NAD: Thunderstar Bass Amp

GAD

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Got the Thunderstar!

There's a fair bit of rust, and the pots and switches all need some Deoxit, but it fired right up and plays as it should. I didn't dime it, but with the volume up it's got a very nice grind to it.

Beast is freaking loud, too. I don't think I've played through a real tube amp since I sold off my '63 Bassman. I'm spoiled by the Axe-FX being able to dial in any tone at any volume. I have a new attenuator/load box on the way to help me record it.

There's very little tolex damage, but the cabinet handle is pretty much rotted away. I can't wait to dig into the guts of the thing, but I don't think I'll be able to do that for a couple of days.

The owner said he rescued it from a mental health clinic where there were a bunch of donated instruments and such, but no one ever used this so he snagged it. He said that was 20 years ago and it had probably sat there for 20 years. He also said he had one just like it as a kid but really just wanted the space back because it was just sitting around. He was also extremely happy that it was going to someone who cared about it.

Quick pic with improper lighting:

Guild-Thunderstar-Bass-Before-Front-1.jpg
 

GAD

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Damn thing already got me. Was rockin' out with my Starfire and leaned over to grab the SD card out of my computer, which is when I was reminded that this amp came from a time when slight electrocution was all part of the fun.

Guild-Thunderstar-Bass-Before-Plug.jpg
 

GAD

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Quick and dirty sound clip. The recording sounds way more trebly than the amp sounds in- person.

http://www.gad.net/Blog/wp-content/uploads/3019/03/Guild-69-ThunderstarBass-StarfireIV-Riffage.wav

Volume is on about 6-7. Tone switch on Bright. Bass on 7.5, Treble on 10. Bridge pickup on the '81 Starfire (HB1s).

Hmm. That's a lot of treble dialed in. Maybe it's my ears. LOL.

I'd say this amp drives harder than my '63 Bassman ever did. I'd love to hear it through a 2x12 or 4x10 cab with some nice speakers.

Guild-Thunderstar-Bass-Before-81-Starfire.jpg
 
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GAD

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Uhh, shouldn't you be playing the fretless Pilot through it?

No one want to hear me play the Fretless Pilot through anything. :very_drunk:

Hey I fixed the Ashbory. Maybe I could fire that up and really get the cows mooing.
 

gjmalcyon

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Damn thing already got me. Was rockin' out with my Starfire and leaned over to grab the SD card out of my computer, which is when I was reminded that this amp came from a time when slight electrocution was all part of the fun.

Glad you didn't fry the SD card, your computer, or yourself.
 

GAD

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Glad you didn't fry the SD card, your computer, or yourself.

The funny thing is that I had just told my wife how dangerous these old amps could be and then she walks out the door and I get zapped. Good thing I'm relatively healthy and don't have a pacemaker or anything. Yeesh. Gave me some nice flashbacks to the '70s when I'd get that voltage through my lip on the mic. Man, I hate being in the ground path.
 

gjmalcyon

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The funny thing is that I had just told my wife how dangerous these old amps could be and then she walks out the door and I get zapped. Good thing I'm relatively healthy and don't have a pacemaker or anything. Yeesh. Gave me some nice flashbacks to the '70s when I'd get that voltage through my lip on the mic. Man, I hate being in the ground path.

Alternatively, you could just leave it alone and add a couple of defibrillator paddles to it. This seems be a geezer- and gezeerette-rich community - it may come in handy at an LMG.
 

GAD

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Alternatively, you could just leave it alone and add a couple of defibrillator paddles to it. This seems be a geezer- and gezeerette-rich community - it may come in handy at an LMG.

I'm tempted to photoshop that into existence.
 

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Nice thing is the handles are readily available, which was not the case a few years ago. The other nice thing is Guild used substantial handles on these. Grot picked up a T-bass cab for me a while back, and they used 3 attache case handles. Stock. For a bass cab with 2x15s.

Of course, all three were broken.
 

adorshki

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Nice thing is the handles are readily available, which was not the case a few years ago. The other nice thing is Guild used substantial handles on these. Grot picked up a T-bass cab for me a while back, and they used 3 attache case handles. Stock. For a bass cab with 2x15s.

Of course, all three were broken.

Think replacement parts from American Tourister would fit?
american-tourister-gorilla-test.jpg
 

GAD

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Got the chassis out after all. Unfortunately, since the amp was in storage for so long, at some point a mouse moved in and made it his home. I know this because I found the mummified remains of said tenant. Putrefaction causes accelerated oxidation of steel, and the poor fellow met his demise curled up next to the transformer.

Guild-Thunderstar-Bass-TransformerRust.jpg




I have a feeling that he's been living in there for a while because of the pattern of rust elsewhere on the chassis. Also, he ate part of the rubber padding on the top of the face plate.

Guild-Thunderstar-Bass-ChassisTop.jpg




I grew up on a farm so none of that freaks me out or anything, but it's an unfortunate development. The good news is that I think I can brush or scrub or chemically treat most of that away because the underside of the chassis looks pretty darn good.

Guild-Thunderstar-Bass-ChassisBottom.jpg



I can't just blame the mouse, because every metal part of the cabinet also has rust. The house I went to get this from was maybe a mile or less from the ocean, and salt water humidity had to play a part as well.

The pots need a good spraying of Deoxit, but I can't find the damn can. Grumble...
 

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I'm kind of surprised not to see a pc board in there. They were using them by the mid sixties, but I guess the Thunderstars were so simple that it didn't make for much of a cost savings. Very cool, and the amount of real estate in the chassis gives me some thoughts... I guess I need a Tstar Lead for the next purchase!
 

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I have a very clean Thunder one reverb that had mice eat almost all the insulation inside the chassis and left a cake of "stuff". That will be a retirement project. 8-(
 

Walter Broes

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I'm kind of surprised not to see a pc board in there. They were using them by the mid sixties, but I guess the Thunderstars were so simple that it didn't make for much of a cost savings. Very cool, and the amount of real estate in the chassis gives me some thoughts... I guess I need a Tstar Lead for the next purchase!
No kidding huh? Looks like a modder's dream in there!
 

fronobulax

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OK. Is there a good B&B in the neighborhood? I'l bring the '67 and Newark Street so you have good basses and a mediocre player, if you need one, and you can test the amp with what it was build for and write the Starfire bass comparison.
 

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Amazing pics.

Awesome, cept for the mouse, but yeah, the ocean... I like Rustmort, or the more recent substitutes. The stuff you brush on, turns the rust to iron oxide?

Unreal how small the turret board is!

What speakers?

Nice 70's tone.
 

GAD

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Amazing pics.

Awesome, cept for the mouse, but yeah, the ocean... I like Rustmort, or the more recent substitutes. The stuff you brush on, turns the rust to iron oxide?

Unreal how small the turret board is!

What speakers?

Nice 70's tone.

Thanks!

Speaker is a single 15" Eminence. I haven't gotten to the cab yet. :)
 
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