Epiphone thunderbird pickups, you keep it ? why ?

[Mister Cbass]

Hello,

I'm owner of a TB epiphone made in korea, looks cool, sounds cool.

I've read that often players change the original pups to emg tbhz or something more traditionnal .
I don't want pay 400 $/€ for 2 new pups.
In my basket I have :
- Ey part pups ( around 140 € shipping included) --> the traditionnal sound
- emg tbhz ( 210 € shipping include ) modern sound
- vintage 760 probucker ( around 140 € )

I would like to know if some of you, have change the original pups and finally came back ?

Emg is probably a great choice, a lot of really good reviews about those pickup, but also a lot players disapointed because they find them " lifeless".

I'm a little afraid to be dispointed too. Pay 140 € / 200 € + luthier cost.... and " oh not a crazy upgrade in the sound " or worst " oh finally I prefer the sound of the orignal pups)

Thank in adavance for your advices and tips.

 

[_Tay_]

I would be tempted to keep the original ones in for a while and see how you get on. You can set up the height of the current pickups you have and that can really affect the sound too. Without spending x amount on new pick ups.

That being said, i really love the pickups in my 2022 NR T bird. I believe they are more vintage voiced. Sound so good them Gibson pickups.

 

[Micha84]

A lot of people tend to mistrust pickups that come from a "cheap" manufacturer (i.e. Epiphone, Squier) and put in brand replacements as an "upgrade". I do not think this is a path that anyone should just follow blindly.

Change the pickups only if you are not happy with the tone. Before changing, ask yourself, what is it specifically that you want to achieve tonally? And then ask yourself...
... is that really a pickup problem or can I do this with my amp's equalizer, different strings, a pedal or simply by altering my playing technique?
... is my type of bass and my current rig actually capable of producing the sound I am after?

Of course, one can always just change pickups as an experiment, just to see what happens, but your OP doesn't sound like you are willing to take a lot of chances. And the results of a pickup change are never fully predictable.

 

[Mister Cbass]

I would be tempted to keep the original ones in for a while and see how you get on. You can set up the height of the current pickups you have and that can really affect the sound too. Without spending x amount on new pick ups.

That being said, i really love the pickups in my 2022 NR T bird. I believe they are more vintage voiced. Sound so good them Gibson pickups.

Yes, you're right I've thought about that, I've tempted to experiment a variety of strings ( nickel, steel, cobalt ) and see how that could affect the sound.