THUNDERBIRD PICKUPS.

[Wayne Firefly]

Got a 2000 T.bird and its all great, all black, new Hipshot bridge etc, but the OEM pickups are WAAAY mismatched. The neck pickup is loud and boomy as you'd expect, but the bridge pickup is thin and impossibly weedy.... approx 7 percent of the output of the neck pickup. Now Im taking this as the pickup is goosed so Im going to have to get a replacement. Everybody knows Gibson are notoriously unhelpful so Im down to an EMG-HZ replacement. Anybody know anything that might help ? Everybody seems to badmouth Barts as a non starter, Lollar dosent do them anymore and nobody else seems to have a clue. Any ideas ?

[BigRedX]

As I've said the last few times replacement pickups for Thunderbirds has come up, you should check out:

[url="http://www.mikelull.com/t%20bass%20parts.htm"]Mike Lull T-Bass Pickups[/url]

or

[url="http://www.thunderbuckerranch.com/"]Thunderbuckers[/url].

[neepheid]

I presume you've tried adjusting the height of the bridge pickup closer to the strings and all that nonsense? Also check the state of the wiring/soldering?

[Wayne Firefly]

Done all the usual checks... pickup heights, wiring and pots are fine. Its just super weak !! Cant afford Mike Lull's !!!

[Wayne Firefly]

Wait.... just checked out those Thunderbuckers.......Maybe I should start saving.......it would look TERRIFYING (in a super hot way) with those fitted !!

[henry norton]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1337825' date='Aug 12 2011, 04:03 PM']As I've said the last few times replacement pickups for Thunderbirds has come up, you should check out:

[url="http://www.mikelull.com/t%20bass%20parts.htm"]Mike Lull T-Bass Pickups[/url]

or

[url="http://www.thunderbuckerranch.com/"]Thunderbuckers[/url].[/quote]
Aren't the Thunderbucker and Lull pickups the old, unique, Chrome T.Bird size whereas the newer T.Birds were fitted with relatively standard sized black soapbars? I might be wrong but it would probably be worth checking out before you shell out a massive wedge on pickups that don't fit....

By the way, if your bridge pup is only 7% I'd take a look at the wiring!

[Wayne Firefly]

Hmmmm... maybe new internals then first ???
The Thunderbuckers look VERY similar in the soapbar shape and single top and bottom screw holes.......I think GAS has a firm grip there...
Who knows ? I'll try new wiring first. Little visit to axesrus then.

[BigRedX]

There's measurements on the Thuderbucker page for you to check.

[bassmachine2112]

Give Andy at Wizard a call,he,ll help you out

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='henry norton' post='1337932' date='Aug 12 2011, 05:26 PM']Aren't the Thunderbucker ............. the old, unique, Chrome T.Bird size whereas the newer T.Birds were fitted with relatively standard sized black soapbars? I might be wrong but it would probably be worth checking out before you shell out a massive wedge on pickups that don't fit....[/quote]
Correct! There's a great deal of love for them Stateside; including from a mate of mine who has several Tbirds. If I ever do make the JAE Fenderbird apparently it's the only way to go.

[geoffbyrne]

[quote name='bassmachine2112' post='1338072' date='Aug 12 2011, 07:22 PM']Give Andy at Wizard a call,he,ll help you out[/quote]


+1.


Get it rewound.

G.

[Wayne Firefly]

Im away this weekend so when I get back, I'll have it out and get it megged on the meter and check everything.
I'll also try Wizard for prices too. Thanks everyone for the help and advice !!!!
(but if those Thunderbuckers fit....)

[Wayne Firefly]

Just got back, no luck with Wizard pickups, says they cannot be reworked as they are epoxy dipped and he wont make replacements and the Thunderbuckers are too big and I'd have to make the pickup rout a bit bigger and Im not having that so its back to square one as I initially suspected..... buggery.
Back to trawling until maybe something pops up... who knows ??

[Wayne Firefly]

Who knows anything about these ?

[url="http://www.emgpickups.com/products/index/349/262"]http://www.emgpickups.com/products/index/349/262[/url]

[Delberthot]

They're Thunderbird shaped HZ pickups. Exactly the same as far as I am aware.

I use HZs in my Epiphone Thunderbird and they are fantastic pickups

[BigRedX]

Obviously it depends on what sound you're after, but if this was my bass I'd be looking at routing out the pickup cavities to fit either Thunderbuckers or Mike Lulls.

Afterall if the EMGs fit it should only require a couple of mm all round routing out.

Edited August 15, 2011 by BigRedX

[Nyl]

I must say i'm tempted to try out the TB-HZ.

What is it you prefer about these pups over the standard Epi ones?

[Wayne Firefly]

Its not an Epi, it would be for my Gibson...

[neepheid]

[quote name='Wayne Firefly' post='1340816' date='Aug 15 2011, 04:09 PM']Its not an Epi, it would be for my Gibson...[/quote]

I believe that question was aimed at Delberthot

[Delberthot]

I was just saying how good the standard HZs were in my Epi but I'd have put them in any bass that they fitted. Just pointing out that they are the same pickup in a different casing

[Nyl]

cheers and sorry for the confusion

[Kiwi]

[quote name='Wayne Firefly' timestamp='1313329267' post='1339648']
Just got back, no luck with Wizard pickups, says they cannot be reworked as they are epoxy dipped and he wont make replacements and the Thunderbuckers are too big and I'd have to make the pickup rout a bit bigger and Im not having that so its back to square one as I initially suspected..... buggery.
Back to trawling until maybe something pops up... who knows ??
[/quote]
Try Aaron Armstrong?

[url="http://www.armstrongpickups.co.uk/"]http://www.armstrongpickups.co.uk/[/url]

[grenadilla]

The chrome Thunderbird pickups were single-coil and twangey. They produce the WISHBONE ASH tone. The black Epi and Gibson pickups are 'buckers and more mellow. I have the active Epi and it needs more mids and treble to resemble the chrome Thunderbird pickups.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='grenadilla' timestamp='1335785203' post='1635881']
The chrome Thunderbird pickups were single-coil and twangey. They produce the WISHBONE ASH tone.
[/quote]

Are you sure? They were certainly humbuckers from the 70s re-issues onwards, and all the 60s style replacements are humbucking too.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

Definitely humbuckers. And you only need one for that Wishbone Ash sound!