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Thunderbird Club

#21,121
hillerup said:
How?
Click to expand...

Use different screws. For example these by Allparts. They have flatter (but still slightly domed) heads and are counter sunk.
GS-3312-001-w.jpg
 
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#21,122
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#21,125
I had a Bach Fenderbird (bought from @Basvarken ) and I own a nonreverse with the thunderbuckers. different animals! If they are worth "four times the Price" is your own decision, I wouldn't Change a thung about the nonreverse but I'm considering a Chickenbucker for the Jow Fenderbird.
 
#21,126
Basvarken said:
...for about four times the price...
Click to expand...

...and sold with a money back guarantee and personal service from the guy who designed, engineered, and hand scatter winds/pots them.

If you can't afford them or don't think they're worth the money, fine. That seems to be your only argument for the Chinabuckers, 'They're cheap and they're good enough'. I got it.

To me they don't sound any better than a $20 Artec with a Philadelphia Luthier cover. Nothing wrong with them but not up to the standard of vintage 60s TBird pickups.

Here's the test data from Steve:

"66 set VS CBs. They measure out a little different:

Pup .........R..............L............Q
66N......8.635......3.713......2.095
CBN......8.420......3.031......1.801
66B......9.231......4.371.......2.267
CBB......9.382......4.026.......2.054


I get a little more L for R than they do, that could be a difference
in the mag perm of their magnets. I'd expect my N to be a bit louder
than theirs due to the large diff in L.

That does show up in the VU meters once recorded.

66 NB pair -5.9
CB NB pair -5.4

66N -3.2
CBN -6.9
(note those db numbers are MINUS)

In the clip, you hear 66 NB pair, CB NB pair, 66 N, CB N

CB N seems a little quieter and brighter than mine. I could easily
unwind mine a little to get the same."


The Allparts pickup screws cost more than 6 times as much the ones supplied by the Chinese manufacturer, even when bought 50 at a time at dealer prices. But they're definitely worth it when it comes to not bloodying fingers.
 
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#21,127
Dadagoboi said:
If you can't afford them or don't think they're worth the money, fine. That seems to be your only argument for the Chinabuckers, 'They're cheap and they're good enough'. I got it.
Click to expand...

No, I said in my previous post that they're great pickups. Not just for the money, but great pickups in their own respect.
No comparison to the Artecs by the way.
 
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#21,129
Here's a TBird design question for the Queens subjects to weigh in on...

I really like the look of the NR but at the same time I've have a picture stuck in my head of a traditional TBird with a raised center section. Has anybody ever seen or heard of a NR with a raised center section? Would it look odd? I guess it would also change the pickguard look drastically which is also a big part of the NR look.

Thoughts, pictures, comments and ridicule welcome.
 
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#21,130
JIO said:
I designed/made it years ago (late 90's) I call it the Factorbird. The body is 3-piece Koa to exact specs of my '64 T-bird II (aside from it being a bolt on with a Kubicki Factor bridge/tuner unit and ergonomic contouring) I bought the lined fretless neck new from Phil in '94, to put on my fretted neck '86 Ex-Factor. It's currently strung BEAD. Low A anyone? :)

I go way back with T-birds - for years my '64 was the only bass I owned.

(this one has zero neck dive!) :laugh:

IMG_7614_zpsugaobs2z.jpg
Click to expand...

I like it a lot.... :)

Beautifully done incorporating a Thunderbird and a Kubicki Factor....
 
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#21,133
GBassNorth said:
Here's a TBird design question for the Queens subjects to weigh in on...

I really like the look of the NR but at the same time I've have a picture stuck in my head of a traditional TBird with a raised center section. Has anybody ever seen or heard of a NR with a raised center section? Would it look odd? I guess it would also change the pickguard look drastically which is also a big part of the NR look.

Thoughts, pictures, comments and ridicule welcome.
Click to expand...
Never seen one but then again I haven't looked, the NR isn't my favourite bass. How are your woodwork skills? If you want one and they're not to be had it's an option to get what you want
 
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#21,135
hillerup said:
Great stuff.... Looks cool in a kinda steam punky way with that copper colored back plates. :)
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Thanks.

They're not just copper colored, but actual copper. ;)

The front design part is aluminum, IIRC. I highly recommend Ms. Ertmer, her work is fantastic. I'll probably commission something for my Peavey from her at some point. A bit silly, considering how cheap that bass is, but I don't care.

Still need some custom tuners for the T-bird, though. The Hagstrom ones I bought, which were the closest I could find to the Imperial style, didn't fit.
 
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#21,136
@Basvarken @Dadagoboi

The Chinabuckers are advertised as 'Thunderbird Bass Pickup Vintage Style for Gibson' but that seems purely to be the chrome covers, as the actual pups are stock Gibsons. Still better than the soggy Weet(a)bix that came stock with Epi Pro. Perhaps one day I'll drop $340 on a pair of Thunderbuckers - two 66S would probably sound mighty.
 
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#21,137
kat888 said:
@Basvarken @Dadagoboi

The Chinabuckers are advertised as 'Thunderbird Bass Pickup Vintage Style for Gibson' but that seems purely to be the chrome covers, as the actual pups are stock Gibsons. Still better than the soggy Weet(a)bix that came stock with Epi Pro. Perhaps one day I'll drop $340 on a pair of Thunderbuckers - two 66S would probably sound mighty.
Click to expand...
I don't have the 66S, but they do sound very good. Especially run in series.
 
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#21,139
kat888 said:
@Basvarken @Dadagoboi

The Chinabuckers are advertised as 'Thunderbird Bass Pickup Vintage Style for Gibson' but that seems purely to be the chrome covers, as the actual pups are stock Gibsons. Still better than the soggy Weet(a)bix that came stock with Epi Pro. Perhaps one day I'll drop $340 on a pair of Thunderbuckers - two 66S would probably sound mighty.
Click to expand...

Gibson hasn't made production 1/2" high (12.52 mm to you) Thunderbird pickups since 1969. Since then they've been 3/4" thick and a different design. TB+ pickups have ceramic magnets and the wire is a thicker gauge.

I've had close to 1.5 million pieces of furniture manufactured in China and lived there on and off for a decade. My experience is many Chinese will tell you what they think you want to hear. Not unlike salesmen the world round.

'vintage-ish' would be a better description of Chinabuckers IMO. I have no doubt perfect clones of the real thing could be done in China, including proper radius size covers and correct diameter screw holes for the same price.

Before Steve tooled up to make his own covers I sent one of my 64 covers to my Taiwanese ex partner in China. The price quote per cover for an exact copy was $2 each plus a tooling cost of $1500.
 
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#21,140
kat888 said:
The barbarian credo: If in doubt, always get the hotter one.
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I pushed for the discontinued MAX which is the hottest possible output with the same form factor (more wire, hotter magnets). Three db hotter in fact than a 66. I wanted to call them 666's but Steve thought we'd lose the Fundamentalist market.

For every 3 DB increase volume doubles BTW. The MAX pup I have is ridiculously loud.

Personally I prefer a 63 neck and a 66 or 66S bridge...actually I'm fine with one 63N
 
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