Pickups Part 3: T-Tops
Time to get back to the nuts and bolts. When last we looked at pickups, we talked about the transition from PAF to Patent number pickups and their evolution. Gibson has had some pretty long transition periods but this could be the longest. Following the patent number pickups last incarnation-orange wire in the windings and one black and one white lead wire, the T-top showed up. Also called a “T-bucker,” the bobbin has the letter “T” embossed into the top of the bobbin-hence the name. The “L” toolmarks disappeared (and reappeared and disappeared again) as did the “circle in the square” tool mark. The wire went from enamel coated to polyurethane coated which is thicker. So a full pickup bobbin would have fewer winds which affects the tone. The earliest I’ve seen is in a 66 but I’ve heard of T-tops in 65s as well. I’ve owned a 68 335 with patent number pickups that weren’t T-tops so that’s nearly 4 years of transition. I’ve been told the “T” stands for treble and is there to help the installer orient the pickup in the right direction. At some point, Gibson went from hand wound pickups to an automated system and this had a couple of detrimental effects on the pickup. First, the consistency of the winding is high-meaning they are all pretty much the same. One of the things that gives PAFs and early Patent number pickups their “magic” is the hand winding. The wire is bunched up on one side or fatter in the middle or thinner in the middle and bunched up on both sides. Seymour Duncan has apparently studied this in great detail and knows what winding type does what. That’s his trade secret, apparently. T-tops are nearly all in the range of 7.5K ohms since an automated counter turned off the machine at the same number of winds every time. Also, the machine kept the windings even and constant. Therefore, they all sound pretty much alike. I’ve found that to be true in my experience. the good news is they don’t sound bad at all. In fact they are a very nicely balanced and sweet sounding pickup on a 335. What they seem to lack, however, are the distinctive harmonics that you can get from a “good” PAF or patent number. I’ve never heard a T-top with much of what are referred to as “double” tones. From the factory, it is nearly impossible to know for sure whether your guitar has a T-top or a patent number (pre T top) without removing the cover. Don’t. Once you’ve removed it, you lower its collectable value and while T-tops aren’t commanding high prices, they may someday in the future. I can lower the odds for you though. If your guitar was built between 65 and 69 (yes, I’ve heard of pre T-tops as late as 69), then it has one or the other. The farther you get from 65 and the closer to 69, the more likely they are to be T-Tops. Also, if they have slotted screws on the back, they are almost certainly T-tops. Unfortunately, if they have philips screws, they may be pre T-tops but they could still be T-tops. You could check them with a multimeter and if they aren’t between 7.4 and 7.6K, they probably aren’t T-tops. They seem to be that consistent. I’ve had a number of pairs and all of them were between 7.47 and 7.5. T-tops had the same patent sticker as the earlier ones until the mid 70s when they switched to an engraved metal patent number on the housing. Still the same pickup though. There have been sightings of double white T-tops and probably zebras too, although I’ve never seen them. Making a too long story shorter, T-tops are excellent pickups with a balanced tone and response. I prefer the patent number pickups but you may not. If you’re buying a mid 60’s ES 335 and you want patent number, pre T-tops, look for a 65 or 66 with philips screws on the bottom (not the pole piece screws). If you want T-tops, look for slotted and check the resistance. If they are somewhere near 7.5K and they have slotted screws, it’s a T-top. I found a terrific article that explains how Gibson humbucker pickups work HERE. Next: Tim Shaw PAFs.
Gibson T-top Humbucker. The T is in the middle-one on each bobbin, facing inward.
I just order my 3th set of T-Tops I use in 3 guitars they are the best. Got them from Brandonwound pickups..
First of all, many thanks for sharing your knowledge. Great job!
I would like to know one thing about the T-Top pickups.
I discovered these on a “The Paul”. They sounded good.
Then, I found these PU on a Les Paul 77, they sounded not too bad either.
Later on, I bought a ’71 SG Deluxe, and that was it! I was blown away ! Wonderful definition, wide spectrum of sound, and harmonics galore. I wondered if the pre ’74 and post ’74 T-Tops were the same. Especially since looking at the mini humbuckers as well, which follow more or less the same evolution as the classic humbuckers (PAF and then PAT stickers), some of them made after ’74 had a “Williamsville” stamp in addition to the engraved patent. I read somewhere that Moog, which worked with Gibson at the time, was located in Williamsville. Were the pickups originally made at the Kalamazoo factory? Was the manufacturing relocated afterwards?
Also, it seems to me that the shape of the base plate and some of the materials used are not the same before and after 74 on the T-Tops.
A video found on the net makes a test bench of 2 T-Tops before 74, and 2 later. They all seem to sound the same!
Myth or reality ?!
I know however that this is not your favorite period…, and would be grateful for any answer.
(Translated from French on the net…)
HI Charlie !
I just realized that I didn’t even greet you. I did!
I’m taking this opportunity to attach a picture of a “Williamsville” T-Top!
Regards