mooncobra
Well-known member
Duncan steckel is a clone of a 60 PAF, great pickup
Throbak makes some epic PAF’s
Throbak makes some epic PAF’s
lester
Well-known member
Tom Holmes 450/455. They're not really a "PAF style" but the real deal it seems
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Bxlxaxkxe
Amp ho
Been curious about that candy one
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braintheory
Well-known member
I hope I'm not one of these guys indirectly being put in this group of "experts" that suck at guitar LOL, but my opinion fwiw:
For actual PAF voiced pickups: vintage Japanese and Tim Shaw PAF copies or the Tone Specific Bloombucker's are the best I've played. I have some real '50's Gibson PAF's, have had most of the pickups I've seen recommended here, more importantly compared these pickups in multiple examples in the same exact guitars to be apples vs apples (including a '69 LPC I had as one of them) and I'll say while the real '50's PAF's were the best, these 3 were the closest I've tried and the former 2 have some of their own cool personality to offer as well. The Tone Specific Bloombucker is more like just a really accurately voiced PAF copy that doesn't quite nail some nuances you just can't the same exact way in a piece of gear that old like a real paf, but the best I've heard for something not vintage. I'd put these far above what I've seen recommended here from my comparisons. Smoked Throbaks for sure when I compared as well as the Wagner's among others. When AB'ed it made those pickup come off to me sterile/flat and lacking lots of nuance in tone
Since it's more about lower output pickups overall, I'll say PAF's aren't my personal #1. I prefer something more aggressive, snarly/grindy and percussive. For that the Gretsch Supertrons and '50's Filtertron's are my 2 all time favorites. Nothing wrong with '60's Filtertron's either. Love the old Mini-Humbuckers too (lotta snarl with those). For more affordable options that also sound amazing and in that more aggressive, snarly camp (also better than anything recommended here imho), I'd say the '60's Guild humbuckers, '60's/'70's Hagstrom Humbuckers, '70's/'80's Gibson Tarbacks (they can be a bit hit and miss though), '60's Hofner half blade humbuckers (they sound nasty), and '80's Schaller low output humbuckers
For actual PAF voiced pickups: vintage Japanese and Tim Shaw PAF copies or the Tone Specific Bloombucker's are the best I've played. I have some real '50's Gibson PAF's, have had most of the pickups I've seen recommended here, more importantly compared these pickups in multiple examples in the same exact guitars to be apples vs apples (including a '69 LPC I had as one of them) and I'll say while the real '50's PAF's were the best, these 3 were the closest I've tried and the former 2 have some of their own cool personality to offer as well. The Tone Specific Bloombucker is more like just a really accurately voiced PAF copy that doesn't quite nail some nuances you just can't the same exact way in a piece of gear that old like a real paf, but the best I've heard for something not vintage. I'd put these far above what I've seen recommended here from my comparisons. Smoked Throbaks for sure when I compared as well as the Wagner's among others. When AB'ed it made those pickup come off to me sterile/flat and lacking lots of nuance in tone
Since it's more about lower output pickups overall, I'll say PAF's aren't my personal #1. I prefer something more aggressive, snarly/grindy and percussive. For that the Gretsch Supertrons and '50's Filtertron's are my 2 all time favorites. Nothing wrong with '60's Filtertron's either. Love the old Mini-Humbuckers too (lotta snarl with those). For more affordable options that also sound amazing and in that more aggressive, snarly camp (also better than anything recommended here imho), I'd say the '60's Guild humbuckers, '60's/'70's Hagstrom Humbuckers, '70's/'80's Gibson Tarbacks (they can be a bit hit and miss though), '60's Hofner half blade humbuckers (they sound nasty), and '80's Schaller low output humbuckers
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gibsonash
Active member
Thanks for the tip "GFS Classic II" i like Tonerider so if you say there are a little better it s all good !
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bubucci
Well-known member
Always depend on the guitar itself but from those pickups which were mentioned before fits in hotter PAF territory/great under higain BKP Blackdog, BB2/BB3, Angus Young, Holmes.
Few days ago I make a quick comparison between few guitars because I was intrested how 300k vs 500k pots translate in final sound. The pickup which fits perfectly in 'higain PAF' Arcane Bogner PAF. Feels much more powerful than it looks on spec, 8.5k Alnico II.
Here is a clip with Friedman IR-D direct, guitars are 1) '76 Custom T-top 300k 2) '91 Studio 498T 3) '76 Custom T-top 500k 4) '76 Custom Bogner PAF 5) Charvel Govan
Few days ago I make a quick comparison between few guitars because I was intrested how 300k vs 500k pots translate in final sound. The pickup which fits perfectly in 'higain PAF' Arcane Bogner PAF. Feels much more powerful than it looks on spec, 8.5k Alnico II.
Here is a clip with Friedman IR-D direct, guitars are 1) '76 Custom T-top 300k 2) '91 Studio 498T 3) '76 Custom T-top 500k 4) '76 Custom Bogner PAF 5) Charvel Govan
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Bxlxaxkxe
Amp ho
Lol no not at all - more of a joke than anything. Most of these RTers can run circles around me and I’m totally fine with that
How do you get these supertrons to fit in something like an LP and what do you do to get the wiring compatible?
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Bxlxaxkxe
Amp ho
Always depend on the guitar itself but from those pickups which were mentioned before fits in hotter PAF territory/great under higain BKP Blackdog, BB2/BB3, Angus Young, Holmes.
Few days ago I make a quick comparison between few guitars because I was intrested how 300k vs 500k pots translate in final sound. The pickup which fits perfectly in 'higain PAF' Arcane Bogner PAF. Feels much more powerful than it looks on spec, 8.5k Alnico II.
