Gibson V2 V-Shaped Pups

[verhoevenc]

Sorry if this has been addressed before but search won't search for words as short as "V2".

Does anyone know what's going on under the good of these V-shaped pickups that Gibson uses only in the V2s? They're fairly rare and not very popular so I'm yet to find any pics of one cracked open. If anyone has any info is love to hear more about them!

I'm assuming its two 3-magnet coils under the hood?
Thanks,
Chris

[jonson]

Some words here and from all I remember about right.

[jonson]

Tried it three times David and it didn't do that for me so perhaps it realized I wasn't worth lovin.

[verhoevenc]

It only happens the first visit. I was just really lucky to be at lunch and not on my corporate wifi!
Chris

[g1]

Yes, that link has something very strange going on with a redirect. I have script block so I just get a blank page, but it can't be good.

[jonson]

David I've pulled that link and replaced with a pdf so if you want to do the same we should be clear..

[David King]

Here's a quote from the V2 wikipedia page about the V shaped pickups.

The 1979 through 1981 models used the "boomerang" humbucker pickups that were designed to sound like single coils with lower noise. Beginning in 1982, the pickups were changed to the "Dirty finger" pickups that were available on just a select few models in the early 1980s including the Explorer, ES-347, ES-335S and the Flying V.

I found this quote on the Bareknuckles webforum, quoted from some web article that shows a blank page…
https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/for...?topic=14492.0

"V-II Boomerang pickups were not used on any other Gibson guitar. Looking at the underside of these transducers reveal no clues as to their construction because they are potted with a dark compound. Potting usually quiets a pickup by reducing microphonic effects.

Inside the V-shaped black plastic pickup cover are two separate single coils. These appear to be wired in series and out-of-phase for noise immunity. Each coil is assembled with a clear plastic bobbin containing a bar magnet. Both bobbins are taped to a base plate. This plate appears to be a soft, stamped metal in the shape of the bottom end of a hockey stick. Gibson's S-1 guitar pickups resemble these individual bobbins but are larger. Potting may also have been required to hold the bobbins against the top of the pickup cover because the base plate does not allow for screw attachments.

The bass string side coil sits against the back of the pickup cover and is almost perpendicular to the guitar strings. It's coil length covers the three bass side strings (E, A, D). The other coil is situated against the bottom front-side of the cover and has an exaggerated slant as compared to a Stratocaster bridge pickup. This coil covers the treble side strings (G, B, E). With the end of the bass coil pointing into the treble coil one quarter of the way down it's length at about a thirty degree angle from perpendicular, forms the hockey stick with a knob end. Both coils are wrapped with black tape to the baseplate.

Measuring these pickups indicate a high output level, or as players say, these are "hot" pickups. They ranged from 11k to 13k ohms. Sound characterizations are usually subjective, however these guitars have some of the warmth of a Les Paul and a bit of the bite of a Stratocaster. Because they are hot pickups, they tend to be somewhat muddy which is a characteristic of hot, twin-coil humbuckers. With the configuration and output of these V-II pickups in combination with the laminated woods, the sound produced will be like no other solid-body. If it's a different tone you're after, the Flying V-II may be worth a test flight.

Add these one-of-a-kind pickups with metal mounting rings to a special V-shaped tailpiece, 5-piece laminated construction, sculptured body, fancy engraved truss rod cover, brass nut, Gibson headstock inlay and an ebony fretboard which terminates around the V-shaped neck pickup mounting ring and you have a very special instrument. Gibson was still producing a traditional 1970s type Flying V guitar during the time a V-II was available."
from: http://www.flyingvintage.com/gcmag/V2.html

[Possum]

I bought a set of those years ago, a NOS set on Ebay. They have 2 angled ceramic magnets with coils around them, completely sealed in epoxy. You can see the magnets with magnetic viewing paper. I'm saving them and will sell them at some point, they have the heart shaped rings as well. I don't think these were very good pickups, though the guitar itself is a work of art.....

[jonson]

Gibson were predated on the Boomerang pickups by Greco in 1968 on the Shrike model which came as 6 or 12 string. That guitar cost more to build than sell so only lasted the one year but nicked the earlier Gibson Trine Lopez diamond f holes so maybe Gibson did a tit for tat and nicked the pickup shape. The Greco's were alnico slugs and two coils of three but interesting shape anyway.

[verhoevenc]

It would be SUPER cool if you could do a trace of it on some graph paper and take a straight-on picture of that David. It'd be much appreciated so that I can do some CAD mocking up. If it's possible to take a picture through the magnet viewing paper so you can see the magnet config that would be really cool too!
Chris

[verhoevenc]

So I was actually able to buy a NOS cover on the 'bay! Didn't figure I'd find that! I like the aesthetic for a custom shape I've been designing lately. Now that I have a cover I'm hoping I can do two things:
1- Try and make a pickup that looks like the boomerangs, but doesn't have the negative aspects a lot attribute to them. I'm thinking about trying some variation on a tele neck and bridge pickup, but split into two 3-pole sections so I can still do the hum cancelling?
2- Learn some plastic casting to replicate the covers so that while making some for me... I can make some for sale. The originals, for all the hate-speech about them, sell pretty well on eBay.
Yet another thing to add to my long list of to-do projects and experiments...
Chris

[12xu]

Friend of mine had one in High School. Great guitar, but the pickups were horrible.

There were no replacements available, so he eventually sold it. I think we were all amazed he got $800 bucks for it.

[Mark Hammer]

Is it reasonable to propose that the boomerang pickups were something the late Bill Lawrence may have come up with for Gibson? Particularly given that he designed a number of other off-the-beaten-path pickups for them around that time.

[12xu]

If I recall, they were bill lawrence did.

[wguitar]

Hi,

Found this thread as I was searching for info on my non-functioning boomerang (L/V-shaped) pickup on a late 1960's Greco 950 Shrike. Not a tech guy myself but if I read your 1/29/15 post correctly you were thinking of exploring a replacement pickup. Any update on that and/or any guidance on if/where aftermarket replacements might be purchased. OR, can other pickups be used and put in the L layout to create good (albeit different) sound ? I will share any info with my tech/setup guy. THANKS! Rick