I was working slowly all afternoon...

GuitarJammin

Guitar Player
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Messages
592
Location
Corpus Christi, TX
I was working slowly all afternoon....

I recently found a 1983 Gibson LP custom IDENTICAL to one I had to let go years ago in the early 00's. Letting that one go always hurt, BUT I pulled the trigger on it. Took forever to get it with the shipping nightmare that the freeze caused. When I got it into my hands it was the all the familiar friend I had hoped for! Back then I knew ZERO about guitar nerd theory, and I was always fighting feedback with those Tim Shaw humbuckers. The problem was there again, haha, this time it was a awesome reminder of Punk/metal night after night playing in 3 different bands. I've had the guitar a little over a week now and enjoying the familar tone...and remembering that I wanted to change the pickups back then but didn't know how or with what.

I read the 80s Gibson Tim shaw humbuckers are coveted and even the YouTuber Trogly said changing them out was stupid. Well....Stupid is as stupid does.

I learned the Tim shaw humbuckers are unpotted, and the feedback generation these pickups produced from my high gain style just had to end. I didn't buy this guitar for clean tones.
I've had a brand new set of 57/08s sitting in my parts bin for some time and today was the day.

My favorite PRS pickups are the 57/08 and right now my two favorite PRS are rocking them. I played the LP for about an hour throwing some last riffs on the stock buckers.
After getting them in and getting the bridge all set up again, I fired up the Archon 25. The improvement was DRASTIC...the guitar had power and fullness and clarity! I then went and plugged into all my amps in the jam room and did the full test. Confirmed this time my guitar nerdness paid off, its response and tone was what I wished an LP would sound like! I've owned many LPs and the first 15 of my playing years were exclusively LPs. (side note: I discovered PRS when i was trying to buy a new LP in 2015) Just before typing this I just set the guitar down. I'm blown away right now at what Paul is doing with his pickups...the 57/08 serves my purposes well in my PRS guitars...but I wasn't expecting how much better it would make my Les Paul.

Now what to do with the originals...
For the kids that try this at home.....treble black wire is hot.....bass white wire is hot.
 
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