Very late '58 PAF bobbin color ID??

[Wally]

These are the first PAF's I have had in my hands out here in the wilderness,
so I have a question on ID'ing the bobbin color. I understand that '59 is generally accepted as the beginning of zebras. Out of curiousity, I pulled two of the small Phillips screws out of each pickup. From an angle on both pickups, there is white on the slug side of the pickup. there is no white seen from straight through the hole.
My question is....is the white of the bobbin viewable from directly through the hole, or is it seen only at an angle? And...if the white bobbin can be seen looking straight down into the hole, then what is this white that I am seeing at an angle?
There is no doubt in my mind that these are original PAF's...they are sitting in an ES-335 with untouched solder joints--including the cover solder, and all of the proper identification points are there. This is a one-owner guitar that is in terrible cosmetic condition due to the unfortunate 'refin' by the original owner. The guitar has not been played in 30 years since he started the 'butchery'. No, the pickups were not removed before the 'refin'...like I said...unfortunate butchery.

 

[DonR]

don't know but I'd be interested in an issues 58 335 if it comes your way.

DOnR

 

[TM1]

Wally; Send that guitar to Kim @ Historic Makeovers! He can make it look like it did before the re-fin (prolly better..)
BTW, if you shine a flashlight into the screw hole that holds the slug bobbin, you should be able to see the bobbin colour. It should be a nice cream-ish white.

 

[Jumping@Shadows]

How'd it turn out Wally? did you land it??

 

[Wally]

TM1, thanks for the advice...but I do nitro lacquer work with excellent results, too. As to shining a light into those holes, I have done that. AS I noted, looking straight into the holes, there is no white. At an angle on the slug bobbins, there is white off to the side. I am about to conclude they are blacks.....but that piece of white in there piques my interest.....almost enough to pull a cover...not quite, but almost.
Jumpin'...yes, the guitar is mine now.

 

[TM1]

Hi! Cool that you shoot Nitro!! The only thing remotely white that would be in there is a maple spacer on the outside edge of the slug coil.

 

[Wally]

TM1, I jsut today learned that there can be a 'white' maple spacer. I suppose that is what I am looking at.

 

[TM1]

TM1, I jsut today learned that there can be a 'white' maple spacer. I suppose that is what I am looking at.

I've seen alot of maple spacers over the last 42 years and the only white ones I've seen in Gibson pickups are the later `80's onwards white plastic slug coil spacer.
Now, that's not to say that the cover could be reflecting against the maple spacer making it look white. Almost all the maple spacers I've seen and owned were a nice light amber colour.

 

[latestarter]

Looking in on an angle should give you a view of the bobbin...it's not always as easy as it sounds tho.

 

[Wally]

thanks fro the folow-ups. I supose it is up to the new owner as to whether or not they want to pull the covers to know for sure. There is no doubt that hte pickups were installed in the guitar at the factory...all solder joints were totally original.
Looking at an angle, the adjustable bobbin area showed a glimpse of whtie...true white, not amber....that was not seen when looking at the slug bobbins. I opted not to pull the covers off.....and the guitar brought what I was asking for it. He may have gotten a bargain if the pickups were zebras.