Gibson has unveiled a meticulously aged Murphy Lab replica set of its era-defining ‘Patent Applied For’ humbuckers, shipping them in a custom brown Lifton case – just like the guitars – and promising holy grail tone from its late ‘50s golden era.
The 1959 Humbucker Collector’s Edition Series 3 are not the first electric guitar pickups to replicate the PAF. There is no reliable data on such things, but Seth Lover’s original design has to be one of, if not the most, copied pickup design in history – it is the O.G. classic humbucker.
And if, say, you were to find a set of originals in your attic, well, it’s the guitar parts equivalent of owning a pristine “Butcher cover” copy of The Beatles’ Yesterday and Today in stereo. You would be in the money. You might want to invest in a safe.
Given that original PAFs do not grow in trees, and are more than likely not in your attic, these collector’s edition replicas from the Gibson Pickup Shop might be the next best thing.
Gibson pulled out all the stops, using 3D scans of originals and every trick in their arsenal to reverse engineer the PAF. Jared Brandon, pickup product manager at Gibson, describes them as a “time capsule” hack for your electric guitar that pushes “the boundaries of historical accuracy and tonal integrity”.
“Every detail – from the Double Vintage White butyrate bobbins to the Alnico 3 roughcast magnets – was chosen to honour the spirit and sonic magic of the original ‘Patent Applied For’ pickups,” says Brandon. “This set is not just a tribute; it’s a time capsule for tone purists and collectors alike.”
These humbuckers were developed and produced onsite at Gibson’s Nashville HQ. They feature the “double white” butyrate bobbins, Alnico III roughcast long magnets, historically accurate nickel covers, and they sit in cream M69 mounting rings.
And they don’t just sound as though they are 1959 originals. Tom Murphy’s crew has worked their magic on them to make them look like it, too.
“Every metal component – from the silver-nickel covers and baseplates to the screws and springs – has been expertly aged by the Murphy Lab team,” says Gibson. Note: those cream mounting rings have also been aged.
In an era of spiralling vintage guitar prices, most players need to box clever if they want to give their tone some golden era mojo. A quality set of aftermarket pickups can be our best hope of giving a 21st century instrument some ‘50s flavour.
For Les Paul players – or ES-335 players for that matter, or any guitar routed for a humbucker – these could be the power-up your tone has been waiting for. It would be fascinating to hear them A/B’d in a 2025 Gibson Les Paul Standard to see how they compare to today’s Burstbucker pickups.
It would be doubly fascinating to hear how they could transform the tone of an Epiphone guitar; these limited edition doozies are priced similarly, at £849/$999.
These are the third in the 1959 series. You can also get them with Alnico IV and Alnico II magnets. Get them direct from Gibson, online or in person at the Garages in Nashville and London.
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