Help....Help... I'm in the PAF Rabbit hole.........................................

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harddriver

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Just kidding........:LOL:Now that I have experienced a low wind 61 A-4 PAF in the Duncan Steckel at 7.7K but as much as I like it....for my tastes it's a bit too tight and not enough push.... the clarity is amazing but I still like the slightly softer attack of my old Duncan 78 9K A2 model for a PAF.

I also found myself liking the EVH 14K Franky pickups in clips, as much as I didn't want to like them because years ago I bought a Duncan CC and I hated it with a passion which is what I thought the Duncan Franky was but I guess there are differences on how they are built.....:dunno:

I also wanted to try a rough cast A-5 PAF but a higher wind than my Steckel... According to Seymour Duncan the rough cast A-5 warms things up some according to Seymour's description........so enter the Duncan Whole Lotta Humbucker at 8.7K Rough cast A-5. PDC loves these things in old threads and the specs sound great! Kinda like the Steckel but with more drive but a little softer attack from the rough cast A-5 magnet. :2thumbsup:

Since I love my 78 model I wanted something PAF PAFish but different than my 78 model to a variety of tones and this guitar has a Floyd so........................................

I bought a Jalen Pinnacle(His Frankensetin wind) 14K A-2 which is his version of the Duncan and EVH Franky pickup...Al Estrada's and Scottoson's clips pushed me over the edge.


And I found a Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Humbucker Bridge for cheap on Ebay.......I can't want to try them out.......:yes:

That is all....back into the rabbit hole I go..........:D
 
There’s nothing “soft” about the WLH. I had the custom shop MJ wound and it was one of the brightest, tightest PAF types I’ve tried in my R9. Too much for me.

I ran a bunch more through it before finding the Brandonwound 59’ clone. Bright, slightly overwound A4. It’s perfection to my ears anyway using high gain British amps.
 
EyesOfTheSouth! said:
There’s nothing “soft” about the WLH. I had the custom shop MJ wound and it was one of the brightest, tightest PAF types I’ve tried in my R9. Too much for me.

I ran a bunch more through it before finding the Brandonwound 59’ clone. Bright, slightly overwound A4. It’s perfection to my ears anyway using high gain British amps.
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For the price I had to try one out to satisfy my curiosity................:yes:
 
harddriver said:
For the price I had to try one out to satisfy my curiosity................:yes:
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Granted mine was the custom shop one, so maybe there is a difference. I’ve used the custom shop Pearly Gates and the production Pearly Gates in the same guitar and they didn’t sound remotely close.
 
I prefer A2 or A4 paf style bridge pickups in a LP. A5 sound harsh to me especially with a 8 to 9 k wind. Ymmv.
 
The WLH was a very cool sounding hot PAF , I didn’t find it overly bright . I haven’t used one in years but thought about revisiting it . They don’t make a production model in trem spacing anymore so it’s either floor shop custom or find one used
 
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Many people want a PAF and want to like the PAF sound, until they get a PAF style pickup. It’s the same phenomenon as people wanting a Plexi or Plexi sound. In real life they sound very different than you might think.

PAFs / PAF style pickups have a clarity and bite that many others don’t but they are often extremely bright, too. This is where higher wind pickups can help as it tends to reduce the high end, albeit often at the expense of clarity. There’s a balance to be had.

It’s also worth remembering that there was no one formula for PAFs as Gibson used whatever magnets they could get, and many of todays magnets aren’t made to the same formula as back in the 50’s. It might be you prefer a high wind A2 magnet PAF, for the roundness and push.

FWIW, 14k for any pickup is no longer in the PAF zone.
 
DanTravis62 said:
This sounds like Godwood territory if you want a hotter A5 with PAF-y ness
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Man I have a godwood waiting to go into my LP one of these days. I’m excited to try it. I had it in an LP standard briefly but that guitars natural tone was not my thing at all.

Waiting to get tired of the Aldrich or just bored one day and will try the godwood. Looking forward to it
 
Classic said:
Many people want a PAF and want to like the PAF sound, until they get a PAF style pickup. It’s the same phenomenon as people wanting a Plexi or Plexi sound. In real life they sound very different than you might think.

PAFs / PAF style pickups have a clarity and bite that many others don’t but they are often extremely bright, too. This is where higher wind pickups can help as it tends to reduce the high end, albeit often at the expense of clarity. There’s a balance to be had.

It’s also worth remembering that there was no one formula for PAFs as Gibson used whatever magnets they could get, and many of todays magnets aren’t made to the same formula as back in the 50’s. It might be you prefer a high wind A2 magnet PAF, for the roundness and push.

FWIW, 14k for any pickup is no longer in the PAF zone.
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I am fully aware anything above 9K technically isn't in the PAF zone but the Jalen Pinnacle piqued my curiosity nonetheless just for something different to my 78 model that I really like.
 
hammered said:
The WLH was a very cool sounding hot PAF , I didn’t find it overly bright . I haven’t used one in years but thought about revisiting it . They don’t make a production model in trem spacing anymore so it’s either floor shop custom or find one used
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It just has the specs I want to hear and compare it to my Steckel Alnico 4 PAF.....The one I found is standard gibson spacing 50mm with no logo.
 
Emg77 said:
Godwood in my L.P. is my favorite! Honorable mention for the Wolfetone Marshallhead as well . Hot PAF’s.
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I keep meaning to try a Wagner and I hear great things about them.... but I tend to be partial to Duncan......
 
harddriver said:
I keep meaning to try a Wagner and I hear great things about them.... but I tend to be partial to Duncan......
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I have an ironman bridge pickup and love it. But i am buying a tone specific right now to go with everyone down this rabbithole
 
Smash said:
I have an ironman bridge pickup and love it. But i am buying a tone specific right now to go with everyone down this rabbithole
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Once I get out.............the rabbit hole pulls me right back in.........................:LOL::rock:
I've been wanting to try out some different PAF specs for a while so I am getting it out of system finally!
 
Bxlxaxkxe said:
Man I have a godwood waiting to go into my LP one of these days. I’m excited to try it. I had it in an LP standard briefly but that guitars natural tone was not my thing at all.

Waiting to get tired of the Aldrich or just bored one day and will try the godwood. Looking forward to it
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The Godwood is badass
 
harddriver said:
I am fully aware anything above 9K technically isn't in the PAF zone but the Jalen Pinnacle piqued my curiosity nonetheless just for something different to my 78 model that I really like.
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That Jalen sounds damn good.
 
good luck calling MJ... you will get a dude named scott who will take your order and send the invoice.
 
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