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Thunderbird Club

#9,241
AphekGreg said:
Hi all, just picked up my first Thunderbird, a 1990 Orville by Gibson and I'm wondering about the pickups? It has the G serial number, which is supposed to indicate US made pickups. The seller says the neck pup has been replaced with a US model and so I'm wondering what the stock configuration was? The bridge pup is what I've discovered to be a split type and the neck looks like a regular humbucker. Any information would be welcome. Thanks, Greg.

100_1340_zpsujs2536o.jpg


Based on the level of tarnish, I'd say the pickups are the same age.
100_1333_zpsjbnphvnx.jpg


Every US Gibson guitar pickup I've come across has the braided shielding, where these are plastic covered.
100_1338_zpsyhfwdkyx.jpg


100_1331_zpsfhiibbel.jpg
Click to expand...

Hey Greg, Welcome!
Russell
 
#9,245
This thread! So many lovely Birds out there and I have just sold my old Fender Bassman.
Need a class D amp as a an emergency backup to the Fusion 550- thinking about an MB Fusion and there is a brand new Mesa class D just out to check out when they show up in Oz, but I may have some dollars over from that for another Bird. :cool:
 
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#9,246
veebass said:
This thread! So many lovely Birds out there and I have just sold my old Fender Bassman.
Need a class D amp as a an emergency backup to the Fusion 550- thinking about an MB Fusion and there is a brand new Mesa class D just out to check out when they show up in Oz, but I may have some dollars over from that for another Bird. :cool:
Click to expand...

Mmmmm.... More birds... :)
 
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#9,249
TBird1958 said:
The pickup to right in the top photo is an early re issue one dating to 1988 and a few years after that. The twin coil on the left is the first of at four variations that Gibson has used since then. Both are U.S. made pickups.


Orvilles are fantastic basses too! Congratulations on a beauty!
Click to expand...

Fantastic, thanks. I assume they originally came with two split pickups, like the bridge one, which would explain why people say the Orville's aren't as big and fat sounding as other ones.
 
#9,250
Hey TBird players!! Well, I decided I need a 5-string just to have low notes because I'm writing on Bass rather than on Mid and I don't want to rely on a keyboard for LOW end. My poor 4str Bird is currently tuned B A D G for one I'm writing. Confusing as hell, and prolly bad for the trussrod/string-pressure balance. I luv Birds, but my 4str neck-dives like the tuning pegs are magnetized to the earth. (I want to move the strap pin, but haven't yet.) Wouldn't a 5str Bird be even worse due to all that additional neck weight?

Really I'm thinking of just permanently switching to a fiver. Not that I can play it, but I want the note range.

And yea, I know I can get a cheap Ibanez SDGR or something, but it's NOT A BIRD. You understand. :-)
 
#9,253
I work at odd hours in the night (no power tools cause it's Midnight in MTL) But i've just realized that my precision pickups are slightly off outwards so the strings don't align in between the poles. So later on this morning i'll be breaking out my router to trim excess & glue in a block of wood to fill up the cavity. Then i'll re-route the pickups at the correct location. + i'll get to round over the edges & clean up the control cavity. Long days work but worth it.

Afterwards, the only things missing will be the bridge pickup routing & neck pocket routing + neck bolt holes.
 
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#9,257
veebass said:
This thread! So many lovely Birds out there and I have just sold my old Fender Bassman.
Need a class D amp as a an emergency backup to the Fusion 550- thinking about an MB Fusion and there is a brand new Mesa class D just out to check out when they show up in Oz, but I may have some dollars over from that for another Bird. :cool:
Click to expand...

I've been looking into a Class D backup for a while now and I'm starting to warm up to the Kustom KXB500. Cheap, light and sounds pretty good. I can run the 'Bird through the Tech 21 VT Bass DI into that head and get a remarkably similar tone.
 
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#9,260
Vara La Fey said:
Hey TBird players!! Well, I decided I need a 5-string just to have low notes because I'm writing on Bass rather than on Mid and I don't want to rely on a keyboard for LOW end. My poor 4str Bird is currently tuned B A D G for one I'm writing. Confusing as hell, and prolly bad for the trussrod/string-pressure balance. I luv Birds, but my 4str neck-dives like the tuning pegs are magnetized to the earth. (I want to move the strap pin, but haven't yet.) Wouldn't a 5str Bird be even worse due to all that additional neck weight?

Really I'm thinking of just permanently switching to a fiver. Not that I can play it, but I want the note range.

And yea, I know I can get a cheap Ibanez SDGR or something, but it's NOT A BIRD. You understand. :)
Click to expand...

Neck dive is really a matter of how you sling the bass over your shoulder. Once you move the pin to the heel of the neck, get used to playing the bass fairly low or pointing the neck up more toward the ceiling. I happen to like the neck in a much more vertical orientation than a Fender (7ender - I gotta learn to spell it right) will comfortably do. Nearly all Gibson bass guitars will hang like I want them to without much problem. Thunderbirds seem like they are specially made do do what I like, when it comes to balance. A 5er shouldn't be any different. If you want it to hang like a 7ender (there, I did it right!), you will run into problems because it is it's own thing.
 
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