Modern P.A.F.

True PAF Tone, Modern Output

$160$320

  • Hum-Cancelling
  • Thick & Versatile
  • Traditional Appearance
  • Modern Output

Click For New Soundclips

( 56 genuine reviews)

The Modern P.A.F. is our Pure P.A.F. on steroids. It’s great for more modern styles of music that need a little more output and power. The Modern P.A.F. features a thicker midrange with a quick and even breakup.

 

Options

Select options for our Modern P.A.F.:

Select Options Above To Display Add-Ons

Humbucker Cover

Further customize the look of your pickups by adding a USA-Made Nickel Silver cover.

Lead Length

You may need long leads if you have an Archtop guitar, like an ES-335. Check this box below, and we’ll give you some extra lead length.

Partial Split Resistor

Coil Splitting? Grab one (or two) of our Partial Split Resistors. They will give you a stronger single coil tone when split. Installation Instructions Here

Gold Screws

Check here if you want to include Gold Pole Pieces & Mounting Screws for your pickups. Not necessary if buying gold covers.

SPEED UP YOUR ORDER

Since you're buying a single pickup, we might need more information from you. To avoid unnecessary delays in your order, please choose one of the options below:


Notice

Due to the nature of Raw Nickel, Raw Nickel may contain slight cosemetic defects or abrasions.

Recommendation

We recommend using 2-Conductor With Shield Lead when purchasing a single pickup. 2-Conductor lead allows you to reverse the phase should you have phase issues. Learn About Lead Choice

Notice

While we do our best to match double-white bobbins, there may be subtle differences in color due to different dye lots from the manufacturer.

Upgrade To A Prewired Pickguard

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True PAF Tone, Modern Output

Want to learn more about our Modern P.A.F.? Here's all the information you'll need:

Modern P.A.F. FEATURES:

The Fralin Modern P.A.F. is the second best-selling humbucker we make. We took the specifications of the 50’s Gibson® P.A.F. pickups and added more power and output. We designed the Modern P.A.F. as a stronger, thicker, and warmer version of our Pure P.A.F. This pickup is for those looking for traditional tone only a little thicker and darker. With more turns and stronger magnets, the Modern P.A.F. will break up sooner and sound warmer and beefier than our Pure P.A.F.

  • Our Second-Best-Selling Humbucker – low output, vintage tone
  • Thick, strong while still bright. Features an early, smooth breakup
  • Modernized Gibson PAF® specifications: medium output, with modern clarity and power
  • USA-made Alnico 4 Magnets for vintage tonal balance and output
  • Compensated Overwound Bridge for even volume across all pickups
  • Hand-wound with our “Sectioning” technique for unique, dynamic tone
  • Hand-built for unrivaled quality control
  • 10-Year Warranty on manufacturing defects

Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control. Modern P.A.F.’s consist of USA-Made bobbins, baseplates, magnets, and wire. We wind each pickup by hand, one at a time. Each pickup is wound using our proprietary “Sectioning” technique. This gives the pickup a sweet, clear tone.

We assemble each pickup one at a time, by hand. Making pickups this way allows us to achieve unbeatable attention to detail. After assembly, we wax-pot the pickup to preserve the pickup and prevent microphonics.

Sound

Thick, strong, yet clear. Expect loud, warm tones with darker treble strings and woolier bass strings. With distortion, this model will break up faster than our Pure P.A.F. and has a smooth and buttery grind. You’ll hear a pronounced midrange, smooth high-end and attack. AlNicCo IV magnets and Plain Enamel wire give the Modern P.A.F. a perfect balance of modern and vintage tone.

Clean tones are warm, round, and full. Single notes have a larger footprint, while bass strings sound bouncy and rich. You’ll be able to get warm jazzy tones out of this pickup with ease. Dirty tones will sound creamier and smoother than our Pure P.A.F, with a smoother attack.

Sound Samples for Modern P.A.F.:
About this Sound Clip:

All sound samples are played from Neck Position First and Bridge Position Last.

