Can I think of it as a Fenderbird
? It probably won't quite have the treble snap of an all-maple P neck, but I wonder if it could work a bit similar if I upgrade its pickups.
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
? It probably won't quite have the treble snap of an all-maple P neck, but I wonder if it could work a bit similar if I upgrade its pickups.
I've got an opportunity to buy back my 2019 Big G (as we call it in China) 'Bird with Chinabuckers, for slightly less than what I sold it for. I wonder if I should take it? IIRC I preferred its neck and acoustic growl to my Epiphone VP, but the pickups seemed slightly closer to the neck and sounded a bit darker even with Chinabuckers.
Worst case scenario, I may get one bass with 60's style pickups (760 or Chinabucker), and mod another with a pair of 916 Sidewinders. I'd probably mod the Big G once again, due to its 3-point era-correct bridge? Either way I'll change the Big G hardware to all nickel or chrome, and string one of them with light Roto 66s and the other some heavy-arse flats.
Worst case scenario, I may get one bass with 60's style pickups (760 or Chinabucker), and mod another with a pair of 916 Sidewinders. I'd probably mod the Big G once again, due to its 3-point era-correct bridge? Either way I'll change the Big G hardware to all nickel or chrome, and string one of them with light Roto 66s and the other some heavy-arse flats.
Everyone finally admitted to neck dive, sold their stupid looking Thunderfbirds and bought respectable Pbasses. Other than that, nothing new.
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I like mine on the '06. Being black kind of makes it not stand out. But one won't be going on my '76....or theb '21 NR.
Several have have had good reports on Chinabuckers. I suppose it all depends on what one is shooting for. Can't beat the price. Heck, Probuckers may be Chinabuckers. Who knows these days.
I have some BHK Koreabuckers that sounded good that I'm wanting to put to use.
All you can do is try. A cap change ala @GBassNorth would be worth consideration.Can I think of it as a Fenderbird
You were missed. Glad you’re back. Hope all is ok.
It would be nice to hear from Willy (but not see his feet).
It likely plays fine. But those pickups are a big pass from me.
Sorry, operating on minimal sleep today, what exactly is a Big G? I think it's some kind of Thunderbird, but exactly what I'm not exactly sure...does G stand for Gibson?
Did he sell off the original pickups?
If I only had the money:
reverb.com
Seems like a fair price if authentic and working properly.
1976-79 Gibson Thunderbird Bicentennial Bass Pickup set | Reverb
Up for sale is a set of Bicentennial Gibson Thunderbird bass Pickups and mounting HarnessEs! One bridge and one neck pickup!! The readings are clear and Strong as shown In pics!!!!
reverb.com
Seems like a fair price if authentic and working properly.
From what @TBird1958 has said, they might sound great or not so much.If I only had the money:
1976-79 Gibson Thunderbird Bicentennial Bass Pickup set | Reverb
Up for sale is a set of Bicentennial Gibson Thunderbird bass Pickups and mounting HarnessEs! One bridge and one neck pickup!! The readings are clear and Strong as shown In pics!!!!
Seems like a fair price if authentic and working properly.
I still have the bi-centennial set I got from 916 sitting in a box. I’m thinking those will go in my white 2003, and I’ll sell the Curtis Novak thunderbird set that are currently in it. Maybe I need to list the Novak set and get them sold to motivate me….
Anyone here interested in a Curtis Novak Thunderbird set?
Thunderbird
Vintage correct Thunderbird double coil pickup. Harmonically rich, clean tone. Hum-cancelling. Can be custom ordered as a guitar pickup.
www.curtisnovak.com
$275 for the set, plus shipping from 94402
Gibson (in my case) or sometimes Gretsch. But a Gretsch Thunderbird looks more like a Japanese knockoff of a Steinberger...
If I only had the money:
1976-79 Gibson Thunderbird Bicentennial Bass Pickup set | Reverb
Up for sale is a set of Bicentennial Gibson Thunderbird bass Pickups and mounting HarnessEs! One bridge and one neck pickup!! The readings are clear and Strong as shown In pics!!!!
Seems like a fair price if authentic and working properly.
Buyer beware!
Every set of bicentennial Tbird pickups I’ve seen has a neck lead with black vinyl insulation and a bridge lead in wire mesh. The bridge lead on the set shown does not jive with what I’d expect to see from an authentic bicentennial pickup set.
I suppose it’s possible someone along the way slipped some vinyl shrink wrap over the wire mesh lead. But that doesn’t explain why the bridge pickup resistance value is lower than the neck pickup, it should be reverse of that.
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Possibly. What about them leads you to want to swap them out?I still have the bi-centennial set I got from 916 sitting in a box. I’m thinking those will go in my white 2003, and I’ll sell the Curtis Novak thunderbird set that are currently in it. Maybe I need to list the Novak set and get them sold to motivate me….
Anyone here interested in a Curtis Novak Thunderbird set?
Thunderbird
Vintage correct Thunderbird double coil pickup. Harmonically rich, clean tone. Hum-cancelling. Can be custom ordered as a guitar pickup.
$275 for the set, plus shipping from 94402
I just bought the bass version of one of those, should be here tomorrow. Looks interesting, I played one once before at a store and it sounded pretty good. Dont see many of the bass configurations floating around.Gibson (in my case) or sometimes Gretsch. But a Gretsch Thunderbird looks more like a Japanese knockoff of a Steinberger... View attachment 7523138
Not sure. But he reportedly had them waxed, then one failed per his post.
Möbius Wants YOU!!!
To Play Bass!!
A scene from Harrington's View.
To Play Bass!!
A scene from Harrington's View.
Definitely a fair price if they are up to snuff.If I only had the money:
1976-79 Gibson Thunderbird Bicentennial Bass Pickup set | Reverb
Up for sale is a set of Bicentennial Gibson Thunderbird bass Pickups and mounting HarnessEs! One bridge and one neck pickup!! The readings are clear and Strong as shown In pics!!!!
Seems like a fair price if authentic and working properly.
