Gibson 57 Classic Humbucker in Zebra

Back in 1957 we saw the mass adoption of the PAF humbucker. These pickups were hotter and heavier than what people had heard before and they also had no hum compared to single coil and p90 pickups. The only downside is that due to manufacturing making them consistently sound the same was next to impossible.

Plenty of these pickups had mismatched coils and two very rarely sounded the same. Gibson wanted to bring back the feel of these classic pickups but without the inconsistencies in production. Enter the '57 Classic a stunning, warm and mid output humbucker that is designed after the best of the original PAF pickups.

Matched Coils

While some of those earlier pickups could have had heavily mismatched coils a fair few came out perfectly. These pickups are what the '57 is based on which meant that this guitar will sound superb every time you plug it in.  It also means that you get that even midrange crunchy tone that these classic pickups are used to.

Vintage Specs

It can't really be considered a recreation though if they don't dig a bit deeper so the '57 Classics get extremely close to the original with Alnico II magnets, nickel plated pole pieces, and vintage style two conductor wiring. One benefit over the original though is that these have been wax potted to help stop any microphonic feedback further down the line.

Here's what Gibson say about the '57 Classic Humbucker

For the first few years of their production, Gibson's famous "Patent Applied For" humbuckers were wound using imprecise machines, resulting in pickups with slightly different output and tone. They were - and remain today - as very desirable to players who want to mix and match and explore a complete spectrum of tonal possibilities. The '57 Classic vintage style humbucker is the result of Gibson's drive to capture and recreate this renowned characteristic. Introduced in 1990, the '57 Classic provides warm, full tone with a balanced response, packing that classic Gibson PAF humbucker crunch. They are made to the exact same specs as the original PAFs, including Alnico II magnets, nickel-plated pole pieces, nickel slugs, maple spacers, and vintage-style, two-conductor braided wiring. The pickups are also wax potted to remove all internal air space and any chance of microphonic feedback.

Specifications

• Output: 7.5
• Position: Both
• Magnet: Alnico II
• Wiring: 2-Conductor (Also available in Quick Connect)
• Details: Vintage Vibes with rich, warm tones and balanced