Help identifying pickup set (vintage?)

[asddd3333]

In 2006 I bought an 1987 Gibson SG Special (the one in "Ferrari Red", with 3 knobs, ebony board and dot inlays).

 

Besides the previous owner drilling some holes on the top, for a butcher-job-like pickguard (shrugs...) the guitar has some other none-original items, like the tuning machines (they are still Gibson ones, but in gold instead of the original chromed ones) and the knobs.

 

But, onto the main subject of my post:

The original pickups for this model were open coiled and the ones on there now have chrome covers.

They sound really great, so I decided to have a look inside to try to identify them.

 

I would really apreciate any information you might have about this set. Any info at all!

 

Pictures are right here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/56254410@N00/sets/72157615767323228/

 

... and this is what can be read on the pickups, rings and wiring:

 

NECK RING:

 

“MR492”

 

“M-69”

 

“5”

 

Symbol:

 

| P |

 

| I |

 

Mold marks:

 

2 on the “upper” narrower side (curved surface facing in)

 

2 (could be 3, not quite visible) on the “lower” narrower side (curved surface facing in)

 

1 on the “front” wider side (curved surface facing in)

 

1 on the “back” wider side (curved surface facing in)

 

NECK PICKUP:

 

"PATENT APPLIED FOR"

"1957" hand engraved (see pics!)

 

_____________________________________________________________________

 

BRIDGE RING:

 

“MR493”

 

“M-69”

 

“6”

 

Symbol:

 

| P |

 

| I |

 

Mold marks:

 

2 on the “upper” narrower side (curved surface facing in)

 

3 on the “lower” narrower side (curved surface facing in)

 

1 on the “front” wider side (curved surface facing in)

 

1 on the “back” wider side (curved surface facing in)

 

BRIDGE PICKUP:

 

"PATENT APPLIED FOR"

 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

WIRING:

 

(a small white-paper tag is wraped on each pickup’s wire)

 

Each of the tags reads “57” and “57+”

 

* (Are these "simply" '57 classics reissues ? These must have been changed from somewhere between '87 and '00... and to be perfectly honest, they look really OLD)

[Ripper]

They look to me to be a 57 classic and a 57 classic plus. Gibson even puts the little patent applied for sticker on them and then tags the wire for easier identification;

[fusion01k]

What were in this 1987 Special as stock? Hot Alnicos, correct? That would be a 490R/498T correct?

[asddd3333]

What were in this 1987 Special as stock? Hot Alnicos' date=' correct? That would be a 490R/498T correct?[/quote']

According to the 1987 Gibson catalog found HERE, they came stock with "2x 1959 Les Paul Reissue Pickups".

But I cannot confirm that from experience, since I already bough it used with this chrome set installed.