Help identify pickups in 1938 Gibson ES-150 customized !

[sgim43]

I have late 1930’s ES-150 that has had multiple alterations, including someone at one point adding a second Seymour Duncan pickup. Neither are original. In order to do this they made the tone control a volume so each pickup has volume only. I’d like a little more variance in tone so was thinking of replacing one of them, which I believe are both humbuckers, with a P-90. The current neck pickup is a Gibson that says 2,737,842. I’m a newbie when it comes to pickups, as I’ve been an acoustic player only, and got this (and an 63" Epi Century, which uses a P90) not too far back to segue into electric.

So back to the pickups - I’ve read online confusing/conflicting info in similar posts regarding the patent pickup, someone saying the ones using this number I mentioned were made in the 70’s but did not go past the 80’s, someone else saying they were still putting them in different models in the 90’s and then users in blogs saying there’s many variations of this pickup all using this patient number on the back.

The second (bridge) pickup is a Seymour Duncan. I do not see any other identifying information, so had no idea how to proceed. 

Both pickups look the same from the top, with nickel covers. So I was trying to identify these so I can know exactly what I have. I assume I'll keep the Gibson and add a p90 seeings as how the guitar is Gibson, but you never know, maybe the Seymour Duncan is more appropriate to keep.


Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Blille]

Help identify pickups in 1938 Gibson ES-150 customized !

IIRC the top one is an 80s Gibson humbucker.

If you have a multimeter and give us DCR readings it would help the wise people of this forum (not me) identify the SD.

Btw, pretty awesome guitar. I agree that a P90 or (cc) would do great in the neck there

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Help identify pickups in 1938 Gibson ES-150 customized !

The Seymour Duncan Humbucker with these kind of backplates were made between 1983 until 1988. The white paper label with the model number and the winder initial was lost, so a precise measurement of the DC resistance is needed.
Theses backplates of the Gibson Humbucker were used nearly 15 years until 1989, but the brass Phillips screws bring it in the period roughly between 1975 and 1984. But most of the pickups of this period since 1977 carry a black rubber stamp with the date. So my long shot guess is: This pickup was made between 1975 and 1977. The ultimate proof would be to open the cover and look for T-Top bobbins.

 

[sgim43]

Re: Help identify pickups in 1938 Gibson ES-150 customized !

The Seymour Duncan Humbucker with these kind of backplates were made between 1983 until 1988. The white paper label with the model number and the winder initial was lost, so a precise measurement of the DC resistance is needed.
Theses backplates of the Gibson Humbucker were used nearly 15 years until 1989, but the brass Phillips screws bring it in the period roughly between 1975 and 1984. But most of the pickups of this period since 1977 carry a black rubber stamp with the date. So my long shot guess is: This pickup was made between 1975 and 1977. The ultimate proof would be to open the cover and look for T-Top bobbins.

Thank you both so much for your replies! I don't have a multimeter, but maybe I'll pick on up or see if someone I know has one. I also just started to take apart the pickup/remove the cover then realized there's soldering I'd have to break... don't know if it advised I do this? (I was only going to do so as you mentioned the T-Top bobbins and I remember having read something yesterday that if it's that type then they are much more valuable, and and was curious, but if I'm keeping and removing the Seymour I guess it really doesn't matter until it comes time to sell.)

Again, I don't have much experience with electronic guitars/passive pickups having only played acoustic starting about 8 years ago, so this ES-150 seemed like a good way to transition being it's a hollowbody. I've just gotten good enough to really play solo in front of people with confidence, and was going to take this one out.

I'm reading there's a lot of P90 variants out there and most are not like the original Gibsons. Lacking this experience my ear is probably not that great, but the pickups that are in there currently I couldn't distinguish much difference between... and the fact there's no tone knobs as it was converted to a second volume nob for the added (bridge) pickup probably don't help me much. That's why I'm assuming a P90 would be a better paring for more versatility.

I've found one on ebay that I think may be similar to the P90 in the 63' Epiphone Century I have also been playing a lot recently (as I tried a ES-335 and it was much heavier then what I'm used to playing acoustic, so went with the Century). In this process I've also read about there being specific pickups for the neck and bridge position, and wanted to know if you had any advice or comments regarding the replacement I plan on doing. The Gibson one is in the neck position and the Seymour Duncan in the bridge. Not sure if I should look for something in particular as far as that goes if making changes, but I'm guessing looking specifically when purchasing doesn't matter for the original Gibson P90's as they typically only go in the neck position (right?), and the other "P90"s I see that are both described with neck and bridge options I think are also the ones I've seen not recommended if going for the sound of the original Gibsons. ?

