Thunderbird Club

[semiprohooker]

Pictures? Im curious on colour

The same wanderlust green. I can snap some later, but it looks just like you'll see online.

 

[ThaCoast]

Just my opinion Andii. But I like these better than the 760 Probuckers. The one I just put in my BaCH II sounds great. They are what is in the recent NR Thunderbirds.
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I’ll back this up by saying that I put a pair in my 2001 burst bird and, at least in my garage at lower volumes they sound spectacular, with some older but still zingy SS rounds on it.

They are getting moved to a black ‘97 Gibby ‘bird that I picked up yesterday. Given that they are CHROME and not nickel, I’m putting them in the black ‘bird and possibly trying out the Gemini Dominators in the ‘01 burst, or moving the set of Novaks out of my black VP into the burst, or….

Yeah, might as well go gibsons version. Cad they're 169$/per, after tx i'm close to 400$cad for a set.

Gemini's Dominators will run 100$ less than the Gibsons, but A5 vs A8. Both sound good in their respective right. I feel both will give me a clarity in my bird which it lacks atm.

@Ringhammer, how do you like the Dominators together everything at full? Essentially thats how they'd operate in my on/off epi (un)goth treebird

 

[Stealth57]

View attachment 5217429
These are the ones I'm wondering about - tho I shall prob find out for myself before too long . . .
£11 a set, blimmin chuffing what the hell, best try them at least!!

I have those on my Pro IV and then seem fine so far. They were recommended for the active nature of the Pro IV. I haven't tried them on any passive birds.

 

[semiprohooker]

Pictures? Im curious on colour

So I'm not home for awhile but Sweetwater has several pics of different green ones.

Epiphone Embassy Bass Guitar - Wanderlust Green Metallic

 

[Ringhammer]

Yeah, might as well go gibsons version. Cad they're 169$/per, after tx i'm close to 400$cad for a set.

Gemini's Dominators will run 100$ less than the Gibsons, but A5 vs A8. Both sound good in their respective right. I feel both will give me a clarity in my bird which it lacks atm.

@Ringhammer, how do you like the Dominators together everything at full? Essentially thats how they'd operate in my on/off epi (un)goth treebird

I do not have any Gemini pickups, just considering. Hoping someone else takes a shot and can review how they feel about them.

 

[GBassNorth]

View attachment 5217405
I think these are the same pups as the ones that came in my '13 Les Paul Bass (the best sounding bass I have ever heard) so I bought them back when I saw them on evilbay. The numbers are 345/346 and at the time I managed to find some info but now can't recall where. The Les Paul Bass specs refer to the pups as Thunderbird pickups. Epi often use Gibson designs for various parts - you think they might've used these pickups in that range of Thunderbirds?

Thx for the info, quite possibly the pickups I’m looking for. Looks like I’ll need to scour the earth for used ones, I don’t see anything new listed that fits the description.

So a higher value cap increases or decreases available adjustment?

The higher the cap number the more top end it rolls off.

The stock pickups in the Epi Classic Pro are the modern Gibson Tbird+ pickups. They have ceramic magnets.
The stock pickups in the Epi Vintage Pro, now called the Epi 60’s, are Epi 760 Probuckers. They are also stock in the Epi Embassy. They have Alnico V magnets.
In general, I think the Gibson Tbird+ pickups sound a little darker than the 760 Probuckers. Of course strings and eq settings can alter things.

I’d second that.

I'm tossing up between these & Gemini's Dominators. Im also still in homework mode...

I think you can get the Gemini pickups with coil split capability. If so, that would be an interesting and useful value added feature that was only ever available on one model year thunderbird (2015 year). Series/parallel or Single coil/humbucker switching would be a very neat feature to have that you can’t do with the Gibson or Epiphone pickups.

Just my opinion Andii. But I like these better than the 760 Probuckers. The one I just put in my BaCH II sounds great. They are what is in the recent NR Thunderbirds.
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An good way to look at it might be - what’s the fully loaded cost (1 set of pickups with trim rings, spacers and route blocks) for each pickup option below:
ChinaBuckers
Eppi 360Probuckers
Gibby NR Reissues
Gemini Dominators

Then look at it from a performance standpoint to see if anything of high value but low cost jumps out.

In regards to Performance on the first three listed I think it’s clearly Gibby followed not too far behind by Eppi and the Chinabuckers both of which are fairly neck and neck in a multi pickup layout. No experience with Gemini, they could be the real game changer though if they could unseat the Eppi or Gibby pickups in cost or performance.

