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Patent # T-Tops

rbehm

New member
Joined
Mar 6, 2007
Messages
499
I just instaled one in one of my Guitars,'61sg LP RI I rather like it ,at 7.7k I thought it was gonna sound weak and thin , however much to my surprise it's full ,really musical and dementional .
anyone else like these?
 

cryptozoo

New member
Joined
Jun 25, 2008
Messages
2,738
I like 'em as well. I've had several of the PAT sticker T-Top sets go through my hands over the last few years and it's been hard not to hang on to them. Most have been 7.4k-7.7k, but sometimes you can find pretty hot winds, too (8k+).
 

retrobob

Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2002
Messages
735
I have one installed in the bridge of a Strat of all things. I took out the original A-5 magnet and replaced it with a A-2 from a PAF. It sounds really good!

DSC01643.jpg
 

Progrocker111

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Messages
4,013
They are great musical, clear and very dynamic pickups, much better to me than Burstbuckers.
 

Wilko

All Access/Backstage Pass
Joined
Mar 11, 2002
Messages
20,853
I love 'em. I've got a several pairs.

Even a pair in my "pepto" strat:

pinkstrat.jpg
 

sickboy79

New member
Joined
Apr 2, 2002
Messages
5,161
Another big fan here. I've got a set of pat. sticker T-tops in my 72 Deluxe that was routed for HBs. Some of my personal favorite pickups!
 

Monroe

Active member
Joined
Mar 11, 2008
Messages
1,139
My 76 Custom shipped with patent sticker T-tops... I didn't care for them at the time... mostly because it seemed they were not a good match for each other. I probably should not have eBay'd them for next to nothing a few years ago. My new policy is just save everything, just in case.
 

Elmore

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 10, 2003
Messages
1,853
I have one in the bridge of a routed '71 Deluxe. Great sound. My favorite Gibson pickup, except for a PAF.
 

Wilko

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Joined
Mar 11, 2002
Messages
20,853
Thanks.

Here's the headstock (had to balance t he Gibson-ness)
klusonhead.jpg
 

dwagar

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2005
Messages
4,451
I really like them too.

The neck pup in my 74 Custom is IMO one of the best sounding pickups I've ever heard. IIRC it's around 7.7. I had to replace the bridge pup (when I bought the guitar it had an SD-JB in the bridge position), I found a stickered TTop at just a touch over 8.0. While still a great pickup, it lacks something that the neck pickup has. Maybe it's just that they sound so much better in the neck position, or maybe these pickups are, like so many things, hit and miss to get exactly what you want.
 

lpcust

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Messages
414
When I bought my '68 Custom years ago on 48th St, the shopkeeper told my it was all original. However, he was happy to loan me a screwdriver to pull the pickup screws. The bridge had the original pat#, but the neck had a Duncan. He said no worries and dug through a drawer behind the counter. As he handed me a pickup in a baggie, he asked if I was OK with it as a replacement. It was a PAF, compete with a slip of paper that said "PAF- do not sell." No extra charge for the PAF.
Nicest guy ever- he took me to the basement of the shop to look for a case- found a minty brown/pink case. Turned out to be small- for a 3/4 size or something.
Anyway, the PAF and the Pat # sound extremely good together.
Sadly, the shop is no longer there. I hope he went on to bigger and better things. There were some guys selling guitars who were dishonest scum (Guitar Trader post-original owner) but it's nice to remember the honest non-avaricious folks.
Back to subject- Pat # pickups rule!
 

Henk

New member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
836
I have a love-hate relationship with any PAF-Pat-TTop pickups ive heard or owned. Its just that PAFs sound too thin in the bridge position, still i just love them in the neck position.

I do prefer AII Paf neck and AIV PAT bridge combinations, they just seem to work better for me like that. Or maybe i think its just cheaper to buy a couple of TTops and try them with the PAF then to dish out for a PAF set which probably consists of 2 'neck' pickups anyway.
 

moonweasel

New member
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
9,427
As he handed me a pickup in a baggie, he asked if I was OK with it as a replacement. It was a PAF, compete with a slip of paper that said "PAF- do not sell." No extra charge for the PAF.

Back to subject- Pat # pickups rule!


Wow, free PAF!
 

akkermanfan

New member
Joined
May 30, 2015
Messages
23
When I bought my '68 Custom years ago on 48th St, the shopkeeper told my it was all original. However, he was happy to loan me a screwdriver to pull the pickup screws. The bridge had the original pat#, but the neck had a Duncan. He said no worries and dug through a drawer behind the counter. As he handed me a pickup in a baggie, he asked if I was OK with it as a replacement. It was a PAF, compete with a slip of paper that said "PAF- do not sell." No extra charge for the PAF.
Nicest guy ever- he took me to the basement of the shop to look for a case- found a minty brown/pink case. Turned out to be small- for a 3/4 size or something.
Anyway, the PAF and the Pat # sound extremely good together.
Sadly, the shop is no longer there. I hope he went on to bigger and better things. There were some guys selling guitars who were dishonest scum (Guitar Trader post-original owner) but it's nice to remember the honest non-avaricious folks.
Back to subject- Pat # pickups rule!
Hi lpcustom, do you still own this 1968 Les Paul Custom ?
 

Sol

Active member
Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
Are pat# t tops closer to pafs than 57classics and burstbuckers ?
 

corpse

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
4,876
My opinion is they are their own thing. Very wonderful but decidedly their own thing. I have a set in my 69GT HB conversion and they are dead-nuts Get Your Ya Ya's Out Mick Taylor tone. Keep in mind I have A3 magnets in them- and you need to be able to identify these things (magnets) to be sure. Mine were too bright and the A3's sweetened them a little- but not a huge change.
 
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