Gibson '57 Classic Alnico 2 PAF Humbucker - Chrome
Hand wound on 10/4/2010

Note: We have a matching Burst Bucker 3 that would be an excellent bridge pickup companion with the '57 Classic in the neck. If you want both, let us know and we can work up a combined price for you.

Description: The '57 Classic provides warm, full tone with a balanced response, packing that classic Gibson Patent Applied For (PAF) crunch. It is made to the same specs as the originals, including Alnico 2 bar magnet, nickel-plated pole pieces, nickel slugs, and maple spacers. The ’57 Classic features balanced coils for a smoother, creamier tone and excellent hum cancelation. It is the perfect neck-position companion to the '57 Classic Plus or Super '57. The '57 Classic is wax potted to remove internal air space and eliminate microphonic feedback and has four conductor leads for more wiring options.

Specs:

• Type: Full-size humbucker
• Output: Medium
• Magnet type: Alnico 2 bar
• Pole spacing: 49 mm
• Covered: Yes, chrome
• Lead length: 15"
• Lead type: Four conductor shielded
• Recommended position: Neck or Bridge
• Vacuum was potted: Yes
• DCR = 7.81k Ohms
• Hand wound in USA

History: Seth Lover invented the humbucker pickup in 1957. He was tasked with eliminating the 60-cycle hum common in the single-coil pickups of the day. His idea was brilliant. Adding a second coil that was reverse wound and had reverse magnet polarity to cancel or "buck" the hum. Wired in series the two coils produced more output and gave a warmer and fuller tone, with a lot more crunch. Gibson added a Patent Applied For (PAF) sticker on the back to dissuade others from trying to copy it. And the rest is history!

Recreating the Originals: One of the qualities that make the original Gibson PAF's so endearing is the variation in windings from pickup to pickup. In the early days, the number of windings was highly variable and depended on the person winding the pickup. So each pickup had a different number of windings. Some were overwound by about 5% to 10% and produced hotter output and more tone. The '57 Classic, '57 Classic Plus and Super '57 are the result of Gibson's desire to recreate this. The Classic has 5250 winds/coil, the Classic Plus has 5400 winds/coil and the Super has 5750 winds/coil. With more windings, the DC resistance increases and so does the output and crunch.

Dr. T's Tone Factory & Del Mar Lutherie: The fine print...

Condition: Our used parts have been tested and verified to work as they should. Used and vintage items will show signs of use. Please look at the photos. None of our used items will be cosmetically "perfect". If you want a cosmetically "perfect" item, we recommend that you buy new in a factory sealed package.

Shipping:  Includes ground shipping within the continental USA with insurance. Cost includes packaging materials and our time to pack up and drop off with the shipper. We generally ship guitars and amps via UPS and smaller items via USPS.

Videos:  We often include YouTube links to provide our clients with more information. We generally don't make these videos, but find ones that are for the same or similar item.  

Returns:  We are a small business and can’t afford to offer free returns like the big guys.  There is a lot of time, effort and cost involved with listing, packing and shipping an item.  Please make sure you want the item before you commit to buy.  If we offer to take back an item as a courtesy, you would be responsible to pay all shipping costs and a restocking fee to cover our time.

About us:  We are a small shop in San Diego County, California.  We are part of the Southern California guitar community (Fender, Taylor, Carvin). We build custom electric guitars and hand-wired tube amps, and do mods and setups. We also buy, sell and trade vintage and used instruments. Our owner is a guitar enthusiast, wood worker and professional engineer. We've been doing this type of work since 1999 and have over a thousand happy customers. We are a Reverb Preferred Seller and our approval rating is 99.9%. 

Best wishes and happy strumming!

Dr T.