Trying to identify a pick up

[Backpocketnj]

Hi all,

Trying to figure out if anyone can help identify the bridge pick-up that is in a used guitar I picked up recently. I know it's not the original. I like the way it sounds but really have no clue about these things if they are not labeled!

Below are the pictures! Thanks for any and all help.

https://imgur.com/DhYIVcx

https://imgur.com/CB6aSKz

[DanR]

Is it a humbucker size or mini humbucker size?

[ChrisN]

I'm thinking it's HB-sized, plus it says "Patent Applied For," which suggests it's emulating a Gibson PAF (HB). I'm unaware of a full cover (no screws) PAF from Gibson, but I believe it's possible to simply replace a screw-top cover with a full cover. Fralin offers his Big Single HB - https://www.fralinpickups.com/product/big-single/

I don't believe it's a Gibson - it would say Gibson, plus Gibson, so far as I know, doesn't fill the back with that black plastic resin - they have a metal frame on which they build the pickup, so I'm thinking it's foreign.

What is the make/model of the guitar? Might give a clue, might not.

[Dru Edwards]

I'm with Chris (^). Usually backplates have some kind of indication off the manufacturer. Guessing this may be a generic $10 pickup.

What guitar is it in?

[Backpocketnj]

Originally Posted by DanR

Is it a humbucker size or mini humbucker size?

Originally Posted by ChrisN

I'm thinking it's HB-sized, plus it says "Patent Applied For," which suggests it's emulating a Gibson PAF (HB). I'm unaware of a full cover (no screws) PAF from Gibson, but I believe it's possible to simply replace a screw-top cover with a full cover. Fralin offers his Big Single HB - https://www.fralinpickups.com/product/big-single/

I don't believe it's a Gibson - it would say Gibson, plus Gibson, so far as I know, doesn't fill the back with that black plastic resin - they have a metal frame on which they build the pickup, so I'm thinking it's foreign.

What is the make/model of the guitar? Might give a clue, might not.

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

I'm with Chris (^). Usually backplates have some kind of indication off the manufacturer. Guessing this may be a generic $10 pickup.

What guitar is it in?

Thanks for checking it out for me! Really appreciated. There was someone over on The Gear Page forum who was able to possibly identify it. Seems that it might be a Gibson Tony Iommi Signature which was their first artist pickup they did. The picture the person shared matches the the underside of of mine exactly and the Iommi top is a screwless cover seen here - http://archive.gibson.com/en-us/divi...i%20signature/

The picture from TGP is at the bottom of my post.

I was originally worried that it was a piece of junk $10 pick up as well with no labeling but it doesn't sound at all that way. Probably the nicest sounding bridge pickup (to me) of any of the guitars that I've owned recently. I was especially interested in uncovering what it was for that reason.

Also, the answer the other question, the guitar is an Epiphone Elitist SG '61 Reissue with a Satin Finish. I've been keeping an eye out for a satin finish cherry as they don't come up too often and were only around for 2 years, as opposed to the gloss finish which was around for about 6 years I think.

These were the Japanese epiphones that were made with gibson pickups, 2 piece African mahogany solid bodies, long neck tenon, grover tuners, 1 piece necks, and real maple caps on the les pauls. Slightly different headstock too. Like a tombstone shape between a regular Epiphone and Gibson. I've owned a few of them. They were about 70% of the price US Gibsons when they came out. I just don't think there was a market for them really.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Backpocketnj

... the guitar is an Epiphone Elitist SG '61 Reissue with a satin finish. I've been keeping an eye out for a satin finish cherry as they don't come up too often and were only around for 2 years....

These were the Japanese Epiphones that were made with Gibson pickups, 2 piece African mahogany solid bodies, long neck tenon, Grover tuners, 1 piece necks, and real maple caps on the Les Pauls...They were about 70% of the price of US Gibsons when they came out. I just don't think there was a market for them really...

Truth be told, there was - unfortunately the MIJ quality was so high that it was hard to justify the cost of the USA instruments (up to five times the price in the case of both the Elite/Elitist Byrdland, and the super-rare '39 Emperor all-acoustic archtop vis-a-vis its Gibson Super 400 equivalent); small wonder Henry J. took a page from the CFM IV playbook and discontinued them, before they could take too big a bite out of the big-ticket models' profit margin...

[redir]

Not all Gibson PU's say Gibson on them. I also think that a lot of manufacturers throw the words PAF around almost like the word Frisbee refers to any flying disk.

Did you measure the resistance and compare them?

[ChrisN]

Originally Posted by Backpocketnj

Thanks for checking it out for me! Really appreciated. There was someone over on The Gear Page forum who was able to possibly identify it. Seems that it might be a Gibson Tony Iommi Signature which was their first artist pickup they did. The picture the person shared matches the the underside of of mine exactly and the Iommi top is a screwless cover seen here - http://archive.gibson.com/en-us/divi...i%20signature/

The picture from TGP is at the bottom of my post.

That looks like yours, alright, right down to the epoxy potting. I learn new stuff every day.

[Backpocketnj]

Originally Posted by redir

Not all Gibson PU's say Gibson on them. I also think that a lot of manufacturers throw the words PAF around almost like the word Frisbee refers to any flying disk.

Did you measure the resistance and compare them?

How do you measure the resistance?

[ChrisN]

Originally Posted by Backpocketnj

How do you measure the resistance?

Digital multimeter, guitar cable - stick the cable in the guitar, turn tone/vol knobs all the way up (brightest tone/loudest volume).

Set multimeter to DC resistance in the 20 or 30 ohm (doesn't matter) or below range (meters vary) - put the black lead tip on the amp-end of the cable's shaft, and the red tip on the end of the cable. The reading should be in the sub-15k range, usually between 7k and 15k.

Yours measured separately (switch to either, not both) should measure in the 7.0-7.5k (maybe closer to 8.0k) range, as they're emulating PAFs, and that was their range.

[Dru Edwards]

As mentioned, measure the resistance. I've never played the Iommi pickups before but if you have them that would be an unexpected surprise.