Low-wind PAF pickups - 57-style early PAF
'57 PAF - Image 2

’57 PAF

5.0 · 5 reviews of the ’57

Open, airy highs. Clear note separation with a touch-sensitive response.

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Bridge 7.8 kΩ · Neck 7.3 kΩ · UK sand-cast Alnico II · Unpotted · Full specs

Long legs as standard. Need short legs? Add a note at checkout.

30 days to try them in your guitar, even after fitting.
Not right? Send them back for a refund or a swap. Keep the leads uncut. How returns work
Built to order ·
Ships by 30th October
Free UK 48-hour delivery · EU, US and worldwide at checkout
Lifetime warranty for the original owner

How the ’57 sounds

Open, airy highs and a tight low end. Every note in a chord stays clear, and it cleans up as you roll the volume back.

Tap a clip to hear it. Same guitar, amp and mic for every Olemy set, so what you hear is the pickup.

Bridge

Bright and direct, with a clear top end and a tight low end that doesn’t boom. Chords stay separated as you push the amp.

Neck

Clear and open. Low chords stay tight and every string is easy to hear.

The lower wind keeps the set dynamic and defined as you push the amp, and it cleans up when you roll the volume back.

Not sure? Get a personal recommendation, or compare all five sets.

Hear the ’57 in detail

A longer demo of the ’57 set, from our PAF collection video. It starts at the ’57.

In a ’57 Les Paul reissue

“This set is super clear, but doesn’t feel like a ‘low wind’ design that can’t push the amp. Pretty great!”
Visual Guy
YouTube channel

Visual Guy on the Olemy ’57 set in a 1957 Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop Reissue (R7). He was sent the set free of charge to review.

What ’57 owners say

5.0 from 5 reviews of the ’57
Neil P. · Verified owner30 September 2026
Owns the ’57 and ’58 sets

Thanks for making these Shawn. I’ve been on a very long quest to find the ultimate PAFs and tried all the big name and boutique brands. When I heard these I pretty quickly knew that was it.. they’re still in the same guitars (Les Pauls) and won’t be coming out. The high strings sing and are crystal clear and the low strings have plenty of power and grunt.. also they’re the most affordable of the sets I’ve tried. I have both the ’57 and the ’58 sets.. the ‘57s are the clearest but still sing whilst the ‘58s have a bit more body.. both are equally good. Love this brand.

Steven I. · Verified owner3 October 2026

This neck pickup sounds beautiful in my semi-hollow guitar. It is very clear, giving a lovely Grant Green type jazz tone when played with a clean sound. It retains the clarity when dirt is added, avoiding flubby low end. It also remains squeal free when played at volume. Highly recommended.

Anonymous · Verified owner6 October 2026

These 57 pickups I ordered for my Les Paul Black Beauty met my expectations and more. They are articulate and versatile which make them useable for various music styles. I enjoy them very much. One of the best out there.

Nicholas Beer · Reviewer30 September 2026

I have owned them all, and these give me the clearest neck sound ever. Love them. NB

Nicholas Beer · Reviewer30 September 2026

We publish every genuine review, positive or negative, and never offer rewards for them.

Read reviews of every Olemy set

How the ’57 is built

Winding
Wound on a programmed winder, using a centre-focused pattern modelled on early limited-traverse winding, with a lower wind and a mild offset between the two coils. It’s what we hear as the ’57 voice: open, airy highs, clear note separation and a touch-sensitive response.
Wire
42 AWG plain enamel.
Bobbins and spacers
Butyrate bobbins, maple spacers.
Steel parts
Low-carbon steel screws, slugs and keeper bar.
Covers and baseplates
Nickel silver, with no brass. The cover shape comes from a 3D scan of an original 1959 cover. To our ears, it keeps the top end open.
Magnet
UK sand-cast Alnico II.
Potting
Unpotted, like original PAFs.
Every set
Measured and logged before it ships. Each pickup carries a handwritten numbered label.

Measured specs

TypicalBridgeNeck
DC resistance7.8 kΩ7.3 kΩ
Inductance3.90 H3.38 H
Capacitance5.14 nF5.75 nF

Typical measurements, not fixed targets. Inductance and capacitance measured at 1 kHz. DC resistance varies with temperature.

Fitting your ’57s

Long legs, as standard, suit Les Paul, SG, ES-335 and other semi-hollows, Explorer and Flying V.

Short legs suit PRS, Strats and Teles with humbucker routes, many Ibanez and Schecter models and some Epiphones. Ask for them in your order notes.

Height, as a starting point, measured from the top of the cover to the bottom of the open string:

Bridge
High E: 2 mm
Low E: 2–2.5 mm
Neck
High E: 3.5–4 mm
Low E: 4 mm

Then fine-tune by ear. Leave the leads full length until you’re sure you’re keeping them.

Before you buy

Yes. You have 30 days from delivery to fit them, play them and decide. If they’re not right in your guitar, send them back for a refund, or swap them for another model.

Two conditions: the leads must be full length and uncut (soldering them in is fine), and the pickups need to come back undamaged in their original packaging. You pay the return postage.

Refunds go to your original payment method within 5–7 working days of the pickups arriving back. This guarantee is in addition to your legal rights, which are not affected. Read the full returns policy

Want a second opinion?

Tell me what guitar they’re going in and how you play, and I’ll reply personally with the set I’d choose. No mailing list, just an answer.

Get a personal recommendation