First year for ‘57 Classics

[Sol]

Here's a pic of the baseplate on mine. Anyone recognize the stamped "L" at the bottom? Both pickups have it. I don't remember it.

Many thanks for posting your baseplate, much appreciated

 

[duaneflowers]

57 Classic and 57 Classic Plus both came out in 1990... same year as Seymour's Pearlies... :salude

 

[Big Al]

As far as I remember the 57 Classics appeared in the mid 80s as and they were originally called P.A.F., Dimarzio complained and they were renamed 59 reissue and then 57 Classic, this is a screenshot of a 1987 catalogue I found on another forum where the Les Paul reissue is described to have 59 reissue pickups:

My understanding is that Tim Shaw, 59 reissue and 57 classic belong to the same "bloodline", the first attempt to recreate a PAF, more or less accurate...historicity improved through the years.

Nope. 57 Classic was later, 80's were as I described. Your screenshot is exactly what I said, and you quoted, 1959 Reissue Pickup a very different pickup from later Tom Holmes design 57 Classic. All the pickups I listed were part of the paf bloodline, or an attempt to emulate it.

 

[wulfthar]

Nope. 57 Classic was later, 80's were as I described. Your screenshot is exactly what I said, and you quoted, 1959 Reissue Pickup a very different pickup from later Tom Holmes design 57 Classic. All the pickups I listed were part of the paf bloodline, or an attempt to emulate it.

I would be interested in the specs of the "59 reissue" because my understanding was that i was the forerunner of the 57.

Then, is it true the 57 has changed through the years?

 

[Pellman73]

Alls I know is THIS

every guitar I've ever had that came with them sounded great!

I love me some 57 classics!

cool thread.

 

[Aloha_Ark]

Gibson's site says that the '57 Classic pickup was introduced in 1990.

https://www.gibson.com/Gear/Humbucker-Pickups/IM57R

Anyone with a 1988 or earlier Gibson 335 please check this claim (that they occurred earlier), as this is one model that should have this type of pickup if they were available at the time. Most of the listings on Reverb use EMG or Bill Lawrence pickups. Rudy's has a lefty 335 with unspecified pickups.

Some further reading on the other Les Paul forum site has one member stating that they saw a '57 classic in a Les Paul pre-historic from 1990. Too bad my pre-historic from that era was modded by the previous owner with a boutique pickup. I'd like to get to the bottom of this investigation.

 

[Bumhucker]

My 1991 Studio (wine red/gold) came with them, stock. Along with 300kvol/100k tone pots and ceramic disc .022 caps. The guitar is a late 1991 production date (294th day) and I bought it a week or two before Christmas that year.

Also have a set mailed directly to me from Gibson with a postage date on the box of 1994…this set resides in a ‘92 Sheraton II with a CTS/Orange drop/SwitchCraft and A4 neck-UOA5 bridge makeover.