I never said it doesn't sound different. Yes, the older pups have more overdriven midrange and top end (sacrificing ooomph, everything comes at a price), which is nice, BUT IT'S NOT EVERYTHING FOR CHRISSAKES!!!
IMHO, both a 60ies and a Bicentennial T-Bird give you issues competing with a double bass drum and two guitars hammering out power chords in a heavy rock or heavy metal setting. That is where a "modern day" (= more than 30 years old
) TB Plus has real advantages, that sound with its higher, yet direct bass output doesn't waver. It's just more solid on the back end. And given how deep frequencies have taken a more prominent role in music in the last 30 years - blame disco, rap, keyboard bass, 5 string basses, the advent of CD and its ability to transport bass signals truthfully which were once simply out of reach for vinyl -, that is a characteristic which should not be underestimated.
I understand that perhaps for many finger players a TB Plus bass is not immediately audible enough (that treble and high mid "halo" it lacks compared to the 60ies signal), but that is not an issue I experience as a pick player. In contrast, my five 60ies TBirds/Embassy (let's not even talk about the Bicentennials and their sidewinders) all lack ultimate ooomph (never mind the beautiful mid range and sizzling-blurry top end & how they are fun to play). That doesn't matter that much if you send your signal through a huge rig and play very loud live (or in the studio where you can doctor your sound to an optimum), but it does if you have to go for a more subdued volume live and still want to be heard and felt. I defy anyone playing a 60ies Bird to then come up with a more substantial bass signal than from an off the rack TB Plus - at equal volume. More beautiful by itself, yes, better audible together with a miked bass drum, nope!