Do Gibson make their own pickups or outsource them to another company?

Gibson make all of their own pickups right beside the guitars in Nashville, Tennessee.

What is the highest output Gibson humbucker?

Gibson produce two different pickups, both featuring ceramic magnets, which offer a higher output than the rest of Gibson's pickups. These are the Dirty Fingers humbucker and the 500T humbucker. These pickups are adept at handling high gain tones and throwing out huge sounds that are hot and aggressive.

Which Gibson pickup most accurately captures the special PAF tone?

Gibson have made a few different pickups overs the years in an attempt to capture that elusive, mythical PAF tone. Not all of them, however, are available to buy as separate units to retrofit to your guitar. It seems that the closest fit in terms of sonics, output and touch sensitivity is the '57 Classic model. Gibson feel that this Alnico 2 magnet humbucker is so close to the desired sound, they even put 'Patent Applied For' stickers on the bottom of each pickup!