Gear Discussion Forums > Gibson Basses

Newer Bird Pickup

(1/6) > >>

lowend1:
I recently acquired one (Black Gibson RI variety) and was thinking of using it in an ongoing project bass. How different are these from the pickups in my '76 T-Bird? Is it better suited (all things considered) to the bridge or "middle position? Would it be acceptable as a single pickup in the "sweet spot" ala Music Man?
T'anks!

uwe:
You've just opened the Pandora's Box and everyone will be going through the motions of restating what they habitually say. There are three opinions:

- New TB Plus pups sound crap, sixties and Bicentennial pups rule.

- New TB Plus pups just look crap, but sound almost as good as the old ones.

- Had today's TB Plus pups been available as an aftermarket replacement in the sixties and seventies, people would have killed for them.

I adhere to the latter school of thought, but am a minority here in this respect. To me, the TB Plus pup is one of the best passive bass pups available today. It has modern high output without sounding overblown, it can take a real beating string-input-wise without compressing or distorting, yet it never sounds sterile. If a Jazz Bass is your dream sound, you might find it too dark though. It sounds fuller and with more torque than any of its predecessors which generally have more overdrive to them and compress more if you play real hard (which is what many here prefer). I find it closer in sound to a sixties pup than to a Bicentennial which will forever have a slight single coil characteristic to it in my ears (which I like too, just not all the time) which I don't hear with the TB Plus.

One thing it is not: A great bridge pup. It needs the strings to swing so anything between P Bass (not Musicman) position and right behind the neck goes. In the latter position the ooomph is magic, yet you still have a signal that can be heard rather than felt.

Barklessdog:
I own a 68 Non Reverse and a 70's Tbird pickup equipped Fenderbird and I hate to say I favor my modern TB equipped les Paul's sound over all of them. All sound great, but if I had to pick one as my one & only out of the three it would be my LP. Sorry.

It does everything great and it far more versatile sound wise.

Stjofön Big:
Must admit I really enjoy my T-bird +. I can compare it to the '60s pickups om my two Epiphone Embassy basses, and the '65 T-bird pup I've put in a Lotus bass. When I got a '70s Ripper without pups, I throw in a T-bird +  in it. Same position as the old Ripper pups. That is my main bass, nowadays. Gives me everything from cotton to chain saw sound. Yep, one hell of a pickup!

chromium:
The TB+s sound fantastic, and given the cost alone of those used (<$100) vs. a 60s or 70s pickup (2-300?), I would be inclined to go that route for a project bass.  I have one waiting patiently for the elusive BachBird species (seen only in captivity...).  Based on my experiences with the Elitist tbird, I think one TB+ in the "sweet spot" will do me proud on the new hatchling.

One caveat - didn't someone try them in a other-than-mahogany (maple?) bass and find they were too bright/brash sounding (remembering a conversation back at DP)?  Stjofön's Ripper would be maple though...  ???   Anyway... If there is any validity to that, it may be something to consider when planning a project bass. 

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page