Super aggressive bridge pickup suggestions?

[Mikey R]

Hey everyone, it's been a while!

 

I've been thinking about modifying bass guitars again. I've got a P type bass, an actual Jazz and an actual Stingray, but I'm missing something with a Gibson flavour. So I thought, how about modify one of my cheaper basses with a Thunderbird in the bridge and a Mudbucker in the neck position.

 

The Dimazio DP120 seems like a good choice in the neck, but I'm at a loss for an aggressive humbucker for the bridge position? My Google-fu failed me when I went searching for passive Thunderbird flavoured pickups that aren't EMGs or taken from an Epiphone.

 

Just a thought experiment at the moment, but still a fun one.

 

Mikey 

Edited October 21, 2024 by Mikey R

[Mikey R]

Hmm, are the Thunderbird pickups the three screw soapbars? I'm looking at Delano and Bartolini options, but I'm getting conflicting information on the dimensions of Thunderbird pickups, and even how many mounting holes they have.

Edited October 11, 2024 by Mikey R

[MichaelDean]

You could always try Gemini Pickups?

 

https://www.geminipickups.co.uk/

 

They've got a few thunderbird type ones that I'm sure you could throw in the bridge.

[foxyFuze]

1 hour ago, MichaelDean said:

You could always try Gemini Pickups?

 

https://www.geminipickups.co.uk/

 

They've got a few thunderbird type ones that I'm sure you could throw in the bridge.

Agreed. I've got Gemini jazz and TBird pickups. They're great and you'll get some decent advice from them if you ask.

[Mikey R]

Cheers @MichaelDean! It looks like the Rogue Wave mini humbucker will fit both the Gibby look plus the aggressive tone I'm after!

 

 

It has a coil tap too, so it could do a more refined sound if I wanted it to.

 

 

[Mikey R]

@foxyFuze good to know, cheers! Good to get a second opinion.

[uk_lefty]

BARTOLINI

[PaulThePlug]

My T'Bird wearing a DiMarzio Model One.

 

Have you thought about an Alan Entwisle's pairing of...

https://entwistlepickups.com/alan-entwistle-bass-guitar-pickups/

MUD4 and a MH4?..

[TrevorR]

Have a chat with Allan at Catswhisker Pickups. He makes some great stuff, has lots of tweakable and custom options and can fix you up, I’m sure. I’ve got his pickups in my Frankenjazz and they’re fabulous.

 

http://www.catswhiskerpickups.co.uk

[Mikey R]

16 hours ago, PaulThePlug said:

Have you thought about an Alan Entwisle's pairing of...

https://entwistlepickups.com/alan-entwistle-bass-guitar-pickups/

MUD4 and a MH4?..

 

I'd never heard of them before - they're so affordable! 

[PaulThePlug]

Yeah the P n J pups get some love, specially the Neo's

I was gonna go for a mudbucker for my T'bird.. but the DiMaz 1 turned up. Warning the Entwistle's are quite deep,

 

Here is a pic of the Std Vintage PJ set i put in my Aria J, so you can see the kinda manufacture quality.

The Force is Strong

[krispn]

I had a Thunderbird pick up in my old P for a while and it was good. Didn’t sound like a p bass - as you’d expect but had a different t kinda mid honk to it. I paired it to a tone styler so I could get the direct to output type hit sound or have varying degrees of capacitor each offering their thing.
 

 Not necessarily the answer to the question you’re asking but I just stuck a set of Fender Pure Vintage ‘74’s into a Harley Benton jazz and it’s way more aggressive sounding now. I really like what it does and has a really forward mid quality whereas my Pure Vintage ‘64’s definitely have that deeper classic 60’s thing as you’d expect. 

[ped]

I've got the Gemini Degenerate in my Mustang (and the Surfrider in the bridge). There are some sound clips/videos here. In most of these I'm not digging in a lot but trust me this thing has massive output and a very weighty but detailed palette. Super pleased with it.

[Mikey R]

On 13/10/2024 at 18:43, PaulThePlug said:

My T'Bird wearing a DiMarzio Model One.

 

Have you thought about an Alan Entwisle's pairing of...

https://entwistlepickups.com/alan-entwistle-bass-guitar-pickups/

MUD4 and a MH4?..

She's pretty! Does she just wear the mudbucker? How's the tone, is it all thump or does that pickup have any treble?

[Mikey R]

On 14/10/2024 at 17:50, krispn said:

I had a Thunderbird pick up in my old P for a while and it was good. Didn’t sound like a p bass - as you’d expect but had a different t kinda mid honk to it. I paired it to a tone styler so I could get the direct to output type hit sound or have varying degrees of capacitor each offering their thing.

 

Did you place the Tbird pickup in the P position? I'm still considering options.

[PaulThePlug]

Yeah still sparks and bites, even wearing flats... specially when played with a pick towards the bridge, and likely due to being more mid-ship P placement, than on the end of the fretboard, and wired via the A500k straight to the jack - like @Krispin mentioned in his post.

I have a Artec 5 position Passive Tone Control Tone-Styler-A-Like, great for £15,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403241742777

but didn't think i'd want to take the any darker... just play nearer the neck.

Edited October 16, 2024 by PaulThePlug

[krispn]

I have a pic of the bass in this link plus some audio with the Tone Styler. 

[Mikey R]

On 14/10/2024 at 17:50, krispn said:

I had a Thunderbird pick up in my old P for a while and it was good. Didn’t sound like a p bass - as you’d expect but had a different t kinda mid honk to it. I paired it to a tone styler so I could get the direct to output type hit sound or have varying degrees of capacitor each offering their thing.
 

 Not necessarily the answer to the question you’re asking but I just stuck a set of Fender Pure Vintage ‘74’s into a Harley Benton jazz and it’s way more aggressive sounding now. I really like what it does and has a really forward mid quality whereas my Pure Vintage ‘64’s definitely have that deeper classic 60’s thing as you’d expect. 

 

I have a Delano rail pickup in my P - see profile pic. It does that mid forward rock tone like a charm. I think I'm after a different flavour, maybe a bit more clank and a bit more thump.

Edited October 16, 2024 by Mikey R

[ped]

If you want a more P bass sound then the Degenerate is a good choice, as one coil is hotter than the other. It sounds a lot like the P bass mode on the G&L L2000. You can also tap the pickup so it sounds like a single coil.

[krispn]

1 minute ago, Mikey R said:

 

I have a Delano rail pickup in my P - see profile pic. It does that mid forward rock tone like a charm. I think I'm after a different flavour, maybe a bit more clank and a bit more this.

There’s definitely clank in the PBird which might come across in the audio. 

[Mikey R]

2 minutes ago, krispn said:

I have a pic of the bass in this link plus some audio with the Tone Styler. 

 

I see what you mean, that's a Precision Plus!

[Mikey R]

4 minutes ago, ped said:

If you want a more P bass sound then the Degenerate is a good choice, as one coil is hotter than the other. It sounds a lot like the P bass mode on the G&L L2000. You can also tap the pickup so it sounds like a single coil.

 

That could definitely prove useful. I've got an idea to have trimmer pots inside the control cavity, so you can set some preset tones, and then have a three way switch on t'front to select between them.

[Mikey R]

Sorry guys and gals, I just realised I'd messed up the title of this topic: I was after *bridge* pickup suggestions, not *neck*. I'm a total numpty, but I got the answers I was after. Thanks!