Tonal Graph For Modern P.A.F.:

The tonal graph below for our Modern P.A.F. features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.

HIGHS
MIDS
LOWS
OUTPUT

Attack: Dynamic & Full

Videos for Modern P.A.F.:

Humbucker Lead Color Codes

See below for our Humbucker Lead color codes. For help with matching to other manufacturers, check out this resource here.

Gibson Braided Lead:

Gibson-Style instruments

Phase Reversible

Coil Splitting

Gibson Braided Lead
Only select Gibson Braided Lead if you install these pickups as a set into a Gibson-style instrument. Examples of a Gibson-style instrument include a Gibson Les Paul, 335, or Telecaster Deluxe, or any guitar with two Volume Pots and two Tone Pots.

Note: This lead is not intended for Telecasters with a Control Plate. If the braiding touches anything, it will short it out.

3-Conductor Lead:

Phase Reversible

Coil Splitting

3 Conductor Lead Fralin Pickups
Select this lead if purchasing a Single Pickup, wiring this pickup to a Blade Switch (Fender-style Instrument) or need coil-splitting. This lead allows you to reverse the phase and coil split.

4-Conductor Lead:

Phase Reversible

Series Parallel Wiring

Coil Splitting

4 Conductor Lead Fralin Pickups
Only select 4-Conductor lead if you need Series / Parallel wiring. This lead allows you to reverse the phase, wire in series / parallel, and coil split.

Tech Specs

See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Modern P.A.F..

SPECIFICATION VALUE
Neck Ohm Reading (Stock):8K 1
Bridge Ohm Reading (Stock):9K 1
Neck Polarity:Reversible with 3-Conductor or 4-Conductor Lead
Bridge Polarity:Reversible with 3-Conductor or 4-Conductor Lead
Magnet:USA-Made Alnico 4
Wire:USA-Made 42-Gauge Plain Enamel
Cover Material:Nickel Silver
Baseplate Material:Nickel Silver
Baseplate Leg Depth:6mm
Slug / Pole Piece Material:Steel
Bobbin Material:ABS Plastic
Recommended Pot Value:500K
Recommended Cap Value:0.02mfd 2

More Information:

1 Ohm Readings can vary due to a multitude of factors, including ambient temperature, multimeter calibration, different wire batches, and other factors. Due to this, ohm readings are approximate. Learn more about Ohm Readings here.


2 We recommend a 0.02mfd Cap Value on most guitar and bass pickups. The exception is a Magic Cap, which Lindy prefers on the Bridge Pickup of Fender® guitars only. Learn More about Caps Here.


Modern P.A.F. Dimensions:

Fralin Humbucker Dimensions

Modern P.A.F. FAQ's

General FAQs

Here are quick answers to common questions we get:

  • What Ohm Readings does your Modern P.A.F. have?

    Navigate to our Tech Specs Tab for complete Ohm Readings and more useful information.

  • Will this pickup fit my instrument?

    Check our "Sizing" tab for the size of the pickup. No Sizing tab? Check under the product image gallery for dimensions.

  • Is your Lead Time of 3-4 Weeks accurate?

    It really depends on the shop capacity at the moment, and the size of your order. Feel free to give us a call for an accurate lead time. We always try to underpromise and overdeliver.

  • What pickup height do you recommend setting your Modern P.A.F.s to?

    Our recommended Pickup Height is 1/8" (3.175mm) on the Bass Side and 1/16"( 1.5875mm) on the Treble Side. Measure by holding the corresponding side down at its highest fret and measure from the bottom of the string to the top of the pole piece.

