Gibson's 1957–1960 P.A.F. Reissue Sets Split the Holy-Grail Humbucker Into Four Distinct Voices

Anyone who has spent time around vintage guitar people has heard some version of this: "No two P.A.F.s sound the same." The Gibson Pickup Shop has now turned that idea into a product line. On November 3, 2026, Gibson launched the 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960 P.A.F. Reissue Sets, four year-specific pairs of Patent Applied For-style humbuckers. Each one is built to reproduce a different side of the original pickup's sound.

Each set costs $799 on Gibson.com. That was the listed price for all four when we checked on November 9, 2026, and it matches the "street price of $799 each" in the announcement as Premier Guitar reported it. Every set contains two pickups, one for the treble (bridge) position and one for the rhythm (neck) position. Gibson says they're available worldwide through authorized Gibson dealers, at the Gibson Garage locations in Nashville, London and Miami, and on Gibson.com.

The main differences between the four are the magnet grade (Alnico 5, 4, 3 or 2), the wind, which shows up as different average DC resistance figures, and in one case the bobbin color. Everything else is built to the same vintage recipe.

What Gibson Announced

Gibson's announcement in its Gazette says each set "delivers real historic character recreated through extensive 3D scanning, reverse engineering, scientific analysis, and deep research into original examples." The product pages add "specifications from the Gibson archives" to that list.

These details are shared by all four sets, per Gibson:

• Wire: 42 AWG plain enamel, wound on Gibson's vintage coil-winding machines
• Bobbins: vintage-correct butyrate
• Magnets: long, rough-cast Alnico, with a different grade for each year
• Coils: unbalanced
• Construction: unpotted
• Wiring: two-conductor
• Covers: True Historic nickel
• Period details: maple spacers, steel slugs and keeper bars, Patent Applied For decals, and "authentic tooling marks on the baseplate feet"
• Packaging: sets of two, for treble and rhythm positions

Gibson says the new reissues are "crafted to the same exacting standards as our 1959 Collector's Edition Humbucker™ Sets, but without the Lifton™ cases, individual serialization, and mounting rings." Those Collector's Edition sets were listed at $999 on the same Gibson page when we checked. That makes the P.A.F. Reissue Sets the cheaper way into Gibson's top-tier vintage pickup recipe.

What Gibson Said

Gibson's Pickup Product Manager, Jared Brandon, gave the launch its main quote:

"The original P.A.F. humbuckers have inspired generations of players because they do more than reproduce sound; they respond to the player," says Jared Brandon, Pickup Product Manager at Gibson. "With the 1957-1960 P.A.F. Reissue Sets, we have recreated four distinct voices from that historic era, giving guitarists the clarity, harmonic complexity, and dynamic feel that made these pickups legendary."

The Four Sets Side by Side

This table uses Gibson's published specifications. The tone descriptions are Gibson's, shortened.

1957 P.A.F. Reissue Set: Alnico 5

Gibson calls the 1957 set "the most aggressive in the collection." Its Alnico 5 magnets and unbalanced coils give "tight, punchy lows, a bright, clear top end, and a slightly scooped midrange." The product page goes further. It says Alnico 5 "has a fast attack and is very articulate, with strong note separation," and calls this "the most aggressive and modern-feeling of the P.A.F. Reissue Sets; clear and powerful, and great for cutting through a mix."

Our read: this is the set for players who like the idea of a vintage P.A.F. but don't want to lose definition with a lot of gain, or in a dense band mix. If your current humbuckers sound woolly, start here.

1958 P.A.F. Reissue Set: Alnico 4

The 1958 set is "the most balanced and versatile out of the four," according to Gibson. Its Alnico 4 magnets produce "even bass and treble and a smooth midrange." The product page says Alnico 4 "has a slightly softer attack than Alnico 5, with a very dynamic and responsive feel," and calls the set "the perfect mix of warmth and clarity." It also has the highest treble-pickup reading of the first three years, at 8.3k.

Our read: if you play a bit of everything and don't want to bet on a strongly flavored pickup, this is Gibson's own recommendation for a middle-of-the-road choice.

1959 P.A.F. Reissue Set: Alnico 3

The 1959 set is the one many buyers will go for first, and Gibson knows it. The company says it "captures the open, woody, and harmonically rich character associated with classic Burst tone." Its Alnico 3 magnets produce "a softer bass response, airy highs, and a pronounced, musical midrange." The product page describes "a looser, more 'spongy' attack and a very touch-sensitive feel," and sums it up as "the classic Burst tone; open, woody, and rich in harmonics, with a very vocal midrange."

It's also the only set with Double Vintage White bobbins. Under the nickel covers you won't see them, but collectors care about that detail.

Our read: Alnico 3 is the weakest of the four magnets, and Gibson's description of a "spongy" attack is honest. This set should reward a light touch and a guitar's volume knob. It may sound less tight than the 1957 set with heavy palm muting.

1960 P.A.F. Reissue Set: Alnico 2

The 1960 set is "the smoothest and warmest set in the collection." Its Alnico 2 magnets give "rounded lows, gently rolled-off highs, and a sweet midrange." Gibson says it has "the softest attack of the four, with subtle natural compression." The announcement as reported by Premier Guitar says it suits "singing lead tones, expressive bends, and vintage blues character." It also has the hottest readings in the collection, at 8.6k and 8.0k.

Our read: this is the set for a bright guitar, or for a player who wants a neck pickup that sounds like a voice. Pair it with an already dark guitar and amp, though, and you may find it too soft.

