Thunderbuckers and SixxBuckers on the 'Bay

Iome · January 07, 2014, 01:32:16 PM

Don't know if it's a good price but thought i'd post it here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thunderbucker-Pickups-Set-of-2-for-Gibson-Thunderbird-Bass-Lightly-Used-/181294193308?pt=Guitar&hash=item2a35f9da9c

And here are the SixxBuckers: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-Of-Gibson-Nikki-Sixx-Thunderbird-Bass-Pickups-/181293015720?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2a35e7e2a8

Are these different from the normal Tb+ ?

Denis · January 07, 2014, 02:03:47 PM

I've been watching the Thunderbuckers.

pilgrim9 · January 07, 2014, 02:47:25 PM

I am bidding on the Blackbird and a set of TB+, just need one pair for my Fenderbird. I would love to get the Thunderbuckers but just can`t afford $249 right now. The Epiphone pickups make a otherwise great bass useless, just no treble at all. I think the pickups are all TB+, the Epi Sixx`s had different pickups but the Gibsons where just TB+ from what I found on the Gibson site.

stiles72 · January 07, 2014, 03:20:21 PM

My Sixxbird's pups sound very different than my Thunderbird IV. The output is louder, smoother, and a bit darker. The IV didn't have anywhere near the output, and the mids were more pronounced and aggressive in comparison. I bought a set of black TB+ pups from Dennis a while back that looked like they may have came from a Blackbird, and loaded them into my IV. They were a closer match, but still not quite exact. Nice pups nonetheless.

Dave W · January 07, 2014, 08:00:37 PM

The seller of the Thunderbuckers is a member here (kebo) although he hasn't been active in ages.

Iome · January 08, 2014, 12:41:39 AM

If i'm not wrong the Sixx Tbird has a different wiring (no volume or no tone...or both, can't remember). Could less/different pots and caps change the sound in a audible way???

dadagoboi · January 08, 2014, 04:14:33 AM

Quote from: Iome on January 08, 2014, 12:41:39 AM
If i'm not wrong the Sixx Tbird has a different wiring (no volume or no tone...or both, can't remember). Could less/different pots and caps change the sound in a audible way???

Not that much. Judging from stiles72's description of the sound Sixx pickups are overwound with hotter magnets. That's the usual way to make a pickup louder and darker.

A ThunderBucker MAX is twice as loud (3dB) than an original 60s NR pickup using that trick.

Iome · January 08, 2014, 06:06:54 AM

At least Gibson has made something different from the usual Tb+...

stiles72 · January 09, 2014, 12:44:47 AM

Gibson listed them as "TB+" (same as the IV), but I'm pretty sure they are overwound as Carlo mentioned.

Unlike Gibson, Epiphone actually published some specs a while back that list the differences between their "Deep Sixx" pickups and their other Thunderbird pickups:

http://rowbinet.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/gibson-epiphone-pickups2.jpg