The Virgil Arlo Black Label series represents the continuation of one of the most respected pickup designs ever created.
After Virgil Arlo stepped away from full time winding, demand for his pickups did not slow down. If anything, it accelerated. Original sets became harder to find, and serious players continued searching for that same feel, response, and connection that defined his work.
The Black Label series was created to carry that forward.
These are not reinterpretations or inspired by designs. These are built using the same methods, materials, and approach that made the originals so sought after in the first place. Every detail matters. The materials were engineered to match the originals, and the same time consuming techniques are used throughout the build process.
Nothing about these pickups is fast or easy to produce. That is by design.
Extensive A/B testing was performed against original Virgil Arlo sets. The result was simple. The sound, the response, and the way the pickups interact with the amplifier all remain intact. Players who have spent years with original sets expect a certain feel under their hands, and that standard has been preserved.
This is the same tone that working professionals have relied on for years. The kind of tone that does not come from output or EQ, but from the way the pickup responds to your touch.
The Black Label series also includes a selection of one off designs originally developed for professional players. These were created to replicate specific guitars, replace lost instruments, or bring a particular vintage tone into a modern setup. Each one reflects the same attention to feel and response that defined Virgil’s work.
Available designs include:
Tele: 1951, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1969, 50/60
Strat: 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1969, 50/60
PAF: 1956, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1969, 50/60
Virgil Arlo never built his reputation through advertising. His pickups spread through the session communities of Los Angeles, Nashville, and beyond because they worked. Players trusted them. Not because of hype, but because they delivered when it mattered.
That reputation is what created the demand that still exists today.
The earlier Tan Label reissues were sold out quickly. The Black Label series continues that legacy, built with the same commitment to materials, process, and feel.
For players who are serious about achieving that level of tone, this is where it lives now:
That is the official home of the current Virgil Arlo designs. The same philosophy. The same standard. Fully carried forward.
If you know what these pickups are capable of, there is nothing else to explain.
If you are just discovering them, you are exactly where you need to be.