A Quick History of the P.A.F.

Gibson's own account of the pickup's early years is short but useful. The humbucker "debuted on Gibson pedal steels in late 1956." The Patent Applied For pickup "first appeared on Gibson electric guitars in early 1957," first in the catalog on the ES-175. It then became "the primary pickup for high-end Gibson instruments, including the Les Paul Goldtop, Les Paul Custom, and Les Paul Standard." Gibson adds that "more student-oriented models, like Les Paul Juniors and Specials, retained the single-coil P-90."

The name comes from the decal. Gibson notes that it was "the Patent Applied For decals affixed to the undersides of the pickups that earned P.A.F.s their nickname," even though the decals "were not present on the very first units." The design was developed at Gibson by engineer Seth Lover. Its main selling point was right there in the name: two coils wired to cancel the hum that single-coil pickups pick up.

Why "the same pickup" sounds different from year to year

Here's the important part. Gibson's product pages say the company "used a variety of different Alnico magnet types throughout the Patent Applied For era." Gibson also says each set's tonal profile is shaped by its "wire turn counts" as well as its magnet. Put those two variables together and you can see why player folklore says no two originals sound alike, and why a year-by-year reissue line makes sense rather than being a gimmick. Each set here takes one point on that range of variation and builds it consistently.

This is also why we'd be careful with the year names. Gibson isn't claiming that every original 1959 P.A.F. used Alnico 3, or that every 1960 example was Alnico 2. Each year label is a sound profile, not a statement that every original from that year was built that way.

Unpotted, Two-Conductor and Nickel-Covered: What That Means in Practice

These are vintage-correct pickups, and that comes with practical trade-offs. They're worth knowing before you spend $799.

Unpotted. Most modern humbuckers are dipped in wax ("potted") to stop the coils and cover from vibrating and causing microphonic squeal at high gain and volume. Unpotted pickups are often described as more open and lively. They can also howl when pushed hard. It's not a new issue. In a 1980 Guitar Player interview, Eddie Van Halen said of his own pickups, "I usually use old Gibson PAFs, and I always pot them," explaining that soaking them in paraffin wax "cuts out the high obnoxious feedback." If you play very high gain at stage volume, keep that in mind.

Two-conductor wiring. Each pickup has a single braided hookup lead with the shield as ground, as the originals did. That's simple to install in a traditional Les Paul or SG harness, but it means no coil-splitting or series/parallel switching without modifying the pickup. If you rely on a push-pull split, these aren't for you.

Nickel covers. Covered humbuckers generally sound a little smoother on top than uncovered ones. That's part of the vintage voice these sets are designed around.

How to Choose a Year

Gibson's descriptions are clear enough to make a sensible first choice. These suggestions are based on Gibson's published voicing and general pickup behavior, not a hands-on test:

• Bright, cutting rock rhythm and lead with more gain: 1957 (Alnico 5)
• One set that has to cover everything: 1958 (Alnico 4)
• Classic late-'50s Les Paul Standard tone, cleaner amps, lots of volume-knob work: 1959 (Alnico 3)
• Warm, singing leads and blues, especially in a brighter guitar: 1960 (Alnico 2)

Think about the guitar too. A heavy mahogany Les Paul with a thick neck already leans warm, so the 1957 or 1958 set may balance it better than the 1960. A lighter, brighter guitar may suit the 1959 or 1960 set. And if you've never adjusted your current pickups properly, do that before buying anything. Our guide to pickup height and guitar tone shows how much you can change for free.

For background, our explainer on humbuckers vs. single coils covers the basics. Gibson's other recent pickup launch is covered in our story on the ELEV8 Alnico 8 humbuckers, which takes a very different, modern approach. If you're more interested in the guitars these pickups first went into, our Gibson Flying V history and Gibson Explorer history both start in the same 1957–58 window.

Is $799 a Fair Price?

It's a premium price, so it's worth putting in context.

Within Gibson's own range, $799 is $200 less than the $999 Collector's Edition sets that Gibson says use the same build standard. What you give up is the Lifton case, the individual serialization and the mounting rings, none of which affect the sound.

Compared with genuine vintage P.A.F.s, it's not close. Gibson's own copy points out that originals are "some of the most highly valued pickups on the used market, when you can find someone willing to part with theirs."

Compared with the large boutique market of hand-wound P.A.F.-style pickups, $799 is at the high end. You're paying for the Gibson name, the factory's vintage winders and the archive-based specs. Whether that matters to you is a personal call. Players who want an all-Gibson guitar or an accurate restoration will probably decide it does.

The Takeaway

The 1957–1960 P.A.F. Reissue Sets are a smart idea, well explained. Gibson has stopped treating "P.A.F. tone" as one sound and is offering four voices. Magnet grade and wind are the variables, and the decals, bobbins and baseplate tooling marks are there for the people who care about them.

If you're buying one, read the spec sheet with your guitar and amp in mind. Pick the 1957 set for clarity, the 1958 for balance, the 1959 for the classic Burst sound and the 1960 for warmth. Remember that these are unpotted, two-conductor vintage pickups, not modern high-gain units. And $799 is a lot to spend on a guess, so set up the pickups you already have properly before you upgrade.

Which year would you choose for your guitar? Tell us in Guitar Talk.

Sources: Gibson Gazette announcement (November 3, 2026) and Gibson.com product pages for the 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960 P.A.F. Reissue Sets, checked November 9, 2026; Premier Guitar; Guitar World; Guitar Player (April 1980 Eddie Van Halen interview).