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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
How dare you discuss Thunderbirds in Thunderbird club! The first rule of Thunderbird club is - don't talk about Thunderbirds.
I was thinking sitting though some beginner violin lessons...
i don't know what came over me. it'll never happen again.
Go and sit in the corner facing the wall. Hands where we can see them!
When i get sent to the corner. i obey.
So this is the aforementioned madness i've been up to. Going to pair this up with the M6.
Me thinks it's going to be very cool. The Ashly pre that is.
SOLD - Ashley “Geddy Lee” SC-40 Preamp
Me thinks it's going to be very cool. The Ashly pre that is.
SOLD - Ashley “Geddy Lee” SC-40 Preamp
believe it or not, silicon foundries used birds until not long ago. think the last on i saw was in Austria about 10 years ago..
So i'm debating swapping the pickups in my Tigerbird from passive to active. I've a set of EMG P/J that i pulled from a 73 pbass i had restored in the process. Currently, tiger sports a Quarter pounder split P in the middle, & a Classic stack J in the bridge (was part of a set but having 3 pickups in it really lacked tone rather than giving it variety. & I'm a passive guy dominantly, but was thinking, maybe one Active equipped bass wouldn't be the end. By all means, the current sound isn't bad at all, it's got balls & definition as all hell. It's all going to a single killswitch, to be kept in mind for the active pup swap if ever i do proceed with it.
Anyone wanna talk me out of installing Active pickups in my bass? If not, have any insight on how EMGS have worked for you perhaps. what you enjoy of them, or for those who don't use active pickups, what has put you off of them? I know i never was particularly drawn to the tone, but it might just be the guitars over bass pickups. in basses the preamp suffers more than the pups themselves.
EDIT: Tigerbird was built inspired by Nikki Sixx's Hamers & spectors which did sport EMGS going to single volumes. I guess, in retrospect, this would just be the nail in the coffin for the whole Nikki vibe. & listening to isolated motley crue bass tracks, & they do sound good.
Anyone wanna talk me out of installing Active pickups in my bass? If not, have any insight on how EMGS have worked for you perhaps. what you enjoy of them, or for those who don't use active pickups, what has put you off of them? I know i never was particularly drawn to the tone, but it might just be the guitars over bass pickups. in basses the preamp suffers more than the pups themselves.
EDIT: Tigerbird was built inspired by Nikki Sixx's Hamers & spectors which did sport EMGS going to single volumes. I guess, in retrospect, this would just be the nail in the coffin for the whole Nikki vibe. & listening to isolated motley crue bass tracks, & they do sound good.
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I could try. I wouldn't make any sense at it. Not an active p'up person. Uh, i moved from my corner. I didn't obey.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,964
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Don't you mean an active pre-amp? Pickups are neutral, you can also use EMG pu's with a passive harness. I have a few active basses, my faves being the Fender/Kubicki 9v pre and the other a 9v G&L L-2000 pre. The Kubicki has a characteristic sound/tone in its active settings that crushes if that's what you are after and its passive setting is ok, while the G&L L-2000 is very versatile/useful in every setting. (including passive) The 9v Audere JZ3 is also good.
not a bad price...love those..
But aren't EMGs required to run off a 9V battery? Since they are built with a sort of "preamp" that would require a power source.
I was offered slightly less. Had to go for it.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,964
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I may be wrong, but what makes EMG pu's difference is their impedance. They are low impedance which is then aided by a powered preamp harness. Being low impedance gives them more nuance, subtlety of colour, but doesn't prevent them from being used in a passive bass.
yes, the the buffer preamp is potted into the pickup. I really dig EMGs but never tried them on a T-Bird..
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,964
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Here's an explanation from @Brooks from 2001 that helps clarify the subject -
Alembic invented active pups in order to get more natural sound. Passive pups tend to limit the frequency range, and to emphasize the midrange. By lowering the impedance, active pups work across a much broader frequency range. That is why they are also called 'HI-FI' (High Fidelity).
"Purists" refers to those who like Fender's original sound achieved with passive pups. If you want to be a 'purist' in hi-fi terms (no frequency is being cut off, no frequency is being empasized), you should go with active pups.
Also, true active systems do not have higher output, though they may. My Alembic (active pups with preamp) has output far lower than my G&L in passive mode, with preamp off. The purpose of the preamp in active systems is to bring the output of the low-impedance pups to a level that is workable, which is roughly the same as those of passive pups.
Alembic invented active pups in order to get more natural sound. Passive pups tend to limit the frequency range, and to emphasize the midrange. By lowering the impedance, active pups work across a much broader frequency range. That is why they are also called 'HI-FI' (High Fidelity).
"Purists" refers to those who like Fender's original sound achieved with passive pups. If you want to be a 'purist' in hi-fi terms (no frequency is being cut off, no frequency is being empasized), you should go with active pups.
Also, true active systems do not have higher output, though they may. My Alembic (active pups with preamp) has output far lower than my G&L in passive mode, with preamp off. The purpose of the preamp in active systems is to bring the output of the low-impedance pups to a level that is workable, which is roughly the same as those of passive pups.
playing here never gets old....zero adult supervision as it's tucked away in the hills.....goes back to the mid 19th century including the old still out back (they call the stuff "drip" round these parts)......Neil Young used to show up unannounced and play in here in the 90s...
surprisingly a great sounding room..
surprisingly a great sounding room..
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,964
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Passed by many times on a bicycle and motorcycle but never stepped inside. Alice's Restaurant up Skyline yes - good food/beverages there. Also good food at Mountain Home Restaurant/bar and a nice stone fireplace for a chilly evening - further north on Skyline. Love that road.
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I just got to keep testing the waters here.
