The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: gearHed289 on February 13, 2011, 01:00:12 PM

Title: Passive EMG for Thunderbird
Post by: gearHed289 on February 13, 2011, 01:00:12 PM

Stumbled across these while I was copying some info for some eBay auctions...

http://www.emginc.com/products/category/260/2

Title: Re: Passive EMG for Thunderbird
Post by: dadagoboi on February 13, 2011, 02:05:24 PM

I have a few 35HZ EMGs and they sound close to a vintage TBird pup IMO.  I decided not to use them in the JAEbird project because the Duncans are similar in sound and cost less.  It was also very difficult (for me anyway) to contact EMG.

It's possible this is a rebodied 35HZ, the mounting holes are the same distance apart.

Title: Re: Passive EMG for Thunderbird
Post by: Basvarken on February 13, 2011, 02:30:44 PM

Interesting!
Are they 100 dollar each?

Title: Re: Passive EMG for Thunderbird
Post by: the mojo hobo on February 13, 2011, 02:50:42 PM

Available direct from EMG for $99.

A search for EMG TB-HZ found this:

(http://www.schecterguitars.com/Telerik.Web.UI.WebResource.axd?imgid=742fcf9a8ff94fbc9fa1e14bf78152f5&type=rbi)

EMG TBHZ Custom Passive Soapbar

A Passive pickup, custom made exclusively for Schecter's Ultra Bass, designed to fairly reproduce the sought after growl of the popular '70s era bass soapbar.

http://www.schecterguitars.com/Products/Bass/Ultra-Bass.aspx

Title: Re: Passive EMG for Thunderbird
Post by: gearHed289 on February 13, 2011, 04:16:44 PM

Quote from: dadagoboi on February 13, 2011, 02:05:24 PM

I have a few 35HZ EMGs and they sound close to a vintage TBird pup IMO.  I decided not to use them in the JAEbird project because the Duncans are similar in sound and cost less.  It was also very difficult (for me anyway) to contact EMG.

It's possible this is a rebodied 35HZ, the mounting holes are the same distance apart.

They often put the same guts in different sized housings. I'm currently selling a pair of HBs which are P guts in a humbucker sized cover.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280629768667&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

They are also offering the T-bird cover with active P, J, DC (double coil), CS (ceramic and steel), and TW (dual mode) internals.

Title: Re: Passive EMG for Thunderbird
Post by: the mojo hobo on February 14, 2011, 11:16:40 AM

If EMG would offer these in chrome they'd probably sell a hundred to the folks in this forum.

Title: Re: Passive EMG for Thunderbird
Post by: uwe on February 14, 2011, 11:22:33 AM

Since when can EMGs produce mids?  :o Have they discovered the secret recipe?

Title: Re: Passive EMG for Thunderbird
Post by: exiledarchangel on February 15, 2011, 12:40:47 AM

Since its a passive unit, it must have some mids in, what the heck. :P

Title: Re: Passive EMG for Thunderbird
Post by: Psycho Bass Guy on February 15, 2011, 02:04:09 AM

Quote from: uwe on February 14, 2011, 11:22:33 AM

Since when can EMGs produce mids?  :o Have they discovered the secret recipe?

Oddly enough, I've been playing my G&L L5500 (EMG pickups and preamp) a lot lately and with a little tweaking of the onboard BTC dip switches, it puts out some nice mids. The top end it still very EMG, but the basic sound is very nice. I still prefer the MFD's in my L2500, but by tweaking the L5500's preamp, it really became a useable bass and not just a synth-y/keyboardy-y novelty sound.

Title: Re: Passive EMG for Thunderbird
Post by: dadagoboi on February 15, 2011, 05:28:14 AM

Quote from: Psycho Bass Guy on February 15, 2011, 02:04:09 AM

Oddly enough, I've been playing my G&L L5500 (EMG pickups and preamp) a lot lately and with a little tweaking of the onboard BTC dip switches, it puts out some nice mids. The top end it still very EMG, but the basic sound is very nice. I still prefer the MFD's in my L2500, but by tweaking the L5500's preamp, it really became a useable bass and not just a synth-y/keyboardy-y novelty sound.

Yeah, just because you can get those sounds doesn't mean you have to!