Get It Prewired

Get our Modern P.A.F. prewired into a Prewired Pickguard!:

Customer Reviews

56 Genuine Reviews for Modern P.A.F.

  1. ChanyangYu

    Verified Purchase

    I’ve been using John shur, prs, duncan so many times,
    There was no better sound than this pickup.
    ]

  2. Noah Holt

    Verified Purchase

    I ordered a pair of these in the standard options of 8k/9k, standard Gibson wiring, and polished nickel covers, for my 2019 Gibson Les Paul Traditional. After playing with these pickups in my guitar for a couple of months, I find that these pickups live up to everything that’s advertised about them by Fralin Pickups. They are awesome, and have that “authentic late 50’s Gibson flavor”, but with some extra power, to them. (That’s probably because for all intents and purposes: they ARE authentic.)

  3. Wyatt Knox

    Verified Purchase

    Bury me with these pickups
    I ordered the 8.5k bridge and 7.5k neck, installed in a Gibson Les Paul Traditional Goldtop… it went from a “pretty great but no real attachment, will probably sell soon” guitar to “you’ll have to pry this out of my cold dead hands.” Everyone’s taste is different, but for me, these are EXACTLY what I was looking for.

  4. Hguitars

    Verified Purchase

    Modern PAF 10k…Great pick-ups, got bite and nice tone!

  5. Christopher Hamley

    Verified Purchase

    Nothing better! These pickups are packed with great tone and punch. I really appreciate the effort to make sure that I am getting the best possible result.

  6. Bryce Normal

    Verified Purchase

    Awesome sound, very grateful for this find
    Keep up the awesome work!!!

  7. Leigh Benjamin

    Verified Purchase

    Fantastic clarity.. would recommend to anyone looking for that slight edge to standard PAF . Great communication & service as well.

  8. Don Lessnau

    Verified Purchase

    Fralin just makes great stuff. I’ve bought 3 different sets for different guitars. The Pure PAF’s the noiseless P90’s (which are amazing in my Gibson ES-390) And I just dropped these Modern PAF’s into my Eastman T386. These are other-worldly. Unreal. The Alnico IV magnets are smooth as honey and nice and fat without being muddy. Just the sound I’ve been looking for. Really sweet. Fralin just makes great stuff. None better.

  9. Randy Juster

    Verified Purchase

    I put together a HH Strat with Unbuckers. It sounded great, but I thought I’d fatten up the bridge a bit more with a Modern PAF. This turned out to be the perfect combination for this guitar. Thanks to Lindy and his staff for such amazing products!

  10. Lawrence Thompson

    Verified Purchase

    Solid tone. I used one of these in another project combined with a Big Single after checking with Lindy about the right wind. Very strong with excellent cooperation with my tone circuit!

  11. Mark Williams

    Verified Purchase

    Outstanding balance, clarity and grit when you want it. Warm without being muddy. Sounds a great deal like McCarty PRS pickups, favorite of mine, which I’m sure is no coincidence.

  12. Verified Purchase

    An old friend, J recommended the Fralin PAF. After checking out sound clips I ordered a set of “modern PAF”, in the stock wind, but unpotted. After living with them, I gotta say I digg’em. Full bell like overtones, and wonderful touch sensitivity. Personally I don’t believe in a “BEST” hierarchy, of musical tones. But I love what these pickups are doing in my guitar…they stay put. Thanks, Charlie N.

  13. Guy Cowburn

    As a Luthier I came to know Lindy’s work through his single coil pickups, and featured in my first commissioned custom builds back in the 90’s.
    Following a stunning online review of Lindy’s first PAF voiced humbucker I ordered the bridge model to try in my own Les Paul guitars.(If it works in a Les Paul it’ll work elsewhere)Is my thinking.

    This is still one of the finest humbuckers available, it’s dynamic range is exceptional, sensitive to picking techniques with enough clarity on wound strings and singing harmonics jumping from your pick on the plain.
    It’s also ,to date the only wax potted PAF type that has the “breath” I’ve come to associate with un potted PAF replicas. (How does he do that)
    The combination of Alnico 4 magnet and 9k ohm output (mine measures 8.8K) Results in one of the most satisfying and versatile bridge tones available anywhere.

