PAF Mystique.

One of the things that has really peaked my interest over the last year is the original PAF pickups. I think one of the things that I find so fascinating is discerning whether or not they really are "All That"... I often wonder if their reputation is earned or if its hearsay - i.e. "Others say this pickup is amazing, so it must be the case". Every pickup maker out there makes a pickup in the PAF style, but in my belief they are copying a "version" of the PAF.

I don't think that there is a specific "PAF" sound .. other than "Clear & Bright", so any take on a PAF is really just a shot in the dark and one persons interpretation.


The truth is that the real PAF's are sloppy in their construction, and quite random in tone - Particularly the early ones. The bobbins would shrink different from one set to the next, the metal "keeper" bars were hand made, and the number of turns on each bobbin was totally random. Most people who wind pickups today wind coils in one main format: Bridge pickup is hotter than the neck pickup, and if the maker offsets the two coils they usually put more turns on the screw coil. The original PAF's had the bobbins wound until "the bobbins were full". This meant that they didn't wind specific coils for specific pickups. It is in fact quite common to see old LP's with strong necks rather than bridges, and stronger slug coils as well. Also, depending on the tension of the wire the bobbin would fill differently.. More tension meant a higher ohm rating when the bobbin was filled because the wire stretched.

I've read that many people believe that there are many good PAF's out there, but also many not so good ones. I find this perfectly believable because of all the variances in them. One of the biggest variations in the pickup is the magnet. In a magnetic pickup, nothing can immediately change the tone of a pickup more than the magnet. In the late 1950's gibson was a very practical company, they were not shopping for the best, they were shopping for the cheapest. They bought magnets from multiple companies, and often bought reject magnets. I've personally seen pictures from the heritage factory of pallets of old magnets - the boxes came from several vender's and were all different kinds of magnets. Alnico 2 from one magnet maker doesn't sound the same as Alnico 2 from another maker.

Today most pickup makers who make a PAF style pickup have a magnet they like: Seymour Duncan uses Alnico 2 in the 59's and Seth Lovers, Jason Lollar uses Alnico 5's in the imperials, Lindy Fralin uses Alnico 4. The list goes on and on. So which one is correct? Who makes the closest PAF pickup?

The answer is they all do.