Can I upgrade my epiphone thunderbird pickups??

[Yazzman]

I have googled this to no ends. Is there ANY WAY I can upgrade my epiphone thunderbird pickups. If somebody can link me to some good pickups for my bass that will fit and work, I will be sooo happy. Thanks!

 

[meev992]

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt about using the search engine. It's not your fault bro, the search engine has been on the weak side, lately.

check dimensions, check string spacing. Try some Seymour Duncans, or EMG's

however, most cats on TB will tell you to just save up for a different bass.

 

[meev992]

"Without music life would be a mistake."

Thank God Nietzsche finally says something useful. I was just starting to think that he was an acid-tripped old man who had the hots for his sister and thought that all reality was subjective.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

I have googled this to no ends. Is there ANY WAY I can upgrade my epiphone thunderbird pickups. If somebody can link me to some good pickups for my bass that will fit and work, I will be sooo happy. Thanks!

The only direct replacement seems to be the Bartolini BA T4 CBC SET
Invalid Link Removed,
but the reviews I've seen haven't been favourable as the sound isn't Thunderbirdish.

Almost anything will fit with some routing or if the pickup doesn't have to fill the pocket completely. EMG 35 for example for the latter.

Just my 0.02€
Sam

 

[kyral210]

The only thing I could upgrade Thunderbird pickups to are those used in the Gibson Thunderbird IV. Write to Gibson and ask them what is used, and then order those (if different from the epiphone ones)

 

[Chris Breese]

I thought about some emg J bass pickups, or some Big singles, but I think the string spacing would be too narrow for the Big singles...

 

[Johnny Crab]

The only thing I could upgrade Thunderbird pickups to are those used in the Gibson Thunderbird IV. Write to Gibson and ask them what is used, and then order those (if different from the epiphone ones)

+1
But they don't sell them outright IIRC.
With the Gibson pickup, you may have to do some routing to squeeze them in from what I've heard. There's one on eBay now but it sure isn't black plastic, it's CHROME

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190189803995

Seller does show dimensions.

 

[GlennW]

No one's mentioned it, but you could send your pickups to get rewound with authentic Chinese sound.

 

[xerovis]

Other than the Barts and that Gibson one I don't think there is a replacement. Epiphone T-Bird pickups are supposed to be "indestructible" and thus... never need to be replaced. But they weren't thinking about tone when they did that, only functionality.