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T-Top?

matt1969

New member
Joined
Aug 9, 2021
Messages
12
What pickup best replicates a late 70s T-Top? I have a T-Top in the neck position dated 1979 and I want bridge pickup that would be the best match. I have DiMarzio 36th Ann. in the bridge now and it's OK but a little thin sounding maybe?
 

Hamerfan

Active member
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Messages
791
A T-Top will always be a little thin sounding in the bridge with 7.5k and A5 - thats the nature of the beast. But thats also an iconic sound of Jimmy Page post 1972 thru a Marshall. On my first practise with it i had to play all Led Zep riffs i know and couldn‘t stop..
My recommendation is a Seymour Duncan SH-2 b the Jazz Bridge. Its Seymours take of the T-Top bridge. He wound the Jazz neck slightly lower than the T-Top and the Jazz Bridge a bit higher.
 

Bob Womack

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2002
Messages
2,191
All you have to do with a T-top in the bridge position is to back off the tone control a smidge. Voile'! The two pickups match.

Bob
 

Sol

Active member
Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
There is a custom winder in the US called Brandonwound. His T Top reproductions appear, as best I can tell to be indistinguishable from my own originals. I recommend you check him out.

If you want to keep things Gibson, then the 490r is well worth taking a look at. While the magnet is a long alnico 2, its not difficult to replace with a short alnico 5.
Ive heard this cost effective approach myself and can confirm that the sound is impressively close to the real thing.
I hope some of this is useful to you, all the best in your quest..
 
Last edited:

CK6

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2020
Messages
449
What pickup best replicates a late 70s T-Top? I have a T-Top in the neck position dated 1979 and I want bridge pickup that would be the best match. I have DiMarzio 36th Ann. in the bridge now and it's OK but a little thin sounding maybe?
I would just buy an original one! For the price of all these fancy, boutique pickups you could actually just buy an original T-top.
 

TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
I've always put the ThroBak A-4 magnets in the T-Tops! It turns them into a really great pickups, very PAF-is
 
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