Gibson 57 Classic Plus NC

Edited (again) :
The two I ordered don’t have a (much) different output impedance. Be sure to measure the impedance before you install them and after. When the braided wiring is badly soldered to the pot (ground) this can add a considerable amount of resistance.

Even though they’re both Classic+ 57, when they become slightly warmer due to outside temperature or just resting on your lap, the output impedance can go down considerably. This means that it can go under the mandatory minimum of 8 kOhms, to what you would expect of a regularly wound Classic Vintage. It can go down ±1kOhm.

Original review :
I installed it on neck and bridge : it’s like the classic vintage ’57 that was accidentally slightly overwound.

The more windings you get, as long as the power goes up, it picks up more overtones and undertones. Take down the output volume on your guitar or clean volume on your amp and you get a really highly defined sound.

They also produce more raw power than the classic vintage. When you allow it to overdrive your amp, it does it well.

Pointers:
To solder new pickups into your guitar, you need a soldering iron of no less than 45 Watts so it heats up properly. 30 Watts won’t cut it. Preferably you should get one with variable temperature to reheat the old solder to make use of it or remove it with desoldering ribbon or a desoldering tip.

Great pickups.

I bought it, in pair with a classic ‘57, to upgrade my Epiphone es-335. I am not a professional musician, but I have been playing for years to appreciate the difference when it comes to pick a new pair of pickups. The sound is exactly that kind of sweet fat round voice you wantet to find for your guitar, exactly that one! There’s no doubt that your playing is going to be affected by the new sound, regardless the genre you play. An endless sustain, rich of mid and bass tone, which make your tone at the bridge something unique. It might be with the clean, the crunch or even the distorted sound: your new voice will strike you and your listners. Yes, it’s true: it is (they are) a bit expensive and it has (they have) only two conductors, so, no way to split. But, trust me: it does really worth it!
As for Thomann ... forget about it (quote from Donnie Brasco): they are a perfect pair for your purchaising, always!

My Les Paul felt great in all ways but one; there was something lacking in the sound department. I needed clarity, dynamics and punch. I looked around for alternatives, and one pickup that seemed to gather a lot of attention was the Gibson ’57 Classic Plus. I ordered the Plus for my bridge position and the regular ’57 Classic for the neck position.

The pickups complement each other very well. I got more clarity and the dynamics I wished for. We play music from all sorts of eras and styles, and the ’57 Classic Plus seems to cope with just about anything, and it gives me that extra bite that’s needed to cut through the mix. A very good pickup that lives up to its reputation.