Gibson '57 Classic Reissue

Pickup features: Humbucker, passive, single conductor
Impedence or other specs: 8.2kohms

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Broadway
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Epiphone '57 Classic
Other pickups on guitar: Gibson '57 Classic Plus
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Jazz
Reason for pickup change: The Epiphone pups, while much better than they were just a few years ago, still have a hint of fuzz around the edges. For most folks, the Epi pups would be AOK and I suspect with a clean machine like a Fender Twin Reverb, you wouldn't even notice.

Perceived output level: These pups are not hot. I've had them on a Gibson Es-135LE. They are, in a word, smooth.
Tone: In addition to being smooth, in my all-maple ES-135LE they were also bright. In this spruce-topped Epi, the pup is smooth as glass without the ultra highs. Oh, they can get bright if you want them to be, but the Epi's volume control attenutates highs as you decrease volume, making a nice round smooth jazz tone.
Sonic evaluation: I use a 2001 Epi Broadway with a 1996 Fender Princeton Chorus amp. No effects other than the amp's stereo chorus and reverb. I also have a 1994 Fender Super Amp (all-tube), but usually reserve that one for louder rock 'n blues for use with my Gibson ES-137P.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I use my Epi Broadway strictly for jazz. When I had my Gibson ES-135LE with '57 Classics in both positions, it was a GREAT blues and rock guitar. I mean great. For jazz, it was a touch bright and a hair nasally.

Comments: I've had these pups before and really like them. I'm not asmuch of a fan of the Classic Plus, which is installed in the bridge of my Epi. The regular '57 Classic gets top marks form me for it's smooth, velvety tone regardless of it's bright texture on all maple guitars.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez AS-80
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Ibanez super 58
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio PAF Classic
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock/Metal/Alt/Fusion/Shred
Reason for pickup change: stock pickups squealed at low gain settings, sounded way to dark.

Perceived output level: Normal +
Tone: Balanced, articulate
Sonic evaluation: Through a Marshall MKII, think Alvin Lee/Eric Clapton, great sounds, full sound with definition and a little bite, these puppies sing, cry, scream (but no whining)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great for classic rock tones, very clear, even at high gain, make sure your chops are up to it. Pick harmonics jump out.

Comments: I am definitely putting one of these on my SG, this pickup is what a humbucker SHOULD sound like!

Pickup features: humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Sheraton 2
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock 57CH Epiphone
Other pickups on guitar: no
Artists using this pickup: the most clever
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues, Pop
Reason for pickup change: Epiphone Pickups were confused and little weak. Bass/Treb tuning was limited. It was hard to mimic a known tone, except maybe some old Beatles or Stones stuff.
Furthermore, the gold layer was just vanishing to chrome. Epiphone only reached the minimum level of sound quality for selling some Sheraton, without competing with the Gibson range of products. The sticker "new Gibson pickups" is only a marketing act (I've heard that those pick-ups are made by Samsung in fact!).

Perceived output level: I installed a pair of '57. The change in sound was incredible, especially for the Bridge pickup which now sounds like a V12 with extremely rich harmonics. The neck pu sounds very different, maybe a little weak, but real bright and very reactive. The most impressive was to rediscover what the tuning knobs can do now. Volume knob really affects big deal the crunchiness of the pickups, and I re-discovered what really means Treble and Bass adjustments. I feel my Sheraton is now equal or superior in sound and comfort to any 335. A little noise was added when facing the amp versus the stock.
Tone: Big spectrum of variations.
Sonic evaluation: Tube Super 112 Fender and Marshall VS65R, where I also hook a LP std and US Strat.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues and rock from the '70.

Comments: I stored some pickup's ADN in a safe, so I can re-create the specy if necessary.
I give it a 9 just because of the little hum I have when I face the amp. But this does not affect me much.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: not sure, I believe around 8.5k

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Classic Premium Plus
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Gibson 496R and 500T
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Joe and his mother ( I honestly don't care)
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues
Reason for pickup change: Stock Pickups were just too hot and shrill. I could not get a clean sound that I can work with even at volume 3 on the guitar. The stock pickups are good for shredding, but not very versatile.

