Epi T-Bird pickup options

[DavidEdenAria]

I own a Korean bolt neck Epi T-Bird.......nice bass, like the neck etc.

To me the pickups are too overwound.....this is an all mahogany bass I assume, even being a bolt neck?

What are the pickup options for this bass?

I know folks will say to get the neck thru T Bird version but am curious about pickup options.

To me, the 2 pickups sound very similar and I have tried adjusting them up and down to no avail.

Not a bad sounding set of pickups, just not great.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

No one?

 

[slipknotmaggot3]

http://www.talkbass.com/threads/epi-t-bird-pickup-options.1114736/ This is an option here, and I think seymour duncan makes a t-bird model as well. I haven't used them myself, but there's a few out there.

 

[DerekW]

Nice link, lol.

 

[slipknotmaggot3]

Lol my bad, here we are: Invalid Link Removed

 

[BlueTalon]

I'm not sure those will work. Those EMGs have two adjustment screw holes, I'm guessing they are for Gibson T-birds. Most (if not all) Epiphone T-bird pickups I have seen have three adjustment screw holes.

 

[Dogghouse]

Seymour Duncan Custom Shop can rewind your pickups for about $75 each and use the actual casing and covers so no mods would be necessary on the bass.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Seymour Duncan Custom Shop can rewind your pickups for about $75 each and use the actual casing and covers so no mods would be necessary on the bass.

What is under the cover of these pickups?

I have a lot of experience with guitar pickups, swapping magnets, different winds etc but little experience swapping bass pickups.

Are these Epi pickups ceramic humbuckers?

 

[DerekW]

He's saying rewind YOUR pickups.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

He's saying rewind YOUR pickups.

DerekW, I know what he said LOL!

But, i am asking what the stock pickups are exactly.....I don't know if new magnets can be fitted to my existing pickups if they were rewound for example.

I would like to know if these have bar magnets or polepiece magnets?

I have several guitar humbuckers that are rewound but I can install a new magnet in a matter of minutes because the "bar magnet" slides in & out easily.

If the polepieces themselves are the magnets, then a magnet swap is not possible unless new polepieces are installed.

 

[hillerup]

They are bar magnets and covered in epoxy before mounted in the covers.

The covers can be removed, but not without damaging them, though...

 

[DavidEdenAria]

They are bar magnets and covered in epoxy before mounted in the covers.

The covers can be removed, but not without damaging them, though...

Really?

Sounds like the Bill Lawrence pickups in design.

Makes me wonder if I should go ahead and switch out the pots to 500k or 1000k pots.....maybe that would open up the tone......I've done this on guitars with much success.

 

[Toptube]

I bet thunderbucker ranch could probably cram their vintage reproduction pickups into an Epiphone style cover. Epiphone pickups are only about 1mm less in width.

Same goes for the Duncan custom shop. They make vintage style t-bird pickups there. I bet they could make them in an Epiphone style cover.

 

[consecutive_e]

Lollar do a drop in replacement.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[hillerup]

I bet thunderbucker ranch could probably cram their vintage reproduction pickups into an Epiphone style cover. Epiphone pickups are only about 1mm less in width.

Same goes for the Duncan custom shop. They make vintage style t-bird pickups there. I bet they could make them in an Epiphone style cover.

But why???

Why not use the covers that comes with either the Duncan, Lollar or Thunderbucker Ranch pickups, which are metal and more vintage looking?

The Epi covers are just dull black plastic....

 

[Toptube]

But why???

Why not use the covers that comes with either the Duncan, Lollar or Thunderbucker Ranch pickups, which are metal and more vintage looking?

The Epi covers are just dull black plastic....

The vintage style metal covers are wider and will not fit into the routes. The Epiphone pickups are the same width as an EMG.

*however, I forgot that Lollar has some shims that look ok.


I have a set of Lollar's vintage reproduction T-bird pickups. They are completely fantastic.

 

[hillerup]

I'm not sure those will work. Those EMGs have two adjustment screw holes, I'm guessing they are for Gibson T-birds. Most (if not all) Epiphone T-bird pickups I have seen have three adjustment screw holes.

Two or three screw holes - does it matter?

The screws screw into the body wood of the pickup cavity - no one will ever notice the difference...

 

[hillerup]

The vintage style metal covers are wider and will not fit into the routes. The Epiphone pickups are the same width as an EMG.

*however, I forgot that Lollar has some shims that look ok.


I have a set of Lollar's vintage reproduction T-bird pickups. They are completely fantastic.

It's only a minimal difference which is easily fixed with a dremel or similar - basically once the finish inside the cavity is removed they will fit perfectly - only major difference is the vintage ones a shallower than the Epi ones, so you will need to fit either a piece of wood or foam underneath them.

A lot of guys on the Thunderbird Club has either done this mod or replaced the Epi covers with vintage chrome covers without a problem.

The OP could attend his question there, and will get a lot of response to his question.

 

[Toptube]

Well maybe Epiphone carves their routes a little wide. Because there's no way I could fit my Lollars into a standard EMG route, without some noteable surgery.

 

[hillerup]

Well maybe Epiphone carves their routes a little wide. Because there's no way I could fit my Lollars into a standard EMG route, without some noteable surgery.

If you strip the plastic casing from an Epi pickup it will fit perfectly inside one of those 3rd party chrome covers you can find on EBay - The whole assembly fits fine on an Epi with only a little adjustment AFAIK...