Thunderbird Club

[Gaolee]

Hello all! So i've tried searching and cannot find anything specific to my question, so sorry if it has been covered and I missed it: My custom bass has EMG TBDC Active Thunderbird pickups. They sound great and all, but very "boomy"and weirdly enough "bassy". I use it the bass in a Doom metal project, and was wondering where I can find info or suggestions for pickups that are more "grit" and "grind". Pickups that take dirt pedals well. Doesn't have to be active. Actually I may prefer to go passive.

We don't use search around here, so no need to apologize. There are a whole lot of pickups that would work. One option that probably won't get mentioned by anybody else are Lace Alumitone bass bars. They are an oddly transparent pickup that's going to sound like your bass and your strings, without adding much of any color. They are a bit like piezo pickups that way, except that they get along with standard amplifiers instead of sounding all boxy. I have them in my fretless Thunderbird. In a way, they are almost ideal for pedals. You aren't going to get grit or grind out of them. What you will get is a signal that you can change to whatever you want it to be.

This reminds me that I need to finish reassembling the fretless and see what it sounds like (the same no doubt) now that it is green nitro instead of thick burst poly.

 

[TBird1958]

That may be a case by case thing. The new Epis are probably CNC machined. Original Gibsons were cut by hand, probably using a template but who knows. The newer ones are probably machine sanded and finished. The originals were hand sanded and finished, meaning that the new ones are close to the same, while the originals probably have some pretty wide variances.

Both the upper and lower 'bouts are completely different in shape, '64 Gibson has a much more pronounced hump on the upper and the correct traditional shape of the lower. Epi has a lesser hump to the upper and the lower bout intersects the body at a different fret than the Gibson, it was specifically re-done, so the Epi always looks a bit "off".

Sexy Gibson goodness......
The proportions are just "right"

Epi redesign, note that lower 'bout.
Bombay Blue is the bomb!

 

[Gaolee]

Both the upper and lower 'bouts are completely different in shape, '64 Gibson has a much more pronounced hump on the upper and the correct traditional shape of the lower. Epi has a lesser hump to the upper and the lower bout intersects the body at a different fret than the Gibson, it was specifically re-done, so the Epi always looks a bit "off".

Sexy Gibson goodness......
The proportions are just "right"

Epi redesign, note that lower 'bout.
Bombay Blue is the bomb!

I stand corrected. It's easy for me to say all kinds of things, since I own neither version.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

That be '63, and yes they did all have mutes, but the pads are rarely intact after so many years. They are the one thing missing from mine that I don't mind, the last thing I want to do is muffle what it does so well.


Happy Thursday II.

How do they attach? I've seen several alleged 64s without mutes or obvious screwholes for same.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I stopped buying Vans. They come apart and the laces are way too long.

I mainly buy slipons. They last really well for me.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I use a Weller like that one when I monkey with the wiring in my toys. I never thought about having two soldering tools.

these are the de facto standard in the valley....RF powered and really versatile, you change tips (and hence power) in literally 20 seconds...they heat up in 10....pricey but when you solder daily....

 

[Miles_ONeal]

anything between 25 and 35 Watt will work for the wiring, 100 Watt ideal for the cans or grounding to the pots and that sorta thing....you can use the 100 Watter for the wiring as well but you gotta be quick (stuff melts) which becomes cumbersome when you gotta hold a pistol like trigger....you can do the work with one but it really is a two iron job imho...

Agreed. And I frankly wouldn't trust a $10 iron...

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Chucky mobile

View attachment 7163281

They cranked it up, touched the gas, and it left a quarter-mile-wide crater in the middle of LA.

 

[Stealth57]

How do they attach? I've seen several alleged 64s without mutes or obvious screwholes for same.

Look like rivets to me.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Hello all! So i've tried searching and cannot find anything specific to my question, so sorry if it has been covered and I missed it: My custom bass has EMG TBDC Active Thunderbird pickups. They sound great and all, but very "boomy"and weirdly enough "bassy". I use it the bass in a Doom metal project, and was wondering where I can find info or suggestions for pickups that are more "grit" and "grind". Pickups that take dirt pedals well. Doesn't have to be active. Actually I may prefer to go passive.

If you can find them (and they're affordable), used Thunderbuckers and old Greco Thunderbird pickups are killer for grit and grind. After those, what @dagrev said.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

If you are looking for single guitar stands, 2 pack Hercules Stupid Deal.

Stupid Deal of the Day | Musician's Friend

Was going to note this as well!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I use a Weller like that one when I monkey with the wiring in my toys. I never thought about having two soldering tools.

Guns should only be used for heavier stuff, unless you have no option.

 

[Stealth57]

Did a little setup on the '64, enough so I could play it without fret buzz. First impression is it is very thumpy, yet well defined. Some of that thump is likely due to the mutes. The tone control doesn't seem to make a huge difference.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Look like rivets to me.

View attachment 7163700

Thanks! That makes sense given what I've been seeing.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Did a little setup on the '64, enough so I could play it without fret buzz. First impression is it is very thumpy, yet well defined. Some of that thump is likely due to the mutes. The tone control doesn't seem to make a huge difference.

View attachment 7163702

What are the cap values?

 

[Stealth57]

What are the cap values?

No idea. I didn't look for markings. Maybe Chucky or someone else recognizes those caps?

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

No idea. I didn't look for markings. Maybe Chucky or someone else recognizes those caps?

ceramic, can't read values but probably two .022s....could be wrong but that cavity may not be factory stock...

 

[Stealth57]

Measured at the jack (tone 0, volume 10), the '64 read 7.55 K Ohm.

 

[Stealth57]

ceramic, can't read values but probably two .022s....could be wrong but that cavity may not be factory stock...

Someone with a '64 have a photo of the control cavity?

 

[Stealth57]

I rechecked the body shape of the 2017 VP and the ‘64. From the bottom button to the tip of the lower, rear horn (the rest of the bodies are the same within any measurement error), there is less than 1/4” difference. The ‘64 is smaller.