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Nothing beats a proper humbucker, when it comes to a fat, punchy guitar sound. Whether it is rock, blues, jazz, soul, heavy, or even country music, GAS humbuckers cover a huge range of styles.


A proper humbucker design has to be followed by precise assembly work, using top quality parts in order to end up with the desired result: A high quality guitar pickup.

 

Starting from low output PAFish oriented sounds, and ranging up to the ultimate hi-gain inferno, carefully designed and assembled, entirely by hand, from the best available parts, GAS-buckers will always let a guitar sound open (depending also on the guitar's overall quality), no matter their output level!

 

We, at GAS Pickups, always take deep care of all the parts we use for our humbuckers! Currently, ALL metal parts that are used on GAS humbuckers (baseplates, covers, slugs, Fillister cheese-head screws, bobbin mounting screws, poleshoes, etc.) are made of high quality alloys.

For example, we use 1010 and 1018 steel alloy fillister screws, depending on the humbucker model and the frequency range that should be emphasized. For the slugs, we use either chamfered or not-chamfered slugs, made of 1215 steel.

Also, the bobbins used on our Legend PAFoids are made of butyrate material to the correct dimensions (the slug coil's inner core is slightly wider than the screw coil's core), and are available in black, 1959 ivory, and 1960 ivory! We also use different butyrate bobbins for "new" and "aged" buckers - it's in the details!

Last but not least, top quality wire, such as Elektrisola AWG 42 Plain Enamel (PE), Elektrisola Polysol P155, and Elektrisola Heavy PVA, in AWG 42 and 43 is used in our humbuckers. We go even deeper by using AWG 42 PE with 50's specs on our G90 and G100 Legends, as well as our 50's based Legend PAFoids, and AWG 42 PE with 60's specs on our 60 Legends and TTop based Humbuckers.

 

But, it's the magnetic parts that we use, that really make the difference on GAS humbuckers!

We spent quite some time on research for this material. By contacting mostly US based magnetic manufacturers, we had the opportunity to try and analyze magnetic material from all of them.

By cooperating with the Institute of Nanotechnology at the Greek Nuclear Research Center "Democritus", we have analyzed many of our (currently used) magnet bars, as well as a few old ones, such as two long bars from a 1959 P90 and a long bar from an early 1960 PAF. We found out that A5 bars from the end 50's used a different alloy composition, containing way more aluminum than the A5 alloy compositions on the 1964 MMPA standards. And that's how we ordered some of our magnet bars.

 


Currently use following bars on our humbuckers & G90's models:

- 2,500" long rough cast AlNiCo II (A2) - 1958 specs

- 2,500" long rough cast AlNiCo V (A5) - pre 1964 MMPA specs

- 2,500" long rough cast AlNiCo V (A5) - 1964 MMPA specs

- 2,444" rough cast AlNiCo V (A5) - 1964 MMPA specs

- 2,444" polished cast AlNiCo V-c (A5) - 1964 MMPA specs

- 2,180" "short" polished cast AlNiCo V-c (A5) - 1964 MMPA specs

All AlNiCo bars used here are made from correct AlNiCo alloys and have different magnetisation levels depending on the model used.

- 2,600" Ceramic OX bars, also US made.


Of course, we are always in search of better material, so the above specs may change any time.


In more detail, for example, our "long" 2,5" rough-cast A5 magnet bars, which are installed on some of our top-line Legend series pickups (like the '59 and the '59 Green - see below), come from the US manufacturer Thomas & Skinner, who was a supplier of top US musical instrument brands in the era of the 50's and 60's. These bars are exclusively made for GAS Pickups, following an alloy composition as of the end of 50's, before the MMPA standards of 1964 were applied. Therefore, these bars feature the same alloy composition as back then and are also slightly degaussed for more dynamics. T&S bars provide our Legend PAFoids models with the required sensitivity and dynamic range. Further, 2,444" A5 rough cast bars, based on the MMPA 1964 standards, are used on our 60 Legends and our low output standard TTop Legend models.

 

Our regular 2,444" polished A5 magnet bars, which are used on our A5 humbuckers of the Standard, Dark Grey, and MS (Multi Sound) series, also come from top US manufacturers such as Arnold Magnetic Technologies (AMT), and Adams Magnetics. Short 2,180" A5 bars are used on our "hot" Legend TTop Plus models.

 

GAS guitar humbuckers are provided with standard 49,2mm spacing, in double black, zebra, or double white (original '59 and '60 ivory color, depending on the model). Many  models are also available in a 7-string version, and some bridge models are also delivered with 53mm spacing, see below for details. Upon request, German silver covers (nickel, nickel-antique, and gold-plated), and an aged pickup look are also offered as options.

Last but not least, as with every pickup, GAS buckers are wax potted for less feedback, except for some Legend PAFoid models, which can be delivered in a non wax-potted version upon request. So, take a look at our models here below and contact us for further details!

 

All GAS humbuckers are available for testing on our guitars in the G.A.S. Lab! Bring your axe with you, and dare ANY comparison test!

 



Note: When comparing pickup data, we strongly recommend not judging a guitar pickup by its DC resistance. This easily measured, widely known size does not tell that much about the sound coloration that is expected from a certain pickup when operated on a guitar.


 


Furthermore, it's the frequency response curve (frequency vs. level) and especially the resonance peak of each pickup model that better describe the frequency response and harmonic content, which determine the sound. You may find the resonance frequency on each of our pickup model data sheets (last line, on the bottom of each model's description). Apart from this, you have to consider that the guitar electrics (vol and tone pots, tone caps) as well as the guitar cable will also significantly drift the resonance frequency towards a mellower range and cut the peak in some dBs.

 Also, metallic pickup covers as in Telly neck and Humbucker pickups, will also cut the resonance peak and (depending on the finish) drift the resonance frequency. GAS Humbucker data that are presented below, are based on measurements WITHOUT covers.


Last but not least: the connection wire (a.k.a. "hook-up cable") of a humbucker and a P90-style pickup also contributes to the overall sound coloration. GAS buckers and G models are fine tuned during final quality control by the length of their connection wire (single braided or 4 conductor). Therefore, we recommend not shortening the wire in any way while installing a GAS humbucker or G model on a guitar.

GAS Humbuckers with single braided wire are in phase with standard Gibson® Humbuckers, like PAFs, etc. If you need a different phase configuration, pls specify!


For GAS Humbucker with 4-conductor cable, please see the following connection drawing: