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Tbird pickups in a fretless?

lowfreqgeek

lowfreqgeek

Mar 15, 2010
6,540
8,622
Tijeras, NM
#1
Seems like it just might be a stellar combo, but I'm curious if anyone is playing a fretless Fender-esque bass with Tbird pickups? Perhaps a Mike Lull or Bluesman Vintage DeVille 2T?

I have an amazing fretless bass chassis (alder P body, maple/ebony fretless jazz neck) currently fitted with a Nordstrand MM4.2 and John East MM 2-band preamp. It'll do the Pino Stingray thing all day long, but I think it's got more potential. I've been considering a P-pickup, but the idea of 2 Thunderbird pickups is very intriguing in that bass. Acoustically, it just sings, so whatever pickups I go with with work well.

BTW - this is in the Basses forum because I'm not necessarily looking for advice on specific pickups, but rather the overall combination of Tbird pickups in a fretless bass.
 
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#2
You might visit the Thunderbird club thread, we have one member building a fretless left handed Bird, it's coming along very nicely. Regarding pickups, much as I love (and endorse) Lulls, they are no longer available separately. Other really good options include Gibson's current Re-issue, Seymour Duncan Custom shop, Epiphone 760s and 916 pickups.
 
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#4
Just Wrong said:
Doesn’t Ian Martin Allison have one? Maybe you could peruse the SBL YouTube channel or just shoot him a message on Insta. He’s been very responsive to me in the past.
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I don't believe he has a fretless that I've ever seen. It's seemingly very rare and elusive, but seems like it would be a very cool vibe. I play a ton of fretless, so that part isn't new to me, but Tbird PUs in a fretless is.
 
#9
My "Wallybird 5" has TBird pickups and is fretless:

20200702_191141-jpg.3889793


Thanks again, @Scoops!
 
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#14
lowfreqgeek said:
Seems like it just might be a stellar combo, but I'm curious if anyone is playing a fretless Fender-esque bass with Tbird pickups? Perhaps a Mike Lull or Bluesman Vintage DeVille 2T?

I have an amazing fretless bass chassis (alder P body, maple/ebony fretless jazz neck) currently fitted with a Nordstrand MM4.2 and John East MM 2-band preamp. It'll do the Pino Stingray thing all day long, but I think it's got more potential. I've been considering a P-pickup, but the idea of 2 Thunderbird pickups is very intriguing in that bass. Acoustically, it just sings, so whatever pickups I go with with work well.

BTW - this is in the Basses forum because I'm not necessarily looking for advice on specific pickups, but rather the overall combination of Tbird pickups in a fretless bass.
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Go for it. I'm sure it'll have a great jazzy tone.
 
#15
Shouldn't be bad at all! I'd get the chromed ones, these sound like an angry piano or a PJ bass on steroids. The relative brightness should help with the mwah. Good choices include EY Guitar Music (aka Chinabucker), Epiphone 760 Probucker, and Gibson reissues.
I toyed with the idea of an Explorer bass body with a pair of such pickups for fretless. I ended up building it with an ash J bass body, but ash with J bass pickup is as good a combo as mahogany with Thunderbird pickups.
 

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