I hesitate to post this. $45 Thunderbird pickups.

[Basvarken]

German pickup builder who also makes a Tbird repro humbucker

http://www.barfuss-pickups.de/bass-tonabnehmer/

[drbassman]

That was a good description if you ask me! Thanks!

I'm planning to replace the original pickups in my '76 with these. Do I need rings or can I use the originals?

Also, as I have to change the wiring, what pots? 500 or 250 kOhms?

The China buckers come with rings and screws.  I use 500 Pham in the vol and 300 or 250 on the tone.  300 ohms are hard to find and cost double the 250.  I can't say I can hear a difference.

[Pekka]

I ordered them without rings, there's an option at their site. Thanks for the potentiometer info, 500 and 250 it is then.

[Alanko]

I used my Hagstrom 8 string last night at rehearsal, and under gainy settings the pickups were pretty prone to squealing. I've noticed they are also pretty microphonic, but they sound so good I don't want to pot them!

[clankenstein]

if the squealing stops when you put your finger on the pickup cover then gaffer tape on the inside of the cover may work.

[veebass]

I think I wrote here earlier that the bridge pup (nominal 9.2K) needed to be raised quite high to get a reasonable balance with a nominal 9.2K neck pickup. The pickup heights I settled with were- neck 8 mm below bottom of E string and bridge 10mm. Sounds great to me- just exactly what I was looking for.
The problem with this is the bridge pickup is almost out of the body and is a little unsupported, even with the chromed ring fitted. You can see the issue in this pic.

This worried me because the external wiring of the pickups is a little flimsy IMO (I had one arrive DOA because the external wiring was broken) and I didn't want to risk damaging the wiring by knocking the pickup sideways while playing it.
So I ordered some spacers from Thunderbucker Ranch. http://www.thunderbuckerranch.com/
Worked a treat- put one under the ring for the neck pickup and two under the ring around the bridge pickup- bridge pickup now solid as a rock. The spacers are ever so slightly smaller than the rings- I am guessing they are designed to go with genuine rings or the reissues that Thunderbucker Ranch sells- but no big deal. Well worth considering, if you go with these pickups.


BTW- I played her today after I finished installing the spacers and she sounds so great. Very happy.

[Bionic-Joe]

OK...I bought 2 nickel pickups...they have been sitting in Customs for 6 days now....is this normal?

[nofi]

how high is the g string off of that pickup?

[veebass]

how high is the g string off of that pickup?

Neck pickup minimum 2mm, bridge 4mm. I must have been having a senior moment when I measured the distances for my post above. 

[Alanko]

You could lower the bridge pickup slightly and use a trimmer internally to calm the neck pickup down a bit?

[veebass]

You could lower the bridge pickup slightly and use a trimmer internally to calm the neck pickup down a bit?

Yes or use the spare 8.2K one I have, which actually reads 8.5K, in the neck position. I like the sound of higher resistance one I have in the neck at present and the strings don't hit the pickups as I play, so all good.

[Basvarken]

I found a (new old stock) black BTH-1 for a customer of mine. Installed a repro humbucker and a custom pickguard.
This weekend its off to Spain.

[Nocturnal]

Looks good with the black guard on there 

[Alanko]

Would that be a Blackbird? Stealthbird? I've never seen an all-black T-bird before, but that thing looks killer!

[gearHed289]

I found a (new old stock) black BTH-1 for a customer of mine. Installed a repro humbucker and a custom pickguard.
This weekend its off to Spain.

It's beautiful! Wow...