this thing be "period correct"? It's a 2017 De Gier, it has as much to do with a 60ies TBird as a modern day Levi jeans has with the work trousers they once wore in the gold mines or while they were dig. Are you now all stark raving mad, something that isn't the real thing - and likably doesn't aspire to be (I credit De Gier for not aping the original) - needs to be "period correct" and forfeit technical development of decades in the process?
There is nothing wrong with looking over your shoulder into the past for inspiration as long as you continue going forward - there is everything wrong with trying to slavishly replicate it. I can't stand architecture that pretends like it was from a different age either, that is phony nostalgia-drenched kitsch.
Your taste concepts are archaic!
(https://media.giphy.com/media/mphIpEZf54wko/giphy.gif)
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Alan was talking about the Embassy Uwe
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(http://sometimesimwrong.typepad.com/.a/6a019b0070529b970b01b7c870ab4b970b-pi)
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Now that I have recovered ... anybody who has an original Embassy (like yours truly) with its horrendous balance and the hazardous front jacket just waiting to tear out the entrails of the poor thing will profusely applaud the changes made by Epi.
When did learning from mistakes go out of fashion again? Is that a new trend?
(https://lenvhs.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/1984-poster-1.jpg?w=212&h=300)
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I don't have any problems with Epiphone changing the design a little bit.
I just meant to say that changing the shape of the bass is far more invasive than changing the jackinput...
Now back to my question:
Are the bridge combinations on the Epiphones and the De Gier the same, and where can we get these?
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It all looks Dasson Technologies-typish to me!
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Yep! But I don't think Epiphone buys them off Scott...
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Even closer to this design, but I'm sure it's not american made on the Epi at least.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Thunderbird-Bass-Bridge-and-Tailpiece-Set-1963-1969-Nickel-/131341647504?hash=item1e94927e90:g:BFEAAOSwmgJY6~jH
I dont mind the lowander but I will forever rebel against any new basses that come "pre-aged" or reliced in any way. I prefer to beat them up myself than buy them pre-battered.
The new embassy looks way to happy to see me, cant do it.
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Thanx for the link!
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Some great tones coming out of that thing. The pickguard doesn't work for me. I can see how he's mirroring the upper cutaway, but...
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The elongated upper horn bothers me more in terms of period correctness.
All the installment trouble you describe wouldn't be an issue for me since it is already installed... ???
The upper horn bothers me too, as it robs the outline of some of the gracefulness of the original.
The barrel jack is already installed, sure, but it will start to go wrong. It will slowly lose its grip, and you will lose signal continuity if the cable isn't at specific angles. I've had this in both the basses I've owned with these sodding things installed.
I'm not anti-progress, but this works:
(https://www.allparts.com/assets/images/p/EP-0055-000-web.jpg)
The barrel jack gives you a slightly cleaner look as it doesn't need a plate, and can be recessed into the edge of your instrument. That is the only advantage I can think of.
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I kinda like it.
Like I like my Dano Longhorn...
Hoping to hear more reviews of the pickup quality...
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Is the De Gier reliced? That devalues it in my eyes. An inane fashion.
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(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0077-e1503493487943.jpg)
(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0106-e1503493536268.jpg)
(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0071-e1503493467353.jpg)
(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0116-e1503493552489.jpg)
(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0105-e1503493518676.jpg)
(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0153-e1503496457104.jpg)
(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0099-e1503496229184.jpg)
(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0109-e1503496294397.jpg)
And oops Alan. This one too ;)
(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0115-e1503496309435.jpg)
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It's a mild relicing job, I'll give it that. Nothing you couldn't do with a year of regular gigging yourself though.
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Not as offensive as most relic jobs for sure but still makes me go "meh", It just ruins it for me. I want my new guitars to look new and old to look old. If It had a nice virgin nitro finish and shiny nickle hardware it would be far more tempting.
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Neat shape. It screams, go ahead and try to sue me Gibson! I like how it taunts Henry even further by making the font of the upper case G in the logo very Gibson like. I'll echo Uwe in his disdain for reliced guitars. Would make more sense if they offered it as an option and give a discount for non reliced versions. Was the extra 3/8" to the scale length really necessary either? It seems the builder must have compensated fret spacing and bridge placement to allow for proper intonation otherwise it wouldn't have sounded so perfectly pitched in the demo, so why not just go with a 34" scale? The only problem I have with the pick guard is that it needs some kind of decal.
