John Gatski is the Publisher & Executive Editor of Pro Audio Review.
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In the early 1950s, as electric guitars became more popular, players complained about the noise from single-coil P-90 pickups. Gibson went to work and came out with the PAF (Patent-Applied For) humbucking pickup. Today, those originals are often sought out as the Holy Grail of pickups, fetching thousands of dollars for a good pair.
Through the years, Gibson continued to refine humbucker pickups, but there was always an undercurrent of demand from vintage vibe lovers to make a new version with the original PAF sound. In the 90s, Gibson introduced the '57 series. The 57 Classic is retail priced at $155.95; the 57 Classic Plus is listed at $166.95.
Features
Described as a "faithful replica of the 1950s PAF," the alnico II magnet design features vintage enamel wire, nickel-plated pole pieces, nickel slugs, maple spacers and two-conductor braided wire (double-wax potted to eliminate feedback). Cover options include exposed black coils, zebra coils, nickel or gold covers. The pickups come in a classy Plexiglas case.
The Gibson literature does not give any technical specifications, but versus all the other Gibson pickups, the 57 Classic's output is the lowest - with a comparative rating of 5.4 out of 10 for the standard 57 and 6.5 out of 10 for the 57 Classic Plus. In comparison, the Gibson 490Rs and 498Ts that are standard in many Les Pauls are rated at 5.5 and 8.0 respectively. Thus, the Plus is more suited for the bridge because of its slight increased output, but both pickups can work in either the bridge or neck.
Installation
We installed the pickups in a 1998 black Les Paul Standard, replacing the 490R/498T combo. By the way, installing pickups in a Les Paul is easy versus hollow body arch tops because the pots where the wires are soldered are accessible via the back removable panel. After installation, I added new strings and adjusted the pickups for about 2 mm clearance with the E-strings pressed at the last fret.
The Audition
The 57 Classic and the 57 Classic Plus are excellent sounding humbuckers. I played the Les Paul with a number of amps including a '71 Princeton Reverb, a '66 Deluxe Reverb, a 1999 Twin Reverb reissue and a Marshall DSL201 20-Watt tube amp. In the combined pickup mode, the sound is rich with that bell-like tone you want from a Les Paul - perfect for jazz and rhythm work. In the bridge mode, the 57 Classic Plus has a tendency to be biting on the high end, but it can be tamed by rolling back the tone pot. In overdrive, the 57 Classic combo gets that nice, thick distortion without excessive midrange. The output is not as hot as modern ceramic humbuckers (which also have enhanced midrange), but if the amp has enough oomph, level should not be a problem.
Summary
If you want the PAF Gibson sound, the '57 Classic series is the real deal. They are not cheap, but in my opinion they are worth the $100-$110 street price.
For more information, contact Gibson Accessories at 847-741-7315, or visit the web site, www.gibson.com.
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