dc2009 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 (edited) No, not after advice on how to treat my thunderbird addiction, but I just picked up this beauty today: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120924020390?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648#ht_720wt_1396"]http://www.ebay.co.u...8#ht_720wt_1396[/url] Note the neck strap button is handily integrated with the neck plate, to avoid the old-TB neck dive issue I now have plans to modify the hell out of it and have it as a keeper for years to come, which essentially means a gutting and a start again, because the stock parts are, well, terrible. So I'm after your advice on what to do, what bits suit it and me etc. Photos can be found here: [media]http://www.flickr.com/photos/67679611@N03/sets/72157629998566913/[/media] I have in mind to change the following:[list] [*]Pickups [*]Bridge (the standard instrument is 1.73" at the nut, 34" scale length, unsure of string spacing) [*]Pickguard (already taken care of) [*]Perhaps the electronics too [/list] So I would like all and any advice on which models would 1) be good in my bass, 2) fit my bass, 3) suit me and my sound. As a rough guide, the pretty accurate dimensions of the pickup parts (see photos) are: Pickup: 70x37 Pickup Hole Routing: 75x40 (85 wide at extremes of rounds, which are each 21 high) Pickup cover: 91x45 Pickup cover internal dims: 70x40 My typical sound is fairly aggressive with quite a lot of attack, think Flea on Stadium Arcadium (21st Century is a good track) with a bit more treble, I prefer to play with fingers to get this sound but can play (poorly) with a pick when the tone is lacking. Any idea what parts will go well in it? My budget isn't huge, but this will still end up some way short of a Mike Lull bass, so I'm happy to spend a fair bit on it. Cheers, Dan Edited June 5, 2012 by dc2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Dan! Nice project you have there. I've had a lot of basses and set up even more for my friends- and without doubt the epi thunderbird had by far the worst hard wear- but I thought it was just me. The bridge esp was terrible. anyway not much help for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Cheers, Luke. I was tossing up earlier which was worse, the bridge or the pickups. Have come to the conclusion that I can't be bothered replacing one without t'other and both will go together. That's something else I should add in, is that whilst I'm handy enough with a soldering iron, I don't have one, nor do I have any tools (had to borrow the screwdrivers just to take the parts off) so I would be giving this to a shop of sorts to fit the new parts and set up for me. Any recommendations of who to go to for such a thing would be appreciated, do the bass gallery do bridge replacements etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Would it not be cheaper just to buy some tools? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 (edited) The only direct bridge replacement is the Hipshot Supertone bridge. I have one on my RD Artist. It looks like they're using those guitar humbucker sized pickups. I had some in an Epiphone Les Paul Standard. I changed them out for a set of EMG-HB (active pickups). They fitted straight into the existing pickup rings. I think that there is the Rio Grande Pitbull pickup which should also fit right in - it's passive and coil-tappable if you wish. Also you can get TV Jones pickups in what they call "English Mount" which should also fit into Gibson guitar sized pickup rings. Edited June 5, 2012 by neepheid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 [quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1338930646' post='1681395'] Would it not be cheaper just to buy some tools? [/quote] Perhaps, but I'm in a rented house and don't exactly have a workbench or anything of the sort. I'd far rather pay someone to do the job properly and give it a good set up whilst they're at it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1338930877' post='1681399'] The only direct bridge replacement is the Hipshot Supertone bridge. I have one on my RD Artist. It looks like they're using those guitar humbucker sized pickups. I had some in an Epiphone Les Paul Standard. I changed them out for a set of EMG-HB (active pickups). They fitted straight into the existing pickup rings. I think that there is the Rio Grande Pitbull pickup which should also fit right in - it's passive and coil-tappable if you wish. Also you can get TV Jones pickups in what they call "English Mount" which should also fit into Gibson guitar sized pickup rings. [/quote] Thanks for the advice mate. What are these pickups (the Rio Grande & the TV Jones) like sound wise, I've had EMG's, Bartolinis etc in the past but these are beyond my knowledge. Also, a supertone is £129 from Bass direct, may have to ebay it. Do you think Monorail bridges or a Badass may be an alternative solution? