58 Legend
The rocking ages…
Trademarks: Enhanced upper midrange. Defined attack. Very direct sound. High output for heavier rock styles (58B).
Styles: Classic Rock, 70's and 80’s hard rock, Blues
Output: Low (58N), High (58B)
Retail price: 320 Euros (without VAT) per set
Designed to provide a higher attack and a more direct, rough guitar sound, the '58 set will let you rock!
The 58 N features slightly unbalanced coils and a PAF-typical low output in order to achieve a sparkling, singing sound with enhanced high midrange due to the US A5 magnet, which is exclusively made for GAS Pickups.
But the main act of the 58ers is the bridge pickup. The 58 B is highly overwound when compared to the '58 N, but with a reverse (un)balance and a small offset on the coils. Not a typical design for a PAF-ish pickup, however, according to Burstserial.com, there were a few pickups with such output found on Les Pauls of the end 50’s era.
With a dynamic, screaming r'n'r tone, a harder attack, and a clear presence on the high midrange, the '58 B will let the rough side of any guitar come to life! Its direct response just loves those British classic rock riffs of the 70s and later on and the relevant amp stacks of those eras! It's the highest Legend pickup that we make, and thus the best Legend model if you're after the classic and heavier rock sounds of the 70's and 80's. However it clearly retains the end 50's PAF flavor in your basic sound. The 58B features a long US-made A5 magnet bar, designed for more bass and midrange response.
As every Legend set, the 58 can be delivered in open coil look or with a German silver cover.
The 58 Legend PAFoids are delivered wax-potted-only in order to avoid unwanted feedback on overdriven sounds. As explained, these pickups are intended to rock some loud stages!
Neck Rdc range 7,5 kOhms Neck Resonance frequency 6,1 kHz Bridge Rdc range 9,3 kOhms Bridge Resonance frequency 5,6 kHz Bar magnet alloy A5 (pre 1964 specs) Pole screw alloy 1010 Slug alloy 1215 Hookup wire Single braided Winding wire (AWG, Coating) 42 Plain Enamel (50's specs) Coils winding Unbalanced -
Greek Blues rock guitar player Billy Merziotis on the 58 set.
Uncovered zebra set
58 set with nickel covers
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Introduction
For the proper installation and wiring of your GAS Pickups, we strongly recommend letting a professional luthier or electrician perform this job in order for the pickups to be installed correctly and with no damage, which would harm the pickup’s functionality and warranty.
Delivery
All GAS Legend PAFoids are delivered with proper height adjustment screws and springs. GAS Legend PAFoids accept long US 3-48 thread screws.
Wiring
GAS Legend PAFoids come with the typical single braided hook-up wire. The pickup wiring and phase are compatible with Gibson® humbuckers. All Legend PAFoids metal parts are grounded on the braided hook-up wire.
For the desired wiring diagram of your guitar, please refer to the dozens of specialized websites with such diagrams, depending on the desired pickup configuration.
Pickup height or string distance
There is a lot of conversation on this item. The fact is, there is no absolute guidance for a generic pickup height adjustment! The distance of a pickup to the strings is dependent on countless factors, such as pickup output, pickup position, string gauge, the guitar itself, the guitarist’s overall playing technique (string hitting, etc.), and the musical styles that are about to be covered. In the case of a pickup set, usually the pickup height is adjusted so all pickups show a similar output level, but this is not a rule. Our recommendation: The desired pickup height adjustment is a procedure that may last longer than you think; just start with a generic distance of 2mm on the e strings and repeat the procedure (adjust, play, listen, re-adjust) until you are satisfied. Don’t forget to adjust in small steps (e.g., one full turn of the height adjustment screw each time) in order to easily come back one step if you are not happy with the new situation. And, trust us, if you just repeat the whole thing a couple of weeks later, you will probably find yourself re-adjusting the height again. It is something that each musician should go through by himself.
Dimensions
GAS Legend PAFoids are direct replacements for Gibson® guitars and similar models. They come in 49,2mm spacing and with the traditional long-leg base plate. If you intend installing your Legends on a guitar with a shallower profile, please let us know so we may deliver your Legends with short-leg base plates.
The dimensions for the Legend PAFoids (with and without a pickup cover) are as follows (sizes in mm):
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Legend PAFoid sets are mainly named with a year (e.g., 57, 59, 60, etc.). Do the relevant Legend models actually correspond to the original models of those years?
Following our main philosophy, GAS Legends are more "based on" pickups than exact reproductions. To create pickups that offer specific sound qualities, we use specs from particular eras of old, original pickups (we had the opportunity to measure and analyze many old PAFs, PAT sticker- and PAT number pickups in our lab) and finally design them with our own specs. Some sets are closer to the original (as our 59 PE set), and some are more individually designed (as our 58 set).
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Are Legends available with covers?
All Legend sets are available in "open coil" look (double black, zebra, and double cream) or with an unpolished German silver cover. In any version, Legend PAFoids are direct replacements for original Gibson® humbuckers.
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What are the main differences in quality between Legend PAFoids and Standard Humbuckers?
Standard Humbuckers offer our standard GAS quality by using top parts, design, and craftsmanship. Legends offer the same high quality but a higher dynamic range due to the use of exclusively ordered magnet bars, which refer to specific MMPA standards. Further on, we mostly use the standard Poly 155 wire in our standard Humbuckers, whereas in our Legends we use Heavy PVA, red Poly, and Plain enamel wire (with 50’s and 60’s specs).
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