Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
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blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
The patent was granted in the early 1960's. What is made now is "PAF style" PU's. The better manufacturers try to stick close to the original specs (wich were somewhat loose to begin with as far as windings & magnets).
The patent was granted in the early 1960's. What is made now is "PAF style" PU's. The better manufacturers try to stick close to the original specs (wich were somewhat loose to begin with as far as windings & magnets).
nondeplume
New member
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
I did for many many years at an enormous cost to my bank account and mental well being/sonic frustration. I just didn't think to look, want to look and at varies stages of my elitest growth, thought it was 'below' myself to look,at anything else, with the base idea I couldn't be happy otherwise....
I was sooooo wrong and learned a lesson that sticks. In affect, I'd bought into the hype hook, line, sinker AND gutted 'myself'.
And what I mean by that is that, PAF's are NOT bad, they are a sonic 'choice' (that may fit you, may not), but in MANY cases, the people carrying their torch soo adamantly, 'may' have NO business doing so (such as myself). They've bought into the sonic rut (marketing(?)) that there IS a formula for 'good' sound, what ever THAT may mean, like, ther IS only one pickup for blues and it AINT a Super Double Distortion Hex Screwed Front End Pounder AND a boost...NEVER! (b.s.)
Some things, like the Tubescreamer, carry into our lifes by artist association. I'd bought one, long before I'd heard of SRV, and returned the **** thing, thought it sounded cheap and 'narrow'...shrug...years later found me scrounging ebay for the holy grail...why....idk, I'm gulliable and figured I'd sold it cause, I was young and dumb OR didn't have a 'lolgood one'. So after spending a **** ton more money being dishonest with myself...I finally admitted, ->I<- STILL think the TS sounds cheap and narrow and I don't give a rats turd WHAT SRV used...I love mojo, I love hype...like a good beer commercial with crappy beer.
As soon as guitar players, yes guitar players, drop this myopic paradigm of thought, the quicker **** will stop sounding......the same....and my lord, these days, DOES it ever. Or at least, when ->I<- stopped that myopia, I stopped sounding like I didn't want to sound.
I did for many many years at an enormous cost to my bank account and mental well being/sonic frustration. I just didn't think to look, want to look and at varies stages of my elitest growth, thought it was 'below' myself to look,at anything else, with the base idea I couldn't be happy otherwise....
I was sooooo wrong and learned a lesson that sticks. In affect, I'd bought into the hype hook, line, sinker AND gutted 'myself'.
And what I mean by that is that, PAF's are NOT bad, they are a sonic 'choice' (that may fit you, may not), but in MANY cases, the people carrying their torch soo adamantly, 'may' have NO business doing so (such as myself). They've bought into the sonic rut (marketing(?)) that there IS a formula for 'good' sound, what ever THAT may mean, like, ther IS only one pickup for blues and it AINT a Super Double Distortion Hex Screwed Front End Pounder AND a boost...NEVER! (b.s.)
Some things, like the Tubescreamer, carry into our lifes by artist association. I'd bought one, long before I'd heard of SRV, and returned the **** thing, thought it sounded cheap and 'narrow'...shrug...years later found me scrounging ebay for the holy grail...why....idk, I'm gulliable and figured I'd sold it cause, I was young and dumb OR didn't have a 'lolgood one'. So after spending a **** ton more money being dishonest with myself...I finally admitted, ->I<- STILL think the TS sounds cheap and narrow and I don't give a rats turd WHAT SRV used...I love mojo, I love hype...like a good beer commercial with crappy beer.
As soon as guitar players, yes guitar players, drop this myopic paradigm of thought, the quicker **** will stop sounding......the same....and my lord, these days, DOES it ever. Or at least, when ->I<- stopped that myopia, I stopped sounding like I didn't want to sound.
SlowGroove
New member
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
^^^ . . . bloody well said !
Now if all guitarists the worldd over will be as honest toward themselfs as you . . . the world will be a better place ! imho.
James
^^^ . . . bloody well said !
Now if all guitarists the worldd over will be as honest toward themselfs as you . . . the world will be a better place ! imho.
James
uOpt
Something Cool
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
^^^^ exactly.
I can't count how many times I re-tested something I rejected earlier, because I must have been wrong since others do cool things with it. And it just doesn't change, I still don't like it.
I usually do it by buying and selling used at about the same price, though
^^^^ exactly.
I can't count how many times I re-tested something I rejected earlier, because I must have been wrong since others do cool things with it. And it just doesn't change, I still don't like it.
I usually do it by buying and selling used at about the same price, though
Seth Lover FAN
New member
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
I have had a few pairs PAF pick-ups (PAF=late 1950's Gibson humbucker... NOT anything else) some double blacks, two zebras, and one double white..
most were the A2 magnet made before the 1960 winder change (added a auto stop)
duds- none of them sounded worse than the best new pick-up I have ever heard .... however, four in particular are down-right off the chart
PAF:
1)has a wide fz response, can sound quite big if EQ'ed that way .... Provides a huge clean sound with the right amp ....... deep lows, bell brass high tone that is never harsh or Ice-picky
2)they have an inherent mid-range woodiness that never becomes muddy but also doesn't reduce the impression of the pick-up's wide fz. range
3)has a juicy bite when driven without being overly compressed that gives a organic growl element to the tone
I can’t speak for what they do when driven into heavy dist as I can’t stand those tones ....
I have a pair of the SD Ant's and they are ok ... close, I guess ... but there is no way I would mistake them with the real thing ...
finally, please do not buy PAF's ..you won’t like them, I will take them off your hands .. save your money
I have had a few pairs PAF pick-ups (PAF=late 1950's Gibson humbucker... NOT anything else) some double blacks, two zebras, and one double white..
most were the A2 magnet made before the 1960 winder change (added a auto stop)
duds- none of them sounded worse than the best new pick-up I have ever heard .... however, four in particular are down-right off the chart
PAF:
1)has a wide fz response, can sound quite big if EQ'ed that way .... Provides a huge clean sound with the right amp ....... deep lows, bell brass high tone that is never harsh or Ice-picky
2)they have an inherent mid-range woodiness that never becomes muddy but also doesn't reduce the impression of the pick-up's wide fz. range
3)has a juicy bite when driven without being overly compressed that gives a organic growl element to the tone
I can’t speak for what they do when driven into heavy dist as I can’t stand those tones ....
I have a pair of the SD Ant's and they are ok ... close, I guess ... but there is no way I would mistake them with the real thing ...
finally, please do not buy PAF's ..you won’t like them, I will take them off your hands .. save your money
claytonc
New member
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
+ a million. the term PAF gets grossly overused.
+ a million. the term PAF gets grossly overused.
Zhangliqun
Questionologist
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
I can only speak on two PAF's I've heard in person, one I got to play through. I played one in a friend's R9 (in the bridge position) and it had a distinctive honk/bark that I never forgot. The other was in Andy Summers' '59 335 he was playing at a jazz gig at the Baked Potato here in LA. Probably the fact that it was in a semi-hollow (and even more my angle relative to his amp) made the bridge pu sound like it was hotter than the one I played.
It sounded like what is in my mind the ideal overwound PAF tone, like it must have been somewhere in the low to mid 9's. It had the same bark, but -- and this will sound totally hokey -- seductively thicker and smoother, tons of bloom. That was where I got the idea that somebody's got to start winding some low-to-mid 9 buckers. That someone eventually turned out to be me, to my massive surprise.
I can only speak on two PAF's I've heard in person, one I got to play through. I played one in a friend's R9 (in the bridge position) and it had a distinctive honk/bark that I never forgot. The other was in Andy Summers' '59 335 he was playing at a jazz gig at the Baked Potato here in LA. Probably the fact that it was in a semi-hollow (and even more my angle relative to his amp) made the bridge pu sound like it was hotter than the one I played.
It sounded like what is in my mind the ideal overwound PAF tone, like it must have been somewhere in the low to mid 9's. It had the same bark, but -- and this will sound totally hokey -- seductively thicker and smoother, tons of bloom. That was where I got the idea that somebody's got to start winding some low-to-mid 9 buckers. That someone eventually turned out to be me, to my massive surprise.
