Battle of the Thumbs

[IncX]

i'm just wondering, how do the ff thumb basses differ from each other:

a.) thumb BO
b.) thumb NT
c.) Bleached Blonde
d.) Dirty Blonde
e.) Flaming Blonde

which is the lightest? ...

any specific music genre in which each one excels at? meaning they cut sit well with the band mix. i hope you know what i mean. i could elaborate more.

are they really that different from each other to justify the price difference or are they just like those EB MM rays where the limited eds are more expensive just because they have the not common paint job and this 'limited' text stamped on them (i think its a really silly marketing ploy for collectors and not for ppl who go out and play bass - having said that, im still GAS-sing for a dargie delight and a 2005 buttercream *lol*)?

the average 2nd hand price of each?

-*-

im very new to this and could use the information you guys have from experience.

 

[JanVanHove]

well, one difference here is the BO vs NT, since the bleached, dirty and flaming blondes are all BO...

As for differences between the BOs, they all have different woods and pickup configurations, so you can bet that they are all going to sound and play differently...

As for what is meant for each style of music... I'll have to ponder that longer, or leave the floor to an expert...

 

[ThirdthumB]

I suspect the Bleached Blonde to be the lightest: it has a Maple neck/board and an Ash/Maple body. It doesn't sound anything like a Thumb........The Dirty Blonde should be light weight as well......... 8)

 

[IncX]

I suspect the Bleached Blonde to be the lightest: it has a Maple neck/board and an Ash/Maple body. It doesn't sound anything like a Thumb........The Dirty Blonde should be light weight as well......... 8)

RE Bleached Blonde...

I cant help but feel that you are right... somebody sent me a soundclip of a fretless Bleached Blonde last week and my friend heard it and said "are you gonna buy that cause quite honestly it sounds just like your stingray?" ... then he looked down "oh, you have your tone fixers there on. oh well, it will save you from carrying those pedals"

in that sound clip... the bleached blonde ddnt sound like a fretless at all... its really weird...

need more posts in here... keep them coming!

 

[maddrakkett]

I own a Thumb NT and a Dirty Blonde and they are NOTHING alike!

The Dirty Blonde is very light weight and has a strong traditional tone, very good for old skool slap. It has a P-bass pickup in the neck position and a T/J in the bridge, so you can get some versatile tones as well. Can get a nice Jaco bark, but it does not do the famous Warwick growl. This would make a great bass for jazz, old funk, classic rock, or even country.

The Thumb NT is a bit heavier (which has never bothered me - it just feels more "solid") and has a very distinct bite to its defining Warwick growl. The look of the NT is also a little bit more contoured and has a slightly smaller, more curvaceous body than any of the BOs as well. It is a more aggressive, modern-sounding bass, more focussed than versatile, yet can fit into any style. It's distinct sound makes it cut through any mix of drums and guitars! Definitely made for hard, aggressive music, but can really fit well in any style. I even play mine at my church all the time.

Now, while the NT is my favorite Thumb I own, I really cannot say one is better than the other because each does what the other can't. Therefore, having both lets me cover anything and everything! :wink:

 

[lrilli]

Thumb NT - (Bubinga= heavier than Ovangkol as on Thumb BO, but NT has smaller body that compensates... and more head-dive).
Thumb NT = Greatest sound IMHO! Growl-growl-growl...

 

[IncX]

I own a Thumb NT and a Dirty Blonde and they are NOTHING alike!

The Dirty Blonde is very light weight and has a strong traditional tone, very good for old skool slap. It has a P-bass pickup in the neck position and a T/J in the bridge, so you can get some versatile tones as well. Can get a nice Jaco bark, but it does not do the famous Warwick growl. This would make a great bass for jazz, old funk, classic rock, or even country.

The Thumb NT is a bit heavier (which has never bothered me - it just feels more "solid") and has a very distinct bite to its defining Warwick growl. The look of the NT is also a little bit more contoured and has a slightly smaller, more curvaceous body than any of the BOs as well. It is a more aggressive, modern-sounding bass, more focussed than versatile, yet can fit into any style. It's distinct sound makes it cut through any mix of drums and guitars! Definitely made for hard, aggressive music, but can really fit well in any style. I even play mine at my church all the time.

Now, while the NT is my favorite Thumb I own, I really cannot say one is better than the other because each does what the other can't. Therefore, having both lets me cover anything and everything! :wink:

is it safe to assume that the dirty blonde tends to lean more on the "fender" territory?

regarding the TJ ... does it sound similar to a single J when you set it to single J mode?

 

[JanVanHove]

regarding the TJ ... does it sound similar to a single J when you set it to single J mode?

Well in single J mode, the TJ IS a single J, so it of course sounds like a single J...

 

[maddrakkett]

is it safe to assume that the dirty blonde tends to lean more on the "fender" territory?

regarding the TJ ... does it sound similar to a single J when you set it to single J mode?

Yes, the Dirty Blonde leans toward the Fender side of tone, due to the bolt-on maple neck and ash body and P/TJ pup configuration.

Interesting thing about the TJ - it seems to be more of a "nasally" sound, as if it's out-of-phase when put in single-coil mode. The original owner had the Dirty Blonde de-fretted. Perhaps he also had the TJ wires reversed? Whatever the case may be, I love the out-of-phase single-coil sound, either on its own or with the P-pup slightly blended in for my fretless tone. But it is QUITE a bit less output than the TJ mode or the P-pup. The P-pup is REALLY loud! And with that neck P-pup only, I also get a great slap tone, in spite of the fretless board!

A very fun and versatile bass for funk/fretless stuff that still sounds traditional. Think Bathiki Kumalo ("Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes," "You Can Call Me Al," etc. from Paul Simon's Graceland album) tones and slap 'n slide ability, though I don't have the talent! :lol:

 

[IncX]

thanks for sharing...

im currently looking for a P-J config bass and i think the dirty blonde would be just right for me. i have the darklord to do the warwick growl, and i have a vampyre LTD coming together with my fiance - errr, does the vampyre LTD exhibit that warwick growl those Thumb NT's are famous for?

-*-

jan van:

well my questioned seemed silly ... but its just i noticed, when i set my TJ (on the darklord) to single J, i have a considerable loss of volume, enough for me to readjust my volume set up when i am onstage (i wasnt expecting that much volume loss eventhough its common sense that TJ would have more output than single J) ... so i was thinking that maybe a single J would have a stronger output than a singled TJ ... but oh well, seems like they are similar after all.

-*-

keep em coming... im still waiting for bleached blonde users and the all new flaming blonde users to post here

 

[JanVanHove]

jan van:

well my questioned seemed silly ...

Not at all, it was a valid question, the twin J is a Warwick-specific pickup that can be indeed puzzling...

Your use of the Dark Lord has actually made me take a second look at it, and it's now on my list of Warwick to get one day...

 

[IncX]

jan van:

well my questioned seemed silly ...

Not at all, it was a valid question, the twin J is a Warwick-specific pickup that can be indeed puzzling...

Your use of the Dark Lord has actually made me take a second look at it, and it's now on my list of Warwick to get one day...

wow ... you just cant imagine how flattering this is to me.

THANKS man... that really felt good