Possibly a daft idea ... but ... might just work ...

[Sagawa]

Hey Basschatters,

While fannying around with my Epi Thunderbird, I started to ponder upgrading the pickups. None of the current soapbars out there are really pumping my nads. I love the sound of Jazz basses but don't like the basses themselves.

If I did a wee bit of carpentry (maybe just glueing a few blocks into the cavities for height etc), fashion a kind of gap-covering-plate out of thin black plastic (which I already have from attempting to make scratchplates), do we think it would be feasible to install Jazz pickups into my Thunderbird??? Da da daaaaaaaah!!!

Opinions?

[charic]

You would need to make sure they fitted length wise first otherwise I don't see why not.

[Sagawa]

Initial enquiries into length measurements say it can be done ...

I think I Tbird with good Jazz pups would be immense!

[Dom in Dorset]

Is the string spacing going to be an issue? ie strings sitting nicely over the pole pieces?

[Sagawa]

Hmmm ... Good point. Maybe pickups with blades, if need be?

[Bigwan]

If it were me I'd go one further and get a few nice blocks of hardwood, cut to the same size as the soapbars in the Epi and route out jazz pickup routes on the bottom so you've got some nice pickup covers - stain/dye/paint as necesary...

[Dom in Dorset]

I used to have an epi t bird and I now have a jazz, the strings on the t bird were almost paralel, I suspect that the bridge pickup might be the problem.
I can help with measurements if required.

[Dom in Dorset]

Or... how about a single coil P?

[Dom in Dorset]

A thunderbird with angled jazz pickups is almost too cool.

[Lozz196]

Why not contact Andy at Wizard Pickups, and see if they can make a single Jazz pickup, but in a double Jazz casing (assuming that would fit). Would then look much better on the bass.

[BigRedX]

Just buy a Jazz Bass.

[matski]

HOLY sh*t!!!!

BigRedX advises someone to buy not just a 'traditional' bass, but a Fender!!! Will wonders never cease?

[BigRedX]

*Grin*

However a Thunderbird is a traditional bass - just not as common these days as a Fender. Besides the Epiphone version has far more in common with a Fender bass than the Gibson instrument it takes it's name from.

[bassmachine2112]

Buy a T-Bird pro 4

[Sagawa]

Some good ideas here, chaps ... What exactly would 'angled' jazz pups mean? What would be involved?

Also, what pups would yous recommend?

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1329224152' post='1539002']
Why not contact Andy at Wizard Pickups, and see if they can make a single Jazz pickup, but in a double Jazz casing (assuming that would fit). Would then look much better on the bass.
[/quote]

+1

[Sagawa]

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1329343535' post='1541138']
Instead of having them straight 90o to the strings angled, like the bridge pup on a Telecaster or Strat.

So basically instead of routing the hole perpendicular You route it at angle. Check to get what sort of angle you need to get everything to line up first of course.
[/quote]

Aahhh, I see! Thanks for clearing that up.

[guildbass]

[quote name='Sagawa' timestamp='1329219072' post='1538874']
Hey Basschatters,

While fannying around with my Epi Thunderbird, I started to ponder upgrading the pickups. None of the current soapbars out there are really pumping my nads. I love the sound of Jazz basses but don't like the basses themselves.

If I did a wee bit of carpentry (maybe just glueing a few blocks into the cavities for height etc), fashion a kind of gap-covering-plate out of thin black plastic (which I already have from attempting to make scratchplates), do we think it would be feasible to install Jazz pickups into my Thunderbird??? Da da daaaaaaaah!!!

Opinions?
[/quote]You know, I don't think it'll do a lot. Your bass is a through neck and it'll retain that through-neck signature sound whatever you do. It'll change subtly but I honestly don't think it'll ever sound like a bolt neck....

Probably not a popular opinion and I'm happy to be proved wrong....

[Dom in Dorset]

Unless it's a tbird pro the epi is a bolt on.

[guildbass]

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' timestamp='1329347092' post='1541232']
Unless it's a tbird pro the epi is a bolt on.
[/quote]Ah...OK....

I know the later Gibbies were but I thought the re-issue ones went back to being through-necks like the very first Gibsons were.. Ah well, in that case... Mind you, I still don't think it'll change the sound a huge amount. It seems to me the bass itself makes most of the tone...

[BigRedX]

From a woods and construction PoV the (non-Pro) Epiphone Thunderbird has far more in common with Fender basses than Gibson ones.

To the OP - if you use the pick-ups as thumb rests when you play, angling them might not be very comfortable.

[Dom in Dorset]

I think mine was all mahogany and the sound (acoustically) was a bit dull, the new ones have a maple neck.

[Muzz]

Awaiting a set of SD SSB-4s for my Fenderbird, but the Laklandbird will have Nordy Big Splits. It'll change the sound, trust me. If you've a few quid to throw at the project for fun, Nordstrand will make you a jazz pickup in a soapbar cover. The Epi soapbar rout will take an EMG35, which is the size Nordy work with replacements for. I asked Wizard not long ago about making something non-humbucking in a soapbar shape, and Andy said it wouldn't work.

I'm watching this one, though, interested in how it turns out

[guildbass]

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' timestamp='1329348368' post='1541263']
I think mine was all mahogany and the sound (acoustically) was a bit dull, the new ones have a maple neck.
[/quote]I was convinced the woods made a sonic difference and I searched high and low to find an all ash Guild 302 because my mahogany 302 had a very dark, dull tone. I finally got an Ash one...And it sounded EXACTLY the same as the Mahogany one......I also played a 302 with Barts in it...And it sounded the same (almost)

[Dom in Dorset]

I don't buy into most the "wood effects tone" stuff but I do think maple necks give a bass some zing.
It's more likely(IMO) that the effects are quite subtle but that mahagany and maple are at oposite ends of a fairly narrow spectrum.