Perceived output level: Much lower than the stock pickups, but still the expected, powerful humbucking sound
Tone: Bridge is very balanced and clear, the Neck is a bit muddy
Sonic evaluation: Two setups: a Deluxe Reverb 65' re-issue, and a Marshall TSL100 with one 4x12 cab with Vintage 30's. I also went ahead and tapped these babies with shielded wire to get single coil sounds. A simple job, but time consuming and delicate (I do all of my guitar work). I installed two long-shaft push-pull tone pots to activate the taps. The bridge humbucker is what I wanted it to be: a wonderful, fat sounding PU that allows me to dial anything from clean to wild dirty, with good definition. The neck PU is still too muddy. I will try a Fralin Un-bucker soon to deal with this. On single coil mode, well here is the surprise, UNBELIEVABLE! The bridge sounds EXACTLY like my 52' Tele re-issue. The neck is strat-sounding but not quite. Tapping these babies has added a TON of functionality on this Paul.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock, Blues, and a little bit of Twang.

Comments: I have been playing for more than 20 years, with an 8 year rest in between. I tinker with ALL my guitars, since I don't think that you ever find out what sounds you can get until you adjust pole heights, PU, heights, and guitar electronics. I also have a Robert Cray Custom Shop Strat, a 52' Re-Issue Telecaster, An American Strat with Van Zandt Pickups, and a Gibson 54' reissue Goldtop with p-90's. I am very impressed with the sound you get out of the single coil settings, so much that I am getting rid of my 52' Tele. Now I understand how Jimmy Page got those sounds. Some of my buddies heard it and thought I was playing a telecaster! As for the full humbucking mode, I really like the bridge PUp. You can get fat, clean sounds or just dial in the right amount of power with your volume knobs to overdrive your amp. It is there! The tone-monsters of 60's and 70's did it all with the same type of PUps. The neck position is the one I plan to change for a Fralin un-bucker to clean it up a bit. I adjusted the height and got it to sound better, but still too muddy for my taste. If these PUps don't impress you from the get-go, don't give up without trying a thing or two, you will be suprised with the Changes you will get by just adjusting the PUp and pole-piece height. A little further away from the strings loses a tiny bit of output but increases definition and clarity quite a bit, even with distortion. Well worth the compromise.

Pickup features: passive humbucking, adjustable polepieces, nickel cover, 2-conductor braided wire
Impedence or other specs: Around 8.5K ohms, wax-potted

Model of guitar or bass: 1976 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none, bought the guitar without pups w/c originally had mini-humbuckers
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Me... duh...
You musical style(s): Fusion, Jazz, Hard Rock, Blues, Shred, some Heavy Metal
Reason for pickup change: '57s have a good reputation, so I tried them.

Perceived output level: slightly lower than standard Les Paul pups (490R, 498T)
Tone: SWEET!!! Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I use it with both my Laney LC-50 and Mesa Boogie DC-2. For rock I prefer the Laney, and for sweet Jazz runs I prefer the Boogie.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The '57s are great for any musical style!!! But for clean, these are the holy grail, next to the original PAFs and Burstbuckers. But it will always be a humbucker... forget the jangly-tone you can get from a Strat single coil.

Comments: PERFECT!!! The '57s are not muddy at all, unlike the other 49xR/49xT pups, and they really have smooth highs and sweet mids. As for output, they are pretty low compared to a standard humbucker, but I do not mind, because my amp does the job. If they get lost I might consider Burstbuckers (for strictly clean tone) but since the 57s are wax-potted, they are great for distortion too!
Sweet is the nickname of this pickup.

Pickup features: humbucking, nickel covers, Alnico mags
Impedence or other specs: DC Resistance around 8.6K

Model of guitar or bass: 1976 Gibson Les Paul
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: bought LP body w/o pups
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: smart people
You musical style(s): classic rock, blues, jazz, fusion, hard rock, prog, heavy metal (at times)
Reason for pickup change: I chose the 57s because of the hype. And now I realized that they are worth the hype.

Perceived output level: Cooler than most stock Gibson Les Paul pups
Tone: SWEET!!!
Sonic evaluation: I use a Laney LC50 and a Mesa Boogie DC-2. For rock, my LP sounds better with my Laney, but for sweet jazz and fusion runs, my Mesa DC-2 does the trick.
Anyway, GARY MOORE WILL BE HAPPY WITH MY GUITAR!!! My '76 LP is not the typical muddy-sounding present-day Les Paul... IT SOUNDS PRETTY MUCH LIKE A TELE THRU A MARSHALL!!! Think ZZ Top and Led Zep!!!
The '57 Classics made a huge difference. Classic Les Paul tone!!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great for classic stuff and clean. I also like them for high gain because they don't squeal and hum.

Comments: I love them!!! The only pups I would consider over these are the Gibson Burstbuckers, or ORIGINAL PAFS.
I think I should start growing my beard long... I just got Billy Gibbons' tone!