 

[BklynKen]

I think you can get the Gemini pickups with coil split capability. If so, that would be an interesting and useful value added feature that was only ever available on one model year thunderbird (2015 year). Series/parallel or Single coil/humbucker switching would be a very neat feature to have that you can’t do with the Gibson or Epiphone pickups.

Don't forget that the EMG TBHZ sound very similar to the TB+ and can do coil splitting.

 

[ThaCoast]

I do not have any Gemini pickups, just considering. Hoping someone else takes a shot and can review how they feel about them.

Ah gotchya. Well it may be me in that regards if i decide to go for those xD

I think you can get the Gemini pickups with coil split capability. If so, that would be an interesting and useful value added feature that was only ever available on one model year thunderbird (2015 year). Series/parallel or Single coil/humbucker switching would be a very neat feature to have that you can’t do with the Gibson or Epiphone pickups.

An good way to look at it might be - what’s the fully loaded cost (1 set of pickups with trim rings, spacers and route blocks) for each pickup option below:
ChinaBuckers
Eppi 360Probuckers
Gibby NR Reissues
Gemini Dominators

Then look at it from a performance standpoint to see if anything of high value but low cost jumps out.

In regards to Performance on the first three listed I think it’s clearly Gibby followed not too far behind by Eppi and the Chinabuckers both of which are fairly neck and neck in a multi pickup layout. No experience with Gemini, they could be the real game changer though if they could unseat the Eppi or Gibby pickups in cost or performance.

I'll go in CAD price since thats where i'm located.

Price for each set: (tx/shipping incl.)
ChinaBuckers: 130$ (on reverb.com)

Eppi 760Probuckers: 250$ (on reverb.com)

Gibby NR Reissues: 396.50$ (389$ if i bought in store, save the shipping costs)

Gemini Dominators: 310.95$

Now onto a sound demo on youtube. All of which sound good in their rights still. 3 of 4 are nickel/chrome plate covers. Dominators in thunderbird format is nickel plate (they offer this in soapbar form which is black only).

In my personal taste, i definitely prefer a bird in parallel vs series (least with ceramic magnet pickups). Alnico 5 (or 8 of the Gemini offerings) may sound good in both series/parallel. Tough my bird will only be on/off, both parallel always. & split coil is of no need, i got other basses for that aspect in tone.

Lots have raved about the chinabuckers from eyparts, Epiphone & Gibson offerings have their diehards too. Gemini definitely is an untested underdog, & might be a game changer for lots of us if they prove to be everything we'd want.

Videos:

Non reverse Gibby:



Epiphone pro760:



Chinabucker:


Gemini dominator

 

[GBassNorth]

Ah gotchya. Well it may be me in that regards if i decide to go for those xD



I'll go in CAD price since thats where i'm located.

Price for each set: (tx/shipping incl.)
ChinaBuckers: 130$ (on reverb.com)

Eppi 760Probuckers: 250$ (on reverb.com)

Gibby NR Reissues: 396.50$ (389$ if i bought in store, save the shipping costs)

Gemini Dominators: 310.95$

Now onto a sound demo on youtube. All of which sound good in their rights still. 3 of 4 are nickel/chrome plate covers. Dominators in thunderbird format is nickel plate (they offer this in soapbar form which is black only).

In my personal taste, i definitely prefer a bird in parallel vs series (least with ceramic magnet pickups). Alnico 5 (or 8 of the Gemini offerings) may sound good in both series/parallel. Tough my bird will only be on/off, both parallel always. & split coil is of no need, i got other basses for that aspect in tone.

Lots have raved about the chinabuckers from eyparts, Epiphone & Gibson offerings have their diehards too. Gemini definitely is an untested underdog, & might be a game changer for lots of us if they prove to be everything we'd want.

Videos:

Non reverse Gibby:



Epiphone pro760:



Chinabucker:


Gemini dominator

That post should be converted to a sticky! Very useful info! Thx

 

[BklynKen]

Ah gotchya. Well it may be me in that regards if i decide to go for those xD



I'll go in CAD price since thats where i'm located.

Price for each set: (tx/shipping incl.)
ChinaBuckers: 130$ (on reverb.com)

Eppi 760Probuckers: 250$ (on reverb.com)

Gibby NR Reissues: 396.50$ (389$ if i bought in store, save the shipping costs)

Gemini Dominators: 310.95$

Now onto a sound demo on youtube. All of which sound good in their rights still. 3 of 4 are nickel/chrome plate covers. Dominators in thunderbird format is nickel plate (they offer this in soapbar form which is black only).

