Thunderbird Club

[TBird1958]

It gets around.............

 

[Stealth57]

It gets around.............

That bass is a harlot.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Yes!.
View attachment 7131500

Dudes! Toes!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

That bass is a harlot.

Feeling judgy? It's a bassist magnet!

 

[BklynKen]

This is probably an odd question, but here it goes. Are there any suppliers of black plastic pickup rings for Thunderbird pickups? I would probably have to square off the corners a bit, but I cannot use metal pickup rings with the Alumitone pickups I'm putting back into the fretless 'Bird. The finish looks close to perfect everywhere except right around the pickup routes, which is hardly a surprise. It's not bad there, but pickup rings would finish it off just a bit. Besides, I like the way pickup rings look.

Why yes, both of mine wear them. I agree about the look. Zero function in my case. Dave at Frets on the Net made them for me. I'm sure he still has the measurements for them, at least for TB+.

 

[dagrev]

Where’s Wile E. When you need him?

View attachment 7131480View attachment 7131481

Yeah, that would sure change things fast.

 

[dagrev]

He didn't say he paid for the examination.

I don't even want to know if a rubber glove was involved.

 

[GBassNorth]

I have trim rings from Philadelphia Luthier (I think) on my Orville and they work with the Gibson pickups

Checked again this morning to make sure I wasn’t misremembering things.
Here’s the trim rings…


Here’s the pickups…


Here’s a close up of the trim ring forced onto the pickup as far as it will go. The pickup should slip all the way through the ring.


The metal pup cans on the Gibby pickups I have are flared out at the base plate where the solder joints are.

Solution - file the trim rings out so they are large enough to fit these pickups. Alternate - remove the solder on the pickups, compress the housing, and then resolder them while compressed so they fit these rings. Filing the ring is the route I’d choose. It’ll look fine from a foot out but close inspection will be far from perfect.

Lastly, you can see the corner radius difference between the Artec pups and the Gibby pup trim ring. The ring will cover the Artec corner radius over cut so not a huge issue. Just less than ideal from a quality routing standpoint .

 

[GBassNorth]

When we put the Gibson reissue in the BaCH you had, the Philly Luthier Supply chrome ring was a perfect fit. My plan has been to have Jeremy enlarge the rout on it and the second BaCH that Andy used to have. Just need to get an appointment set up and get down there. Then head down to your place for a visit.

Metal bass pickup mounting ring for Gibson® Thunderbird bass guitar - Philadelphia Luthier Tools & Supplies, LLC

www.philadelphialuthiertools.com

Marshall, come on down!
All the beer and bourbon you can drink!

 

[Nocturnal]

Checked again this morning to make sure I wasn’t misremembering things.
Here’s the trim rings…
View attachment 7131568

Here’s the pickups…
View attachment 7131569

Here’s a close up of the trim ring forced onto the pickup as far as it will go. The pickup should slip all the way through the ring.
View attachment 7131571

The metal pup cans on the Gibby pickups I have are flared out at the base plate where the solder joints are.
View attachment 7131572
Solution - file the trim rings out so they are large enough to fit these pickups. Alternate - remove the solder on the pickups, compress the housing, and then resolder them while compressed so they fit these rings. Filing the ring is the route I’d choose. It’ll look fine from a foot out but close inspection will be far from perfect.

Lastly, you can see the corner radius difference between the Artec pups and the Gibby pup trim ring. The ring will cover the Artec corner radius over cut so not a huge issue. Just less than ideal from a quality routing standpoint .
View attachment 7131573

Probably a stupid question/suggestion. But what if you install the Gibson pickup and adjust to your preferred height, then add the ring afterwards? If the ring fits over most of the pickup, that seems like a possible solution, at least in my weird brain.

 

[GBassNorth]

Probably a stupid question/suggestion. But what if you install the Gibson pickup and adjust to your preferred height, then add the ring afterwards? If the ring fits over most of the pickup, that seems like a possible solution, at least in my weird brain.

That’s a possibility. If the height limitation worked (which I’m not sure it will) the down side would be that I’d have to remove the trim ring everytime I wanted to lift the pickup out of the route. Not a frequent occurrence by any stretch but it’s something I do every now and then.

 

[GBassNorth]

As I was typing that response I gazed out the window here in SoCal near Simi Valley and it looked like it was snowing outside.
Yikes! That’s ash! Must be a new fire nearby and it’s windy again today. Figures, I just put all the evacuation goods away yesterday.
So much fun.

 

[dagrev]

Marshall, come on down!
All the beer and bourbon you can drink!

Sounds kind of like a challenge.

 

[Gaolee]

Why yes, both of mine wear them. I agree about the look. Zero function in my case. Dave at Frets on the Net made them for me. I'm sure he still has the measurements for them, at least for TB+.


View attachment 7131538

I just sent him an email.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Probably a stupid question/suggestion. But what if you install the Gibson pickup and adjust to your preferred height, then add the ring afterwards? If the ring fits over most of the pickup, that seems like a possible solution, at least in my weird brain.

yeah who cares if it don't fit at the bottom....

 

[TBird1958]

yeah who cares if it don't fit at the bottom....
View attachment 7131768

Like this..........

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

.........

 

[Miles_ONeal]

.........
View attachment 7131804

The Minecraft Thunderbird!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Mon dieu!..

 

[TBird1958]

Bon Voyage, mon ami!