Gibson Dirty Fingers + ?

[Musha Ring]

Just to be clear, I'm asking about the Dirty Fingers+ (plus), not the regular Dirty Fingers.

Can anyone tell me anything about these pickups? I'm interested in a used set that came up for sale.

I know they came in the Government series, don't really care about that aspect. I'm more interested in the specs and if anyone has personal experience with them and if so, what are your thoughts?

I believe they're a regular DF but with more windings and a different mag? That's according to the two sentences I could find about them anywhere online.

 

[laterider]

Wow - there is a plus version!!! I just took a set of DFs from my 2017 V and put them in a Les Paul and really liking it. When I was putting them in I did some searching and didn't find many fans of DFs in general, so I'm sure these DF+ will be pretty rare to get information from users.
I did just do some searching on the Gov series and although you weren't looking for info there I'm now adding them to my list to buy if I see one at decent price. I want to try out DF+ set and actually think that LP or SG would be great to have in the collection!!!

Good luck finding information on these and apologies that my info is only on DFs which I'm growing to like more and more.

 

[Musha Ring]

Wow - there is a plus version!!! I just took a set of DFs from my 2017 V and put them in a Les Paul and really liking it. When I was putting them in I did some searching and didn't find many fans of DFs in general, so I'm sure these DF+ will be pretty rare to get information from users.
I did just do some searching on the Gov series and although you weren't looking for info there I'm now adding them to my list to buy if I see one at decent price. I want to try out DF+ set and actually think that LP or SG would be great to have in the collection!!!

Good luck finding information on these and apologies that my info is only on DFs which I'm growing to like more and more.

No apology necessary, thank you for your input!

They are relatively rare pups, indeed. There's literally nothing online about them.

I went ahead and bought them and plan on trying them first in my newest LP Classic. As you mentioned, the DFs don't have the biggest following, but the biggest gripe it seems is just that they're not PAFs, which is the sound the vast majority seems to be looking for.

I'm a big fan of Dimarzio Super Distortions, another not super popular pickup, and so I think these Dirty Finger+ pups will be right up my alley. I'll be sure to report back when I've had a chance to try them out!

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

I’m interested in a review.
Please keep us posted.

 

[rich85]

These B2 flying V's also have them which might help you dig up more info

Gibson.com: Flying V B-2 2019

Discover our outstanding array of instruments for any budget.

legacy.gibson.com

 

[rich85]

I only know because I walked past it in the shop and went wtf is a DF plus......?

 

[AJK1]

No apology necessary, thank you for your input!

They are relatively rare pups, indeed. There's literally nothing online about them.

I went ahead and bought them and plan on trying them first in my newest LP Classic. As you mentioned, the DFs don't have the biggest following, but the biggest gripe it seems is just that they're not PAFs, which is the sound the vast majority seems to be looking for.

I'm a big fan of Dimarzio Super Distortions, another not super popular pickup, and so I think these Dirty Finger+ pups will be right up my alley. I'll be sure to report back when I've had a chance to try them out!

I think you’ll find the Super Distortion is one of the biggest selling pickups in history

 

[Musha Ring]

I think you’ll find the Super Distortion is one of the biggest selling pickups in history

Right, I just meant not that popular here in the forums. I come across more people who dislike them than those who do. The majority here seem to dislike high output pups and prefer pafs.

These B2 flying V's also have them which might help you dig up more info

Gibson.com: Flying V B-2 2019

Discover our outstanding array of instruments for any budget.

legacy.gibson.com

Thanks for brining that to my attention!

 

[jbash]

These came out first in the 33x Studio models of 2013. (my 335S with trapeze below but with a 57 Classic) I sold my DF+ years ago. Mine had ALNICO II magnets- the bars were identical to those in my other Gibson A2 pickups. Someone on the Duncan forums told me they handled one on a customer's guitar and it had Ceramic magnets. ? Gibson published pretty much nothing about them. Maybe I got a friday pickup? Maybe they did. IDK.

Mine was warm/dark lots of midrange and chew- less articulate and less harsh than a normal Dirty FIngers- Only the output was similar. I tried it my Les Pauls, and it was fun for about 2 hours and then I got sick of it. But I never liked original DFs BITD either and ripped them out of every guitar I ever had with them (Explorers).

 

[Musha Ring]

These came out first in the 33x Studio models of 2013. (my 335S with trapeze below but with a 57 Classic) I sold my DF+ years ago. Mine had ALNICO II magnets- the bars were identical to those in my other Gibson A2 pickups. Someone on the Duncan forums told me they handled one on a customer's guitar and it had Ceramic magnets. ? Gibson published pretty much nothing about them. Maybe I got a friday pickup? Maybe they did. IDK.

Mine was warm/dark lots of midrange and chew- less articulate and less harsh than a normal Dirty FIngers- Only the output was similar. I tried it my Les Pauls, and it was fun for about 2 hours and then I got sick of it. But I never liked original DFs BITD either and ripped them out of every guitar I ever had with them (Explorers).

View attachment 554603

That's interesting about the magnet. Weirdly enough I've read some saying they're A2, others saying they're ceramic... just to add to the mystery.

