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Mini Humbuckers

jalevinemd

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Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
916
What was the purpose of the mini humbuckers used on the 70's Les Pauls? Also, does anyone have any photos of one with the cover off?
 

pablomago

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Jul 5, 2002
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1,225
What was the purpose of the mini humbuckers used on the 70's Les Pauls? Also, does anyone have any photos of one with the cover off?

Originally it was to use up the stock they had when they bought Epiphone, but why they decided to use them over P-90's after a couple of years was probably to keep the noise down and the fact that they didn't need a lot of tweaking to make them fit. But that's just a guess on my part.

It's funny, I'ver never seen one "naked."
 

reswot

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Jan 22, 2004
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3,295
They're not much to look at when they're naked... They certainly don't look like a little PAF. Sorry, though, I don't have any pics; wish I'd taken some when I had a few apart.
 

lpdeluxe

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May 15, 2005
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417
When Norlin reissued the Les Paul in 1968, they installed P90 pickups. Dealers were clamoring for humbuckers, and it was discovered that the Epi mini humbucker would fit in the cavity already routed for P90s. Since Gibson already had an inventory of Epi minis, they slapped them in there and named the result the Deluxe. A couple of years later, Norlin (clueless though they were) put actual full size humbuckers in the newly reissued Standard, but they kept producing Deluxes into the early '80s.

My main electric is a Norlin-era Deluxe, and I love it. It has a sound that suits me better than the full-size pickup model.
 

RAB

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Mar 17, 2005
Messages
2,122
The mini-PAFs found on 1960-early 1963 Epiphones (and having the same stickers as on a full-sized PAF) sound AMAZINGLY GOOD! Rich tone with a lot of punch and more top-end than a full-sized 'bucker...
 
T

Troels

Guest
Originally it was to use up the stock they had when they bought Epiphone, but why they decided to use them over P-90's after a couple of years was probably to keep the noise down and the fact that they didn't need a lot of tweaking to make them fit. But that's just a guess on my part.

It's funny, I'ver never seen one "naked."

Your guess is right... but the reason why you haven't seen one "naked" is that it's simply going to pieces if taken apart! The cover is an important part of the connstruction - like modern cars without independant chassis.
 

TomGuitar

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Apr 28, 2005
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3,700
Originally it was to use up the stock they had when they bought Epiphone...

Just a minor clarification that may only be semantic, but Epiphone, while still independent prior to being purchased by Gibson, did not make the mini-humbuckers. They were still using the New York style single-coils, as did Gibson in the first Gibson-made Epiphones. It's when Gibson ran out of those that they started using the mini-hum in Gibson-made Epiphones. Around 1961.
 

AtomEve

Les Paul Forum Member
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Aug 5, 2002
Messages
4,666
just to add... basically bucking the hum in a P-90 form factor so to speak!

Bryan
 

pablomago

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Jul 5, 2002
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Just a minor clarification that may only be semantic, but Epiphone, while still independent prior to being purchased by Gibson, did not make the mini-humbuckers. They were still using the New York style single-coils, as did Gibson in the first Gibson-made Epiphones. It's when Gibson ran out of those that they started using the mini-hum in Gibson-made Epiphones. Around 1961.

I stand corrected!
Let me see if I now have this right.
Gibson made Mini-Buckers to use in Epi's, but around that time (1969) they discontinued USA made Epi's and had a stock of Mini's to use up so they stuck them in LP "Deluxes".

I got my New Yorker singles mixed up with my mini-humbuckers.

We still need to see a mini naked or "exploded!"
 

Jurius

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Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
1,399
minibucker.jpg
 
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