The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: Ken on July 26, 2023, 07:39:44 AM
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Since I've heard so many good things about Thunderbirds from 2001, I bought a set of 2001 TB+ from someone who was replacing his with Lollars. I had them put in the lemon 2018 so I could directly compare with my #1 2013. The 2001 TB+ really sound a lot better to me than the 2013s. A lot more clarity. Only problem is that there a constant low hum, where the 2013 (and stock 2018) are dead quiet. I don't think this is a grounding issue; it seems inherent to the pickups. Anyone else here have a 2001 or similar and find this as well? I'd love to find a way to quiet this down so I can put them into my 2013. But I think for live use and recording, the hum would really annoy me.
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Over the years, they have boosted the output of the TB+ so much, they've sacrificed clarity for it; I've noticed that as well.
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Thanks. I ordered a noise gate pedal to play with since I can easily return it. Maybe that'll be the trick.
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I played the 2001s last night at practice. In a mix, the difference isn't as drastic as solo at home, though they did sound better to me than the 2013s. But sadly the noise is just too much and a noise gate isn't the answer. Unless somehow the noise is still with the wiring and can be eliminated, I don't think I can put them in my #1 (2013). The 2013 is dead silent.
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Aaaaaand they're screwed. I went back to my guy. They're acting like single coils. He took the neck one out and flipped it upside down and the hum stopped. Wasn't there a run of bad pickups around that time that Gibson was replacing? I guess this was the issue?
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Aaaaaand they're screwed. I went back to my guy. They're acting like single coils. He took the neck one out and flipped it upside down and the hum stopped. Wasn't there a run of bad pickups around that time that Gibson was replacing? I guess this was the issue?
All I can tell you is that I was close to buying a slightly used Bird in about 2000-2001 but declined b/c of the noisy pickup. The store's tech and I went over it, the overall circuit was properly grounded but both pickups were internally noisy.
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I have a TB+ of unknown (older) vintage in one of my project basses. It's a great-sounding pickup, but in certain environments is hella noisy.
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Thanks, all. Good to know at least that it's not just bad luck on my part.
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I've encountered TB+ that have reached their expiration as well. Seems an odd thing to happen for a pickup encased in epoxy. Perhaps it's engineered obsolescence although that's probably giving too much credit to incompetence.
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I believe it’s the electronics rebelling against the unnatural fact of being played by a leftie! I‘d make disapproving noises too. :-*
Seriously, I have noisy old TB Plus'es too, it doesn't really bother me, even at 62 I still like to play loud. Or perhaps I need it more than ever? :mrgreen:
My LP Sig sizzles, hisses, burps and hums like hell - it's in continuous communication with alien life forms.
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That I'm aware of, there are at least 5 variations of TB Plus over the years since Henry J reissued Thuinderbirds, there's not a great deal of consistency with any of them, I think I've owned 5 Birds that had them, only the ones in my '06 Studio are really good, the rest were rather unremarkable.
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https://youtube.com/watch?v=JAllMFGdQTI&t=1250
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I've bought a couple of lousy TB+ pickups used. There must be a good reason people are yanking them out of basses and selling them!
Latest pickup is microphonic and susceptible to interference in a very directional manner. The opposite of what an epoxy sealed humbucker should be about.
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I've always found TB+ to be single coil noisy. I have black soaps on my '94 Les Paul, and chrome humbucker size on the Fenderbird. I've also had a peeled black one stuffed into a 70's chrome cover on a Bach non-rev. All of the pickups look the same on the underside. And they all have a great tone, but a little directionally induced buzz. Totally manageable though.
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I like it if you hear whether something is on or off, working or not working!
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Mine are more than just a little hum. They're pretty obnoxious.
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I have that on my Gibson IV and V, they were the earliest ones, preceding even the TBird as reissued in 1987. They're a bit microphonic too.
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At home it's fine. But with the band, it's too much.
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Silly question, why not put in new ones?
