Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

Tone Meister

Tone Meister

New member
Sticker is authentic PAF, nickel covers, brass phillips screws in baseplate, black hookup wires to each bobbin, paper tape around bobbins, standard size long magnet (2.5" x .5" x .125"). Bridge measures 8.23K out of circuit and neck measures 8.13K.

What do we have here?

Here are some pictures to examine.

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Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

57 classic plus?
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

Well, if you mean the sticker says PAF on it - yes that is correct. It in no way resembles the way the original PAF decal in look nor the way it is applied. So this makes it current production.

57 Classic and +, Burstbuckers and Custombuckers all have that sort of modern rendition of the PAF sticker. The CB has DCR readings lower than yours, And the 57 classic would be lower DCR, and the + higher typically.
I'd say its a BB2 or Pro bridge model......same thing but with different mags .
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

Surely you don't think I believed these were original PAFs? I just haven't seen the stickers before. The owner bought the guitar in 79 and had these installed in around 2007. I just had no clue as to what they are.
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

my 57+ was around 8.2k and looked similar to that which is why i suggested thats what it might be
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

they came out in the early 90's i think?
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

Cool. We're pulling them and installing new pickups. He wants to know what they are so he can describe them accurately when he puts them up for sale.
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

Might be classics/classic +

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

I don't remember the DCR on my older Classic and Classic Plus. That pickup could be one of them, or maybe a Burstbucker #2. I don't remember if my Burstbucker Pros have the PAF decal or not (it has been years since the last time I had them out). If you could rule out the bar magnet being A5, then you'd likely have either a '57 Classic Plus or a BB#2. If it is a BB#2, it would have been one that was pulled from a guitar, as opposed to purchased separately. The ones that came in guitars were potted, and the ones you bought separately were not.
 
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Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

Is there any sign of a removed sticker? Bustbucker pro come with a white sticker with these info: who wound the pickup, the magnet in it, and the position. And so the burst bucker 1, 2 or 3. I assume it is a 57 classic plus
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

No signs of a removed sticker. They're pretty clean and the PAF sticker is the only one. Can't rule out the magnet as it's clean and polished with no IDing marks. Both have full length leads, so that might suggest new off the shelf pickups. He had the pickups installed by a tech at a music store that is a Gibson dealer so new off the shelf isn't far fetched at all.

And they are wax potted.
 
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Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

Tone Meister said:
Owner says they've been in the guitar since 2007. Was the 57+ available then?
Click to expand...

That looks like the sticker on the BB Pros that came in my 2006 Standard, though they have a second sticker saying something with a "V" marking them as A5 magnets. I haven't looked at them in a long time, so I can't remember exactly.
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

No second sticker that I can tell. The owner bought the guitar in 2007 sans pickups and took it to a local music store (Gibson dealer) to have these installed. He doesn't know if they were used or new at the time, but the guitar hasn't been touched since then.

We'd really like to know what these are.

At 75 degrees here are the DC readings this morning:

Bridge - 8.18K
Neck - 8.08K
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

This is from memory, so don't burn me too bad if this isn't totally accurate.

1) I think there's some variance on DC resistance for Gibsons, so we probably have to ballpark the numbers, rather than look for exact matches
2) I think 57s are the ones most likely to have the same/very close DC in a set, though I think those numbers put them on the high end
3) I think BB Pro neck is more in the 7.5 area, though the bridge would be about right
4) This seems like it could be around what a BB2/BB3 combo would be (this is my vote for most likely)

If you are familiar with how an A2 humbucker sounds vs an A5 humbucker, then you can at least narrow it down that way. Having had BB Pros, and hating them, I feel like I could tell if it was them or not. Usually boomy bass in the neck and unpleasant highs in the bridge.

*** Update - I see a set of 90s 57 classics on ebay right now with the PAF sticker and no 2nd white sticker like all the BBs have. This might be your answer.
 
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Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

Them being this close in DCR, would they both be 57+ or is it possible one is a 57 classic and the other a 57 classic plus?
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

The 57 Classic and Classic Plus I had many moons ago measured in the low 8K range for the Classic and nearly 9K for the Plus.

To really know for sure what these are, you almost need to know what the magnet is and then take it from there. They look like they could be both 57 Classics (not the Plus) but again, magnet type will help a lot.
 
Re: Let's discuss these Gibson humbuckers with PAF sticker

If they are that close in DCR, they're probably both '57 Classics. Most other Gibson sets would be "balanced," i.e. have a bridge pickup with 5 to 10 percent more wire in it.

I don't remember exactly, but I think my '57 Classic was right around 8K, and my Classic Plus was in the mid-8Ks.
 
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