Historic 59 PAF Humbucker Set
Historic Designed ’59 Humbucker Set
PAF humbuckers built in Kalamazoo in 1959 marked the next step in the original design—still unmistakably vintage, but with slightly more output and push. The Historic Designed ’59 set is wound for players who love late-’50s tones but want added punch and articulation when playing.
This is not a modern humbucker and not a generic PAF with a year stamped on the box. It’s a ’59 built to behave like a ’59.
What made late-1950s PAFs so desirable wasn’t one detail, but everything working together:
• a stronger attack that adds punch without harshness
• a fat, woody midrange with more articulation than modern humbuckers
• clear highs that stay intact when rolling off the volume
• harmonic content that remains defined as notes sustain
• touch sensitivity that responds naturally as you push the pickup
That balance—vintage character with added drive—is what separates a true ’59-style PAF from both earlier, lower-output winds and modern designs. The Historic Designed ’59 delivers exactly that.
The 1959 PAF is not the same pickup as the 1958. It carries more output, hits the amp harder, and brings on breakup sooner with a thicker midrange and more assertive voice. Most modern recreations blur those differences together. We don’t—because players chasing late-’50s tones deserve to choose the response that fits their playing.
Roll back the volume and the Historic ’59 stays clear and articulate, retaining warmth without thinning out. Turn it up and the bridge delivers sweet sustain and enough growl to push an amp naturally, while keeping note separation intact. You can dial in a vintage PAF sound, but with more articulation and presence than a lower-output wind.
Fat and woody describes this set well.
Every Historic Designed ’59 set ships with genuine NOS Paper-in-Oil capacitors—vintage components over 50 years old—completing the signal chain from pickup to output jack. Control response matters as much as output.
The Historic Designed ’59 is built around nothing else.
Bridge Pickup — DCR 8.7k
Punchy and articulate, with added push. Wound hotter than the HD58 at 8.7k, the bridge delivers more drive while retaining the woody character and clarity associated with late-’50s PAFs.
The Alnico II magnet keeps the low end warm and controlled, while unpotted coils preserve harmonic detail rather than compressing it. The result is sweet sustain, strong articulation, and controlled growl when pushed.
• stronger attack with added punch
• fat, woody midrange with clarity
• clear highs that remain usable when rolling off volume
• wide dynamic range from clean to breakup
• sweet sustain with controlled growl
Neck Pickup — DCR 7.7k
Wound to match, the neck pickup delivers the same clarity as the bridge, paired with a cello-like sustain and natural woody tone. It stays full without becoming dark and clear without becoming thin.
Single notes sustain smoothly, chords retain definition, and the pickup responds immediately when more drive is needed—simply turn up the volume.
• rich harmonic depth without mud
• chord voicings that bloom and evolve
• expressive response to bends and vibrato
• balanced output across the volume range
All of our pickups include a set of NOS Paper in Oil Capacitors and covered under a Limited Lifetime Warranty
Each pickup is constructed using:
- Butyrate bobbins
- Special manufactured plain enamel wire
- Nickel silver covers
- Correct nickel /silver metal plates
- Correct spacers
- Correct formulated Alnico 2 bar magnet
- Single conductor push back braided wire
- Bridge Pickup DCR: 8.7 - Neck Pickup DCR: 7.7
- Unpotted
- Southern Crafted & American Made
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
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