Pure P.A.F.
The Ultimate PAF Replacement
$160 – $320
Experience what a humbucker should really sound like and get inspired by the Pure P.A.F’s beautiful tone. Lindy’s favorite humbucker, the Pure P.A.F. is a 50’s P.A.F. clone, using real Butyrate Bobbins and all USA-Made parts. Featuring a clean, clear tone with incredible versatility and dynamics and expertly crafted using 100% USA-Made materials, we guarantee the Pure P.A.F. will inspire you for years to come.
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The Ultimate In Vintage PAF Tone
Want to learn more about our Pure P.A.F.? Here's all the information you'll need:
Features:
Are you ready to cut through in the mix? The Lindy Fralin-designed Pure P.A.F. is our best-selling humbucker. Based on the specifications of the original 50’s Gibson® P.A.F. pickups, this model features a clean, articulate tone that’s incredibly versatile.
The Pure P.A.F. is a lower output humbucker, which is more dynamic and expressive than higher output pickups. It’s more articulate and cleaner than our Modern P.A.F., but beefier than our P-92. Lindy’s passion for the sound of vintage 50’s humbuckers led us down the road to design and create the Pure P.A.F., and it’s easy to see why – this pickup sounds incredible.
Features:
- Our Best-Selling Humbucker – low output, vintage tone
- Original Gibson PAF® specifications: low output, with modern clarity
- Clean and clear, smooth grind and a sharp attack
- USA-made Alnico 2 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
Sound
How does it sound? Clean and articulate!
The Pure P.A.F. stays clean and features a late break-up and a smooth grind. This pickup is perfect if you’re trying to restore life to your guitar. Don’t let the term “vintage” fool you – you’ll find that it’s loud and versatile enough to play with modern-voiced pickups; it just features more clarity than modern humbuckers.
Built with USA-Made AlNicCo II and 42-gauge Plain Enamel wire, the Pure P.A.F. pickup is a gateway to instant vintage tone. When playing without distortion, you’ll find that this pickup sings what you put into it: it’s dynamic and warm. Highs are accentuated with a medium attack. With distortion, you’ll find that the grind is nice and smooth.
Our manufacturing process allows us to achieve unparalleled quality control. When Lindy designed this pickup, he wanted it to be as close to the originals as possible. Pure P.A.F.’s consist of USA-Made Butyrate bobbins, baseplates, magnets, and wire. We wind each pickup by hand, one at a time, using our proprietary “Sectioning” technique. Doing this gives the pickup a sweet, clear tone, reminiscent of the early Gibson Humbuckers.
Finally, we assemble each pickup one at a time, by hand, which allows us to achieve unbeatable attention to detail. After assembly, we wax-pot the pickup to prevent microphonics and preserve the pickup for years to come.
Sound Samples for Pure P.A.F.:
Compare Outputs
We have 2 outputs of our Pure P.A.F.. Compare them below.
About these Sound Clips:
All sound samples are played from Neck Position First and Bridge Position Last.
Tonal Graph For Pure P.A.F.:
The tonal graph below for our Pure P.A.F. features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Attack: Soft & Round
Videos for Pure 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
3-Conductor Lead:
Phase Reversible
Coil Splitting
4-Conductor Lead:
Phase Reversible
Series Parallel Wiring
Coil Splitting
Tech Specs:
See below for the estimated DCR and Polarity Information for our Pure P.A.F..
SPECIFICATION | VALUE |
---|---|
Neck Ohm Reading (Stock): | 7.5K 1 |
Bridge Ohm Reading (Stock): | 8K 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 2 |
Wire: | USA-Made 42-Gauge Plain Enamel |
Bobbin Material: | USA-Made Butyrate |
Baseplate Material: | Nickel Silver |
Cover Material: | Nickel Silver |
Slug / Pole Piece Material: | Steel |
Recommended Pot Value: | 500K* |
Baseplate Leg Depth: | 6mm |
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.
* You can experiment with pot values for a different tone. This pickup will sound dark and warm on 250K pots
Covered Humbucker
Uncovered Humbucker
Pure P.A.F. FAQ's
General FAQs
Here are quick answers to common questions we get:
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What Ohm Readings does your Pure P.A.F. have?
Navigate to our Tech Specs Tab for complete Ohm Readings and more useful information.
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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.
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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.
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What pickup height do you recommend setting your Pure 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 Pure P.A.F. prewired into a Prewired Pickguard!:
Customer Reviews
228 Genuine Reviews for Pure P.A.F.
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These give just the humbucker tone I wanted for my Gibson Les Paul. The potted stock pickups (Wildwood-spec PAFs) were fine, but a little dark and thick. The unpotted Pure PAFs from Fralin give me all the top end and note separation I was missing, while still providing some grit and growl.
I would definitely use Pure PAF pickups on another project. In fact, I am thinking about pulling the ’57 Classics from my ES-335 and replacing them with Fralin Pure PAFs.
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I vowed in my previous review to install a Fralin PAF in each of my arch tops. This latest PAF went in my Benedetto Americana and it has truly transformed the guitar- just excellent tone and response. The PAF has really brought out the potential of this guitar.
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Dear Mr.Fralin,
I am writing to express my gratitude for your work. I have been buying pickups and building/assembling guitars for many years, and I am still amazed at the depth of your knowledge on the subject. I believe bragging rights are available. Anyway, the point is to say thanks for your efforts. -
recently picked up a second hand 1992 Gibson Les Paul Studio that had a pair of gold Pure P.A.F. pickups installed by the previous owner, at first I was a little skeptical as I was wanting the original pickups for the most original sound to this guitar, however I have been overwhelmingly pleasantly surprised. These pickups have a beautiful warm, full tone that handles all types of effects very well and works great for the kind of music I play, which is predominantly punk rock. I had never heard of Fralin before acquiring this guitar, but I wish I had sooner. more guitarists need to know about Fralin pickups!!
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I put a set of Pure PAFS in my personal 25th Anniversary Hamer Special.
What a difference. These pickups sound great in all the areas you want for a 2 HB guitar.
Articulate in both clean and overdriven, smooth without the open air of some neck position pickups.
The tone is dynamic and right in the sweet spot.
Highly recommend the 5% overwind. It really is a GREAT sounding pickup. -
Finally the tone I have been looking for in my arch top. Have tried so many other pickups to no avail. The Fralin PAF is just right, warm and defined from low to high. These will go in every arch top I own now!
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Very nice, smooth, warm, clear.
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I’m very happy with the “Pure P.A.F.” pickups. They are clear and warm-sounding. The response of each individual string is distinct and perfectly balanced. I got exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks.
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