Rikki_Sixx Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 [quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1508659004' post='3393527'] £4.4K delivered. [/quote] Holy crap, I didn't check the price when I first saw these. They're pretty cool but definitely not £4,000 cool! If they knocked a zero off maybe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 [quote name='Rikki_Sixx' timestamp='1508796425' post='3394549'] Holy crap, I didn't check the price when I first saw these. They're pretty cool but definitely not £4,000 cool! If they knocked a zero off maybe! [/quote] I don't know where the hell did the £4,4k delivered price come out as for the exact same model as the one demonstrated, it will cost you exactly £2.378,37 GBP at today's rate, without shipping, but £2k for sending it is a bit expensive, isn't it !?! :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No lust in Jazz Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 [quote name='Hellzero' timestamp='1508798204' post='3394561'] I don't know where the hell did the £4,4k delivered price come out as for the exact same model as the one demonstrated, it will cost you exactly £2.378,37 GBP at today's rate, without shipping, but £2k for sending it is a bit expensive, isn't it !?! :-/ [/quote] I think that the £4.4k tag is for a Mike Lull bass that was being used as an example in the kerfuffle that unfolded above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 [quote name='No lust in Jazz' timestamp='1508785874' post='3394441'] Well I've ordered one. [/quote] Cool! I'm gathering up (more) things to sell to fund a Soulmate. I think what I have might pay for the extra frills so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 It seems strange that the luthier has gone to all the trouble to "improve" the Thunderbird, when there still plenty of things on the Jazz and Precision bass that could also do with improvement, but his take on those seems to be identical to Mr Fender's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1508832607' post='3394634'] It seems strange that the luthier has gone to all the trouble to "improve" the Thunderbird, when there still plenty of things on the Jazz and Precision bass that could also do with improvement, but his take on those seems to be identical to Mr Fender's. [/quote] Explain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No lust in Jazz Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 I don't see it as De Geir 'improving' the Thunderbird - I liked my Gibson, but with this I can tweak the bits that I would have done differently - tweaks are personal not factual so I don't really see it as 'improved'. I saw a video of Sander discussing his approach to building basses - I believe that he only built 'fender derivatives' to order and this business went hyperbolic when Richard Bona bought one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 [quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1508833735' post='3394643'] Explain... [/quote] Pretty much everything about the necks (and to a lesser extent the chunkiness of the bodies) which are all about low-skill, low-cost manufacturing with the technology that was easily and cheaply available in the 1940s. Leo Fender did a good job back then, but technology and manufacturing techniques have moved on and a lot of the compromises he had to make for the sake of hitting his price point with a workforce that were not luthiers is unnecessary these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1508837048' post='3394684'] Pretty much everything about the necks (and to a lesser extent the chunkiness of the bodies) which are all about low-skill, low-cost manufacturing with the technology that was easily and cheaply available in the 1940s. Leo Fender did a good job back then, but technology and manufacturing techniques have moved on and a lot of the compromises he had to make for the sake of hitting his price point with a workforce that were not luthiers is unnecessary these days. [/quote] And yet look at how many people still enjoy them! For me, there's nothing more pleasing than a good P-bass, so why would I want anything different? I've been round the houses. I've had all the active doo-hickies (still do!). I've owned graphite necked basses, hell I've owned an all graphite bass. But I've returned to the tried and trusted design because it works best for me. The sound works for me. It's ergonomically comfortable for me. Any change would just be for the sake of it. But each to their own! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 [quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1508838154' post='3394696'] And yet look at how many people still enjoy them! For me, there's nothing more pleasing than a good P-bass, so why would I want anything different? I've been round the houses. I've had all the active doo-hickies (still do!). I've owned graphite necked basses, hell I've owned an all graphite bass. But I've returned to the tried and trusted design because it works best for me. The sound works for me. It's ergonomically comfortable for me. Any change would just be for the sake of it. But each to their own! [/quote] As you said each to their own. There's plenty of people who like the original Thunderbird too and apart from maybe sorting out the original 2-piece bridge so that it has enough travel to intonate the more modern string designs, don't think that it needs any updating either. Personally I don't find any of Leo Fender's designs particular ergonomic or comfortable, and that's just as much to do with familiarity as anything else. I'd been playing bass for over 30 years before I even owned an instrument that owed very much more to Fender's designs than being a fretted, stringed instrument tuned E-G an octave below the guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 [quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1508751889' post='3394108']Put Spector on the headstock and perhaps Gary would buy a handful as well.[/quote] Nah, you're OK thanks..... nice tones but this bass is fugly imho..... and I'm not sure who the market is for it? If you want a vintage looking Thunderbird then generally you buy a vintage looking Thunderbird or a copy (lull etc) that looks like one. If you don't.... then you don't.... This bass sounds great but ticks no boxes for me..... I'd rather see a modern version (looks, design, circuity) or a traditional copy. Just my opinion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Putting the whole fan-fret thing aside, the Dingbird is much more of an update on the Tbird design: it looks modern while still echoing the older design. FWIW, I agree that combining the exact copying of some aspects of the vintage Tbird (the chrome covers, the colour, the headstock, the two piece bridge) while changing the shape pretty radically seems pointless. It's relic'd, too...rusty Hipshot Ultralites? Now that's REALLY pointless... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No lust in Jazz Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 (edited) [quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1508872098' post='3395061'] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]FWIW, I agree that combining the exact copying of some aspects of the vintage Tbird (the chrome covers, the colour, the headstock, the two piece bridge) while changing the shape pretty radically seems pointless.[/font][/color] It's relic'd, too...rusty Hipshot Ultralites? Now that's REALLY pointless... [/quote] FWIW I like the bass, I like Thunderbirds too but that's merely my opinion. You do know that the relic finish and other stuff like - the colour; the pickups; the chrome are all options.? Edited October 25, 2017 by No lust in Jazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Seems to me a similar kind of exercise (including the eye-watering retail price....) to Warwick's Jack Bruce signature and Star basses - essentially modern boutique takes on the humble Gibson EB-3 and EB-2. Don't remember any fuss about those - maybe because Warwick is a more mainstream manufacturer than De Gier? I'm a huge fan of the original T'birds (see: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/180496-the-welsh-fenderbird-mk-2-a-quest-for-perfection/page__p__1715729__hl__thunderbird__fromsearch__1#entry1715729 and http://basschat.co.uk/topic/76091-gibson-porn/page__st__60 ) - it's a quirky but brilliant design, very much of its time. There were certainly flaws - mainly the fragility of that big volute-less mahogany headstock, also the limited range of adjustment on the bridge (as BigRedX says), and tendency to neck-dive. But IMHO any "improvements" tend to take away the essential Thunderbirdyness of the design. Like many others here I'm not keen on the body cutaways of the Lowlander, but it's a nice bass, and I'm sure it's beautifully crafted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 In all fairness, the Warwick Jack Bruce shares the EB-3 shape but ... erm ... not a lot else. I spent half an hour playing one in the sadly-now-gone Warwick Custom Shop in New York, and it was one of the nicest things I've ever played. Completely unlike the EB-3, it was a very flexible and responsive bass with a wide range of tones available, and the neck was a delight in the hand. I'd have bought it on the spot had it not been for the eye-watering price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 26, 2017 Share Posted October 26, 2017 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1509006067' post='3395898'] In all fairness, the Warwick Jack Bruce shares the EB-3 shape but ... erm ... not a lot else. I spent half an hour playing one in the sadly-now-gone Warwick Custom Shop in New York, and it was one of the nicest things I've ever played. Completely unlike the EB-3, it was a very flexible and responsive bass with a wide range of tones available, and the neck was a delight in the hand. I'd have bought it on the spot had it not been for the eye-watering price. [/quote] I'd completely agree with that including the price. I tried the fretless version and loved it, but ultimately I went for a custom-made Sei Flamboyant instead and saved over £1000. Also the AFAIK the Warwick StarBass is only semi-acoustic long scale 5-string bass you can buy "off the peg". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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