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Bartolini list a thunderbird shaped pup on their website Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 [quote name='dc2009' timestamp='1338931231' post='1681407'] Thanks for the advice mate. What are these pickups (the Rio Grande & the TV Jones) like sound wise, I've had EMG's, Bartolinis etc in the past but these are beyond my knowledge. Also, a supertone is £129 from Bass direct, may have to ebay it. Do you think Monorail bridges or a Badass may be an alternative solution? [/quote] I don't know what they sound like, I was just thinking of pickups which would fit more or less directly into what you have. I bought my most recent Supertone second hand from someone on here. You could try Bass Parts Resource in the US - [url="http://www.basspartsresource.com/bridge_hipshots.htm"]http://www.basspartsresource.com/bridge_hipshots.htm[/url] - $114.99 posted, and the last time I got one this way it snuck under the taxman's nose. I wasn't going to point it out to them So that means (approx) £75 if you don't get done for tax, £90 if you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1338932175' post='1681426'] Bartolini list a thunderbird shaped pup on their website [/quote] Those are designed for Gibson Thunderbirds with directly mounted soapbars, not pickup rings and will need routing in this body to fit them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 [quote name='dc2009' timestamp='1338931231' post='1681407'] Also, a supertone is £129 from Bass direct, may have to ebay it. Do you think Monorail bridges or a Badass may be an alternative solution? [/quote] Try getting one from the States on Ebay. I paid under £70 for mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 I think hipshot do a supertone bridge which is a vast improcement on that horrible 3-point design. but anything that secures to the body and is easy to set up should do. Personally I would screw in a hipshot A style bridge a simlar but I dont mind about holes etc. Pickups, anything really will an upgrade. I would try and stick a pare of MM replacements in there from Seymour Duncan, and then an a 2 band 3 knob MMSR, and add either a blend or some other switching system which can be easyily added. Then you get the tones you are probably after in a different box, although (I'm only assumimng) the neck wouldn't feel too good and I have no idea about that other than sandinmg it back and finishing in gunstock or somegthing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Guys, my current bridge looks to be three point but neither the three nor two point supertones look to be exact matches, which am I after? Also does anyone have any experience with the pickups neepheid kindly identified? As a reminder they are: EMG HB TV Jones Rio Grande Pitbull Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 (edited) There is no need to muddy the waters with the 2 point replacement. It is definitely the 3 point variant you want. It will fit, I've fit a Supertone to an Epiphone EB-0 and EB-3 as well as my RD Artist. It comes with two sets of bolts (metric/imperial I guess) to cover both Epiphones and Gibsons. The front bolt is not used on the Supertone - the unit covers it completely and is secured with the 2 side bolts. The only gotcha I've encountered was actually on my Gibson - the insert for the front bolt was the same as the side ones, not the smaller diameter and therefore the Supertone didn't slide over the front but rested precariously on its edges. So I got the Dremel out and ground out the front slot in the base of the bridge a mm or so each side. Then it fit fine. Looking at the pictures of your bass though, it doesn't look like you'll have this problem. Edited June 6, 2012 by neepheid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmachine2112 Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Hi,here,s a thought. Just get an Epi Pro-4-schaller type bridge,through neck,active electronics defo a cheaper way to do it. Sexy as hell in black. Or hang on a bit and get am Epi classic with american thunderbird pick ups,through neck as well in white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 The Supertone is a great bridge, I fitted one to my Epi bird in about 5 minutes, again, EBay from the US worked out about £75. I've got a pair of Seymour Duncan SSB4 pickups in mine, but I'm thinking of going the whole hog and putting some Lulls in there. Still got the original Epi black pups kicking around, too. 