PAF recommendations for 74 Super 400

[Doug B]

What about Bartolini pickups? Are they worthwhile? You don't hear them mentioned very often.

Doug

[icr]

Gibson sells re-issue T-tops. I'd go with those if I had that guitar without the original pickups.

[jaymen]

Since they are used in the 57 and later Gibson ES-175, you can't go wrong with some '57 Gibson Classic humbuckers, and to save some money you can get the Seymour Duncan versions as he has the original winding machine he bought from Gibson that they were made on.
For a little more, the Lovers are nice too.

[Woody Sound]

FWIW, Sadowsky uses his own branded version of the DiMarzio 36th Anniversary in his archtops.

[Jimmy Mack]

Who is to say that the RI T-tops sound the same as the originals? More than a few folks say that the recent 57 Classics don't sound a s good as the older 57 C's.

I would install a set of Seth Lovers from Seymour Duncan, and be done with the journey. You might want to install good 500K pots as well while the guitar is on the "bench"- the originals could be "off" in value (IN MY EXPERIENCE) and or in poor condition.

Did this upgrade on my Norlin L5 CES. Tremendous improvement.

[Ahmad88]

Who is to say that the RI T-tops sound the same as the originals? More than a few folks say that the recent 57 Classics don't sound a s good as the older 57 C's.

I would install a set of Seth Lovers from Seymour Duncan, and be done with the journey. You might want to install good 500K pots as well while the guitar is on the "bench"- the originals could be "off" in value (IN MY EXPERIENCE) and or in poor condition.

Did this upgrade on my Norlin L5 CES. Tremendous improvement.

I had a pair of Seth Lovers in my Byrdland. They didn't really leave an impression on me.

Speaking of Seymour Duncan, how about one of the custom shop options? I see on reverb they have a set of Pearly Gates, MJ's Magic Set (skinnerburst), and Queenbuckers. How about the Antiquities?

[Robertito]

I have a pair of 1973 Gibson T-top pickups, close in date to your guitar, and they measure 7.85k and 7.87k DC resistance.

[whiskey02]

PAF's begin and end with the Duncan Seth Lover set. Paying a penny more for Gibson or Booteek is completely unnecessary.

[Ahmad88]

Hey folks!

Thank you all for your amazing insight! So I went with the Lollar low Winds and they are incredible.

Currently it's are strung up with TI Jazz Swing 12's. I'm usually to flatwounds but, they're a little too boomy for this buy. I've heard good things about the bebop set. I'm a fingerstyle player and the idea of polished roundwounds sounds interesting. Any suggestions?

[Jimmy Mack]

Yawn!!!
It seems that I have read this thread for 20 years now. Just buy some SD SethLovers, install them, and enjoy the perfect PAF, nostalgic, sweet, old school, or whatever you want to call "it" tone.

If they're good enough for my old L5 CES ( the stock 1981 p/ups just didn't deliver what the SL's do), then you end up just chasing a tail of some sort. Hundreds of posters have gone that route.

I also did the search. Get the SL's and get back to playing!

Goodluck.

[myhandhurts]

I personally stay away from Duncans [especially A2 magnets]. DiMarzio , Wolftone, and Armstrong with A5 magnets are a sure bet. A humbucker wound with plain enamel wire up to around 7.5 K to 8K with an alnico 5 magnet is a good starting point for neck pickups. Make sure your volume control is 500K or 1 meg, too. The guitar itself will dictate the sound that is being amplified by the pickups so keep in mind that some will simply be too bass-heavy! Be sure to try everything out on the amp and the volume that you will be playing at. A bedroom is vastly different than a stage! Have fun!