PAF tone / pickup choice question

Little Robert

Little Robert

New member
Howdy.

I've got seth lovers in a Heritage 150 (Les Paul) and want a more authentic tone/feel.

2 things I'm considering:

Putting magnets pulled from actual PAFs in the seth lovers
(Can get these for a little more than cost of custom shop PUs)
or
Getting SD custom PUs, or PAF clones done by a couple other winders.

What do you think?
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

i wouldnt waste your money on the magnets, that seems silly. seths are pretty authentic versions of the paf.

try the antiquity humbuckers. aged magnets and a different wind
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

jeremy said:
i wouldnt waste your money on the magnets, that seems silly. seths are pretty authentic versions of the paf.

try the antiquity humbuckers. aged magnets and a different wind
Click to expand...

Thanks. It probably does sound silly. BUT, If they didn't work out I could likely sell them for what I paid or more.
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

Everyone says the ants are pretty much the some of the most authentic pafs out there so give em a try
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

Original pafs were all wound about the same...to about 8K to 8.2K. There was no neck and bridge version...they were not calibrated. And as far as magnets they could have been alnico 2 or alnico 5 and Seymour has said that some were made with other alnico formulations too.

Seths and Antiquities have an underwound neck pickup and the bridge pickup is wound full strength. So there is a diff between Seths and Ants compared to real Gibson pafs from 1957 - 1960.

IMO, the Seths and Ants are better than vintage, because the output of the neck and bridge model is balanced. When you use two identical pickups for the neck and bridge position the neck pickup always sounds alot louder...I've never liked that.

The underwound neck Seth and Ant is an improvement over vintage pafs, IMO.

So: what nut case is disassembling super valuable old Gibson pafs and selling the magnets out of them? Hard to believe that's true!
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

Lewguitar said:
So: what nut case is disassembling super valuable old Gibson pafs and selling the magnets out of them? Hard to believe that's true!
Click to expand...

I believe no one is doing that - why would they?. I know someone with over a dozen PAFs in varying degrees of disrepair. Some PUs are too thashed to be worth rewinding, so the good parts end up on the block.

I've read in several places that you cannot exactly replicate the magnets that are in PAFs for a number of different reasons.

And I haven't heard clips of any modern PAF style PUs that really nail that tone. Many variables, but the magnets do seem import so that's why I'm think of possibly doing this.
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

Little Robert said:
I believe no one is doing that - why would they?. I know someone with over a dozen PAFs in varying degrees of disrepair. Some PUs are too thashed to be worth rewinding, so the good parts end up on the block.

I've read in several places that you cannot exactly replicate the magnets that are in PAFs for a number of different reasons.

And I haven't heard clips of any modern PAF style PUs that really nail that tone. Many variables, but the magnets do seem import so that's why I'm think of possibly doing this.
Click to expand...

I had a stash of old pafs. I had about 6 of them from 1958 and 59. Got 'em in the late 60's early 70's.

Sold them all on Ebay after I became a Duncan dealer.

Why? The new Duncans sound better to me.
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

Lewguitar said:
The underwound neck Seth and Ant is an improvement over vintage pafs, IMO.
Click to expand...


I like the seths alot, and get compliments on my tone fairly often (not my playing though). I don't think they're better or worse than any other pickup - just different. Of course all this stuff is subjective and I appreciate your opinion. But

I want that old tone! I'm not looking for an improvement.
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

Little Robert said:
I like the seths alot, and get compliments on my tone fairly often (not my playing though). I don't think they're better or worse than any other pickup - just different. Of course all this stuff is subjective and I appreciate your opinion. But

I want that old tone! I'm not looking for an improvement.
Click to expand...

Then put a bridge model Seth in the neck position of your guitar...or an Ant bridge. They're wound to about 8.1 or 8.2K...like both pafs would be in a 59 Les Paul.
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

IMHO I would try a set of Alnico II pros. I think they sound more like the real PAF then anything else. When people speak of PAF tone it usually is about the warmth the pickups have. From everything I've heard I feel the AII's are a very close tone to the real deal. I like the Antiquities also, but the AII's are a lot less $. Give em a try!
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

Bludave said:
IMHO I would try a set of Alnico II pros. I think they sound more like the real PAF then anything else. When people speak of PAF tone it usually is about the warmth the pickups have. From everything I've heard I feel the AII's are a very close tone to the real deal. I like the Antiquities also, but the AII's are a lot less $. Give em a try!
Click to expand...

I like the Seths a little better than the Ants...the Ants are a little warmer and seem lower in output than the Seths. I guess being a Strat and Tele kinda guy, I like alot of clarity and the Seths seem clearer...even though they also seem slightly stronger.

The Alnico II Pros are one of the few Duncan pickups I have not tried. I bought a dual humbucker MIJ Strat to try them in a few years ago. Put a PGN and Custom in it first and those are not ever leaving that guitar! LOL!

Lew
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

I think PG's sound like the best vintage PAF's...
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

Real PAF's from the 50's-60's won't sound like those old recordings. Heck, even the Antiquities won't sound like that. Keep in mind that those old PAF's that everyone had in their Gibson way back when were fairly new. I think that a pair of bridge model PG's, Seth's, or 59's will get you closest, depending on the particular PAF tone you're after.
 
Re: PAF tone / pickup choice question

Thanks for all your replies and insights.

"Real PAF's from the 50's-60's won't sound like those old recordings"

agreed - to a certain extent. The ones I've played through now is what I'm looking for.


No one thinks going custom shop might be a good idea?

Alright... maybe I'm just chasing my tail.

Here's the tone I'd like to get close to:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=578168&songID=5335440


Here's the tone's I have now (recording is lame/playing too - but you can still get the idea):

1) http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=578168&songID=4973556

2) http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=578168&songID=4957551

?
 
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