'Modify the hell out of it' you say? How about my list: new neck, new nut, new tuners, new wiring, new pots, new straplocks, new knobs, new pickups, new bridge. The wood of the body and the neck plate are original though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 [quote name='bassmachine2112' timestamp='1338976655' post='1681770'] Hi,here,s a thought. Just get an Epi Pro-4-schaller type bridge,through neck,active electronics defo a cheaper way to do it. Sexy as hell in black. Or hang on a bit and get am Epi classic with american thunderbird pick ups,through neck as well in white. [/quote] Lol I'm trying to sell my black one! I want a white one, have had a Pro-IV and a Pro-V in black! Did not know they dud an epi classic in white, have now checked their site and it appears they do. Thing is, I'd still want to upgrade the bridge and pickups on it, as well as perhaps the electronics. So I may as well at least get myself a supertone bridge now, how many of those white ones were there made? Can't say I've seen one on ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidlovellbass Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I've wanted to do this for a long time but finding a good donor body isn't easy on anything but unlimited funds. Warmoth do a great version with lots of options but getting a bass body or neck in the country not via customs hasn't happened to me yet and i'm on my third build. BaCH do a good looking non reverse bird, with EMG humbucker size routs. Lollar sell crome covered epi thunderbird pickup replacements, good video on youtube about it too but at $200 each.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted June 7, 2012 Author Share Posted June 7, 2012 [quote name='davidlovellbass' timestamp='1339006636' post='1682377'] I've wanted to do this for a long time but finding a good donor body isn't easy on anything but unlimited funds. Warmoth do a great version with lots of options but getting a bass body or neck in the country not via customs hasn't happened to me yet and i'm on my third build. BaCH do a good looking non reverse bird, with EMG humbucker size routs. Lollar sell crome covered epi thunderbird pickup replacements, good video on youtube about it too but at $200 each.... [/quote] Thanks mate will check them out. To me, this is the cheap way to get a Lull, whose pickups are over £200 each and I'm still tempted by them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidlovellbass Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 (edited) Just had a look at the Lull t bird, looks like Lollar pickups or Thunderbucker ranch, Warmoth body and neck. A 13 degree paddle neck, with a choice of jazz or P profiles. Hipshot do a very good 2 peice bridge, or the Gibson replacement for more sustain. A Badbird bridge is a direct replacement for the original Thunderbird bridge but don't advertise a price. The last time i checked the Lull bird was £2500+ but to get all the parts would be $295 for the body then $170+ for the finish, $205 for the neck and $65 for the finish, $400 for 2 Lollar pickups or $360 for the Thunderranch which includes the pickup rings that the Lollar dosen't, $180 for the 2 peice hipshot bridge and $120 for the ultralite machines. Customs would probably charge on everything and you have to find someone to shape the headstock, templates are available and quite cheap and put the whole thing together. Not the cheap option but would produce the same product for about half the price. Never quite understood why anyone would spend out of a Fender based design from Sadowsky, Lull ect when buying direct from Warmoth and getting a luthier over here to assemble it gives the same product but for far less money. Edited June 12, 2012 by davidlovellbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRockinRoadie Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Great looking bit of kit - can't wait to see it modified! When I had an EB-3, I was looking at the Hipshot replacement bridge, but couldn't afford one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted June 17, 2012 Author Share Posted June 17, 2012 (edited) I've had the pickguard done courtesy of Howard (the bass doc), and I've gotta say it looks peachy. Couldn't get a shot in sunlight without the shadow of the window frame but the pickguard is on display, think it looks the business personally Dan Edited June 17, 2012 by dc2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Nice job. I would just like to clarify that I know very well what the EMG-HB sounds like, I was referring to the other two as having no knowledge. The EMG-HB is an EMG-35P4 in a guitar humbucker sized enclosure, so it's basically 2 split rails in a P bass configuration. It's loud, if somewhat clean, modern and to people who prefer the passive way of life, probably a bit sterile and lacking in grit/growl/inexactness. It certainly kicks butt in terms of output across the frequency spectrum, but it won't sound anything like any Thunderbird out there (except possibly the Epi Pro T-bird which I have tried - the EMG guts blow that out of the water but take the "activeness" of the sound that bit further). If you don't want it to sound anything like a Thunderbird should then go for it. I wasn't looking to make my Les Paul sound like anything other than a great bass - which it was, and I kinda miss it. You should have seen the looks of disgust on my bass playing peers at my Les Paul (yuck, that looks like a guitar) turn to first surprise and then happiness when they actually had a go of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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