'60s T-Bird pickup vital statistics

[Daniel_J]

I was also interested in these specs. Not that I intend to get a T-Bird pickup made, but like Pekka I wanted to know some of its vitals, just to try to understand a little about output and basic structural details.

Anyway, here are some pics I saved a while back. Don't remember where I've found them, but if I'm not mistaken they're from a guy called David Schwab, apparently a pickup maker.



BTW Mark, I know it's not my business but if you don't be carefull, your love for the Lull pickup soon is going to become something like Uwe's black hardware fetish... 

[OldManC]

BTW Mark, I know it's not my business but if you don't be carefull, your love for the Lull pickup soon is going to become something like Uwe's black hardware fetish... 

Mark's fetishes are what make him so endearing to all of us here! 

[TBird1958]

 

I'm a girl of simple taste.................I like the best! 

Doesn't matter if we're talkin' Lingere or Thunderbird pickups.






 

[Dave W]

Daniel, that's a 70s sidewinder.

[Hornisse]

Almost looks as if they used 2 of the G-3 pickups side by side. 

[Daniel_J]

Daniel, that's a 70s sidewinder.

So, nothing to do with the T-Bird pickup?

[TBird1958]

 It's the pickup from a '76 'Bird. Personally I like them in '76's, however it is nothing like a '60s pickup in sound or construction, also it's taller.

[Dave W]

To add to what Mark said, the EB-series mudbucker and the 76 T-Bird pickup use the same sidewinder principle. But unlike the mudbucker, the 76 T-bird pickup has normal size coils and isn't way overwound. Again, completely different construction from the 60s T-Bird pickups.

[Highlander]

That's where I was getting mixed up...

[JazzBassTbird]

Hello everyone! I've been trying to find information about the original Thunderbird pickups. The usual stuff: ohms, wire gauge, magnets etc.

I have two NOS '70s covers and my friend is a pickup maker, you'll might guess the rest!:) Our aim is not to make an exact copy but to get into the ballpark.

Thanks in advance!

PS. The pickups are going to the inverness green NR seen on this thread:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=657989&highlight=non+reverse

This isn't a spec that will affect the sound, but I've disassembled 4 '60s TB pickups in the past, 1 pair with nickel covers from a reverse 'Bird, and a pair of chrome covered PUs from an NR '67.

1. Most (or all) '60s TB pickups have bobbins originally intended for a Gibson steel guitar. It was the only part in their inventory long enough to fit a bass, but these were molded with holes for adjustable pole pieces so Gibson filed the centers out (somewhat crudely, in fact) to fit the blade magnets.

2. The nickel covered PUs had cream bobbins and the chrome pickups had black...sort of like PAFs from the '50s!

Again, this won't affect the sound, but interesting details nevertheless...

[uwe]

Wot? Color of the bobbins does not affect sound?!!!

[Highlander]

Fins, Uwe... fins...

[uwe]

Ah, yes, how could I have forgotten that. 

[Highlander]

A man of your stature is allowed a sin or two in his life...

[godofthunder]

I had one apart years ago, sorry no pics but it wasn't much of anything, a big thin single coil, as stated before looked like a Gibson lap steel pickup with a blade.