Here is a clip with Friedman IR-D direct, guitars are 1) '76 Custom T-top 300k 2) '91 Studio 498T 3) '76 Custom T-top 500k 4) '76 Custom Bogner PAF 5) Charvel Govan
This is cool!!
I’m considering doing a low output pickup shootout myself soon. I need to figure out a way to change pickups without removing strings - may use the capo trick but need to try it first.
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braintheory
Well-known member
Well in some guitars it’s true the dimensions can be too big. I think iirc I used a different pickup ring when needed that gave more space for clearance. Can’t remember if the Les Paul’s I had needed that or not. You also have to sand down the sides of the baseplate at the bottom or cut it (some already come that way) and then just buy a tab (cheap at Philadelphia luthier supply’s website) and then should be good to install. The wiring is just a standard ground and hot wire. Nothing unusual thereLol no not at all - more of a joke than anything. Most of these RTers can run circles around me and I’m totally fine with that
How do you get these supertrons to fit in something like an LP and what do you do to get the wiring compatible?
With the filtertrons you can also easily remove the cover (not soldered on) and they should fit in anything as they’re actually smaller in dimensions than normal humbuckers
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johnny q
Active member
The best ever I personally tried was the Tim White (Timbucker) Ed A wind. Problem was, it squealed like a stuck pig under even moderate gain. The Gibson 57 Classics sound great in one of my Les Pauls and I am using the Duncan Whole Lotta Humbucker set in my Gibson R9 right now - probably the best overwound PAF style I have tried to date.
Honorable mention to the Duncan Pearly Gates set and Fralin Pure PAFs. The latter neck model 7.5K was one of the best neck pickups for a Les Paul I ever heard - zero mud.
Honorable mention to the Duncan Pearly Gates set and Fralin Pure PAFs. The latter neck model 7.5K was one of the best neck pickups for a Les Paul I ever heard - zero mud.
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Bxlxaxkxe
Amp ho
That whole lotta keeps getting mentioned- will have to check one out
Smash
Hack
I just received my japanese vintage pickup from @braintheory
I am staving off death, but if i can find the energy, i am going to do a before and after not alternating mic or anything.
I am staving off death, but if i can find the energy, i am going to do a before and after not alternating mic or anything.
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Racerxrated
Well-known member
That's the main issue for me with many of the great sounding pickups, mostly vintage 80s or earlier(Schaller comes to mind).....they're mostly unpotted. So it's classic rock or bust, if you want to avoid horrid feedback. The pickups do sound killer though.
Beyond Black
Well-known member
I’m the furthest thing from a PAF expert, but on Sam’s recommendation I tried the Bloombuckers and they do sound amazing. They’re big $ and I prefer more aggressive pickups, so I sold them, but they are all that.
I’ve also tried some Japanese mini humbuckers that are lower output, but super snarly and aggressive. They’re also very tight with a cool clank to them. They kill for everything from clean to high gain chugging.
The turnoff is you’ve got to drill to accommodate the smaller pickup rings, which I doubt you want to do to a LP, Blake.
Fiesta Red
Well-known member
In a Les Paul, my favorite are the Duncan 59, Bareknuckle Mules, Gibson Custombuckers and the BB1 and 2 combo.
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braintheory
Well-known member
Yeah I think because of many current made pickups claiming to be “PAF’s” guys get totally wrong ideas of what PAF’s sound like. I’ve had 6 different real ‘50’s Gibson’s PAF’s at one point that I took the time to compare against each other in 2 different guitars to be thorough and played many real paf loaded guitars. They’re not generally tight or aggressive pickups. They have a rounder attack, some squish, midrange hump, very sweet, woody and fat, smooth highs, bluesy sound like what we hear in many classic rock guy’s sound. When I had them in that aged nitro Charvel it made the guitar almost sound like a bluesy 59 LP lol. The real PAF’s IME are the most 3D, tonally complex pickups I’ve tried so far other than maybe real ‘50’s Gibson P90’s & ‘50’s Strat pickups, but I also prefer a more aggressive and percussive flavor. That’s why the Gretsch’s are my #1 and the ‘50’s Filtertron PAF’s are like 90 something percent as 3D as the Gibson PAF’s and the ‘60’s Supertron’s just slightly less 3D than that, but the most aggressive and rude of the bunch (my #1)
These lower output BKP’s, MCP’s, and Wagner’s are ok to decent pickups in their own right, but sound and feel nothing at all like PAF’s in flavor. The Tone Specific Bloombucker is dead on accurate in flavor/overall profile when I’ve compared in the same guitars, but just doesn’t fully have all that 3D magic, rawness and other nuances of the real deals, but that’s to be expected. It’s close overall. The vintage Tim Shaw PAF’s can be just a little more aggressive than the ‘50’s Gibson PAF’s IME. They’re great too
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braintheory
Well-known member
I was able to use the same pickup ring, no drilling, but I don’t care about seeing that empty space in the pickup cavity lol. At least for the sake of testing and trying pickups I think it’s fine
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braintheory
Well-known member
Most of them do squeal, but it also depends a lot on what amp and guitar you’re using them with and gate. The 72 at volume is also a much harder amp to tame than others for noise IME. I don’t have a good answer yet for that one. The Dirty Fingers and Schaller Blade specifically are not classic rock pickups to me, but the others yes
Fwiw, any clips I’ve sent privately playing metal riffs were using these unpotted vintage low output pickups. Some had squeal, but I also didn’t use any gate or anything else I could’ve done to work on noise reduction out of laziness just making quick and dirty phone clips. I think we also forgot that most guy’s heroes here used these since they were the only choices back then like Sykes playing DF’s through a mark iii coli (that’s gotta be noisy af lol)
Smash
Hack
I have still not got any of these clips..
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braintheory
Well-known member
They were in some separate group chats. I can pm them