The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: bdgotoh on August 28, 2011, 09:11:40 PM
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I'm looking for a bass with split-coil Tbird pickups and focusing on those built between '88 and the early '90s. A 1991 popped up on TB so I asked the guy for pic of the pickup back. Has anyone ever seen one like this?
(http://i776.photobucket.com/albums/yy46/bdgotoh/tbird.jpg)
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I have never seen a one like that !
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I've seen one of those. It's most likely a mid 80's t bird pickup. Then I think they went to the split coil and then the standard as they have now. Should sound good.
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Mid '80s? As in Custom Shop? Or when they re issued, 1988 I think?
That I'm aware of this would be the 5th distinct variation of pickups used since the re issue.
The Split Coil in this pic is from my '89
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/DSC00015.jpg)
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Mark...is that an Orville right next to it???
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No Baz, it's one of the several variants Gibson used as stock, late '90s and '00s. I stripped the black plastic and potted it in a '76 cover.
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That frickin' looks like the underside of an Orville!!! I need to find one of those split coil pickups and an Orville to send to Steve Soar to back engineer!!
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I may still have the patially destroyed carcass of a split coil......... :sad:
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Cool. I want it to send to Steve Soar from Thunderbucker Ranch. That will be 1/2 the battle....then....one Orville with the blue epoxied bottom!!! Let me know!
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Ok Baz, I'll take a pic of it for you later today after I get off work............... With some reluctance (due to my clumsiness in trying to drill mounting holes) I'll post it's sad necrotic state ;)
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Just email me at:
jswoquinn@sbcglobal.net
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Will do......but I'm prepared for a public drubbing for wrecking one too :mrgreen:
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Here is a shot of my '00 Blackbird pickup (left), along with the one from my '07 Thunderbird IV (center top) and one of the pups I just received from Denis (right). My Blackbird has always had at least 1/4 more output than my T-bird IV, and had a bigger, cleaner, rounder sound. I remember reading somewhere that the Blackbird pups were slightly different than the stock TB+ (but right now I can't find the article/source) and I've been on the hunt for a set to drop in my IV. The pups in the IV are definitely different - you can see the plastic housing is changed around the screw holes and there are also what look like two brass metal strips that you don't see on the others. There is also less of the epoxy or whatever that clearcoat filler is as well. After I got the "Denis" pups installed in the IV - I was very pleased to find out that they are a dead on match for the Blackbird.
(http://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj401/stiles72/thunderbird/tbirdpupzzzzz001.jpg)
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That...is cool. I wonder...could they be the same pickup??? Just packaged differently???? Hmmm....
Mark...Don't worry...I'll take the blame. This is for all of us by the way...I just want some of us nuts to have an option for a HOTTER pickup. I always HATED those preamps in the old Hamer 8 string basses...or any of that active crap. When I built the first NR T bird IV 8 string, I don't think I had ever used the Orvilles before. That was an experiment. An experiment that went CRAZY GOOD!!!!!! I used a split pickup coil t bird in the neck position of my Hamer 12 string that I built last year. I found myself turning off the bridge pickup!!! THAT is HOW GOOD it sounded. My goal is to have Steve build a Prototype spilt Pickup t bird pickup and an Orville replica. He's got the '63 and '66 down and from what I heard...works of ART!!!! Anybody got a 10k Orville to sell me??? I'll offer up the lamb of sacrifice to the altar of THUNDER!!!!!!!
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For those of you that haven't seen an Orville.......
Some pickup frontal nudity.
A chrome plated Orville, on Baz's Non Reverse 8 string, very similar to the black plastic coated Gibson in appearance
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/1314678644.jpg)
The one that RAWRS, a Greco Thunderbird II - a very loud pickup
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/1314678525.jpg)
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/1314678507.jpg)
And it pains me to show this........But here's a split coil thatmet an unfortunate end after having it's black plastic casing stripped off. ( Had to shoot it on my copy of "The Mighty Eighth" for Kenny)
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/1314678917.jpg)
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd306/veronicasteed/1314678893.jpg)
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That definitely gives Steve something to work with!
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... (Had to shoot it on my copy of "The Mighty Eighth" for Kenny) ...
Dank... plenty of Kleenex handy... :mrgreen:
How did you end up splitting the coil like that...? :sad: :sad: :sad:
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The Greco pickup is exactly like the one Steve back engineered. I still have to find an Orville for him to study.
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The Greco pickup is exactly like the one Steve back engineered...
NO, IT'S NOT...ThunderBuckers are reverse engineered from 60s pups.
After ALL the work was done on the 63 and 66, when Steve visited we listened to my '89 Orville by Gibson. He took one of the pups (appears to be the same as used in the Greco) from it's cover to analyze it. Physically it's a VERY different pickup from a ThunderBucker/ Gibson original 60s pup. IMO it gets it's (harsher?) 'sound' from the magnets rather than from copper wire. That might work better for an 8 or 12 string.
Maximizing the 60s sound characteristics is the logic behind the 666, it fits in the same can and uses the same physical dimensions of the components of a ThunderBucker. It has a stronger but not overpowering magnetic field and maximum copper.
He's also working on a system similar to the original L-1000 G & L, passive V/T/B pots with coil switch to get the max variety of sounds from the 666.
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No, Carlo, you're correct. That's what I meant for the 666. I didn't mean the 63 and 66. As you said, he did use original T bird pickups. I meant for the Hotter one he used your's, which I believe is a Greco. But I'm trying to find an Orville to send to him to dissect. The Greco's are hotter and sound Kick ass as well.... But there is something about those damn Orville's that remains a mystery......
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A couple more bottom side shots...
Just got this from the seller of the red "Custom Shop" Bird that's on Ebay right now:
(http://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj401/stiles72/thunderbird/1_IMG955679.jpg)
And here's a Bartolini :
(http://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj401/stiles72/Bluebird/bartolini_t4cbcb_02.jpg)
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Dank... plenty of Kleenex handy... :mrgreen:
How did you end up splitting the coil like that...? :sad: :sad: :sad:
Unintentionally...........A drill bit :sad:
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A couple more bottom side shots...
Just got this from the seller of the red "Custom Shop" Bird that's on Ebay right now:
(http://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj401/stiles72/thunderbird/1_IMG955679.jpg)
Isn't "204" what the Nikki Sixx 'Birds were equipped with?
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My Sixx says "214" on the neck, and "205" on the bridge. Not sure if those are part #'s or inspection codes. I called Gibson once to ask what they were for, and they said they had no idea.
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I have a pair of TB Plus at home that came from a recent model (08 maybe?) and they have 204 & 205 written on them. They measure the exact same output on the meter.
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Mine said 204, 205 IIRC