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs: I have two, both 8.4K

Model of guitar or bass: Dean Z
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Dimarzio Super Distortions
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Everything
Reason for pickup change: Wanted better tone

Perceived output level: Just right, slightly more than singles
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: A great sounding pickup for both positions. There may be better but I'm really satisfied. Play Strats through Marshall tube amps and now also using my Dean. With these PU's it is now very versatile.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: If you favor single coils but still appreciate humbuckers , You'll like this pickup.

Comments: I really like these pickups. The only complaint and warning is that the mounting ears are too tall. I had to modify my neck PU (not fun).
The problem is that the ears bottom out on the body of the guitar and therefore the PU height cannot be adjusted low enough. Without the Mod, my strings hit the top of the PU...un-useable. If it wasn't for that I'd give it a 10

Pickup features: humbucking
Impedence or other specs: ???

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez AS200
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Succession of replacements
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Jazz, Blues, Rock, Top 40
Reason for pickup change: Original Ibanez Super 58's are awesome sounding but I need more output for what I do.

Perceived output level: just right for a 335-style guitar
Tone: vintage. none of the frequencies seem to stick out unnecessarily
Sonic evaluation: AS200 into Crybaby into TS9 into VHT Pitbull-45 2*10+1*12 w/T.C. electronic G-Force in the FX loop. There are not many sounds I find unachievable with this setup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good versatile p/u capable of doing jazzy, woody sounding stuff to hard edge rock.

Comments: The main thing I would like to say is that I am a fan of 4-conducter cable. Playing in a covers band you really need single coil sounds. I bought these p/u's cheaply and didn't hesitate to access the internal wires and replace the standard shielded cable with 4-conducter myself. When I put them in my guitar I was surprised at how good they sounded in single coil and parrellel coil modes. They sound just as sweet as the SD alnico proII in the same modes which are also great in single or parrallel.
I certainly don't think these are the greatest pickups, just versatile. In terms of vintage reissues, the Ibanez Super 58's are the best I have heard. They are transparent, sweet, jangly and respond very well to volume and tone roll-offs, more so than any other I've heard. I'l be putting them back in once I buy a 2nd guitar for cover-band stuff and use the AS200 for less energetic stuff. I highly recomend these for Les Paul or 335-style guitars. Most guitarists wouldn't be caught dead with Ibanez p/u's in a Gibson I would imagine though.
The 57's give you standard, predictable sounds that can fit into most musical situations, even more-so with 4-conducter.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker using an Alnico magnet, vintage enamel coated wire, nickel plated pole pieces, nickel slugs, maple spacers and vintage-style, two-conductor, braided wiring, nickel-plated covers.
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Vintage Sunbust Classic
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Gibson 496R and 500T
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues Rock
Reason for pickup change: I love the LP Classics look and feel but for the life of me I'm not sure what possessed Gibson to put the 496R and 500T pickups into this guitar. They are screaming pickups best suited for metal. I don't think this guitar would appeal to those players but maybe I'm wrong.

Perceived output level: Although I have not measured the output level, it appears to be about 1/3 to 1/4 less than the stock pickups.
Tone: The best way to describe the tone that these put out the same as when you start to overdrive a classic tube amp. A soft distortion with tons of overtones. Very rich and creamy.
Sonic evaluation: Although I own one of the new Fender Twins (2001 issue), since I only play for my own enjoyment I mostly use a mid 90's Fender Pro Junior. When you put the LP Classic with the 57's in combination with that amp, you effectively create that mid-sixties British Blues sound. Think Fleetwood Mac, Mayall's Bluebreakers.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I mostly play blues based rock, so it's a combination made in heaven.

Comments: Before putting these pickup in I would always pickup my 56 Custom Shop Strat, because the tone was just right. The Classic 57's have now given me a true choice in guitars when you desire that classic sound.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: no clue

Model of guitar or bass: Epi Les Paul Custom
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: 57 classic plus
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues
Reason for pickup change: Read alot of these reviews!!

Perceived output level: middle of the road..... Not the stock Epi p/u......Not an EMG ..Classic PAF
Tone: Excellent. Clean, articulate, round. Its nice.
Sonic evaluation: Epiphone LP Custom /Fender Blues Junior. Although believe it or not, the stock Epi p/u's sounded ok despite other opinions here, the 57 in the neck position with the 57+ in the bridge just add a little bit more of everything. Sounds like someone took a blanket off the amp.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: