D*A*M Forum

I'm thinking of spending more money than I should on an old Epi with mini hums. I can't play it first. Does anyone here have experience with these pickups ? I rely on cleaned up fuzz (usually a 1966) , with the pedal on for the whole show, in a band I am in. It works great with medium to high output single coils (Lollar Broiler, late 60s DeArmond Dynasonic) but I hardly own any humbuckers. I've used a Gretsch with a single Filtertron (TV Jones) but those are lower output than most humbuckers. The only time I have played through vintage mini hums (Sorrento) was a long time ago and I didn't use any pedals.

Any help appreciated.

I have a set of very early Gibson mini hmbuckers on a semi-acoustic Burns Baldwin Vibraslim guitar. These are basically the same as the PAFs of the 50's. The same purple wire and magnets. Very good pickups!
They differ from PAF humbuckers in a slightly thinner and brighter sound. Sounds very good with various fuzzes and amplifiers, but has a more powerful signal, still detailed, than P-90s, and single coil's. Clean's up well by turning the buttons on the guitar, btw clarity is not the same as the single coil - the sound is a bit fuller and thicker, but in a good way. The later 60s mini's with reddish wire sounds a little different, bit colder and less hairy, but still good! Late 60-s Dynas are less powerful, I have these too, mini's just rocks!
Here is example, it is not fuzzed sound, just amp and booster, (but you hear character, at beginning of song)
my guitar (sunburst) from right:

thanks for the info and clip Zuff, that definitely helps.

the particular later Dynas I have (in Kustom K200 guitars) are pretty hot, like 10 to 11kohm coils with strong magnets, but they still clean up with germ pedals. I'm thinking humbucker compatibility with vintage style pedals may be more about the eq curve than output.

I’ve played quite a few Epi/Gibson mini humbuckers from mid 60s to mid 70s and I rate them highly. A more focussed treble than a full size humbucker but still fuller sounding than a single coil. Outputs are generally 6-7 kOhm but they tend to sound pretty loud and play very well with fuzz.

Jim Goad wrote: ↑Fri Oct 22, 2021 8:33 pm I’ve played quite a few Epi/Gibson mini humbuckers from mid 60s to mid 70s and I rate them highly. A more focussed treble than a full size humbucker but still fuller sounding than a single coil. Outputs are generally 6-7 kOhm but they tend to sound pretty loud and play very well with fuzz.

thanks Jim. That is... just what I both did and did not want to hear... if you know what I mean

This thread makes me regret that I sold my 1977 LP Deluxe few years ago.. Loved the pickups on clean tones and full on fuzzes. Kind of like fuller hum free single coils with great clarity. Unpotted so they we're pretty prone to feedback on louder volume levels but that can be controlled with positioning. Great underrated pickups!