Any EMG experts here?

[ICTGoober]

I have a set of black mini-humbuckers w/ black rings - in a guitar I just bought. Seller claimed they are EMG's, but there is no logo on the cover, and the back has a decal that looks like it came off a Gibson. The pots look weird, and there is no 9V battery. A little research yielded nothing. Any clues I can look for before I am forced to take photos?

 

[Artie]

I'm far from an expert, but I have owned a couple guitars that came with passive EMG's. However, they were clearly marked "EMG Select", so that's probably not much help.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

"The pots look weird"

Could you elaborate? Lots of things look "weird".

 

[ICTGoober]

Okay, here you go. Black plastic pickup covers, horrible job of wiring. It works, but there were balls of solder rolling around, wood shavings, and melted insulation.

 

[ICTGoober]

Could these be real Gibson mini-humbuckers like those used on the mid-70's SG Specials?

 

[Artie]

Wow! That looks like a "rip everything out, and start over" kinda job. That's probably your plan.

 

[ICTGoober]

I guess I should post the rest of this poor wreck.

 

[idsnowdog]

That's not an EMG. The tag on the bottom looks like a Gibson patent sticker but the cover and pickup rings look unoriginal.

 

[idsnowdog]

Here's a SG with similar looking pickups https://www.ebay.com/itm/1857034426...mpid=5338786119&toolid=10050&customid=VGB2968

 

[ICTGoober]

Right, that's what I was thinking of. These metal rings are more like Firebird rings, but flat black - not plastic like the Gibsons. I cannot get the black covers off.

 

[Teleplayer]

It looks like someone previously fitted full size humbuckers to this guitar. Maybe you can see if there are any router marks that do not look original. I think the pickup rings look like a conversion ring to retro-fit the mini humbuckers into a guitar routed for full size ones. Its possible they are original pickups, but the mounting rings are probably not original IMO.

 

[beaubrummels]

Looks like Gibson mini buckers with black covers to me. There were some of those on certain guitars in the early/mid 70's. Kind of a cool score.

 

[ICTGoober]

Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner - looked up the patent number of the back of the pickup.... It's the Gibson patent number. Confirmed by doing a photo search for Gibson SG Special mini-humbuckers. Same black plastic covers with ears and ears on the pickup baseplate.

 

[ICTGoober]

Might as well cross this with the other thread about the guitar... They are Gibson pickups...

NUGD - 1976 Ibanez Firebird - Seymour Duncan User Group Forums

 

[hamerfan]

Might as well cross this with the other thread about the guitar... They are Gibson pickups...

NUGD - 1976 Ibanez Firebird - Seymour Duncan User Group Forums

These are Gibson minihumbucker used on the so called Type 4 SG Special. They came on the market in late 1972 until 1977/78 (with very low numbers in 78, like 6 guitars according Gruhn.)
The pickups are worth some money nowadays - more than EMGs