Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

I think those are the same as the ones in the Les Paul Tribute. I find the single coil tone surprisingly useful.View attachment 4678625

Interesting.

 

[GonePlaid]

Mine's more to the point, but I keep it just inside the front door. Otherwise it might

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

What town is your house in?

Where we'll be having our meet is Hollister.

 

[Stealth57]

Where we'll be having our meet is Hollister.

When I was originally looking for someone to bring up the Sunn amp after it was sitting for years, a guy in Hollister was recommended. Can’t remember the name.

 

[GBassNorth]

Will and George are just scared of this alien.

LOL - You never met my ex wife!

 

[GBassNorth]

I think those are the same as the ones in the Les Paul Tribute. I find the single coil tone surprisingly useful.View attachment 4678625

Interesting.

Actually those look the same as my 2013 EB5, which apparently isn’t a coil tap push/pull.

Here’s how my EB works…
…..my Gibson 2013 EB5 that is supposed to have the same electronics package except they use push pull volume knobs instead of toggles. Surprise to me - It is ABSOLUTELY NOT the same set up as the 2015 Tbird. There is no coil tap! With the knobs down both coils on a given pup sound the same when tapped with a screwdriver. However, with the knob up the North coil bass tone is enhanced and the south coil bass tone remains unchanged. In addition, when the volume knob is pulled to the up position the tone knob has no impact on the north coil but it still has full impact of the south coil. Very interesting!

 

[GonePlaid]

Actually those look the same as my 2013 EB5, which apparently isn’t a coil tap push/pull.

Here’s how my EB works…
…..my Gibson 2013 EB5 that is supposed to have the same electronics package except they use push pull volume knobs instead of toggles. Surprise to me - It is ABSOLUTELY NOT the same set up as the 2015 Tbird. There is no coil tap! With the knobs down both coils on a given pup sound the same when tapped with a screwdriver. However, with the knob up the North coil bass tone is enhanced and the south coil bass tone remains unchanged. In addition, when the volume knob is pulled to the up position the tone knob has no impact on the north coil but it still has full impact of the south coil. Very interesting!

Well, it is Gibson.

 

[WillyW]

A or B?

A

B

 

[Stealth57]

A or B?

A

View attachment 4678792

B

View attachment 4678793

B

 

[icefly]

B

 

[Nocturnal]

A or B?

A

View attachment 4678792

B

View attachment 4678793

B

 

[GBassNorth]

I think those are the same as the ones in the Les Paul Tribute. I find the single coil tone surprisingly useful.View attachment 4678625

I’d be very interested in the results of a tap test on your LP.
Test Method
1) Plug bass into amp
2) Turn each pup volume to max
3) Set tone at max
4) With a metal screwdriver, gently tap on one of the exposed neck pup pole pieces closest to the neck, note the tone
5) Do the same on the same pup except tap on one of the pole pieces closest to the bridge, note the tone
6) Now pull the volume knob up on the neck pup and repeat steps 4 and 5, again noting the tone
7) With the neck pup volume knob still pulled up, tap on the neck coil and turn the tone knob, any change in tone?
8) With the neck pup volume knob still pulled up, tap on the bridge coil and turn the tone knob, any change?

If your bass is wired the same as mine you will have noticed that all the pole pieces on the neck pup are active regardless of the neck volume knob being up or down. You should also notice that both rows of pole pieces on the neck pup are impacted by the tone knob with the volume knob down, but only the bridge side of the neck pup pole pieces are effected by the tone knob with the volume knob pulled up, the neck side pole pieces don’t seem to change in tone.

Its a very interesting control scheme that I wasn’t fully aware of even after playing this bass for the last 5+ years. From day one I always noticed a strange interaction between the volume and tone knobs (and I think I’ve mentioned here before) but couldn’t put my finger on it. For lack of a better description, I’d say the push/pull pots aren’t wired in a traditional coil cut, but are instead wired in a tone pot bypass on only the north poles of each pup. Volume Knob down, full tone control with the tone knob; volume knob up and tone control only on one coil of the pup, the other coil remains unchanged.

