mikekaperys Posted May 10, 2013 Share Posted May 10, 2013 Not sure if this is the right forum for this, I'm sure someone will move the thread if not. But anyway.. I've recently bought a Thunderbird really cheap as a bit of a project, I plan to get some hipshot tuners on here, a super tone bridge and some new pups (at the moment the electronics are dodgy - previous owner did something with them). Ive been looking at the EMG TBDC Thinderbird replacement pickups from GAK, just wanted to know what everyone thinks? Are they any good? Do the fit straight in without drilling holes? On the photo they have two screw holes, my current pickups have three :/ If I'm looking at some notoriously bad pickups someone please point me in the right direction! :L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikekaperys Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 Bump for help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 What Thunderbird have you bought? Gibson? Epiphone? and which model is it? - they are all different and have different sized pickup routes. What is wrong with the existing pickups? What sort of sound are you after? Classic 60s Thunderbird or just a better sounding bass then you have at the the moment? How much do you want to spend? There are far better pickups available for Thunderbirds which are straight drop in replacements, which the EMGs might not be and besides IMO EMG pickups on the whole are rather bland sounding and the HZ range which the ones you are looking at particularly so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikekaperys Posted May 17, 2013 Author Share Posted May 17, 2013 It's an Epiphone Thunderbird IV. There's not really anything wrong particularly with the pickups, they're just not the sound I want. They're very warm and dull, I want quite a defined bright but fat low end tone for classic 80s kinda heavy rock stuff. The 'hair metal' sound. Looking to spend no more than £200 really. I'm a total novice when it comes to pickups! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 That's the standard Epiphone model with the bolt-on neck? I don't think that any of the classic Thunderbird replacement pickups will be right for you and they certainly wouldn't fit your budget as you are looking at a figure of around £200 per pickup. I'm not entirely sure that the EMG pickups you are looking at would suit the sound you are after as they are from the HZ passive range, rather than the more usual active EMG pickups. I used to own a bass with HZ soapbars and the sound was underwhelming to say the least. Unfortunately IMO the only way to find out if a set of pickups are the right ones for you is to try them out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikekaperys Posted May 18, 2013 Author Share Posted May 18, 2013 Yeah it is Okay, thankyou! I'll see of any of my local music stores have any basses with those pickups in to try Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 I put a set of passive EMG Hz into my Fenderbird project thing, and was, as BRX says, pretty underwhelmed by the result. If you're after the 80s metal sound, you'll want the active EMG setup, but I think that might bust your budget and also I doubt you'll fit the active EQ and battery into the bass- the control cavity is pretty shallow on those: I put a pull-serial pot in mine and found I couldn't get the cavity panel back on flush afterwards... Perhaps try a couple of the custom pickup makers like Wizard or Cats Whiskers, they may be able to make you something? They're not as expensive as you'd think, and they're certainly worth a phone call to chat about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikekaperys Posted May 19, 2013 Author Share Posted May 19, 2013 I've actually spoken to the guys from Wizard before at a guitar show in Birmingham and tried a bass with their pickups, they did sound good! I'll defintley give them a call. Thankyou! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 if you've ordered the Wizards they have a great reputation for everything except answering their phones. I've just fitted some Kent Armstrong Hor traditional Pups to my Precision copy and I can't tell you how good they sound, just the sort of thing you are looking for in your post. Might be worth seeing if they do a replacement for your PUPs. Only £50 for mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 There's plenty of info on the Kent Armstrongs here http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/soapbar-bass-pu-4-or-5-string-bridge-1226-p.asp Never used them myself, but they look like they'll fit, and one reviewer had them in a TBird copy, so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikekaperys Posted May 19, 2013 Author Share Posted May 19, 2013 I'll have a look into the Kent Armstrongs, I've neve used them. I don't suppose you have any sound clips? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted May 20, 2013 Share Posted May 20, 2013 I found very little in the way of useful soundclips on any PUPs when I was trying to research them. A few you tube clips but with bassists of wildly differing skills playing their pride and joy all through different amps/speakers and fitted to different guitars so you can't make any meaningful comparisons. Seymour Duncan have clips of theirs but even then the bassist was more interested in showing himself off rather than the pups. In the end i took a leap in the dark but it worked out OK, better than OK really. Hot trad really describes what I bought from Kent Armstrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikekaperys Posted May 20, 2013 Author Share Posted May 20, 2013 I think I'll probably go for the Kent Armstrong ones, I've been researching them online any people only seem to have good things to say about them. I emailed Wizard Pickups, their reply was "Mike. Not something we make. Andy" very helpful.. Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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