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need help identifying pickups (odd gibsons)


jdsfloors61

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hi I have these 1981 Gibson pickups, they seem odd to me, I thought they were tim Shaws when I bought them, but the wiring is different, plastic instead of mesh ground-type, the inked stamp number is 341 781, also there is no screws in the back, these pickups have never been used, they all measure around 7.50 K if anybody could help I would appreciate it' will try to include some pictures

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Shaws were introduced from Jan 1980 to about 1984.

 

To my knowledge stamped markings appeared in June 1980, either 6 or 7 digits (so your 341718 fits in ok) . Prior to this they were date stamped with the format (MonthDay Year).

In 1983 stamps disappeared though pups continued to be made the same way up until 1989.

 

The 490, or P490 as they were named, appeared in 1989, followed by the introduction of a 57 Classic version.

 

Shaw’s being introduced into Heritage Series guitars, along with Customs, continued to be used in post 84 Customs.

 

 

Photo's would definitely help in any attempt to identify them

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hi thanks for the info, still trying to get pictures uploaded, I see I made a mistake in the number 341 781, the thing that is throwing me off is the grey plastic on the 2 wires 1 black and the other bear, and then never see any that start with 341, I've been searching the Internet for awhile now,I've seen some of the newer ones with this type of plastic, but nothing from the late seventies early eighties except 4 the Gibson rd artist but they usually only measure around 3.50k and I think they were Bill Lawrence pickups

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Is there an engraved patent number on the can around the area of the studs, something like 2737 842, normally to the right of the date stamp.

 

The neck pup should read about 7.35

 

The bridge about 7.25

 

Of course such readings being subject to the wire used, in some case the wirer might have gone off to lunch, came back and picked up a piece of wire of the floor which made that reading completely off in comparison to all the others made that day. Hence why any pup, especially those from bygone early days, can sound so different from guitar to identical guitar.

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Good to get the photo's.

 

The patent is correct and the sn is for July 81

 

What colours are the wires inside the grey insulation?

 

You say they have never been used! Do you mean by you or anyone else as far as you are aware?

 

Braided was always used on the pups back then. So could they have possibly been rewound in the past for instance due to a problem, or the braided replaced due to a problem, and who ever did the job didn't have any braided wire to hand, or used the insulated type for whatever reason that made sense at the time.

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The fact the screws are missing tends to sit with my last comment and perhaps down to a less than professional, fix, rewind or other by a less than conscientious repair guy.

 

I have no doubt that they are what they say they are on the box save, the issues mentioned re the insulated wire. Everything stacks up.

 

Is there anything else we can help you with, or anything else you want to know?

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The fact the screws are missing tends to sit with my last comment and perhaps down to a less than professional, fix, rewind or other by a less than conscientious repair guy.

 

I have no doubt that they are what they say they are on the box save, the issues mentioned re the insulated wire. Everything stacks up.

 

Is there anything else we can help you with, or anything else you want to know?

 

I know what you're saying, and I would have thought the same thing, but I got four of them, all exactly alike, and I bought them with a bunch of odd new old stock Gibson Parts, from guitars I didn't even know they made, and if you seen these, you could tell that they were never put on a guitar, and there is no tell tale signs that there was ever any screws in the back or the covers being off. the only other pickups I seen with about the same wires from this time is from the Gibson rd artist with the moog electronics and they only measured around 3.50k and the wires had a clip on the end that hooked to a pre amp

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Good to get the photo's.

 

The patent is correct and the sn is for July 81

 

What colours are the wires inside the grey insulation?

 

You say they have never been used! Do you mean by you or anyone else as far as you are aware?

 

Braided was always used on the pups back then. So could they have possibly been rewound in the past for instance due to a problem, or the braided replaced due to a problem, and who ever did the job didn't have any braided wire to hand, or used the insulated type for whatever reason that made sense at the time.

 

one wire is black the other is bare pretty sure there new ones that were never used thanks

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Hi thanks everybody for your help I think I figured out what they were made for I had some Gibson rd artist cmt pickups they were built for the active moog electronics same plastic wire same no screws in the back, but the only measured around 3.50k they were made between 1977 to 1981 or 82 not a real big seller, they even put these electronics In some other guitars at the time, and made a line of bass guitars also back when bob moog was with Gibson, come to find out they also the Gibson RD standard with passive pickups, guess they sold even less, that's why these measure closer to the 7.50k range anyhow from what I gather they were Series VII humbuckers without the tar back made to work for the Gibson RD standard guitars maybe I am making a big deal of these but they just seemed weird, and know where these came from and that they were never worked on but I can see were a person would think that any how heres a picture of the Gibson rd artist for the active electronics

post-69069-094285600 1418283823_thumb.jpg

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  • 6 years later...

I know this is an old thread but I just bought a pair of these and took the cover off one. It’s almost like they didn’t fill them with so much of the black goo where it comes out the screw holes. Bobbins aren’t as tall as other Gibson humbuckers. I can’t vouch for what they sound like because at this point I haven’t installed them in anything. Trying to return them to the seller because they were listed as Tim Shaw PAF. The ink stamps read 341 781 and 340 981. I’m trying to attach pics but it’s not letting me.

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  • 2 years later...

Zombie thread and new to this forum.... I think ... cant find a password.  But I have a couple old Gibson HB's and as well as an embossed Pat no, the number: 329 382 is  clearly ink stamped on the back. The pickup measures 7.15 k ohms. single lead wire braided metal ground.

What do these numbers mean?

Thanks!

 

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