Thunderbird Club

[GBassNorth]

Yep, Maxon, who also made most of the famous Ibanez effects pedals as well, such as the TS-808 and TS-9, and pickups for Greco and Ibanez. I've thought about sending my Greco pickup to Curtis Novak, see if he'd make a version of that along side his standard Thunderbird pickup.

If Novak or Lollar come up with a convincing Greco Maxon tbird pickup I’ll buy at least two if priced less than $400 each. Any price point above that would start me looking at going down the used Greco path that I could scavage pups out of instead.

 

[Gaolee]

II Tuesday............

The day I picked it up, pic by Mike Lull.

That's the holy grail bass right there. Never mind a 1964. For this heretic anyway.

 

[BklynKen]

You might see if Jason Lollar would be interested as well.

Another one to try is Kent Armstrong.

 

[TBird1958]

Another one to try is Kent Armstrong.

I always forget TV Jones, they made/make Lull Thunderbird pickups.

 

[BklynKen]

I always forget TV Jones, they made/make Lull Thunderbird pickups.

So many choices! I mention Kent because I'm pretty sure he would do something like this.

 

[Gaolee]

There is an '01 on Reverb at what looks to be an OKish price these days. In case anybody is interested in seeing if I got lucky or if 2001 really is a better year than most. The finish is in a little better shape than my '01.

Maybe a pixie dust bass?

 

[Stealth57]

P.S. on that TB900 I was trying to buy. It is back on the market from another Japanese broker. The price is $300-400 higher. Maybe the other yanked the listing when the real owner updated their pricing? I'll see if there is room to negotiate and if all is original.

 

[BklynKen]

There is an '01 on Reverb at what looks to be an OKish price these days. In case anybody is interested in seeing if I got lucky or if 2001 really is a better year than most. The finish is in a little better shape than my '01.

Maybe a pixie dust bass?

Too bad it's got an Epiphone-style pickguard.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

IIRC - over the years Greco used at least two or three different pickup builders. I think the first gen was Maxim pickups, don’t recall the other builders or when they were used but it’s all irrelevant in my book because they all sound the same to me.

The pickups were made by Maxon until 1981 or 1982, after which FujiGen bought the Maxon pickup division (at least the physical and intellectual property, possibly the whole thing) and they were made in-house.
I did some research when writingGreco up for the wiki.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I looked into this a few thousand pages back. Maxon supplied the pickups until sometime around ‘81 when Fugi-Gen Gakki started making them in house.

Well, bought Maxon and brought hem "in house"

 

[Miles_ONeal]

No they are slightly shorter at a 33.5” scale. I really don’t even notice the difference unless I play them back to back with a standard length bird.

My 88 and 90 both measure right at 33.25".

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I've heard that about SVTs and I don't like them.

Darn you to New Jersey, then!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Why would you want to? Seems so unkind.

Sometimes the strings need a break so I do some pickup percussion. They make me work for it.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Hadn’t thought of that but you may very well be correct. I just assumed it was to increase break angle, get the silks off the saddles and maybe help eliminate the dreaded three point pull out.

All of the above?

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

t

Hadn’t thought of that but you may very well be correct. I just assumed it was to increase break angle, get the silks off the saddles and maybe help eliminate the dreaded three point pull out.

they play and intonate just fine without the claw....

 

[Miles_ONeal]

t

they play and intonate just fine without the claw....

I don't recall playing one set up that way, but I've seen at least two that were, whose owners were perfectly happy with them - although that still could have been the rationale.

 

[MCF]

All that's needed is someone to measure from the nut to the center of the 12th fret and double it. I believe it's 33 1/4, same as a Ric.

Yeah. I see different lengths mentioned in different listings. Of course rulers and tapes differ, as do steadiness of eyes and hands when measuring. This ad says 34. https://reverb.com/en-se/item/19563623-greco-thunderbird-tb-70-japan-black

 

[MCF]

I still play through a 360 stack when I can. The original down in the basement is the practice amp from hell at the moment.

Is there something wrong with it?

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Yeah. I see different lengths mentioned in different listings. Of course rulers and tapes differ, as do steadiness of eyes and hands when measuring. This ad says 34. https://reverb.com/en-se/item/19563623-greco-thunderbird-tb-70-japan-black

And some people just type "Thunderbird" into a search engine and use whatever results they find there. "I mean, a Thunderbird's a Thunderbird, right?"

 

[MCF]

If Novak or Lollar come up with a convincing Greco Maxon tbird pickup I’ll buy at least two if priced less than $400 each. Any price point above that would start me looking at going down the used Greco path that I could scavage pups out of instead.

It either did them, they would likely be more than $440 a pair based on the pricing for their current Thunderbird offerings.

That is why the Gibson reissues are such a bargain at $129 a piece.