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Not a silly question! I bought these from someone who replaced them with Lollars. I'd heard great things about the 2001s, and figured this was a way I could try them out since I can't play a 2001 (left-handed). The stock TB+ are going back in. I bought a used set of Thunderbucker 66 yesterday since I got wooed by the clarity from the 2001s, so I'll figure out what to do with them. Maybe I can replace the covers with black ones. Or if they're nickel, at least severely dull them. I'll probably put them in the NR.
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My Thunderbird is a 2005 (bought new in 2007) and the pickups were this way when I got it. They hummed loudly and were effectively single coils. I had them repaired under warranty by a local luthier and they've been my favorite pickups of any bass ever since.
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My Thunderbird is a 2005 (bought new in 2007) and the pickups were this way when I got it. They hummed loudly and were effectively single coils. I had them repaired under warranty by a local luthier and they've been my favorite pickups of any bass ever since.
Interesting. Do you remember how they were repaired? I didn't think it was possible since they're encased in epoxy.
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I don't know the specifics. But they make their own pickups and do pickup repair at this shop, so it was maybe better suited for the task.
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I don't know the specifics. But they make their own pickups and do pickup repair at this shop, so it was maybe better suited for the task.
I'm curious partly because these are encased in epoxy. I'm not aware of any way to get in there to repair that.
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I never posted this. I'm not to blame. Proceed at your own risk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ziIuwfFEqc
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Wow
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Remarkable!
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Very impressive work. I would never go to that much trouble, but still, he shows that it can be done.
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I've got a set of Thunderbucker 66 in that bass now and they're really pretty similar to those 2001 TB+.
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I've got a set of Thunderbucker 66 in that bass now and they're really pretty similar to those 2001 TB+.
I need to compare my 2001 and Cataldo to see how similar they sound.
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Sweetwater is offering the 60's Thunderbird humbucker. They claim it's the Gibson pickup
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PUTBRCC2--gibson-accessories-thunderbird-bass-reissue-pickup-chrome
And also the black
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PUTBMBC2--gibson-accessories-thunderbird-bass-modern-pickup-black
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Gibson recently started offering bass pickups: https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Product/PUTBRCC2/PUTBRCC2 (https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Product/PUTBRCC2/PUTBRCC2)
https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Product/PUTBMBC2/PUTBMBC2 (https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Product/PUTBMBC2/PUTBMBC2)
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Sweetwater is offering the 60's Thunderbird humbucker. They claim it's the Gibson pickup
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PUTBRCC2--gibson-accessories-thunderbird-bass-reissue-pickup-chrome
I think that's the current Gibson NR pickup, not the Epiphone Probucker 760.
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Sweetwater is offering the 60's Thunderbird humbucker. They claim it's the Gibson pickup
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PUTBRCC2--gibson-accessories-thunderbird-bass-reissue-pickup-chrome
And also the black
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PUTBMBC2--gibson-accessories-thunderbird-bass-modern-pickup-black
Funny, just this past weekend I was looking at the Epiphone site to see what the stock string guages were for my Rumblekat, and I ended up at "The Gibson Pickups Shop" that listed T-Bird pups. Rather than "add to cart", there was "notify me when available", which looks to still be the case. Sweetwater is preorder.
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Gibson offering any bass pickups separately is good news.
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Is the Gibson NR pickup actually any different from the Epi pro bucker?
I wonder if they sound pretty much the same.
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Is the Gibson NR pickup actually any different from the Epi pro bucker?
I wonder if they sound pretty much the same.
They are different. Scott replaced the NR pickups with Probuckers. But he'll have to describe the differences. I've never heard either in person, though I have a set of Probuckers sitting here waiting to get put in the 2018 Thunderbird that currently has Thunderbucker 66.
Scott, if you can describe the differences between the NR and Probuckers, I'd love to also hear where you think the Thunderbucker 66 sit in with those.
