Throbak pickups and Heritage

[Gitfiddler]

We talk a lot about pickups here. So I thought I re-introduce a topic that has its origins at 225 Parsons St. and now is part of some of the world's most authentic pickups...Throbak.

 

Check out the complete story in the attached link:

 

http://gundrymedia.t...ak-vintage.html

 

Here's a portion of the article:

 

How I happened upon the Slug 101

 

In January 2008 I visited Heritage Guitar Inc. which occupies the old Gibson Parsons Street factory building in Kalamazoo. The purpose of the trip was to pick up a custom order guitar. Prior to the visit I asked Bill Paige if they still had any old Gibson pickup winding machines on the premises. When I arrived at the historic Parsons Street building Bill graciously showed me the Slug 101. My jaw dropped, I immediately recognized its importance. Other former Gibson employees at Heritage confirmed the historical significance of this machine. In June 2008 I purchased the Slug 101 and picked it up from the old Gibson factory building in Kalamazoo now occupied by Heritage Guitar Inc.. The Slug 101 was conceived and born in the old Gibson Kalamazoo building and resided there for half a century. Restored to it's former glory the Slug 101 is back to making incredible sounding PAF style pickups in the ThroBak Electronics facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

 

 

[tulk1]

Kuz has some of Jon's pickups. Swears by them. At psp1 I had the privilege of jammin' with Jon and getting to play his 150 outfitted with his own pickups. What a great guitar. The plant had Marv's wineburst prototype with thro-baks in it running thru a Heritage amp. Talk about tone!

[H]

What a great story!

[Kuz]

The Ultimate, greatest ever, most wonderful, perfect PAF pickups ever, ever, ever made.

 

I really really like Tom Short's pickups, but Throbaks can't be matched.

 

I have them in "Greeny" and my McInturff Carolina Custom.

 

If they weren't so expensive ($450-$550 per pair), I would have Throbaks in every humbucker guitar I own.

[bolero]

yeah I put some SLE101 LTD's in my 335 & it sounds fantastic

[tbonesullivan]

yeah... that expense is the main reason I've never tried some. Also I found long ago that once I start pickup swapping, I don't stop, so these days I just stick with what the guitar came with, unless they are utterly horrible.