Stephens Design Vintage Lab 1961 PAF Repo Set

The final set in the Vintage Lab Series. Billy Gibbons tested this bridge pickup recently in a Tao Guitars El Mirage, on stage. Paste this into the search function: O3Zq50M7lag
to watch that video.

The set is demo'd here in an Epiphone Elitist that has been completely rewired 50's style with Jensen Copper foil, paper in oil tone caps, CTS pots, Faber bridge and tail stop bar. Amp is my Fender '73 Vibrolux plugged into a Celestion Alnico Gold speaker in a pine cab and mic'd with 2 SM57 mics, one close and one for room tone. I suggest you turn the treble on your sound system up all the way (preferably an add-on stereo system and not on-board cheap computer speakers), as YouTube's compression cuts out some treble, best heard if you turn up fairly loud as well. You'll hear a more accurate sound picture that way.

I have put 9 freaking years of my life into scientically reverse engineering Gibson vintage PAF buckers, and this is the last design I will do, having pretty much covered it all. This one incorporates everything I've learned with no regard to how long this set takes to build. This is my "ultimo" set with all stops pulled out to get the best of the best I can offer. It will be priced high and have my best covers and butyrate bobbins and limited custom magnet stock.

There is room within this design to customize it for your tastes, the neck can be made less throaty which will give you more middle position chirp if you desire. The bridge and neck will both work covered or uncovered, bridge can be wound a little less if you want more bite out of it as well. Any further improvements I do in regards to PAF work will only be done to this set, the other set recipes are locked in, though there is some room for customizing there as well. You may also mix any of the VL PAF buckers to make your own custom set, many already do this. I will also supply an extra set of pole screws to modify the tone in certain ways for an easy quick mod.

Apologies for my playing, I do the best I can and keep it super simple, a guitar and an amp, nothing else ;-) Contact me via YouTube or thru my website if you have any questions or comments. Enjoy!

Dave Stephens
Stephens Design Pickups

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[Rix67]

I recently tried one frined's Set of 59JP on my R0 and R7 Historics..pickups are actually great, but slightly hotter for may taste. This set of Vintage lab 1961 Repro, looks to be perfect, but I dont find it on your website...

[SDPickups]

@Rix67 Contact me through my website, my email contact is there. They are not listed but I will fix that this weekend. Yes the 59JP set is the hottest PAF set I offer, they work best if you're playing nickel 8 gauge strings same as was used back then. The VL61 is not as hot and is just about the perfect output. My line for these is getting quite long so hope you have some patience.

[LesterPaul01]

Would they fly in a Les paul Traditional? What is the output readings?

[SDPickups]

@LesterPaul01 They will work in any guitar that has a 50's correct wiring harness. This pretty much means you'll have to upgrade any Gibson Les Paul, dump their junky pots and caps, use good 500K CTS pots and .022uf paper in oil tone caps, wired 50's style. Your guitar must have the vintage style bare braided wiring in it as well. On import guitars you have to tear it all out and start over, all my guitars have been upgraded this way...

[tollan23]

Those sound amazing! I can't find them on your website though...

[SDPickups]

@tollan23 I haven't put them on the website yet, contact me from my website if you are interested in getting a set.

[oclockrock]

Great tones as always Dave!

[LesterPaul01]

Cool! Warren haynes! Hey thanks for getting back with the pup info. It's sound for thought.

[oclockrock]

Excellent tones right there! Keep up the good work Dave!

[SDPickups]

@newking70 Yep. Watch the video of him playing it, paste the search term into youtube to see it. The pickup is in a Tao Guitars El Mirage, a beautiful guitar, find their website to see better pictures of it. Billy and Tao may be doing a joint designed guitar in the coming year, he has very particular design ideas and concerns, stay tuned.....