Gibson Series 7

humbucker---ceramic magnet. passive. it may put out around 14k-15k-not sure, but they are high output

they came with an lp artisan. they are in the bridge & neck. a superhumbucker is in the middle. i wouldn't replace these. the boutique guys should listen to them & recreate them since gibson hasn't made them for some time. someone said that bill lawrence may have had a hand in developing these pickups. high output humbuckers that rip, & can smooth out---unreal.

they are high output, but have tone unlike other ceramics. these are sweet, & bring another color out of an amp, especially when you turn up. the neck is a touch microphonic, not so much in the bridge. it's good microphonic instead of the unwanted kind. the neck has punch. the superhumbucker works well in combination with the bridge. you don't need boost effects with these pickups. they sizzle, are clear, & gibson should have never stopped making them. they do rock, but clean up nice when looking for clean tones. i've only heard these pickups in artisans, which for late 70's gibsons were good wood & put together decently.

gibson's dirty fingers don't come close. it just figures gibson does something right, then discontinues the product. if any boutique guys are making high output pickups like these, that would be great. this actually is a high output humbucker that works with all amps, & the series 7 is it. i'd love to have others to put into lp's.

Pickup features: Humbucking passive
Impedence or other specs: 44 guage wire, ceramic magnets. In this guitar, the PU's are tapped.

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson ES-347TD
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: This was the Stock PU
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Ray Benson, Mitch Holder, Larry Carlton Briefly in the '70's, other fusionheads.
You musical style(s): Fusion, Staight Jazz, funk
Reason for pickup change: I didn't

Perceived output level: This pickup was wound with 44 guage wire, hotter than a '70's Dimarzio Super distortion.
Tone: I like the balance clean very well. Slightly dark, I use this guitar to cover Wes Montgomery, although that was not what it was made for. For Fusion in the style of Larry Carlton, John McLaughlin, and Al DiMeola, the distortion tone simply can't be beaten.
Sonic evaluation: Red Flametop ES-347TD (Thinline Semi-hollow, maple neck, ebony fretboard with pearl Blocks, coil taps.) through a 60's combo amp and '75 Super. This guitar and its pickups were built for me. I love the sound thru a good tube amp. Clean, the PU's yield a really nice Jazz tone. The things sound really nice tapped, too. Untapped, though, make effective use of the guitar's vol knob -- these babies can get fairly hot!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: FUSION, FUSION, FUSION is what these PU's do admirably. Very nice for Straight Jazz, too.

Comments: I have been playing guitar since I was about 6 or 7 and have owned many, many guitars. This is the one that has the sound I have been searching for all my life. As a born-too-late fusionhead, these PU's are perfect for me. If you like straight ahead jazz, you will probably like them also. just remember to keep them turned down. They are nice and dark, but still somehow round when they are clean. It is a phenomenon I can't explain. Maybe it's the guitar more than the PUs that give me all of these sounds I have been craving for years. If you can, check out a 347. It is one of the most underrated cool guitars in the vintage market. Other proud 347 owners please E-mail me.