Can someone ID this old pup? It`s obviously out of a bass guitar, due to the presence of the mounting ears. The contraption that it and a similar guitar pup is part of is something someone rigged up and was mounted on a Kay double bass I had ages ago. I tried it out before taking it off, and it actually sounded pretty good. I don`t understand the signifigance of the guitar pup, but...Anyway, it has a jack and volume pot wired in to the homemade base, too. I came into possession of it 25 yrs ago, and it looked old even then. Any ideas ?
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ID this old pickup ?
- Thread starter pnut166
- Start date
The visual says EB-0 all over. I can't tell whether it's a mudbucker or one of the later series. Put an ohm meter on it and see what the resistance is. I believe mudbuckers will be about 30K ohms.
Reminds me of a homegrown take on the classic Schallers! I believe that the guitar pickup was added in an attempt to get signal from the D and/or G strings as URB spacing is significantly wider than traditional electric spacing. I wanted to put a split coil I had laying around on my URB and was disappointed to see that it's too small. I'd say that humbucker (which might be worth a dime too?) was curing that issue.
Ah. Didn`t think about the string spacing. My Dad bought me a Kay as a kid, and this was on it; being a traditional bluegrass player, he was horrified that someone had electrified it and promptly ripped it off. I really wish I could ID them and figure their worth. I`ve held on to it / them all these years thinking that one day I might build a custom and drop it in, but I think I`d rather sell it/ them to help fund a custom, possibly 
I thought they looked Gibson-ish; does anyone know a website that deals in old Gibson stuff that might help me ?
I thought they looked Gibson-ish; does anyone know a website that deals in old Gibson stuff that might help me ?Any markings or ID on the humbucker itself? How about the potentiometer inside? Does it have any manufacturer codes that'll help you guess when this contraption was put together? Any little thing could help...
PS- Don't let me give you false hope that it's a something like a Gibson PAF and original mudbucker though. The chances of the former is very, very low.
PS- Don't let me give you false hope that it's a something like a Gibson PAF and original mudbucker though. The chances of the former is very, very low.
They're a basic tool, and cheap at Radio Shaft. You should get one. testing the impedence will answer your question.
If it's a late 50's/early 60's mudbucker it's worth $100+ on Ebay.
250k = resistance in Ohms
AUD = audio pot(?)
304 = manufactured by Stackpole
6315 = in 1963, 15th week
The rest? I dunno.
Those were used in some vintage Fenders, so even that pot might be worth a couple of bucks on eBay if it's fully functional!
So, no other markings on the bass or the guitar pickup? (Especially the bottom of the guitar one?)
AUD = audio pot(?)
304 = manufactured by Stackpole
6315 = in 1963, 15th week
The rest? I dunno.
Those were used in some vintage Fenders, so even that pot might be worth a couple of bucks on eBay if it's fully functional!
So, no other markings on the bass or the guitar pickup? (Especially the bottom of the guitar one?)
Interesting reading. Thanks, bro. Of note, that article says Fender "switched to CTS pots roughly around early 1963". If this one was out of a Fender, it was one of the last Stackpoles they used. In reference to christw and the unknown #`s, the article also says that Gibson had some nonsensical stampings on their pots around this time, making them diffucult, if not impossible, to date. Although this one doesn`t fit any of the examples listed, and does fit the datestamp standard, considering both pups may have come out of early-`60s Gibsons, the pot probably came out of one of them, too, I would guess - please correct me if I`m wrong - I would really like your opinions on this. I tested the device as a whole today - all parts appear to still work. I held it close to a bass and plucked, and got sound from both pups; the pot also worked, albeit a little scratchy. Appreciating all the help, guys - people like you are what makes TB great !
So now my next question is: can pots be serviced / cleaned to eliminate the scratching ?
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 253
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
That's a Gibson mudbucker and a Super Humbucker. The epoxy filled humbuckers were designed by Bill Lawrence.
The humbucker might also be an original covered DirtyFinger. depends on the DC resistance.
The humbucker might also be an original covered DirtyFinger. depends on the DC resistance.
I`m seeing alot of different stuff about the pups. The pot I got a positive ID on from two sources (but, again, correct me if I`m wrong!). But the guitar HB: I`ve seen everything from late `60s to mid `70s as start of production. Bill Lawrence designed them, but they continued in production until `80, and had various names through the years. I saw that the later ones had an inkstamp date on the back, but mine does not. How can I narrow it down, or is "tar back", "super humbucker", etc. pretty much interchangeable (I`m sensing that Gibson was a pretty crappy recordkeeper during this era). As for my stupid question about cleaning the pot, I read about it; as you can tell, I have no experience with vintage gear - I`ve never had a scratchy pot in anything. Any pointers for cleaning it are welcome - I sure don`t want to screw it up.
- Aug 21, 2008
- 10,386
- 253
- 68
- Disclosures
- Owner, SGD Music Products
Believe it or not, but the official name for the mudbucker is the.... Super Humbucker!
So pretty much everything was a Super Humbucker! It's almost as confusing as the way Apple names its computers...
The way to tell the guitar Super Humbuckers apart are the closed cover version was from the L6-S, and the original DirtyFingers read about 16K ad had an extra wire coil coil cutting. Most DirtyFingers were coverless, but some had covers. I used to have a set.
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It'll help with ID
