Help ID this SD humbucker

[Sam SG]

Hi guys new here.
I acquired this puckup out of an old washburn I bought. It came from the neck position and was paired with a trembucker tb11 pickup.
Anyway it ohms out at 7.2K
First I though it to be a jazz model but as I understand they only came with short mounting legs.
Only other pickups im finding with similar ohm readings and braided single conductor wire are the Seth Lover and 59
Can any of you guys help me ID this pickup?
thanks

 

[nienturi]

I believe it might be '59n. As far as i can see it has plaine enamel wire, long legs, braided cable, paper tape... But the bottom is painted black.

 

[Sam SG]

Yea the painted bottom is odd. And the coils aren't wrapped in tape(well partially) Which made me think it had a cover at one time...but there is no residual solder on the base were a cover would have been. And it don't appear to have been disassembled as the wax is still around the screws....odd

 

[Chistopher]

Well the spot where the residual solder would have been is now covered in tape no?

 

[Sam SG]

Maybe it looks like it's been thst way since new. But I can pick it back and see

 

[Mincer]

Didn't Ed Roman from East Coast Music Mall paint the backs of SD humbuckers black and charge more for them? I seem to remember something like that.

 

[beaubrummels]

I'd bet on a 59n. 59s without covers come with the tape wrapped onto the baseplate. The rest of it checks out as well. If you play it in the neck and it's spanky with a thick flubby bottom end, it's a 59. Looks like the bobbin tape might have been off at one time, like it was mag swapped maybe.

 

[jeremy]

ed roman did have blackback pups, but i think they came from duncan that way? there was a lot of secrecy about those

 

[Sam SG]

I may try it in the neck on a little Charvel desolation I have. The factory pup is way too much 12.8k high output flubber..
I would try it in my SGs but I kinda like the 490 pups and I don't want to have to take the bridge off to get the guard off.

 

[Sam SG]

Next question is. It's been drilled,cause it was body mounted. What should I do to thread a screw in?

 

[idsnowdog]

Next question is. It's been drilled,cause it was body mounted. What should I do to thread a screw in?

I would get a replacement baseplate from Philadelphia Luthier Supply. You can rethread the holes but results are poor.

 

[jeremy]

a new base plate is a fine idea, but if you have a tap and die set, then ive had success rethreading to a larger size

 

[Sam SG]

Actually could I just take the base of another pickup? I have a couple cheap humbuckers sitting around collecting dust.
never thought of that

 

[Mincer]

ed roman did have blackback pups, but i think they came from duncan that way? there was a lot of secrecy about those

Secrecy? What was he trying to hide? I didn't know the history behind those, or why SD went along with it.

 

[Seashore]

Actually could I just take the base of another pickup? I have a couple cheap humbuckers sitting around collecting dust.
never thought of that

If they're nickel silver baseplates and the holes are still threaded, then it's probably fine - sometimes if pole spacing doesn't line up then the brass screws that go into the bobbins will also be spaced differently, but I've gotten those in at a little angle before and been fine.

The only black-painted baseplate SDs I've had are the JB/Jazz set from my Gibson 7 string.

 

[ehdwuld]

Next question is. It's been drilled,cause it was body mounted. What should I do to thread a screw in?

Hardware store

Tiny Brass nuts and screws to match
Should cost $1 for two of each

Use screw to hold in place while soldering to the underside of the foot


You can use a third nut to "trap" the foot of the pickup while soldering

 

[jeremy]

Secrecy? What was he trying to hide? I didn't know the history behind those, or why SD went along with it.

duncan had a contract to produce pups for him, and part of that was not to disclose what the pups were. ive been told they were a cc and pgn, but have heard other things too

 

[Mincer]

duncan had a contract to produce pups for him, and part of that was not to disclose what the pups were. ive been told they were a cc and pgn, but have heard other things too

Interesting. That was more than I knew. I did know it was a big 'secret' who made them (not really).

 

[Masta' C]

Ed Roman was king of hype back in the day. People would pay extra to get their hands on a set of his "black-back" pickups, but there was nothing special about them.

He was just good at making things sound special, unique, and rare...sort of like Joe Bonamassa today, lol!

#kingofmarketing

 

[Mincer]

Ed Roman was king of hype back in the day. People would pay extra to get their hands on a set of his "black-back" pickups, but there was nothing special about them.

He was just good at making things sound special, unique, and rare...sort of like Joe Bonamassa today, lol!

#kingofmarketing

I wasn't sure if he just took stock pickups and painted the baseplates, or had SD do them specifically for him.