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Sweetwater is offering the 60's Thunderbird humbucker. They claim it's the Gibson pickup
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PUTBRCC2--gibson-accessories-thunderbird-bass-reissue-pickup-chrome
And also the black
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PUTBMBC2--gibson-accessories-thunderbird-bass-modern-pickup-black
This is good news! I wonder if those black ones would be a drop in for my 92' LPB-1? My EB-1 is back in working shape since I found a vintage two point bridge on reverb. Would be great if these pickups could replace the microphonic TBs in my LPB.
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Is the Gibson NR pickup actually any different from the Epi pro bucker?
I wonder if they sound pretty much the same.
They're completly different, Gibson are way better to me, they have much more presence in the bass/lo-mids/mids and a little less treble zing. Personally, I thought my Epiphone Vintage Pro to be a rather weak chicken until I traded the 760s out with Scott for his 2021 NR Gibson pups. It's a much better bass now, though the neck is still a bit bigger than I like.
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They're completly different, Gibson are way better to me, they have much more presence in the bass/lo-mids/mids and a little less treble zing. Personally, I thought my Epiphone Vintage Pro to be a rather weak chicken until I traded the 760s out with Scott for his 2021 NR Gibson pups. It's a much better bass now, though the neck is still a bit bigger than I like.
Any idea how those 2021 NR pickups compare in tone to the Thunderbuckers? I had my 2018 with Thunderbuckers last night at band practice and they were perhaps TOO present. I prefer the highs in my TB+.
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Any idea how those 2021 NR pickups compare in tone to the Thunderbuckers? I had my 2018 with Thunderbuckers last night at band practice and they were perhaps TOO present. I prefer the highs in my TB+.
I have Lulls, no Thunderbuckers so it's likely a little different because they're spec'd to certain outputs, 8k neck, 9k bridge, I'd look at your EQ as well. Finally, I'm finding that I much prefer what I get out of my Trace Elliott to the GK regardless of the pickup, it will most likely go to The Bass Shop as a consignment and I'll pick up an SWR amp as a second.
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I have Lulls, no Thunderbuckers so it's likely a little different because they're spec'd to certain outputs, 8k neck, 9k bridge, I'd look at your EQ as well. Finally, I'm finding that I much prefer what I get out of my Trace Elliott to the GK regardless of the pickup, it will most likely go to The Bass Shop as a consignment and I'll pick up an SWR amp as a second.
This was actually through the B-15 at the practice space. It sounds much closer to the TB+ with my GK. Funny that.
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Has any of you guys ordered this pickup from Gibson yet?
I can't seem to buy one, since I'm not in the USA. Cannot choose a different country to determine shipping cost.
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Has any of you guys ordered this pickup from Gibson yet?
I can't seem to buy one, since I'm not in the USA. Cannot choose a different country to determine shipping cost.
Rob, If you need one shipped to you, just let me know - Happy to!
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Am curious ... Are the chrome reissue pickups actually sized like vintage T-bird pickups, or are they drop-in replacement for modern birds?
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Rob, If you need one shipped to you, just let me know - Happy to!
I'd love to try one out in a new build that I'm working on. So yes please :toast:
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Sorta back to the topic, has anyone here experienced the passive EMG TBHZ? I'm curious how close they are to TB+ and if they're closer to what I really liked in those 2001 TB+ compared to the 2013s. After playing with the Thunderbucker 66, I find the TB+ better for my use.
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I have one in my Les Paul tribute doublecut...I like it, but it is different from the TB+ in my 2019 Thunderbird.
Of course it could be the guitar, or the pickup placement that makes it sould different.
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I have one in my Les Paul tribute doublecut...I like it, but it is different from the TB+ in my 2019 Thunderbird.
Of course it could be the guitar, or the pickup placement that makes it sould different.
Thanks. Position would certainly affect that, but any way to compare it with the TB+?
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The T Bird with TB+ sounds more "refined" to my ear...
They are both pretty mid-range heavy in a good sort of way.
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Does one sound like it has more definition over the other? That was what I liked about the 2001s over the 2013s.
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The Les Paul is short scale…it does not have the definition of the T Bird.
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Thanks. I'll need to try them out for myself.