Thunderbird Club

[sleepingEB0]

So what's the state of aftermarket pickups these days? It looks as though Thunderbucker Ranch has closed shop, so what are we left with? Lollar, Novak, Seymour Duncan, EY parts? I'd like to get my hands on some of the new Gibson pickups, or another Epi 760, but scouring sites, those seem pretty few and far between.

Reason I ask is I'm looking at doing some pickup shuffling. I hope to FINALLY get my NR project buttoned up before the end of the year, and I'm also looking at popping a T-bird pickup into the neck position of my Greco 4001 (checked with my Grevo 'Bird pickup and the existing cavity fits perfectly). The Greco pickup has been waiting for the NR project, I have an EY pickup in the Greco bird currently. I was thinking of putting the Greco pickup back into the Greco, getting a Gibson pickup or 760 for the NR, and putting the EY into the neck position of the 4001 (figured the lower output might match the Hi-gain pickups better). I was also contemplating pulling the 760 out of the bridge position on my Epi (since I never use the bridge pickup), swapping that into the Epi neck position, and then putting the neck 760 into the 4001, and the EY into the unused bridge position on the Epi.

Confusing, I know, a bit of pickup musical chairs.

Anyways, any thoughts or advice are always appreciated.

i feel Curtis Novak is the go to for vintage correct bass stuff.
I only like antiquity from Duncan in general but I’m just go for original spec and forget it.
Idk if you are going for something specific.

i also like the Gibson 2015 pickup a lot. The big stud Tb pickup gives some more mud to the sound vs the thinner blades.

 

[GBassNorth]

Do any of you think it'd be doable to install the vintage pro bridge , tuners and pickups on a Thunderbird IV? Just curious to know.

Don’t know about the tuners, but IIRC the VP pickups will fit in an Eppi IV as long as you use the trim rings, which will just barely cover the stock routing. The VP bridge is a completely different beast from the stock Eppi IV three point, the anchor points will not match and you’ll have a visible hole where the front anchor is, so not a drop in option.

 

[GBassNorth]

Thunderbird Thursday…

Korean Goth - 022 capped, hipped and strung with magic purple silk (note the “neverlift” mod to the bridge). She’s a screamer now and one of my best playing birds - about $300 all in.

 

[D.M.N.]

Seymour Duncan Custom shop.

I've seen the Seymour offering for years, but have read very little about it in way of review or how it sounds. Looking at the spec sheet, the neck is wound to 12.3k, which seems high compared to a standard 'Bird neck, which sits in the 7-8k range typically. Does this hotter winding put it closer to the Greco pickup in terms of sound, or have little impact overall? Tonally how does it compare to say the 760 or Greco pickup/60s style bird pickups?

i feel Curtis Novak is the go to for vintage correct bass stuff.
I only like antiquity from Duncan in general but I’m just go for original spec and forget it.
Idk if you are going for something specific.

i also like the Gibson 2015 pickup a lot. The big stud Tb pickup gives some more mud to the sound vs the thinner blades.

I'm rather inclined to go with Novak as well, given his reputation and willingness to make tweaks for the customer. I'm really just going for "60s bird", though probably more of the 63 style for the 4001 neck pickup rather than a later, hotter 66+ version. The modern TB+ pickups have always felt rather lifeless and dampened to me, so I don't think the big studs having more mud would be something I'd go for, but I am interested in the newer 2021+ Gibson pickups from the NR birds.

 

[WillyW]

If I converted all my birds/bird pickup equipped geetars to single pickups, I'd have a mess of pickups for y'all.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

That’s a shame, supposedly very good pickups at a decent price.

wonder if they’ll become collectors items…

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

TT….

 

[godofthunder59]

we all know who the real influenzers are...

Sooooooo much to work with here, but I think I will uncharacteristically keep my humor to myself.

 

[JJR58]

Happy TT you crazy Bird brains.

 

[Engle]

Does it have a micronite filter?

I had to look that up. Asbestos in a cigarette filter!

 

[Engle]

That’s a shame, supposedly very good pickups at a decent price.

I contacted him and he said there just wasn’t enough business to keep going. Someone here should buy his remaining parts and files to do a run of pickups.
I thought about it, but I have too many things on the go already.

 

[GBassNorth]

wonder if they’ll become collectors items…
View attachment 4771579

I just hope there’s a way to tell these apart from Chinabuckers. Would love to see a photo of the bottom of a EY, TB Ranch, Lull, Lollar and Novak pup. They all look identical on the top. I’ve already passed on a killer priced used VP ($350) because it didn’t sound right, fortunately I could try it first, but I suspect someone slipped some Chinabuckers in it and kept or sold the stock 760’s.

I guess that’ll be my next contribution to the club - when I get a chance I’ll snap a backside photo of my VP pup, Greco pup and EY pup. If someone with TB Ranch or Lull or Lollar pups can do the same we’ll have a very helpful sticky to aid club members in future purchases. Just two screw pups in cans for now, plastic pups are a bit easier to differentiate.

Happy TT you crazy Bird brains.
View attachment 4771589

A man with a smile, never a frown until he puts the Tbird down.

 

[GonePlaid]

I had to look that up. Asbestos in a cigarette filter!

Yup. That was their advertising tag line. "KENT! With the micronite filter!"

 

[GonePlaid]

Happy TT you crazy Bird brains.

View attachment 4771589

That's the cheeriest I've ever seen you. Must be the West Coast air. Or sumpin'.

 

[Instagator]

Happy TT

 

[JIO]

Happy TT you crazy Bird brains.

View attachment 4771589

 

[JJR58]

That's the cheeriest I've ever seen you. Must be the West Coast air. Or sumpin'.

That, and the great people I was with.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

That's the cheeriest I've ever seen you. Must be the West Coast air. Or sumpin'.

hmmm….yeah don’t think the 64 TBird/SVT combo had anything to do with it….

 

[MCF]

LOL - I was playing the video clip at moderate volume down stairs and thinking, it’s not a bad song once you get past NYs voice (acknowledging

I could be mistaken, but I thought TB Ranch just discontinued its 5 string bird pups but still made the 4 strings. Lull might still have something available but you’d have to call them to find out, they don’t list them on their website, and they are very expensive.

The Eppi 760’s or Gibby TB+ pups are still my overall favorite sounding. I’d think a good combo would be a TB+ in the 1960’s neck position for warmth and depth and a 760 in the 60’s bridge position for crunch and grit. Good luck in finding those pups for sale though.

If I were looking for 760 pups I’d probably end up going this route…
Epiphone Embassy Bass 4-String Bass Guitar Graphite Black Finish | Reverb
for about $350 you get two 760 pups with trim rings and all the pots and wiring along with a nice two piece vintage style bridge and some strap pins. Then after stripping those components out you could probably sell the Embassy husk for a hundred bucks to further offset your costs.

TB Ranch has closed shop.

 

[JJR58]

hmmm….yeah don’t think the 64 TBird/SVT combo had anything to do with it….