  14. Sunny Loiselle

    Verified Purchase

    Customer added no additional comments

  15. Jamey Hesterlee

    Verified Purchase

    Modern P.A.F: Fralin makes the sweetest pickups know to mankind…

  16. Erisa Neogy

    Have used the Fralin standard humbuckers in a wide variety of builds and have found them to be crisp, focused with
    just the right balance of snarl and finesse .

  17. Jimi Rizza

    I dropped a set of these pickups wind 8k-8.5k on my 1998 Gibson Les Paul historic R9 with the craziest flame monster top I’ve ever seen and WOW! These pickups sound amazing in this guitar with beautiful thick tone to die for. It’s not muddy at all it’s very clear sounding with perfectly beautiful highs very balance. It’s very versatile for any style of music. It’s a little higher output than the pure paf but it still sounds like a paf but with muscle. I can see why it’s his most popular selling pickup because these pickups does everything right. Lindy, you hit a homerun with these pickups great job.

  18. Patrick Bahar

    Verified Purchase

    I have a 1982 Gibson Les Paul Custom with the coveted Tim Shaw era Gibson pickups around 7.6-7.8 ohms. To my dismay, the bridge pickup went bad. My luthier Mark Brown, who has done work for countless artists including the Doobie Brothers and Gary Moore, recommended Lindy Frail as a replacement pickup to consider, because of the consistent quality. I gave Lindy a call, told him my situation and that i want a slightly hotter than vintage pickup (8.75 ohm) and he recommended a Standard humbucker which comes with Alnico IV magnets. Lindy walked me through the ordering, which was easy to start with. The pickup was a great choice, matches very nicely with the lower resistance neck pickup and was a perfect fit inside the pickup cover of the Shaw pickup. The sound is clear and balanced with the added growl I was hoping for. I could not be more pleased. Guitar sound/tone is such a personal choice, and its very satisfying to have the level of service that Lindy and team deliver. You can be sure I’ll be back the next time I need pickups!

  19. Thomas Hoyle

    Verified Purchase

    I recently bought a 2004 PRS Hollowbody II, and felt the PRS Archtop pickups were lacking dynamics and tone for the genre of music I play (contemporary top-40 Christian), but the lightweight and playability of the PRS make it a phenomenal guitar; so I was on the hunt for a set of pickups to allow me to bond with it. I have a set of Fralin’s Unbuckers in a 1978 Les Paul 25/50, which has been my primary guitar for the past 3-4 years, and have been very happy with them. So I turned to Fralin for a good pickup for the PRS.

    I emailed and got a prompt response answering my questions, so kudos for great customer service. The issue with the PRS Archtop pickups was, while they sounded very good with a clean, tube driven setup, whenever any overdrive, or other effects were added, the dynamics just weren’t there. Notes would decay too early, the breakup wasn’t predictable, and it just gave an overall feeling of disconnection from my playing. Thinking it was the low output pickups, I even added a boost to the front of the chain, but it just felt like I was fighting the guitar to make it produce the tone and dynamics I wanted. Sometimes I won the fight, and sometimes I lost.

    So, I ordered a set of Fralin Humbuckers (8k and 9k) and swapped them in, and WOW, what a difference! This PRS has officially replaced my Les Paul as my main stage guitar, as it is lighter, and now with the Fralin Humbuckers …. it has all the tonal dynamics and feel it was missing. The Humbuckers woke the PRS Hollowbody up, and it is very predicable now in terms of breakup, note decay, and just overall tone. No more fighting to make the dynamics happen.

    Great job on a quality pickup!

  20. Rob Schnapf

    Verified Purchase

    dropped a set of the standard humbuckers w/9.5k in the bridge and standard neck into a Gibson Explorer.
    sounds awesome the stock pickup was super hot (14k) and while could sound good, was very specific kinda sound
    and could get Dr. and sludge.
    The new standard humbuckers put some schlang back into the sound.
    these Rock.
    great job thanks team Fralin….

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