'66 Thunderbucker pickups have arrived !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jumbodbassman · June 23, 2011, 08:43:53 AM

my 63's are in transit. can't wait.... First stop in the black JAEbird. If they are too tame for a JAEbird i will get a set of the 66's or maybe the orvilles (i have never played or heard an orville but everyone here loves them so...) and put the 63's in a fender ish body for my tamer R&B vibe/gig

love the CAR bass on Lull's site...

dadagoboi · June 23, 2011, 08:49:33 AM

Quote from: jumbodbassman on June 23, 2011, 08:43:53 AM
my 63's are in transit. can't wait.... First stop in the black JAEbird. If they are too tame for a JAEbird i will get a set of the 66's or maybe the orvilles (i have never played or heard an orville but everyone here loves them so...) and put the 63's in a fender ish body for my tamer R&B vibe/gig

love the CAR bass on Lull's site...

Check here for future developments
http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=5784.msg93399#new

bdgotoh · June 23, 2011, 09:36:20 PM

Quote from: Dave W on June 22, 2011, 06:18:52 PM
True, but the pics on his site show a pickguard. http://www.mikelull.com/Instruments/PT4_PT5/PT_Large.htm

I meant the body shape anyway. The bridge does look closer to G&L than Fender.

Looks nice with the T-bird pickups. Brad's bass without the pickguard looks even better.

The bridge is a stock Hipshot B, Mike uses that or Hipshot A and I really don't like the A bridge. The B is light and low profile and the saddles don't move around like on a classic Fender bridge.

I asked Mike to build it without a pickguard so he could put the pickups where they are on a Tbird. The PTs with guards cram the pickups too close to the bridge for me. I do like how the single pickup PT bass looks with a pickguard though. I'm looking for a split coil Gibson Tbird pickup to put into a single pup PT.

I asked Mike when I ordered about mahogany for the body and neck because I wanted the bass to sound as good as the T4 I had at the time. He said that alder and a maple neck sounded just as good to him so I went with his recommendation. I think it's a touch brighter than the T4 but I like that.

dadagoboi · June 24, 2011, 05:11:13 AM

Quote from: bdgotoh on June 23, 2011, 09:36:20 PM

I asked Mike to build it without a pickguard so he could put the pickups where they are on a Tbird. The PTs with guards cram the pickups too close to the bridge for me. I do like how the single pickup PT bass looks with a pickguard though. I'm looking for a split coil Gibson Tbird pickup to put into a single pup PT.

That's why I like the Jazz body for a dual ThunderBucker conversion. It's very easy to rout a Jazz pick guard for a Tbird neck pup in the standard vintage 'bird position since it completely overlaps the Jazz position. I also like stacked pots for the conversion, separate tone/vol for each pup They act completely independently unlike the standard 3 pot setup.

If you mean a coil tapped pickup, Steve might be able to help, either coil tapping an original 60s Gibby or a ThunderBucker.

ThunderBucker · June 24, 2011, 02:27:21 PM

Shipped today, 2 sets of 66 ThunderBuckers to addresses in Australia and a 63 bridge to Illinois! ThunderBuckers around the world!

Denis · June 24, 2011, 02:41:36 PM

I'm itching to order a Thunderbucker for my BaCH TH-1. I think I'd like to go for the '66 BUT, should I order a neck or bridge pickup? Pots, jack, etc have all been replaced and it as LaBella Deep Talkin' flats on it now.
Suggestions would be welcome!

bdgotoh · June 24, 2011, 02:59:43 PM

Quote from: dadagoboi
If you mean a coil tapped pickup, Steve might be able to help, either coil tapping an original 60s Gibby or a ThunderBucker.

I'm not really sure what I mean. I got a chance to hear a pickup in Andre's 12 string Hamer what was supposedly a Gibson splitcoil. I found this pic here, I think it was Mark's photo. I really liked the tone, sort of a cross between a P bass and a Tbird pickup. Did these come on any particular year of Tbird? Are they impossible to find used?

ThunderBucker · June 24, 2011, 04:00:04 PM

Quote from: Denis on June 24, 2011, 02:41:36 PM
I'm itching to order a Thunderbucker for my BaCH TH-1. I think I'd like to go for the '66 BUT, should I order a neck or bridge pickup? Pots, jack, etc have all been replaced and it as LaBella Deep Talkin' flats on it now.
Suggestions would be welcome!

HI Denis, the difference between the B and N is that the B has a few changes to make it hotter. If you want maximum output, then the B is the way to go. The N will be a little less "in your face". Depends on what you want....

Dave W · June 24, 2011, 05:45:42 PM

Coil tap is not the same as a split coil.

Mark might know more about when the split coil TBird pickups were made.

TBird1958 · June 24, 2011, 06:29:24 PM

Quote from: bdgotoh on June 24, 2011, 02:59:43 PM
I'm not really sure what I mean. I got a chance to hear a pickup in Andre's 12 string Hamer what was supposedly a Gibson splitcoil. I found this pic here, I think it was Mark's photo. I really liked the tone, sort of a cross between a P bass and a Tbird pickup. Did these come on any particular year of Tbird? Are they impossible to find used?

Hey Brad,

That is mine

It's a black one that's had it's outside cover peeled off then fit inyo a '76 cover. Definately a good T Bird pup I don't know how long they used them tho. Likely from re intro in '88 till the early '90s.

Freuds_Cat · June 24, 2011, 06:29:43 PM

Quote from: ThunderBucker on June 24, 2011, 02:27:21 PM
Shipped today, 2 sets of 66 ThunderBuckers to addresses in Australia

bdgotoh · June 24, 2011, 10:42:03 PM

Quote from: TBird1958Likely from re intro in '88 till the early '90s.

Thanks Mark, I appreciate it. I need to keep some magnetic viewing paper in my car now...

Aussie Mark · June 26, 2011, 10:07:33 PM

Quote from: ThunderBucker on June 24, 2011, 02:27:21 PM
Shipped today, 2 sets of 66 ThunderBuckers to addresses in Australia and a 63 bridge to Illinois! ThunderBuckers around the world!

Yay!

stiles72 · July 05, 2011, 08:31:30 AM

Quote from: dadagoboi on June 23, 2011, 06:40:50 AM

I contacted ThunderBucker Ranch to build a TBer '666 model to add to the current line, based on replicating (or improving) the high output sound of Orville by Gibson pickups. Hotter magnets and more wire (2 miles is NOT ENOUGH ) is the starting point.

Can't wait to hear how these "666" pups turn out. The pups in my Blackbird are way hotter, cleaner, and deeper than any of the other T-bird pup variants I've heard; and I was getting ready to pull the trigger on a set of '66 Thunderbuckers - but these "666"'s might be even closer to what I'm looking for.

dadagoboi · July 05, 2011, 08:50:08 AM

Quote from: stiles72 on July 05, 2011, 08:31:30 AM
Can't wait to hear how these "666" pups turn out. The pups in my Blackbird are way hotter, cleaner, and deeper than any of the other T-bird pup variants I've heard; and I was getting ready to pull the trigger on a set of '66 Thunderbuckers - but these "666"'s might be even closer to what I'm looking for.

I'll pass it on to Steve, you might also drop him a line. He's been doing a lot of research with various Thunderbird type pups and I'm sending him an early G&L to help figure out the best way to coil tap for output and tone.