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What do I have? Help identifying pickups,


Stratohawk

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Posted

Hello all, I have a set of Gibson humbuckers in my Epi LP and I'm 100% not sure what they are. I've been searching the web for a few days and haven't found out much about them. They were sold to me as the pickups out of a 1973 LP Custom but I know that's not 100% correct. One of them does look like a 70s T-Top with the stamped patent number, but the solid pole pieces are not flush like all the other vintage T-Tops I've seen. I've checked to see if the pole pieces had been pulled out a little bit but that doesn't seem to be the case. The other pickup is newer but how new I'm not sure, I've had it for 6 or 7 years. It has 82 in sharpie on it but I doubt that means its an 1982 pickup since it looks much nicer than a 1982 pup would be. I would guess late 1990's or early 2000's it's stamped Gibson USA, has a T stamped on the bottom, and it has a 4 wire lead. I also believe it's alnico not ceramic and the pole piece holes on the original cover from the vintage T-Top pickup do not line up with the adjustable pole pieces of it.

 

Can anyone here tell me what I have and maybe put a value on them? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I do know they sound very very good and when I play that Epi live I get lots of compliments on the tone.

 

As a Strat guy (I know lol, don't worry I do really like Gibson's too [thumbup] ) I know a lot more about Fender pickups than I do Gibson Pickups. I fix, rewind, and wind Fender pickups and I'm currently studying Gibson pickups so I can offer my services to Gibson guys.

 

Pics of the vintage T -Top,

56447214-4af2-429a-9de0-1c38422c4267_zps5fcef900.jpg

7b75e112-9619-4cc9-9888-ac0de00159bb_zps40a51844.jpg

c713de60-3bab-4df8-ac9f-93bf86236407_zps237f5af0.jpg

 

Newer pickup,

13660bf8-706a-4830-93ea-3a2335afe22b_zpsff805ca9.jpg

3deaa95a-9c74-4638-8ecf-9752a06312f6_zpsc05ddce5.jpg

Posted

Hello there and welcome...

 

I personally don't know that much about pups... But we have several people who do...

 

You may want to try posting this in the Les Paul section as it gets a bit more traffic on there...

 

But Searcy makes his own pickups and theres little he doesn't know (hes often around the Gibson lounge) and Pippy knows an awful lot about Les Pauls in general.. So maybe see if you can track one of them down and PM them...

 

Good luck [thumbup]

 

(ohh, and don't worry.. most of the people on here have a Fender or two. Its not quite a rude word (but almost ;))

Posted

The first one is using T-top bobbins and probably backplate but the pole pieces look as if they were replaced.

 

Here's a pic of my 79 T-top. It should read about 7.5 if it is stock.

 

8544408444_a141b28768_b.jpg

 

Not sure what the second one is.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

The gibson pup looks like it might be a ceramic 496R. Any chance you can take a meter reading? 496R's are a hot neck pickup so a meter reading would help confirm this

 

Edit: Just noticed its not a braided cable. Might be a 490R

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