Thunderbird sound from something other than a T-Bird

[Miles_ONeal]

If you like the Epi bolt on pickups, get those pickups. The chrome Tbird pickups are different.

As are the two-hole black pickups on certain Epis and most modern Gibsons.

 

[blacktocomm]

Fourth for the Embassy. Comfortable, affordable and sounds like a Thunderbird.

 

[Jack]

Embassy is next on my shopping list. Amazing bass. So, fifth?

 

[Engle]

The current Gibson Reissue pickup is fantastic, put it in the FSO of your choice.

Agreed, but he liked the sound of his E1

 

[jd56hawk]

Epiphone Embassy bass. Has the same T-bird pickups and better ergonomics.

Exactly.
I thought everyone knew.

 

[capnjagg]

Love the look of the Ultra, but bang for buck, it really is hard to beat the Embassy. Sounds like a Thunderbird, plays like not a Thunderbird (in a good way), and plentiful used as well if you want to save a bit (or if you want to buy more than one color ).

 

[rtslinger]

Seconding the embassy

I too read the Embassy bass has that Thunderbird tone

 

[kevinpmajka]

Epiphone Embassy Pro.
The pickups are not T-bird sized apparently - but that doesn't matter - because they sound great.

Here's mine wearing some Lollipop Hipshot 3/8" USA tuners. (I believe that is the right model)
I sanded the neck finish a bit to tame down the gloss.

I should not have sold this.

Or route a Fender body. (Also sold)

 

[H K]

Loads of options.

The Gibson Midtown has tbird pups in it, if youre into semi hollows

 

[H K]

Picked up this a few weeks back, super pleased with it. Jazz-ish neck.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

If you want a Thunderbird sound but don’t want a Thunderbird, what sort of bass would you look at? I’ve been going back over some recordings I made a long time ago and have been really impressed by the thick tone I’d gotten off a bolt-on Epiphone T-bird bought some time in the early 2000s. I sold it a long time ago and while I loved the look of that bass the ergonomics were not great.

I had a Gibson SG bass 10 years ago that claimed to have T-bird pickups in covers that were appropriate to that bass, and it sounded horrible. I’m not sure the sound I’m looking for can be found in anything other than a true Thunderbird. I’m curious whether humbucker fitted Fender offerings might be close, like in a Telecaster bass or one of those Squier Rascals. How about a Schecter Ultra? I’d love to hear opinions.

My first impulse was equally Mike Lull, and also pickup mfgrs such as Lollar and others. Be aware that where a pickup senses the string makes a HUGE impact on produced sound. A Thunderbird pickup in let's just say wholly different positions than that for a Thunderbird will yield tones that are VERY different from that which you'd expect from a Thunderbird even if you took the pickups directly from a Thunderbird. "The sound" is a lot more than pickups alone.

 

[BGroovy]

Any 5 strings similar to an Embassy?

 

[butterfingers1]

Epiphone Embassy.

 

[Aussie Player]

If you want a Thunderbird sound but don’t want a Thunderbird, what sort of bass would you look at? I’ve been going back over some recordings I made a long time ago and have been really impressed by the thick tone I’d gotten off a bolt-on Epiphone T-bird bought some time in the early 2000s. I sold it a long time ago and while I loved the look of that bass the ergonomics were not great.

I had a Gibson SG bass 10 years ago that claimed to have T-bird pickups in covers that were appropriate to that bass, and it sounded horrible. I’m not sure the sound I’m looking for can be found in anything other than a true Thunderbird. I’m curious whether humbucker fitted Fender offerings might be close, like in a Telecaster bass or one of those Squier Rascals. How about a Schecter Ultra? I’d love to hear opinions.

The 2011-12 Gibson Flying V bass has Thunderbird pick ups. Sound great through a class 4 amp and even better through a Marshall Super Bass.

 

[Aussie Player]

Pino also played a Fender P bass with the Who that had a pair of Thunderbird pickups.

 

[Erik Stokley]

About 10 years ago Gibson made two versions of something similar to what you're looking for, the Gibson EB and the Gibson EB4, theyre still floating around on reverb

 

[J Wilson]

Most anything with those style pickups that's NOT as crazy head-for-the-floor neck-heavy Thunderbird.

 

[Erik Stokley]

For what it's worth I've never had any neck dive from the half dozen neck thru Epiphone thunderbirds I've owned (pro and 60s IV). The bolt on neck versions tend to dive more I'd say

 

[NotColinGrigson]

Embassy.
I take it out with my tb as a backup

 

[Kevan Campbell]

This is my Bluesman Vintage Deville 2-T 5-string. The pickups each have a stacked knob setup for volume and tone, so it can get a pretty amazing amount of different sounds from one bass. I have it out on tour with me right now and tend to have the neck pickup volume on full with the tone 40% up, back pickup on 70% volume with the tone about 10% rolled up…which gives it an really interesting PJ-esque vibe but with the sound of Thunderbird pickups so it’s a big bigger.