How did you know the mags in yours were A2? Do they say on them? I've never looked at one up close.

 

[jbash]

That's interesting about the magnet. Weirdly enough I've read some saying they're A2, others saying they're ceramic... just to add to the mystery.

How did you know the mags in yours were A2? Do they say on them? I've never looked at one up close.

They have a different coloration than ceramic bars, and were identical to the magnets on my other Gibson Alnico II pickups (BB1/2/3, 57 classics, etc)

On top of that, they did not sound anything like ceramic.

 

[Musha Ring]

They have a different coloration than ceramic bars, and were identical to the magnets on my other Gibson Alnico II pickups (BB1/2/3, 57 classics, etc)

On top of that, they did not sound anything like ceramic.

Were yours 4 conductor? Everywhere I've read about them says they are, but I believe the ones I'm getting are 2 conductor. They have the braided shielding.

I think this is the only other place I've seen it mentioned they're A2. Wouldn't happen to be you, would it? Same initials.

Dirty Fingers PLUS - Seymour Duncan User Group Forums

All pickups. All the time.

forum.seymourduncan.com

 

[jbash]

Were yours 4 conductor? Everywhere I've read about them says they are, but I believe the ones I'm getting are 2 conductor. They have the braided shielding.

I think this is the only other place I've seen it mentioned they're A2. Wouldn't happen to be you, would it? Same initials.

Dirty Fingers PLUS - Seymour Duncan User Group Forums

All pickups. All the time.

forum.seymourduncan.com

That is I. I posted that right when I got my 335S. It *was* very good for the chugga in my 335 S which is a very snappy and tight guitar. It lost something in my Les Pauls, it darkened up, got boring and compressed.

Honestly I cannot remember about the wires- I want to say mine had 4 con with plastic shielding, not vintage braid, but I am not 100%.

I see somebody bumped that thread 5 years later to say they were ceramic. Not mine. As people are selling them in pairs, I'm guessing they are from newer guitars with a set. I had an original. No idea if they were changed.
I left the Duncan forums a few years back.

 

[Musha Ring]

Well, I've had the Dirty Fingers+ set for a week. I wanted to put them through their paces before coming to a conclusion and doing a review.

FWIW I have them in a 2020 Les Paul Classic with 500k pots, Emerson Bumblebees, Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkies and the heights are as follows;

Bridge:
Bass - 4.5 32nds
Treble - 3.5 32nds

Neck:
Bass - 5 32nds
Treble - 4 32nds

This set is very Mid-centric and great for tight rhythm playing. Leads aren't overly bright, but not dark either.

The bridge pickup has a good amount of bite for a high output ceramic (I think? Some seem to be A2 apparently) pup. The highs are rounded off and not sharp or ice-picky. The lows are ballsy, tight, and compressed.

The neck pickup surprised me. I was expecting pure mud and I didn't get it. While not as present and crisp as a Duncan Slash aph2 I tried a couple months back, it wasn't a flubby mess - unlike the WLH neck pup I tried recently. It has that characteristic vowel 'O' sound when playing leads on the bass strings while possessing a woody, smooth sound very much like an A2 neck pup on the treble strings. Playing chords on the neck pickup were wooly, loose, and dark, but leads were full and hollow sounding.

Overall the set had much of the classic Gibson sound characteristics that I've enjoyed in a lot of their other sets. It really surprised me by sharing some signature sounds with a good A2 set, such as the 57 Classics, but with much more mids, power, and punch.

And though I was pleasantly surprised by the neck pickup, I likely wouldn't (won't) keep it in my guitar. There's so much more to be gained by choosing a lower output pup that brings more presence to a famously dark sounding position. I think I'm going to try a 57 Classic in the neck next string change and see how it plays with the Dirty Fingers+ bridge.

As a side note - I did a lot of A/Bing with my main LP that currently has a set of late 70s Super Distortions in it. The DF are similar in their crunchiness and ease with which they pinch harmonics, but they feel quite different. The DFs have more highs and upper mids than the more balanced SDs. The bass response from both sets is very similar with the DFs being tighter.

Overall the Dirty Fingers+ are more compressed and more modern sounding than the Super Distortions. And although chords were very middy and crunchy, they do suffer from being generic sounding during leads like so many modern pickups. I found myself wishing the DFs were unpotted like my SDs so they could have the same loose, open vibe and feel I love so much about my Super Distortions.

If I had to dumb it down into a sound - The Dirty Fingers+ are Dio and the Super Distortions are KISS.

 

[WillyW]

I have some in an HP V.

by far the stoopidest name for anything ever, let alone pickups.

 

[mahler81280]

I don't mean to resurrect an old thread. However, I thought I might offer some insight into this. I'm the maintenance and facilities manager for Gibson USA in Nashville, TN. This past Christmas, my team custom-built a guitar for me as a Christmas present. In the guitar is a set of dirty finger + pickups.

Like many of you, I had never heard of them. I went across the hall and spoke with one of our head luthiers, Jim Decola, about these pickups. Turns out, he designed them. He told me the story of how he came up with them.

