What’s a good T-Top clone?

[GrayHawK1]

I have an original set in my 79. I’m looking for a good equivalent for my 2014 Classic Custom.

 

[DADGAD]

I’ve heard great things about Craig Vinham’s 6070 pickups which I believe are T top inspired.

 

[ARandall]

Yeah, the 6070 Classic is like an original T-top with the two being the same.
The 6070 model is a hotter bridge wind.

Brandonwound also do their model with a T bobbin for aesthetic accuracy as well.

 

[cooljuk]

Gibson was already using ceramic magnets with the "T" bobbins by 1979. "T-Top" is too vague for that period to know what design you have under the cover.

 

[northernguitarguy]

The Vineham 6070 Classic is a clone of the early T-Top.

 

[jonesy]

Jared Brandon at Brandonwound pickups winds some authentic sounding T-Top clones.

He actually uses a Leesona winder just like Gibson did and the bobbins have the T stamp, they sound great. I have had late 70's T-Tops in several Les Pauls to compare to and his are spot on.

TTop Humbuckers – Brandon Wound Pickups

 

[jbash]

You will get 30 answers from 10 different people asking this question.

I'm guessing everyone makes a good T Top Clone.

I went with James @ Rewind AKA @cooljuk .

I bought the "stock" bridge pickup from his JP Post 72 set (a late pat #/early T top clone I'm guessing) and he wound me a neck T-top with some secret sauce to go with it. Both are unpotted. Perhaps it's the lack of wax, but frankly they sound better than most original T-Tops--- not all, but most----I've owned or played (The best set I ever played was in an absolutely righteous 74 Standard!)

 

[Jymbopalyse]

I have a pair of Vineham 6070 CLASSIC PLUS pickups in my Epi Traditional.

It's the guitar I pickup most for hard rock.
His prices are reasonable, and with the US to CDN exchange rate, it makes sense to give him a try.

I think I might try some flavor of P90 from him next.

 

[Duane_the_tub]

Fralin makes a good replica. Lindy also has a set of actual T-tops in his parts drawer that he would sell you.

 

[BKS]

Gibson was already using ceramic magnets with the "T" bobbins by 1979. "T-Top" is too vague for that period to know what design you have under the cover.

I was told mine had rough cast alnico v in it (1980) so could he be wrong or could there be some that still had them? How different would these be tonewise? Mine are still drawer rockers that is why i ask, hope you don't mind. Just can't look at it as it is a covered pickup, only the older ttop i have is uncovered.

 

[cooljuk]

I was told mine had rough cast alnico v in it (1980) so could he be wrong or could there be some that still had them? How different would these be tonewise? Mine are still drawer rockers that is why i ask, hope you don't mind. Just can't look at it as it is a covered pickup, only the older ttop i have is uncovered.

The ceramic magnet pickups from that period are a little taller/thicker. As in the distance from the top of the cover to the bottom of the baseplate is greater, due to the thicker magnet and spacers, inside.

The sound would be significantly different between a ceramic and AlNiCo magnet. The ceramic models are much louder and tighter sounding. Not quite a Super Distortion, but in that direction.

 

[northernguitarguy]

Not quite a Super Distortion, but in that direction.

Precursor to the Dirty Fingers?

 

[cooljuk]

Precursor to the Dirty Fingers?

Yes. ...though not a graceful transition. What Gibson was doing with humbuckers in the 1978-1982 or so was nearly “anything goes.”

That’s actually more a period of chaos in Gibson humbuckers than the 1957-1965 era.

 

[northernguitarguy]

That’s actually more a period of chaos in Gibson humbuckers than the 1957-1965 era.

I would LOVE to hear your take on the methods used in ‘57-65. Legend has it that PAFs are very unreliable in terms of continuity. Stories abound that ‘Madge’ the winder just wound pups until they looked ‘right’. A former tech had stories of wealthy clients who shelled out for PAFs and ended up with total duds, and little else than bragging rights.

 

[Brewdude]

I would LOVE to hear your take on the methods used in ‘57-65. Legend has it that PAFs are very unreliable in terms of continuity. Stories abound that ‘Madge’ the winder just wound pups until they looked ‘right’. A former tech had stories of wealthy clients who shelled out for PAFs and ended up with total duds, and little else than bragging rights.

He wrote a book all about it

Amazon.com: The Gibson "P.A.F." Humbucking Pickup: From Myth to Reality (9781574243642): Milan, Mario, Finnerty, James: Books

Amazon.com: The Gibson "P.A.F." Humbucking Pickup: From Myth to Reality (9781574243642): Milan, Mario, Finnerty, James: Books

www.amazon.com

 

[1all's Pub]

I’ll second Brandonwound and Vineham. I have a Brandonwound T-Top in the neck of my Silverburst Custom and a Vineham Whiskey Burner (hot PAF, not a T-Top) in the bridge. Great combo!

 

[cooljuk]

I would LOVE to hear your take on the methods used in ‘57-65. Legend has it that PAFs are very unreliable in terms of continuity. Stories abound that ‘Madge’ the winder just wound pups until they looked ‘right’. A former tech had stories of wealthy clients who shelled out for PAFs and ended up with total duds, and little else than bragging rights.

I've been offering to buy the "dog" PAFs for about 10 years, at a fairly discounted rate considering their terrible sound, of course, and nobody has ever taken me up on it.

Brewdude is right. I did write a book, with Mario Milan, on much of that period and Gibson/PAF history. That book has contributions from a handful of the most experienced other vintage pickup repair, builder, experts, as well. So, it's not just my take. I did a few interviews in Guitarist and Axe, as well, on the same topic. It's be fun to do a live Q&A, especially if I pulled in a colleague or two (though most don't care for collaboration) but there might just be lots of crickets. lol! Pretty nerdy topic for most.

...not nearly as nearly as 1978-1982 Gibson humbuckers, though! That's real nerd territory. Not actually a period of pickups I particularly favor, personally, but I love the history. Then again, I'm also surprised this topic went past 15 posts without the word "Shaw" from those guys who love them.

 

[BKS]

Well talking about Shaws...

 

[AJK1]

Gibson was already using ceramic magnets with the "T" bobbins by 1979. "T-Top" is too vague for that period to know what design you have under the cover.

I bet he didn’t realise his guitar has ceramic mag pickups in it lol

 

[northernguitarguy]

I bet he didn’t realise his guitar has ceramic mag pickups in it lol

He doesn’t know that and neither do you. The whole point of the post was to illustrate the lack of clarity. And what’s funny about it?