GOWEN CUSTOM ELECTRIC GUITAR PICKUPS
Gowen Guitar Pickups
We've now partnered with one of the UK's top boutique pickup manufacturers to launch our own range of guitar pickups.
You can now also request custom-spec windings and other features on all pickups in guitar builds.*
We'll be introducing new pickups in the coming months - watch this space for details and sound samples of the range
Gowen 57-59 PAF+
With our first pickup, the Gowen 57-59 humbucker, we wanted to create a pickup that sits just beyond traditional vintage PAF output, delivering richer mids, improved sustain and a more confident push into the amp — while retaining the openness and response that players love about classic designs.
The result is a medium-output, classic-rock-voiced humbucker that excels across clean, edge-of-breakup and overdriven tones. Notes remain articulate under gain, chords stay defined, tone is shaped naturally by picking dynamics and volume/tone knob changes.
With four-conductor wiring as standard, the pickups also support coil-splitting and series/parallel options, giving players genuine versatility without compromising the core tone.
Key characteristics
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Medium output: fuller and more presence than vintage PAFs
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Warm, musical midrange with clear highs and tight lows
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Dynamic, expressive response to tone and volume control
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UK-wound to our own specification
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Four-conductor wiring for maximum upgrade options
Gowen 57-59 PAF+ Bridge Pickup
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un-oriented Alnico 5 - all the dynamics of Alnico 5 but with a slightly smoother, more open sound akin to Alnico 2
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DC Resistance: 9.5K
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wax-potted
Gowen 57-59 PAF+ Neck Pickup
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Alnico 2 for an open sounding pickup with a tamed mid range
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DC Resistance: 8.5K
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wax-potted
Bridge Pickup
Guitar: SC No. 1, Cherry
Pickup: Gowen 57-59 PAF+ (Bridge, 9.5k)
Strings: Rotosound Yellows (10)
Amp: Blackstar ID Core 100 (Clean Bright)
EQ: Neutral
Bridge Pickup
Guitar: SC No. 1, Cherry
Pickup: Gowen 57-59 PAF+ (Bridge, 9.5k)
Strings: Rotosound Yellows (10)
Amp: Blackstar ID Core 100 (Clean Bright)
EQ: Neutral
Bridge Pickup
Guitar: SC No. 1, Cherry
Pickup: Gowen 57-59 PAF+ (Bridge, 9.5k)
Strings: Rotosound Yellows (10)
Amp: Blackstar ID Core 100 (OD2)
EQ: Neutral
Gowen 69 single coil
Based on original late-1960s single coil pickups, with clear highs and balanced output. Wound with 42 AWG wire and kept deliberately low in output, the Gowen 69 set preserves the natural high end and dynamic range associated with this period.
Each pickup is voiced for its position, with slightly stronger bridge and neck winds and a lower-wound middle to maintain balance across the set.
The result is a bright, chimey sound : clean tones remain open, while driven sounds keep their top end without becoming thin. The middle and combined positions produce the characteristic tones expected from a late 1960s three single coil configuration.
Watch this space for samples - coming soon!
Gowen 69 Bridge Pickup
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Alnico 5
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42 AWG
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DC Resistance: 6.2K
Gowen 69 Mid Pickup
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Alnico 5
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42 AWG
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DC Resistance: 5.6K
Gowen 69 Neck Pickup
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Alnico 5
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42 AWG
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DC Resistance: 5.8K
Gowen 72-75 PAF+
The Gowen 72–75 PAF+ is our higher-output humbucker, for players who want more push and punch than a traditional PAF-style pickup.
Rated at around 14k, wound with 44 AWG wire and using Alnico V magnets, it delivers a tighter low end, stronger mids and a bit more bite on top.
It works well for punk, heavier blues and classic hard rock, where you want the pickup to do some of the work rather than relying entirely on the amp. Chords stay defined, single notes cut through, and it cleans up better than you’d expect for a hotter pickup.
Watch this space for samples - coming soon!