One day he was walking through the electronics part of the factory and saw a dirty fingers being assembled and noticed that there was something he didn't like about the pole screws. He asked the technician if the pickup was being assembled to specification. They responded that it was. After that, he re-designed the pickup to get rid of some of the mud in their tone and that became the Dirty Fingers +. He went on to tell me more about some of the changes to the magnets and other small details. However, to be honest, a lot of it went over my head. The guy is a genius. I will have to ask him again for more detail if anyone is interested.

If you want to know how they sound, In my opinion. They are very clear. They sound great for metal both clean and distorted. However, I would not use them for classic rock or rock. They don't have the warmth of a PAF-style pickup and there are plenty of other pickups in the Gibson parts bin that I would choose for that. It's a very distinct tone that sounds great for palm mutes and blistering solos. They do one thing and they do it well. That's just my opinion.

With this post should be a picture of my guitar and one with me, my guitar, and Jim. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Best Regards,
Matthew

 

[mvenuti1980]

I don't mean to resurrect an old thread. However, I thought I might offer some insight into this. I'm the maintenance and facilities manager for Gibson USA in Nashville, TN. This past Christmas, my team custom-built a guitar for me as a Christmas present. In the guitar is a set of dirty finger + pickups.

Like many of you, I had never heard of them. I went across the hall and spoke with one of our head luthiers, Jim Decola, about these pickups. Turns out, he designed them. He told me the story of how he came up with them.

One day he was walking through the electronics part of the factory and saw a dirty fingers being assembled and noticed that there was something he didn't like about the pole screws. He asked the technician if the pickup was being assembled to specification. They responded that it was. After that, he re-designed the pickup to get rid of some of the mud in their tone and that became the Dirty Fingers +. He went on to tell me more about some of the changes to the magnets and other small details. However, to be honest, a lot of it went over my head. The guy is a genius. I will have to ask him again for more detail if anyone is interested.

If you want to know how they sound, In my opinion. They are very clear. They sound great for metal both clean and distorted. However, I would not use them for classic rock or rock. They don't have the warmth of a PAF-style pickup and there are plenty of other pickups in the Gibson parts bin that I would choose for that. It's a very distinct tone that sounds great for palm mutes and blistering solos. They do one thing and they do it well. That's just my opinion.

With this post should be a picture of my guitar and one with me, my guitar, and Jim. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Best Regards,
Matthew

Thanks for sharing that! I’ve noticed that the Demo/Mod shop is putting DF+ in plenty of guitars, usually pairing it with a Duncan of some sort in the neck.

 

[LSAR]

Gibson.Com: M-III

The M-III starts from a foundation of Gibson tradition—seen it its solid mahogany body, glued-in neck, and high-gain Dirty Fingers™ humbucking pickups with versatile switching—and catapults it into the future with a major dose of style and innovation.

legacy.gibson.com

There's also a Dirty Fingers + Single Coil, I've only ever seen on the more recent M-III reissue. Given the non-standard format and their only ever being on one model I'd be surprised to ever see one in the wild though.

 

[Klinger]

I don't mean to resurrect an old thread. However, I thought I might offer some insight into this. I'm the maintenance and facilities manager for Gibson USA in Nashville, TN. This past Christmas, my team custom-built a guitar for me as a Christmas present. In the guitar is a set of dirty finger + pickups.

Like many of you, I had never heard of them. I went across the hall and spoke with one of our head luthiers, Jim Decola, about these pickups. Turns out, he designed them. He told me the story of how he came up with them.

One day he was walking through the electronics part of the factory and saw a dirty fingers being assembled and noticed that there was something he didn't like about the pole screws. He asked the technician if the pickup was being assembled to specification. They responded that it was. After that, he re-designed the pickup to get rid of some of the mud in their tone and that became the Dirty Fingers +. He went on to tell me more about some of the changes to the magnets and other small details. However, to be honest, a lot of it went over my head. The guy is a genius. I will have to ask him again for more detail if anyone is interested.

If you want to know how they sound, In my opinion. They are very clear. They sound great for metal both clean and distorted. However, I would not use them for classic rock or rock. They don't have the warmth of a PAF-style pickup and there are plenty of other pickups in the Gibson parts bin that I would choose for that. It's a very distinct tone that sounds great for palm mutes and blistering solos. They do one thing and they do it well. That's just my opinion.

With this post should be a picture of my guitar and one with me, my guitar, and Jim. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Best Regards,
Matthew

Hi Matthew, thanks for sharing your story! That Les Paul they made you is killer.

I'm curious if you can share with us some of the details Jim shared with you, about the magnets and whatnot? Really curious about the details of these pickups. I googled them today and this is one of the only things that comes up.

 

[mahler81280]

Klinger,

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your post. Things have been rather busy here at Gibson. I asked Jim for some clarity on the Dirty Fingers + and he replied with the following.

"The Dirty Fingers + pickups are calibrated neck and bridge with the bridge pickup wound a bit hotter than the standard Dirty Fingers pickup.

I also added a poleshoe under one coil for a more efficient magnetic field which helps clarity and provides a tighter tone."

There you have it. Straight from the man who designed them. I hope that helps you. Let me know if you need anything else.

Best Regards,
Matthew