Potting PAF's

Re: Potting PAF's

Can you tell if the cover is chrome or nickel?

It has "L" tool marks and flathead baseplate screws. I am willing to bet that it is an early T-Top from 65-70ish. Though sonically they are the same as later T-Tops, they bring more money and will continue to do so as time goes on and they become harder to find. I'd keep it original.

The masking tape trick works pretty well to help control some of the feedback derived from unpotted covers.
 
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Re: Potting PAF's

Push to Shuv said:
Can you tell if the cover is chrome or nickel?

It has "L" tool marks and flathead baseplate screws. I am willing to bet that it is an early T-Top from 65-70ish
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According to the website I got my info from, they should be nickel covers I'm not at my computer right now so I can't reference it. I'll post the link to the site ASAP.
 
Re: Potting PAF's

Patent Sticker pups had nickel (early Pat No, phillips screws on baseplate) or chrome (pre T-Top with phillips, or T-Top with slotted screws)

Keep in mind that T-Tops had Patent No Stickers until about 74. Removing the cover will tell you exactly what you have. Either way I bet it is an awesome pickup, and certainly worth keeping

http://home.provide.net/~cfh/paf.html
Scroll about half way down to the PAF Pickup Detail Summary section
 
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Re: Potting PAF's

Push to Shuv said:
Patent Sticker pups had nickel (early Pat No, phillips screws on baseplate) or chrome (pre T-Top with phillips, or T-Top with slotted screws)

Keep in mind that T-Tops had Patent No Stickers until about 74. Removing the cover will tell you exactly what you have. Either way I bet it is an awesome pickup, and certainly worth keeping

http://home.provide.net/~cfh/paf.html
Scroll about half way down to the PAF Pickup Detail Summary section
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Correct! I see what you are talking about. The slotted screw is the give away. I did not see that before. They do sound good. I might try the double stick tape method and give that a go.
Would it devalue them if I mad a Custom/T-Top Hybrid? JK
 
Re: Potting PAF's

SGFanatic said:
Right, the bottom one is what I got I realize the mistake I made. So anyway, I should just go ahead and pot it then? Considering it's not really worth that much...
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It's still worth a fair bit of cash...not thousands but up to a few hundred...

If you're willing to kill any resale value it has and ruin the tone by potting it then why not pop the cover and put some tape or cloth under the cover and see how that is????
 
Re: Potting PAF's

SGFanatic said:
It's a patented applied for sticker pickup (the one with the decal, the other one is definitely a T-Top). It's somewhat valuable. I've seen them go for $250+ on eBay and other forums. I don't want to devalue it. But at the same time, I want the thing to be able to play like I want to, so I'm at crossroads of sorts. It not the cover being loose, it's definitely because it's unpotted. I've heard the unpotted squeal and this is it. I don't want to sell them, because I know I'll regret it (unless it's for the right price). So I'm just going to look around for some vintage style pickups. I think I just wanted someone to tell tell me wax potting would be OK.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
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So let me get this straight:

You love the tone and want to use the pups. But they squeel and you want to get rid of the squeel so they will be useable. But you don't want to get rid of the squeel because it will devalue them. But you don't want to sell them anyway. So you want to take them out and store them away and put some other pups in your guitar.

So you end up with pups that haven't been devalued but you're not going to sell them, so the value doesn't even matter anyway. And you love the tone so much that you're going to buy new pups with a somewhat similar sound because you're not going to use your existing ones.

I think it's time to consider giving up those non-prescription drugs.
 
Re: Potting PAF's

GuitarDoc said:
So let me get this straight:

You love the tone and want to use the pups. But they squeel and you want to get rid of the squeel so they will be useable. But you don't want to get rid of the squeel because it will devalue them. But you don't want to sell them anyway. So you want to take them out and store them away and put some other pups in your guitar.

So you end up with pups that haven't been devalued but you're not going to sell them, so the value doesn't even matter anyway. And you love the tone so much that you're going to buy new pups with a somewhat similar sound because you're not going to use your existing ones.

I think it's time to consider giving up those non-prescription drugs.
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I was looking for input from other members. That's the point of the forum, correct?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
 
Re: Potting PAF's

GuitarDoc said:
So let me get this straight:

You love the tone and want to use the pups. But they squeel and you want to get rid of the squeel so they will be useable. But you don't want to get rid of the squeel because it will devalue them. But you don't want to sell them anyway. So you want to take them out and store them away and put some other pups in your guitar.

So you end up with pups that haven't been devalued but you're not going to sell them, so the value doesn't even matter anyway. And you love the tone so much that you're going to buy new pups with a somewhat similar sound because you're not going to use your existing ones.

I think it's time to consider giving up those non-prescription drugs.
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Doc, you're on a roll today.
 
Re: Potting PAF's

SGFanatic said:
I was looking for input from other members. That's the point of the forum, correct?
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You are absolutely correct.

But you vacillate from one point to the opposite and back again all in the same breath.

So here's some input/suggestion...if you like the tone of your patented pup but don't like the squeel, then wax pot it and play it with no regrets. If you are more concerned about the value of it, then sell it and buy a suitable replacement of less value and be happy AND richer for it. But to buy a replacement for it because you are concerned about devalueing it with the wax and then NOT sell it because you like the tone so much is just wierd and counterproductive.
 
Re: Potting PAF's

GuitarDoc said:
You are absolutely correct.

But you vacillate from one point to the opposite and back again all in the same breath.

So here's some input/suggestion...if you like the tone of your patented pup but don't like the squeel, then wax pot it and play it with no regrets. If you are more concerned about the value of it, then sell it and buy a suitable replacement of less value and be happy AND richer for it. But to buy a replacement for it because you are concerned about devalueing it with the wax and then NOT sell it because you like the tone so much is just wierd and counterproductive.
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Ok, well maybe the point of my post was lost somewhere. My question should just have been-would potting devalue my pickups, what are my alternatives, and what would be a good modern day production pickup equivalent.
With that said, I thank you for your input and your sarcasm is duly noted.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
 
Potting PAF's

I don't see why waxing the pickups would devalue the guitar anyway. It's a 68 not a 61. The pickup in the guitar well they either work or they don't. If they don't change them if the squeal is bothersome wax them. If either if those don't work sell the guitar and move on
 
Re: Potting PAF's

Stupid.

There is a 50/50 chance that the squeal is not from the actual coil wire but either from a loose mount, a loose cover or loose bobbins.

In fact there is quite a bit of chance that the coils are already potted.
 
Re: Potting PAF's

uOpt said:
Stupid.

There is a 50/50 chance that the squeal is not from the actual coil wire but either from a loose mount, a loose cover or loose bobbins.

In fact there is quite a bit of chance that the coils are already potted.
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I suppose I don't know where the actual squeal is coming from. I assumed It was from high gain+unpotted pickups.
I guess I wouldn't know unless I took the cover off and inspected it.
BTW, were you calling me stupid?
 
Re: Potting PAF's

I'm calling this thread stupid, not you.

First thing is to check whether you have a loose mount somewhere (hold down the pickup when it squeals).
 
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