andrewsrea wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:16 am
Partscaster wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 8:45 pm
His Firebird is perfect, authentic FB design with 2 mags on edge...I
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It is ironic that the FB 'side-by-side' pickups are becoming an internet legend. The 60's FB's were magnets facing the strings and only for a few years beginning around 1972 the side-facing pups were made (the Thunderbird Bass pups started this in the late 60's). I believe they were in response to the sometimes-brittle high end of the bridge pups which had the strong Alnico 5 magnets. I remember resoundingly, players of that time
hated them and the reissue Firebirds faded out after the Bicentennial model. They made the neck selection total mud and the bridge sound like it had a blanket.
Later, people picked up on that you can use the original Alnico 2 (only a few years in the early 60's) magnets and a capacitor to perfectly dial in the bridge pickup. It is one of my favorite pickups.
I'll have to try to build a side-facing FB pup for curiosity.
I'm still confused, I think.
FWIW, heres the text from D'Urbano for their FB pickup: (I may have been wrong with my description of 2 mags, edges upward, as being what D'Urbano's design is. Seems like that relates to the 70's Bill Lawrence FB pup design? )
From D'Urbano Magnetics: "THEIR DESIGN IS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL 1963 FIREBIRD PICKUPS USING ALNICO V BLADES AND A SPECIALLY DESIGNED MAGNETIC CIRCUIT TO ACHIEVE THE CLASSIC FIREBIRD TONE. I HAVE BEEFED THEM UP A LITTLE BUT STILL RETAIN THE CHARACTER OF THE CLASSIC FIREBIRD PUP."
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and here is a Firebird pickup article I found:
,
https://www.heliotricity.com/firebird-pickups/
"There have been numerous changes to the design of these pickups by Gibson since they were first introduced in 1963, here are the basics.
1963-1964 FIREBIRD GUITAR PICKUPS:
Two mini hum sized (nylon?) bobbins, both with rectangular mold holding what appears to be the bar magnets in slots of the bobbin so the windings are surrounding the magnet itself. No external bar magnets like a regular humbucker or Deluxe mini-hum. Black bobbin wires, enameled dark windings, thin metal plate covering both bobbins on the bottom side held with black, tar like glue. Two maple spacers between bobbins and bottom plate. No cutout for braided lead. It simply exits the pickup through the thin gap between the cover and bottom plate. PAT number sticker.
1965-1969 FB PICKUPS (POSSIBLY UP TO 1972, NOT COMPLETELY SURE ABOUT THAT AS OF NOW):
Two mini hum sized (nylon?) bobbins, both with rectangular mold holding what appears to be the magnets inside of the bobbin itself so the windings are surrounding the magnet itself. No external magnets like a regular humbucker or Deluxe mini-hum. White bobbin wires, Polyurethane coated bright orange windings, thin metal plate covering both bobbins on the bottom side held with black, tar like glue. Notched cutout in base plate corner for braided lead wires. PAT number sticker.
1970’S FIREBIRD (’76 BICENTENNIAL AND AFTER?):
Editors Note: This section has been updated to include what we now know thanks to Wallace Blackie Gold’s explosive and groundbreaking post (included below). WBG’s expert study, accompanied by blistering clips from the recently deceased Daniel Shams of Heliotricity blew the doors open and shed unprecedented light on these previously “mysterious” 70’s Firebird pups.
Gibson bicentennial firebird guitars used two different designs for the neck and the bridge pickups. The neck pickup was the standard 1965-1969 design (very possibly the same pickup that was in the Medallion Firebirds but without the embossed cover) but the bridge was a unique Bill Lawrence “sidewinder” design utilizing two mini hum size bobbins positioned 90 degrees from the original angle. Windings face upward to top of pickup. This pickup had a single thick ceramic bar magnet slipped between bobbins also 90 degrees from normal bar magnet position. Bottom plate is stamped with pat number."
"The man that hath no music in himself, nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils. The motions of his spirit are dull as night, and his affections dark as Erebus. Let no such man be trusted."
