guitarplayer
New member
Right now I use a 1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom. It has stock pickups, so what pickups would it have in it? How would they sound compaired to a Gibson PAF?
Whats the difference between my pickup and a PAF?
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Jeff_H
Dean Hardtail Fanologist
Re: Whats the difference between my pickup and a PAF?
Man...that is a loaded question, and one that will have a thousand different opinions. For starters, I don't know what pickups Gibson was using in the Custom's duing the early 80's.
A true "Gibson PAF" is an original equipment pickup in Gibson guitars manufactured between 1957 and 1960. The "PAF" stands for Pattent Applied For, meaning that during these years Gibson had applied for a patent on the pickup, but it had not been granted yet. Sometime in 1960, the patent was granted and the pickups had a new sticker with a patent # on them.
Getting the sound of a "True PAF" by using a modern pickup is somewhat like trying to grab smoke with your bare hands. The "PAF's" from 57-60 were all over the board in terms of OHM ratings. Some were overwound, some were underwound....basically no 2 sets were the same. There were arguably as many poor sounding sets of "PAF's" as there were great sounding "PAF's". To get an idea of what PAF's really sound like, you would have to listen to players who recorded albums in the 60's and early 70's with original Les Pauls. Jimmy Page, Clapton during his time with Cream, Peter Green with Fleetwood Mac, Paul Kossoff with Free, early ZZ top...stuff like that.
Every pickup manufacturer in the world has their own version of the "PAF", and claim that theirs nails it...including Duncan. It ultimately comes down to what sounds good to your ear, and which manufacturer you trust. Seymour Duncan has been working on and making pickups longer than anyone but Gibson (at least I think so, he was repairing pups in the mid to late 60's for guys like Jeff Beck and Jimmy Hendrix). He developed the Seth Lover pickups with the help of Mr. Seth Lover himself (Seth Lover designed and built the origional "PAF's" for Gibson back in 1957), and Mr. Lover thought enough of the quality and tone to put his name on them....I think that says something right there.
Tough question with really no right or wrong question. Hope I helped a little.
Man...that is a loaded question, and one that will have a thousand different opinions. For starters, I don't know what pickups Gibson was using in the Custom's duing the early 80's.
A true "Gibson PAF" is an original equipment pickup in Gibson guitars manufactured between 1957 and 1960. The "PAF" stands for Pattent Applied For, meaning that during these years Gibson had applied for a patent on the pickup, but it had not been granted yet. Sometime in 1960, the patent was granted and the pickups had a new sticker with a patent # on them.
Getting the sound of a "True PAF" by using a modern pickup is somewhat like trying to grab smoke with your bare hands. The "PAF's" from 57-60 were all over the board in terms of OHM ratings. Some were overwound, some were underwound....basically no 2 sets were the same. There were arguably as many poor sounding sets of "PAF's" as there were great sounding "PAF's". To get an idea of what PAF's really sound like, you would have to listen to players who recorded albums in the 60's and early 70's with original Les Pauls. Jimmy Page, Clapton during his time with Cream, Peter Green with Fleetwood Mac, Paul Kossoff with Free, early ZZ top...stuff like that.
Every pickup manufacturer in the world has their own version of the "PAF", and claim that theirs nails it...including Duncan. It ultimately comes down to what sounds good to your ear, and which manufacturer you trust. Seymour Duncan has been working on and making pickups longer than anyone but Gibson (at least I think so, he was repairing pups in the mid to late 60's for guys like Jeff Beck and Jimmy Hendrix). He developed the Seth Lover pickups with the help of Mr. Seth Lover himself (Seth Lover designed and built the origional "PAF's" for Gibson back in 1957), and Mr. Lover thought enough of the quality and tone to put his name on them....I think that says something right there.
Tough question with really no right or wrong question. Hope I helped a little.
hans-jürgen
New member
Re: Whats the difference between my pickup and a PAF?
You might have a Gibson Shaw PAF already. If you check the base plate, there should be an ink stamped number like e.g. "137 681" for June 1981.
You might have a Gibson Shaw PAF already. If you check the base plate, there should be an ink stamped number like e.g. "137 681" for June 1981.
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: Whats the difference between my pickup and a PAF?
It is NOT gonna be PAF...the PAF's were all usd up bu the very early 60's...I'll say this, my Moderne is an 82 model and I replaced the stock Gibson Pickups with Duncan Pearly Gates...WORLD of difference. Those are more than likely gonna be PAF STYLED pickups as far as output but trust me...if you are going for that old school tone a set of Duncan PAF style pups (PG's, Seths, Ants, 59's, etc) would be huge upgrade for you.
It is NOT gonna be PAF...the PAF's were all usd up bu the very early 60's...I'll say this, my Moderne is an 82 model and I replaced the stock Gibson Pickups with Duncan Pearly Gates...WORLD of difference. Those are more than likely gonna be PAF STYLED pickups as far as output but trust me...if you are going for that old school tone a set of Duncan PAF style pups (PG's, Seths, Ants, 59's, etc) would be huge upgrade for you.
WICKED LESTER
New member
Re: Whats the difference between my pickup and a PAF?
anyone like those T-tops?
i do!
anyone like those T-tops?
i do!
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: Whats the difference between my pickup and a PAF?
If I'm not mistaken, the technical model name of the original Seth Lover designed Gibson humbucker was RPU-490.JeffB said:
guitarplayer
New member
Re: Whats the difference between my pickup and a PAF?
Well besides ohm ratings on the original pafs, what else varied throughout them?
Well besides ohm ratings on the original pafs, what else varied throughout them?
