• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

Shaw PAFs

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Re: shaws

Stevedenver said:
shaws came in spotlight specials and the artist models (both lp and 335)-while you probably wont find a spotlight being cannabalized, you may find an artist as the rd electronics are often replaced-just a thought as to where to look-i agree there something to all of the stuff which can be appreciated-the shaw pups are one of my favs-very beefy and round and alive

I don't know about the Spotlights, I thought they made a "Spotlight Pickup"? Mike Slub is the man for that, but they did not come on the Artist Series Guitars. The active Artist had the epoxy encapsulated Super Humbuckers. Shaws are unpotted BTW, as all Gibson Humbuckers were(except those super hummers), until the 90's I believe. I'm not sure exactly when.

Yes Mr Shaw did do a heroic job.
I seem to remember the silver stickers may have shown up on the aftermarket Shaw Humbuckers we sold. They were not on the pickup but the plastic case they were sold in. Some would stick them on their pickups. I didn't see them on the rings on guitars till after 83.
 

ROCKER67!

New member
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
110
BIG AL.

HEY AL, Thanks for the info on the shaw paf's.mine are 138 882. is it an acurate dating method for the inked #. mike slub told me it was a patent#??. i think he could be wrong .ROBBO
 

MikeSlub

Administrator
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
15,167
The literature on the 1983 Spotlight Special refers to the pickups as "PAFs". They are basically Shaws as Big Al describes from the 1983 era on.
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Like I've said, I fact check with Mike. He Da Man!!! They did (Gibson), sometime later, offer a Spotlight Humbucker, but I don't know anything about it.
 

ROCKER67!

New member
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
110
MIKE, THAT STILL DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY YOU TOLD ME THAT THE INKED #WAS A PATENT #??
 

MikeSlub

Administrator
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
15,167
ROCKER67: I was wrong when I originally gave you that response. I was speaking from memory (a dangerous thing) instead of pulling the pickup again and checking. As Al says, the stamped number is the patent number. Again, my apologies. :dead:
 

Dave Paetow

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
13,524
Here are some Shaws I have. Note that it is hard to see the square hole inside the round hole, but it is there if you look real close. There seemed to be some variation in the bottom plates. Some had short legs, some had long legs. Some had an extra row of holes on the bottom plate, some didn't. They had white plastic spacers, which you can see through the hole on the short leg baseplate. They came in black, zebra and double cream.
10188344.jpg

10188333.jpg

10188284.jpg

10188278.jpg
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Have those been rewound? The wire looks darker than the early Shaws I have. Good shot of the coil form. All mine have the six hole plate. The Black and White connecting wires for the coils is clear in that shot too. I forgot to mention that the Shaw had one coil wire black and one white and not two black ones.
 

Dave Paetow

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
13,524
Yes they have. These were dead ones I got from the Pete Alenov parts stash blowout. I had Fralin rewind some and they sounded like shit, and I had Tim on the forum rewind a pair and they sound great now.
 

tojoe

Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2001
Messages
230
Sorry guys, I'm confused, Dave's Shaw's have only the pat#, it seems based on all the info you have to pull the covers off figure out what you have. So far we have Pat# only, Pat# + 137/138 code, Pat# + blk paf sticker, and also a Pat# + date stamp..The only constant tag is the Pat #2737842, is this the Shaw ID code or a blanket Gibson Pat#, seems like alphabet soup...
 

Dave Paetow

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
13,524
The ink stamps might have worn off mine. I have seen the ink stamps on some others I've owned.
 

ROCKER67!

New member
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
110
rewinds

Dave, I'd like to know more on the rewinds. the fralins sounded like shite. Yes, shite,Can you give some background on the gauge wire used on both? differences you noticed.Which Tim you are referring to. No emoticons. I'd really like to know.
 

BrianGWN

Great 'Double White' North ~ Electronics Specialis
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,401
Just to add a little more confusion into the mix, I've seen some where they have a six digit inked number but not beginning with 137/138. I have one Shaw in front of me, double black, inked number is 329883, so I rather expect that was from 1983. Maybe the 137/138 numbering was with the earlier ones that were intended to be in the Heritage Standard 80 guitars, and later on other inked number codes came into use.

I've seen one with short legs, also the dual rows of pole piece holes. Note that at some point in the early 80s or so those Dirty Finger pickups came out so probably at some point Gibson started making at least some of the metal pickup frames with twelve holes to accommodate the Dirty Fingers 12 adjustable poles, while other pickups with the conventional six adjustable/six fixed pole pieces that got built using those frames would use only six of the holes.

tojoe, regarding >>The only constant tag is the Pat #2737842, is this the Shaw ID code or a blanket Gibson Pat#<< That is the infamous wrong incorrect patent number that Gibson put on their humbucking pickups from the earlier 1960s through the 1980s, on a sticker up to about 1974 and then stamped/impressed into the metal pickup frame from 1974. About all it means for sure is that the pickup frame was made by Gibson. ;)
 
Last edited:

DoobieK

New member
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
880
Mr. Paetow...

Please quit hoarding the Shaws. You're going to get a reputation like BrianGWN had a few months back.:lolspin :lolspin
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Brian that 329 # means it isn't a Shaw. Is it Zebra? I'd check the magnet. Shaws have a distinctive rough cast long thick Alnico magnet. Sounds like a Velvet Brick.
 

Dave Paetow

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
13,524
Re: rewinds

ROCKER67! said:
Dave, I'd like to know more on the rewinds. the fralins sounded like shite. Yes, shite,Can you give some background on the gauge wire used on both? differences you noticed.Which Tim you are referring to. No emoticons. I'd really like to know.
He just goes by Tim here, the Tim rewind sounds great, more like a PAF. Ed A thinks it is as good as a Rolph. You can ask Tim for specifics.
timwhite@knology.net
 

LesPauloholic

Active member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
1,230
Big Al said:
Brian that 329 # means it isn't a Shaw. Is it Zebra? I'd check the magnet. Shaws have a distinctive rough cast long thick Alnico magnet. Sounds like a Velvet Brick.

Al,

Are the Shaw magnets Alnico 2 or 5??

Greg
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
I explained abut the magnets on my third post in this thread.
 
Top