So say if I pick up this P90...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gibson-P-9...958972?hash=item3b068cc3fc:g:DgAAAOSwyTdaqsj4

It'd be okay to have it put in the neck position and the current Gibson moved to the bridge?

MUCH appreciated.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Help identify pickups in 1938 Gibson ES-150 customized !

A lot of questions.
The opening of the cover is not necessary, if you believe my words. It does not really affect the prize, because its not a collectors item, they produced some thousands of them. Worth about 100-150 bucks.
The different amounts of windings on bridge and neck is a modern thing. So Gibson still produce all P90 round 8 k ohms and all T-tops were more or less around 7.5k. I would guess the Seymour Duncan to be a 59 Bridge pickup with more windings to match T-top in the neck position.
Your guitar was originally fitted with a Charlie Christian pickup. How about converting it back with the help of a luthier? There is a nice vid on youtube of 1938 Es-150.
Your guitar seem to converted to P90 later on and maybe in the 80ies converted to humbucker. The P90 was invented in 1964, from 1937 to the 40ies it carried the Charlie Christian. The Dogear ring under the humbucker ring tells me it carried a p90 before the 80ies.
The CC pickup has a very own sound, traditional and old school jazz if you cut the highs a bit. The p90 is a bit more raunchy and blues. Its up to you and your music style.

Otherwise the p-90 is a good option in the neck, but the Duncan in the bridge might be the better option than the t-top. The t-top sound a bit thin and clangy in the bridge.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Help identify pickups in 1938 Gibson ES-150 customized !

The P90 was invented in 1964, from 1937 to the 40ies it carried the Charlie Christian.

Pretty sure that's a typo as the P90 pickup was invented in 1946, not 1964.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Help identify pickups in 1938 Gibson ES-150 customized !

Pretty sure that's a typo as the P90 pickup was invented in 1946, not 1964.

Sure!

 

[Chistopher]

Wait A Minute...

Wait A Minute...

I have late 1930’s ES-150 that has had multiple alterations,

That's almost 80 years old! The ES-150 was the first commercially successful electric guitar!

What does it look like in a full photo and how did you acquire it?

 

[sgim43]

Re: Wait A Minute...

Re: Wait A Minute...

That's almost 80 years old! The ES-150 was the first commercially successful electric guitar!

What does it look like in a full photo and how did you acquire it?

eBay a few years back!

Yea it's been botched a little with the addition of the second pickup bit but it's still nice, straight neck, plays well. I don't think anything that isn't wood on it is original (wiring, pickups, tuners, frets I'm sure, don't think tailpiece is original although definitely era correct, pick guard missing). Two cracks that go along each side of the neck connecting to the first cutout for the (original) neck pickup location (the second crack is right up against the neck on the opposite side). Back and sides look great. The neck's been stripped down. Looks like they lacquered the hell out of these things back in the day because it looks like one of the original owners had to go down an eight of an inch to get to the wood. Pretty sure it was set up for slide when I got it. The guy I got it off of said he's had it since the 70's and hasn't made any changes.

I thought I had got the year down exactly after researching it after I got it but I forgot and tried to determine again just recently and couldn't figure out what made me conclude a definite year, but either 38' or 39' I believe. (It has the flat back, smaller "Gibson" in abalone...) again all the other changes done to it make it hard. The binding is throwing me off because the resources I saved when originally researching it don't show white binding on the 38' or 39' I noticed this time around, but then there were other reason why it didn't seem to be before or after those years either.

These are crappy photos but are all I have that were already taken.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Help identify pickups in 1938 Gibson ES-150 customized !

Nice guitar. I always have a problem with the looks of Schallers, they look so 70ies. Better get some decent Klusons.
I want to revise my thoughts about the 'dogear ring'. It seems to be a home made goof ring to hide the cut outs. You should check the cut out whether you can fix there a CC pickup like a lollar. That would be nice touch and a great step forward to its original look'n'feel.
Just my 2 ct.