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I've relic'd all my instruments, usually shortly after purchase, one dink at a time... :o
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It sounds like a Thunderbird. That lower horn looks out of place though. I agree with Uwe, the design does look like something ESP would do.
No matter. Even a light artificial relic job would keep me from ever buying it.
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Is the De Gier reliced? That devalues it in my eyes. An inane fashion.
It could have just been a clumsy photographer? Like the guy Gibson use....
I've relic'd all my instruments, usually shortly after purchase, one dink at a time... :o
Aye Ken, plus the respraying, the pickup replacements, the defretting.... :mrgreen:
And oops Alan. This one too ;)
(http://www.degierguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_0115-e1503496309435.jpg)
Whhhhhhhyyyyyy?!?!??!?!
(https://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/821E/production/_90201333_mediaitem90201332.jpg)
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Ok, so Alan likes his holes upfront, not down below, horses for courses.
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Ok, so Alan likes his holes upfront, not down below, horses for courses.
Any hole is a goal.
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(https://i.imgur.com/EinzJET.gif)
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Sander de Gier is a small one person company. He makes the Volt Firebirds in any colour, so he could build this Lowlander in any oribinal or non original custom colour, (color for you Americans) and reliced/aged or not. Would like to see a one pickup off white one :D
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Sander told me he scored that bridge combination off Philadelphialuthiers (same address as the link to Ebay that was posted earlier).
But he has been working on his own bridge. The next Lowlanders will feature his own bridge.
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The barrel jack is already installed, sure, but it will start to go wrong. It will slowly lose its grip, and you will lose signal continuity if the cable isn't at specific angles. I've had this in both the basses I've owned with these sodding things installed.
I'm not anti-progress, but this works:
(https://www.allparts.com/assets/images/p/EP-0055-000-web.jpg)
The barrel jack gives you a slightly cleaner look as it doesn't need a plate, and can be recessed into the edge of your instrument. That is the only advantage I can think of.
I agree 100%
Did anyone notice the location of the rear strap pin? Also, I dislike recessed straplocks even more than barrel jacks. :mrgreen:
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... Aye Ken, plus the respraying, the pickup replacements, the defretting.... :mrgreen:
lol ... you did see the mess I made of my PC before I rebuilt her the first time, didn't you...? :mrgreen:
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lol ... you did see the mess I made of my PC before I rebuilt her the first time, didn't you...? :mrgreen:
I've seen a picture of it with a psychedelic Halfords refinish and a gold (???) mudbucker. Is this the same beast?
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Potted abuse history...
This pic, prior to the psychedelia-inspired Halfords visit, shows the Strat socket and a single pot, with lots of stickers holding the front together where I'd caved in the surface... the Strat insert bridged across the missing wood, the original 2 piece Gibson bridge and tail-piece had been replaced by a Badass 1, the dead bridge pickup was gone and behind that sticker was a small pre-amp, the dead neck pickup had been replaced by a Dimarzio MB1 (which was microphonic) ... she was not in the best of health but roared out of the Hiwatt and Sound City cabs rather nicely...
Prior to the pic you saw and post this point she had a single EMG Select humbucker and the Dimarzio was skipped... for a period of time there was a pair of Dimarzio P coils stuck in place with silicone and that combo was quite nice sound-wise too...
Latterly, the damaged pup from the RD was wedged into the hole where the EMG had lived...
Presently she has the Mudbucker and a gold Lollar... :mrgreen:
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Heck of an amp setup there! Glad I'm not the only one that hacks Strat jack plates into basses! Everybody should do it. ;)
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Himmel forbid!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrqMdja4eYs
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That black Jack Casady bass I picked up is going to get a refinish at some point.... and I wanna put a Strat jack plate on it! :P
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The bad decisions after BREXIT just don't stop. :-X :-\
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Post supplying me a much needed part for my RD, I had to accede to a damage-limitation clause, courtesy of our learned Deutschlander colleague... mostly... :vader:
Still have the Hiwatt, and one of the SoundCity signs off those cabs... they were rather nice, but were actually rear open-ported PA columns... I blew them to absolute pieces...
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It's nice to see a demo where the guy can actually play bass.
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Good grief... someone talking about musicianship...! Whatever next...? :o
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True. Thanks to Ilan, we really veered off badly here.
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He's the biggest Dutch studio ace.
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Ilan's Israeli...! I'm sure of it...! :mrgreen:
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But an ace nonetheless.
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/56/96/c7/5696c7a2369304771b171c9c52db2314.jpg)