Seth Lover FAN
New member
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
we got forum for pick-up lovers with 1000+ folks and the topic is one of the most famous pick-ups ever made and this is all the comments ........ most who have not ever played one .....
wow, maybe a group trip to a good guitar store is in order ....
we got forum for pick-up lovers with 1000+ folks and the topic is one of the most famous pick-ups ever made and this is all the comments ........ most who have not ever played one .....
wow, maybe a group trip to a good guitar store is in order ....
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
Because they are the benchmark.
Anything hotter than a PAF is a "hot" pickup.
Anything less hot than a PAF is a "lower output" pickup.
It is the bar, to which all others are compared..
Because they are the benchmark.
Anything hotter than a PAF is a "hot" pickup.
Anything less hot than a PAF is a "lower output" pickup.
It is the bar, to which all others are compared..
ganzosrevenge
New member
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
A good friend of mine owns a '61 SG / LP (original). I had always sat in awe of the guitar, as he never liked to play it, favoring his jackson soloists and Ibanezs. One day I asked him if I could play it, and much to my surprise he said "yeah, but don't expect it to sound like a normal 50s / 60s gibson. I plugged it into his old 50s champ and turned it up to 12 o'clock. I was expecting a nice mild / bluesy overdrive... yet what I ended up with was something that sounded closer to Bon Scott era AC/DC. We both jumped, and I took a reading of the pickup. It was 11k even... I thought it was a typo so I used 3 more readers, all 3 read 11k. So my buddy and I thought "holy **** we hit the motherload!" and called up Gibson to ask if they could somehow date the pup. They agreed to let us send it down, and about 3 wks later they dated it to the 27th week in 1959. It was a legit PAF!
I then took all the specs and that's how i got the 11k PAF / Brobucker that resides happily in my mahogany strat. Wanna laugh, the neck was only 6.3k.
Jason
A good friend of mine owns a '61 SG / LP (original). I had always sat in awe of the guitar, as he never liked to play it, favoring his jackson soloists and Ibanezs. One day I asked him if I could play it, and much to my surprise he said "yeah, but don't expect it to sound like a normal 50s / 60s gibson. I plugged it into his old 50s champ and turned it up to 12 o'clock. I was expecting a nice mild / bluesy overdrive... yet what I ended up with was something that sounded closer to Bon Scott era AC/DC. We both jumped, and I took a reading of the pickup. It was 11k even... I thought it was a typo so I used 3 more readers, all 3 read 11k. So my buddy and I thought "holy **** we hit the motherload!" and called up Gibson to ask if they could somehow date the pup. They agreed to let us send it down, and about 3 wks later they dated it to the 27th week in 1959. It was a legit PAF!
I then took all the specs and that's how i got the 11k PAF / Brobucker that resides happily in my mahogany strat. Wanna laugh, the neck was only 6.3k.
Jason
greenburst
New member
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
consider this, 30 years from now, guitar collectors and corksniffers will scrambling to purchase todays pups at high prices. when the PAF was made there was no custom or boutique pickup makers. today there are more and more and some top knotch PUPS are being made. my point, if the past is any indication of the future, the vintage pup maket will be huge in the near future!
consider this, 30 years from now, guitar collectors and corksniffers will scrambling to purchase todays pups at high prices. when the PAF was made there was no custom or boutique pickup makers. today there are more and more and some top knotch PUPS are being made. my point, if the past is any indication of the future, the vintage pup maket will be huge in the near future!
Re: Why is the P.A.F so sought after?(P.A.F experts/lovers only please!)
Ehmmm...Stratocaster single coils? Telecaster single coils?
Well, here's an experiment...you guys can buy a real set of P.A.Fs and Ant humbuckers (with the same type of magnets that particular set of P.A.Fs have) and I'll try them out, free of charge. Whaddya say?
:deal:?
tc
Ehmmm...Stratocaster single coils? Telecaster single coils?
Well, here's an experiment...you guys can buy a real set of P.A.Fs and Ant humbuckers (with the same type of magnets that particular set of P.A.Fs have) and I'll try them out, free of charge. Whaddya say?
:deal:?
tc
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