In my personal taste, i definitely prefer a bird in parallel vs series (least with ceramic magnet pickups). Alnico 5 (or 8 of the Gemini offerings) may sound good in both series/parallel. Tough my bird will only be on/off, both parallel always. & split coil is of no need, i got other basses for that aspect in tone.

Lots have raved about the chinabuckers from eyparts, Epiphone & Gibson offerings have their diehards too. Gemini definitely is an untested underdog, & might be a game changer for lots of us if they prove to be everything we'd want.

Videos:

Non reverse Gibby:



Epiphone pro760:



Chinabucker:


Gemini dominator

Some great videos, but unfortunately there's no way to directly compare anything because of different strings, amps, etc. My 2013 Gibson with TB+ probably sounds a lot brighter than some people's Epiphone VPs due to those factors.

 

[Roger W]

It's long gone now, but there used to be a place of the same name in Kenmore, WA. north end of Lake Washington.
I checked the menu and it looks great, try the Sauerbraten and the pork schnitzel

Look at all of you talking about German food. You’d get my late FoL going. His grandparents emigrated to northern Wisconsin from the part of Prussia that’s now in Poland. My Norwegian/Orange Irish MoL insisted on naming her children with ethnic German names to accompany their German last name (Gretchen and Karl).

 

[semiprohooker]

Speaking of pickups

There's a pair of TB+ in the classifieds for $140 right now

 

[Stealth57]

Bottling day for chocolatey goodness

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

great chill show…Peter Gabriel at Chase Center…..sound was impeccable, perfect volume, clarity, headroom….all the good stuff…band’s been on the road for months now so they sounded PERFECT….not a single inconsistency….Levine played, electric UB, two 5 string and one 4 string MM as well as the Chapman (one song)….he played bass keys and the 4 string (with the drumsticks taped to his index and middle fingers on “Bigtime”…”Digging in the Dirt” was by far my favorite…..Ayanna Witter was incredible! my new crush….

 

[JJR58]

great chill show…Peter Gabriel at Chase Center…..sound was impeccable, perfect volume, clarity, headroom….all the good stuff…band’s been on the road for months now so they sounded PERFECT….not a single inconsistency….Levine played, electric UB, two 5 string and one 4 string MM as well as the Chapman (one song)….he played bass keys and the 4 string (with the drumsticks taped to his index and middle fingers on “Bigtime”…”Digging in the Dirt” was by far my favorite…..Ayanna Witter was incredible! my new crush….
View attachment 5217691

View attachment 5217687

Would have loved to be there.

 

[Engle]

Don't forget that the EMG TBHZ sound very similar to the TB+ and can do coil splitting.

And the Bartolinis also allow for coil splitting:
4-String Vintage Gibson - T4CBC - Bartolini Pickups & Electronics

 

[The EDP]

This is a cool club - thanks for the heads up on these strap lock/buttons!

 

[Bassistcool]

The stock pickups in the Epi Classic Pro are the modern Gibson Tbird+ pickups. They have ceramic magnets.
The stock pickups in the Epi Vintage Pro, now called the Epi 60’s, are Epi 760 Probuckers. They are also stock in the Epi Embassy. They have Alnico V magnets.
In general, I think the Gibson Tbird+ pickups sound a little darker than the 760 Probuckers. Of course strings and eq settings can alter things.

Agree to this statement. I own both Epi‘s, the Vintage pro and the Classic pro. The pickups of the Classic pro sounds darker than the 760ers. But none of these are better than the other one, they‘re simply different (and great as well).

 

[WillyW]

The pickups in my EB4 with the exposed pole pieces are splittable, AND it's the first and last time I thought split coils actually sounded good....

 

[ThaCoast]

Some great videos, but unfortunately there's no way to directly compare anything because of different strings, amps, etc. My 2013 Gibson with TB+ probably sounds a lot brighter than some people's Epiphone VPs due to those factors.

These are more "ideas of sound" than an actual versus (aside from pmtvuk's videos in a sense). Its as informative as we can have sound wise, until a sole member here has 4 of the same bird loaded a set of pickups, strung the same played the same haha. For me, i take em as: "would these work for my own playing/music tones?". Then i just list pros & cons i could potentially encounter, while reading reviews & then pick my #1. But thats just me