Thunderbird #2

New 12AX7s throughout, and WE HAVE A WINNER!

Clean, loud, great tone, great tonal range. One new tube was quite microphonic, started to howl after about fifeen minutes, now replaced and the noice is gone. More (pre-amp?) noise on CH2 than CH1, but not distracting. Seems very happy with either a P-90 (X-50) or EMG humbuckers (Nightbird). Speakers could be better - it's fatter through my 2x10 Guild/Hartke cab than through the original no-name 12" main. Reverb doesn't seem completely functional - it's there, but not as pronounced as I think it should be. Happy to get tips on renovating a reverb?

But overall I'm (finally) a happy camper.

When I get the other T-Bird back from the fired/defunct/dead tech who has it now, I'll get to play with it and learn something about these fascinating machines. The Thunderbass is running sparkling clean on the Bass channel, not so good on CH2; one T1-12 makes a whacking great thump with the tremolo, and I have a cabinet to build for Thunderbird 1. Fun, fun, fun, since Johnny got a T-Bird to play.

Go Johnny Thunderbird! My Thunderstar is also sounding good. I like option of super bassy or nice and bright. I wish mine had reverb and tremolo. Usually its new tubes that fix the trem/verb. You put in all 12ax7's maybe it needs a 12at7 for more clean reverb?

ps. how are those m-20's...somtime soon I will have an old 70's D-25 mahogany.

Hi Johnny Thunderbird and congratulations on #2!



Possible reverb gremlins: Nice goin' cap'n .... I edited this post because I assumed similarity between the T1 RVT and the Thunderbird .... not a very good assumption.

Bummer about the speakers.

Mine came with a couple of pristine Jensen C12N speakers.

Kap'n said:

Mine came with a couple of pristine Jensen C12N speakers.

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Hi Kap'n; do you know whether the Jensens were orginal?

Date codes matched ('69-ish), and the solder joints looked original.

They were this funky alligator beige paint, and had bell covers on them.

Excellent speakers.

You're fortunate that they are still sounding good. So many from that era under-going reconing; do you have any experience with re-cones? I have a Jensen mid-60s C12PS / Gold Label; paper, not foam, surround;creased and at the patch or re-cone point - any suggestions?

The two folks I'd suggest are a guy named "Uncle Spot" and Ted Weber.

Uncle Spot has a big stash of NOS recone material. Ted's got the cones he uses on his own speakers.

Thanks Kap'n; will look into them; that's a 'no' on re-coning in general?

I owned, and now in the process of buying back (my mistake for letting it go) my late 60's two-tone brown, faux wood panel Thunderbird. It still had the original 7591 power tubes (the newer reissue JJs are ok, nothing like NOS) and loaded with Telefunken "smooth plate" 12ax7 preamps tubes. You also have to hand it for the individual adjustable bias pots for each 7591 (as on some Thunderstar Combo amps that I've seen).

A note on these Telefunkens...there's a good reason engineers at Guild selected these...they're just in a class above the rest. Well I play clean, straight into the amp, no effects and chords just bloom in detail with those Telefunkens, most amazing preamps tubes. I believe the Ei reissue 12AX7/ECC83s are a respectable attempt at them. Other 12Ax7s choked the "Hi Fi" nature of the Thunderbird preamp IMHO. You find these smooth plate Telefunkens used on eBay, a bit pricey, but worth it.

My old Thunderbird had the orig factory Oxford 12K? and CTS 8" for the reverb amp. A Vintage Oxford was the best choice after I tried swapping out other respectable vintage ones. Again the Guild engineers knew what they were doing pairing up the optimum tube and speakers for these Thunderbirds. Don't think they had "cost savings' in mind (well maybe the cabinet design :wink: ).

Right now I'm restoring my same brown/faun tolex era Thunder I RVT, just scored a pair of NOS Amperex 6GW8s.

Enjoy your Thunderbird!

capnjuan said:

Thanks Kap'n; will look into them; that's a 'no' on re-coning in general?

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I don't think most folks have the right parts to do a correct recone.

The two tone Guild Thunderbird amps I have seen or owned came with two different 12 inch diameter speakers. I have seen both Oxfords and Jensens C12N's with the bell covers. I have never been to crazy about the sound quality of the Oxfords but am very pleased with the Jensens. I am current using a JBL 12 Signature speaker similar to a D120 or D131 in my TBird#1 and a Altec 417 8C in TBird #2. Both sound great. The reverb 8 inch speakers in both cases are CTS.

The 2nd style or model Thunderbird amp came with a pair of 12 inch Jensens C12N speakers with bell covers. They sound outstanding in this amp.

M

matsickma said:

The 2nd style or model Thunderbird amp came with a pair of 12 inch Jensens C12N speakers with bell covers. They sound outstanding in this amp.

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Or almost any "American-style" amp, for that matter. Excellent speakers.

JazzWest said:

Right now I'm restoring my same brown/faun tolex era Thunder I RVT, just scored a pair of NOS Amperex 6GW8s.

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Hi JazzWest: good going on the Amperex 6GW8s; I also had good luck with Mullards and Tungsrams. Pics?

cj

Kap'n said:

capnjuan said:

Thanks Kap'n; will look into them; that's a 'no' on re-coning in general?

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I don't think most folks have the right parts to do a correct recone.

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Agree; will probably have Weber do it; save a buck or two on shipping. Other than crappy cone condition, don't know much else. When pulled, amp had lots of mechanical noises making it hard to distinguish speaker issues. Anyway, will post on who does, sound quality, and cost.

cj

I have a Ted recone & would recommend him. He knows his stuff & was pretty easy to work with.

10-4; was ready Ted's recone info when you posted:
http://www.tedweber.com/recone/