MrRoundel Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Seriously, can these pickups really be this good? I mean, for the type of price that this thing is going for, wouldn't somebody else be able to make an EXACT duplicate an and supply 10 of them? While it probably has mostly to do with someone doing a big $ restoration, it still seems to be over the top. But I'm new to this Gibson stuff. Perhaps the Debeers family is working their way into the guitar business? Early Humbucker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Perhaps the Debeers family is working their way into the guitar business? I think they've been in it for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackie Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 There is a market..........not the one I shop at though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 That pickup is what the holy grail is all about. $2,000 for a pickup isn't such a bad deal considering the guitar they came out of would set you back up to $400,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 Personally I think you could have a pickup custom made and delivered to you on a satin cushion that would sound as good and cost a lot less. It all depends how important it is to someone to have a completely original pickup. Of course Blackie is right there is a market for this stuff and always will be, but I think for me personally I would not benefit from owning that pickup and could buy another guitar for less money and still have some money left over to give to charity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CajunBlues Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 I am sure they sound good but I know that they can be replicated... They are only really worth so much because of their collectability and if you own a vintage les paul and you don't have the original pickups, you would need to buy some to complete the guitar... I am not convinced they have some magic sound that cannot be replicated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suicidehummer Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 I saw a '61 PAF for $1600... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sok66 Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 PAFs have tremendous variability and thus there's no real "PAF Sound" AFAIC. Later patent number pickups through the late 60s are virtually identical and frankly sound great. A lot of this PAF mystique is 60s rumors that then passed on to become legend. All that got combined with small production numbers and a culture that developed around the collecting and sale of "vintage" Gibsons. Because of their variability from unit to unit (relates to the way the bobbins were hand wound) it's difficult to replicate them. You can take one, measure it and make a duplicate, but you may have chosen the wrong one to reproduce. By now every pickup mfr, including Gibson has their own spin on the PAF, but in the end the originals are worth the price to a select group of aficionados who can afford them. That last bit is what keeps the price high, same as any collectible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 PAFs have tremendous variability and thus there's no real "PAF Sound" AFAIC. Later patent number pickups through the late 60s are virtually identical and frankly sound great. A lot of this PAF mystique is 60s rumors that then passed on to become legend. All that got combined with small production numbers and a culture that developed around the collecting and sale of "vintage" Gibsons. Because of their variability from unit to unit (relates to the way the bobbins were hand wound) it's difficult to replicate them. You can take one' date=' measure it and make a duplicate, but you may have chosen the wrong one to reproduce. By now every pickup mfr, including Gibson has their own spin on the PAF, [i']but in the end the originals are worth the price to a select group of aficionados who can afford them. That last bit is what keeps the price high, same as any collectible. [/i] Exactly. How many times do you play a real vintage guitar and are underwhelmed by it. I am quite often. Collecting vintage guitars is one thing, but actually buying or collecting instruments to play and make music with is another. A lot of new guitars are EASILY as good as very expensive vintage counterparts sound as good, look as good, and are more reliable than their vintage counterparts. There will always be exceptions, particularly with acoustic instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suicidehummer Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 I played a '63 SG Junior and the P90 in it knocked my socks off. To be fair though, I've never played a guitar equipped with modern P90s to compare with. It was gritty, almost Filtertron-like. All I know is it nailed my idea of that "vintage guitar" tone. Wish I could have afforded it, but I'd need about $350 more than my current guitar funds allow and the assholes at Guitar Center wouldn't budge on the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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