Gibson has ushered in a new pickup era with the all-new ELEV8 humbuckers, which are said to be “the next generation of the Gibson humbucker”.
Notably, they recruit Alnico 8 magnets, which have been used for a Gibson pickup for the first time in its history.
The magnets combine with custom-gauge wire for punch and high-level dynamic response. For the eagle-eyed readers who feel the ELEV8 name sounds familiar, it’s because they’ve already featured in Gibson’s bold new Victory baritone model.
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In short, they’re designed to be the best of both worlds, marrying “Gibson humbucker heritage with the power, clarity, and articulation modern players demand.”
Now made available as aftermarket pickups, they arrive in Standard, Plus, and Underwound models, each with four-conductor wiring. For those wanting to pimp their current squeeze, these passive pups represent a new high-gain option.
Seth Lover invented the original Patent Applied For humbucker in 1955. Since then, Alnico 2, 3, 4, and 5 magnets have been commonplace across Gibson pickups. But more is more, right?
Granted, Alnico 8 magnets have been around for a good few years now, but with the ELEV8 range, Gibson becomes one of the first major builders to invest in a magnet that can be seen as a hot-rodded version of Alnico 5.
The Standard pickups pack 10k ohms and come in both traditional Gibson neck and bridge spacings, with the ELEV8 Plus “thoughtfully overwound” at 15k ohms. With a tight bass response and a voicing better suited to high-gain tones, that makes it an ideal bridge ‘bucker, with a Standard model in the neck.
Meanwhile, the ELEV8 Underwound is also designed with the neck position in mind, and a touch more vintage in its character.
The pickups, Gibson believes, “give modern players the confidence to explore drop tunings, aggressive palm-muted riffs, and dense mixes without sacrificing precision.” Time will tell, but the recipe certainly suggests these are the hottest Gibson PAF-style pickups yet. Maybe, at long last, the Les Paul can assert its authority as a djent machine.
Not all of Gibson’s innovations over the years have been humdingers – robot tuners, anyone? – but this feels like the kind of evolution a lot of modern players will get behind.
Each pickup is priced between $139 and $149, and is available uncovered with Double Black or Zebra bobbins, or with Double Black bobbins beneath a nickel cover.
See Gibson for more.
