Bg1400 with a Firebird neck?

Isn't a Firebird close to a mini-Hum? That's exactly what I want to do with my quasi-Nashville Tele.
 
Completely different design, with a difference in response. Firebird units seem to have more bite, depending on the magnets used. The vintage Gibson units were Alnico 5. Today they use a ceramic magnet. I prefer the alnico.
 
I could see this working well. I think they sound very different, but that can be a good thing.
 
Isn't a Firebird close to a mini-Hum? That's exactly what I want to do with my quasi-Nashville Tele.

Firebird actually has whole magnets surrounded by the coil. One in each coil.

It sees the same footprint as a mini but it's brighter and more percussive because of the magnets. I know this to be true from experience but I have no idea what's actually causing the difference but it's relatively significant.
 
right. the firebird pup are mini humbucker are constructed differently. the mini is pretty similar to a paf type construction but smaller and with a rail pole piece instead of studs on that coil. the firebird uses a bar magnet in the center of each coil, a bottom plate, and a small top plate across both magnets under the b string.

due to the magnet being the pole piece, the firebird pup has a more single coil attack than a mini humbucker.
 
it will be very different from neck to bridge, which you may or may not like.
a true firebird pickup is more a scooped sound like a strat pickup but a bit more bass and muscular.

The SSL-5 or a true mini humbucker is a closer match tonally to the BG1400 at least to my ears
 
The reason I asked is here is a quote from the Mini-hum website: "The Vintage Mini Humbucker bridge pickup delivers the classic Firebird tone that is a special blend of bright, single coil high end, and more focused humbucker low end."

But I trust you all's assessment.

Edit: Odd, there doesn't seem to be a straight Firebird. Just the aged Antiquity II Firebird.
 
Last edited:
of the duncan line, the sm1 is pretty much vintage firebird construction. the sm2 and sm3 are kinda hybrid designs, not like a vintage firebird pup or mini humbucker, they use a single bar magnet and blade polepieces. the antiquity firebird and mini humbuckers are vintage type construction and are fantastic!
 
Absolutely magical! You will wonder why anyone ever keeps a regular tele neck... Everything will be better, especially if you want some umph to solo off the neck.
 
The reason I asked is here is a quote from the Mini-hum website: "The Vintage Mini Humbucker bridge pickup delivers the classic Firebird tone that is a special blend of bright, single coil high end, and more focused humbucker low end."

But I trust you all's assessment.

Edit: Odd, there doesn't seem to be a straight Firebird. Just the aged Antiquity II Firebird.

That quote isn't wrong.

In a blind test i wouldn't identify a Firebird as a humbucking PU (tonewise) (not counting noiseless).
It doesn't have the mids of a typical P90 or remids me of a scooped Humbucker, so it's closest to a strat PU (of the PUs i know (never tried a charlie christian for example)). Filtertrons are also different although they also fit the description of a mix between PAF and typical Fender sound.
A P90 could be more easily mistaken for a PAF in a blind test, i'd say. After all the PAF was intended as a noiseless P90. Well, that didn't work out. Oh wait...!
 
Absolutely magical! You will wonder why anyone ever keeps a regular tele neck... Everything will be better, especially if you want some umph to solo off the neck.

I have enough teles and each one goes after something else.

most have a std. tele neck PU of some kind (SD STR-1 with nickel cover, Dimarzios, Fenders,...)
2 strat neck ones.
2 filtertron style neck ones (well one actually has a filtertron style PU in the bridge, too)
1 firebird neck one.
Pleanty of good tele neck PUs out there. output is very low (which makes switching from bridge to neck hard) but tone wise, i always liked them. I especially like the missing oomph!
Still don't want to get rid of the Std neck ones, although i have the alternatives.
 
I have enough teles and each one goes after something else.

most have a std. tele neck PU of some kind (SD STR-1 with nickel cover, Dimarzios, Fenders,...)
2 strat neck ones.
2 filtertron style neck ones (well one actually has a filtertron style PU in the bridge, too)
1 firebird neck one.
Pleanty of good tele neck PUs out there. output is very low (which makes switching from bridge to neck hard) but tone wise, i always liked them. I especially like the missing oomph!
Still don't want to get rid of the Std neck ones, although i have the alternatives.

Great list! Yeah filtertrons are also superb... I even can tolerate a low output standard humbucker but frankly prefer everything else in your list.

Have jokingly said that if you're going to strand me on an island with one guitar give me a tele with a box full of filtertrons, p90s, firebirds, and mini humbuckers, (and yeah throw a strat in there) solder and a soldering iron :-)
 
Great list! Yeah filtertrons are also superb... I even can tolerate a low output standard humbucker but frankly prefer everything else in your list.

Have jokingly said that if you're going to strand me on an island with one guitar give me a tele with a box full of filtertrons, p90s, firebirds, and mini humbuckers, (and yeah throw a strat in there) solder and a soldering iron :-)

Never tried a full sized humbucker in a tele neck with a tele single coil bridge and i don't thick i will.
It's hard to match all that lowend from the neck with a singlecoil in the bridge.
I do have a HH-Tele shaped one with a trem, but that's no regular tele.

Well every guitar sounds shitty with old strings, so PUs are not my concern when stranded on an island.
Is there even electricity?
i'd go accoustic with a bag full of new strings!​
 
i played a great setup with a hot tele lead with a jazz neck, but its not very tele like.

Guess that will match great output wise.
Big tonal and compression difference though. Great if that’s your thing.
me, in the end, I am try to make everything sound similar.
haven’t found the right match for the firebird neck PU myself. It’s paired with a tall 9,5 k awg 42 Tele PU.
it’s actually pretty good combo, but on some days I find the bridge too hot for the firebird and a bit too compressed and middy and lacking some lowend. Always Love it on it‘s own, though.
if I raise the bridge the output match get’s worse. If I drop the bridge the bass match get’s worse.

an 8-9k AWG 42 QP style PU might be a better match…
The thick rods for added bass but less compression from the wind…

i had a bare knuckle Boss that was kinda bassy and scooped and might have been the perfect match for the firebird, but I hated that PU!
love the firebird though!

SSL-6 is easy to pair with hot Tele singles!
i love it for lead and dirty rhythm.
the added mids and compression match great with hot bridges!
 
Never tried a full sized humbucker in a tele neck with a tele single coil bridge and i don't thick i will.
It's hard to match all that lowend from the neck with a singlecoil in the bridge.
I do have a HH-Tele shaped one with a trem, but that's no regular tele.

Well every guitar sounds ****ty with old strings, so PUs are not my concern when stranded on an island.
Is there even electricity?
i'd go accoustic with a bag full of new strings!​

Nah, my island has resort with electricity and a nice pool... But I've got the only guitar :-)
 
Guess that will match great output wise.
Big tonal and compression difference though. Great if thats your thing.
me, in the end, I am try to make everything sound similar.

the tone change isnt as drastic as you think, but its definitely there. its a tele and that bridge pup is gonna punch
 
Back
Top