Epi Thunderbird: Telling Gibson pickups from Epi ones

[SnakeEyes]

...presuming one does not have both basses to compare. 

Thing is, I bought a 2nd hand Epi TB which had (according to the original owner) Gibson pickups. How can one be sure that this is the case and they are not the (theoretically less good) Epi ones? 

I searched the forum and, while I found a similar thread, didn't want to disrupt the conversation with my quite irrelevant question. If I am wrong, please do merge it or sth. 

 

Thanks in advance!

[T-Bay]

I have a pair of Gibson ones sat ready for a project, I could get pics tomorrow if it’s helpful.

[FinnDave]

I have an Epi pro which is supposed to the Gibson pick ups, and until recently had a 2012 Gibson T bird. It was very difficult to tell the difference between them. In the end I sold the Gibson and still have the Epiphone.

 

 

[SnakeEyes]

1 minute ago, T-Bay said:

I have a pair of Gibson ones sat ready for a project, I could get pics tomorrow if it’s helpful.

Thanks a lot!!

[Cosmo Valdemar]

They look different - are you able to post pics?

[Dandelion]

If its a Epiphone classic pro it will have Gibson USA TB pups.

[FinnDave]

Mine is an Epiphone classic pro and it sounded exactly like my Gibbo T bird. In some ways it is better as it has been fitted with a Babicz bridge and Grover tuners

[SnakeEyes]

20 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

They look different - are you able to post pics?

As my mobile cam is so bad that it is better to try drawing the bass, I found a pic on the internet that looks exactly like it: 

(tried to find a pic where the jack hole is right under the knobs, which is the case with mine)

 

[neepheid]

That's not the Gibson TB+ pickups.  The scooped out short edges are the tell-tale signs - the Gibson ones are squarer - like this pic -

Also, the GIbson TB+ only uses 2 screws to attach it to the bass.

Edited December 29, 2017 by neepheid
Added screw info

[Cosmo Valdemar]

2 hours ago, SnakeEyes said:

As my mobile cam is so bad that it is better to try drawing the bass, I found a pic on the internet that looks exactly like it: 

(tried to find a pic where the jack hole is right under the knobs, which is the case with mine)

 

 

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

That's not the Gibson TB+ pickups.  The scooped out short edges are the tell-tale signs - the Gibson ones are squarer - like this pic -

Also, the GIbson TB+ only uses 2 screws to attach it to the bass.

What neepheid said.

 

[SnakeEyes]

A big thanks to all of you for the info. Luckily it's a reversible situation.

[Funkfingers]

2 hours ago, neepheid said:

the GIbson TB+ only uses 2 screws to attach it to the bass.

Vintage Gibson T'Bird pickups (and Bartolini T4s) use three screws - two up, one down.

IIRC, the Epiphone Pro has a glued in neck and posh pickups. The regular model has a screwed-on neck joint and Asian pickups.

To identify your pickups definitively, it will be necessary to remove one of them from its routed cavity. Check the underside for a model identifier stamp or label. In my opinion, it would be worth measuring the rout. This might help when choosing aftermarket replacement pickups.

I would not be surprised if the regular Epiphone Thunderbird pickup cavities measure 3.5 x 1.5 inches. i.e. Exactly the right size to accept a whole bunch of popular replacement designs from well-known manufacturers. 

[T-Bay]

Yup, both my Gibson and the ones I was going to take pics of are without the scoops.

[SnakeEyes]

Is it possible to buy these Gibson pickups separately? I'm thinking of installing them. 

[Cosmo Valdemar]

1 hour ago, SnakeEyes said:

Is it possible to buy these Gibson pickups separately? I'm thinking of installing them. 

I don't know if they've changed their stance in this but Gibson never sold Tbird pickups in the past as the originals were guaranteed not to go wrong IIRC.

Bartolini make a pickup matching the size and shape but I don't think it's a tonal match.

[SnakeEyes]

1 hour ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

I don't know if they've changed their stance in this but Gibson never sold Tbird pickups in the past as the originals were guaranteed not to go wrong IIRC.

Bartolini make a pickup matching the size and shape but I don't think it's a tonal match.

You are right, just checked their E-store and no mention of TBs. Thanks

[T-Bay]

They do appear second hand biut they aren’t cheap, worth keeping an eye out on here, I found a pair in the classifieds.

[Skybone]

On ‎30‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 02:13, Funkfingers said:

IIRC, the Epiphone Pro has a glued in neck and posh pickups. The regular model has a screwed-on neck joint and Asian pickups.

The Epiphone Pro series (active & passive) are through neck & 38mm nut, the regular model has the bolt neck which is wider at the nut than the Pro.

The only set neck version I'm aware of is the Tokai Thunderbird, which also has the wider nut.

[DarkHeart]

The Epi Classic T/Bird pro uses passive Gibson pickups but the active T/Bird pro uses T Pro humbuckers, easiest way to tell the Active ones have Epiphone stenciled on them, I would guess theyre the same size and shape as each other though.

[Funkfingers]

4 hours ago, Skybone said:

through neck

... which, last time I checked, will be fastened to the rest of the instrument body using glue.

[Skybone]

A through neck isn't quite the same as a set neck.

Yes, the body wings are glued to the section of the neck which forms part of the body after the heel. 

A set neck is glued in to the body generally using a tenon joint just after the heel.

https://goo.gl/images/QdYN76[/img]

Edited December 31, 2017 by Skybone

[Funkfingers]

1 hour ago, Skybone said:

A through neck isn't quite the same as a set neck.

I know. This might explain why the term set neck does not appear in any of my posts in this thread. 

[Skybone]

On ‎30‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 02:13, Funkfingers said:

IIRC, the Epiphone Pro has a glued in neck and posh pickups. 

Glued in necks are usually known as set necks

[SnakeEyes]

Regardless the neck, now that I have tried both, I think that the Epiphone pickups are nowhere near Gibson ones. The latter seem twice as powerful.

[SnakeEyes]

Dear basschat members, 

Thanks to your help and advice, the problem is no more, as I returned it and got the MONSTER with the Gibson pickups today. 

 

Thank you so very much!