Strange concept, but might be something that could be leveraged if you think through the options. I know @JIO has done a lot of unique wiring, I’d also be interested in his take on it. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

When I was originally looking for someone to bring up the Sunn amp after it was sitting for years, a guy in Hollister was recommended. Can’t remember the name.

must be me, remember who recommended? We own two properties in Santa Cruz and one in Hollister (adjacent county) which is best suited for our get together since it has a pool, spa, lots of room, the workshop, the cars and all the bass gear….hope this works for everyone….

 

[GBassNorth]

A or B?

A

View attachment 4678792

B

View attachment 4678793

My eye says, with a symmetrical body you gotta go with the B headstock.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

A or B?

A

View attachment 4678792

B

View attachment 4678793

the one with less neck dive..

 

[Stealth57]

must be me, remember who recommended? We own two properties in Santa Cruz and one in Hollister (adjacent county) which is best suited for our get together since it has a pool, spa, lots of room, the workshop, the cars and all the bass gear….hope this works for everyone….

It was a post I made on Craigslist for someone to bring the voltage up slowly. Too long ago to remember names.

 

[WillyW]

I’d be very interested in the results of a tap test on your LP.
Test Method
1) Plug bass into amp
2) Turn each pup volume to max
3) Set tone at max
4) With a metal screwdriver, gently tap on one of the exposed neck pup pole pieces closest to the neck, note the tone
5) Do the same on the same pup except tap on one of the pole pieces closest to the bridge, note the tone
6) Now pull the volume knob up on the neck pup and repeat steps 4 and 5, again noting the tone
7) With the neck pup volume knob still pulled up, tap on the neck coil and turn the tone knob, any change in tone?
8) With the neck pup volume knob still pulled up, tap on the bridge coil and turn the tone knob, any change?

If your bass is wired the same as mine you will have noticed that all the pole pieces on the neck pup are active regardless of the neck volume knob being up or down. You should also notice that both rows of pole pieces on the neck pup are impacted by the tone knob with the volume knob down, but only the bridge side of the neck pup pole pieces are effected by the tone knob with the volume knob pulled up, the neck side pole pieces don’t seem to change in tone.

Its a very interesting control scheme that I wasn’t fully aware of even after playing this bass for the last 5+ years. From day one I always noticed a strange interaction between the volume and tone knobs (and I think I’ve mentioned here before) but couldn’t put my finger on it. For lack of a better description, I’d say the push/pull pots aren’t wired in a traditional coil cut, but are instead wired in a tone pot bypass on only the north poles of each pup. Volume Knob down, full tone control with the tone knob; volume knob up and tone control only on one coil of the pup, the other coil remains unchanged.

Strange concept, but might be something that could be leveraged if you think through the options. I know @JIO has done a lot of unique wiring, I’d also be interested in his take on it. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

that’s too confusing for me, I’d much rather take my bridge pickup out and put a dummy cover in its place…

No coil splitting either, sometimes no tone knob, I have a pedalboard I don’t use if if I need different toneses. .

 

[JIO]

I’d be very interested in the results of a tap test on your LP.
Test Method
1) Plug bass into amp
2) Turn each pup volume to max
3) Set tone at max
4) With a metal screwdriver, gently tap on one of the exposed neck pup pole pieces closest to the neck, note the tone
5) Do the same on the same pup except tap on one of the pole pieces closest to the bridge, note the tone
6) Now pull the volume knob up on the neck pup and repeat steps 4 and 5, again noting the tone
7) With the neck pup volume knob still pulled up, tap on the neck coil and turn the tone knob, any change in tone?
8) With the neck pup volume knob still pulled up, tap on the bridge coil and turn the tone knob, any change?

If your bass is wired the same as mine you will have noticed that all the pole pieces on the neck pup are active regardless of the neck volume knob being up or down. You should also notice that both rows of pole pieces on the neck pup are impacted by the tone knob with the volume knob down, but only the bridge side of the neck pup pole pieces are effected by the tone knob with the volume knob pulled up, the neck side pole pieces don’t seem to change in tone.

Its a very interesting control scheme that I wasn’t fully aware of even after playing this bass for the last 5+ years. From day one I always noticed a strange interaction between the volume and tone knobs (and I think I’ve mentioned here before) but couldn’t put my finger on it. For lack of a better description, I’d say the push/pull pots aren’t wired in a traditional coil cut, but are instead wired in a tone pot bypass on only the north poles of each pup. Volume Knob down, full tone control with the tone knob; volume knob up and tone control only on one coil of the pup, the other coil remains unchanged.

Strange concept, but might be something that could be leveraged if you think through the options. I know [B]@JIO[/B] has done a lot of unique wiring, I’d also be interested in his take on it. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

Some hum-buckers can be wired as two single-coils. I made this bass with 2 '80s Peavey T-40 buckers wired as 4 singles. The elaborate 9 position switches offer every possible pu-coil combination. No push-pull (VVT) and I'm not familiar with the way your electronics functions or why. Some electronics are guitar-centric and really aren't good/useful on a bass. My three single-coil pu '63 Burns of London Vista Sonic has a "Wild Dog" setting (incorporating two pu's) and it sounded anemic/crappy. I switched the two wires and it became useful - basically like a Jazz bass. It is something that sometimes appears on guitars but not usually basses. But.., active basses have more latitude with sophisticated electronics. That's all I got.

 

[JIO]

I saw this recently - a movable pu concept that is so simple it's a wonder no-one ever thought of it before.

 

[WillyW]

I’d be very interested in the results of a tap test on your LP.
Test Method
1) Plug bass into amp
2) Turn each pup volume to max
3) Set tone at max
4) With a metal screwdriver, gently tap on one of the exposed neck pup pole pieces closest to the neck, note the tone
5) Do the same on the same pup except tap on one of the pole pieces closest to the bridge, note the tone
6) Now pull the volume knob up on the neck pup and repeat steps 4 and 5, again noting the tone
7) With the neck pup volume knob still pulled up, tap on the neck coil and turn the tone knob, any change in tone?
8) With the neck pup volume knob still pulled up, tap on the bridge coil and turn the tone knob, any change?

If your bass is wired the same as mine you will have noticed that all the pole pieces on the neck pup are active regardless of the neck volume knob being up or down. You should also notice that both rows of pole pieces on the neck pup are impacted by the tone knob with the volume knob down, but only the bridge side of the neck pup pole pieces are effected by the tone knob with the volume knob pulled up, the neck side pole pieces don’t seem to change in tone.

Its a very interesting control scheme that I wasn’t fully aware of even after playing this bass for the last 5+ years. From day one I always noticed a strange interaction between the volume and tone knobs (and I think I’ve mentioned here before) but couldn’t put my finger on it. For lack of a better description, I’d say the push/pull pots aren’t wired in a traditional coil cut, but are instead wired in a tone pot bypass on only the north poles of each pup. Volume Knob down, full tone control with the tone knob; volume knob up and tone control only on one coil of the pup, the other coil remains unchanged.

Strange concept, but might be something that could be leveraged if you think through the options. I know @JIO has done a lot of unique wiring, I’d also be interested in his take on it. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

Some hum-buckers can be wired as two single-coils. I made this bass with 2 '80s Peavey T-40 buckers wired as 4 singles. The elaborate 9 position switches offer every possible pu-coil combination. No push-pull (VVT) and I'm not familiar with the way your electronics functions or why. Some electronics are guitar-centric and really aren't good/useful on a bass. My three single-coil pu '63 Burns of London Vista Sonic has a "Wild Dog" setting (incorporating two pu's) and it sounded anemic/crappy. I switched the two wires and it became useful - basically like a Jazz bass. It is something that sometimes appears on guitars but not usually basses. But.., active basses have more latitude with sophisticated electronics. That's all I got.

View attachment 4678810 View attachment 4678812

I’m not a Stratocaster fan, but in general they have a weak bridge pickup.

so experimentalists in the 70’s would put a humbucker in the bridge position.

but switching to the bridge pickup plus one of the single coils left the single coil overwhelmed..

Often the humbucker is split to a single coil when in use with one of the remaining single coils.

too many wires makes my head hurt