The 1959 set is Gibson's take on the classic Burst tone: open, woody and rich in harmonics, with a vocal midrange. Long, rough-cast Alnico 3 magnets and unbalanced coils give a softer bass, sweet and airy highs and a pronounced middle. The attack is looser and a little spongy, and the set is very touch-sensitive. Under the covers are Double Vintage White butyrate bobbins, the only white pair of the four years.
Gibson builds these sets to the same standard as its 1959 Collector's Edition humbuckers, working from 3D scans of original late-'50s pickups, careful study of those originals and specifications from its own archives. Each pickup is wound with 42 AWG plain enamel wire on Gibson's vintage coil winders, on Double Vintage White butyrate bobbins, with maple spacers, vintage-correct steel slugs and keeper bars, True Historic nickel covers, two-conductor wiring and Patent Applied For decals, left unpotted. Gibson even copies the tooling marks on the baseplate feet. The sets leave out the Collector's Edition's Lifton case, individual serial numbers and mounting rings. Each set is a treble and a rhythm pickup.
If you're chasing the sound of a late-'50s Les Paul Standard, start here. It rewards a player who shapes the tone with pick attack and the volume knob. For more bite, look at the 1957 set. For more warmth and a softer attack, the 1960.
SPECIFICATIONS
SPECS
Position: Both (Set of Two)
Magnets: Alnico 3
Wiring: 2-Conductor
Cover: True Historic Nickel
Bobbins: Double Vintage White Butyrate
Potting: Unpotted
Average DC Resistance: 8.1k (Treble), 7.7k (Rhythm)
Wire: 42 AWG plain enamel
Mounting Rings: Not included
