Pure P.A.F.
The Ultimate PAF Replacement
$175 – $350
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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Jump to Sound Clips and more Info:
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 & Video
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.:
Additional 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.:
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 |
Additional Technical Info:
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
Polarity Information:
Here's how we wind and magnetize our pickups:
This is a Hum Cancelling Pickup.
If you're buying a set from us, all pickups will work together seamlessly. If you're buying a single pickup, all you need to worry about is Coil Direction.
To ensure your pickup will work, make sure you select multiple leads (2-Conductor, 3-Conductor, or 4-Conductor if available), or the 3-Wire modification so you can reverse the coil direction, if need be.
Lead Options
See below for our 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
Covered Humbucker
Uncovered Humbucker
Featured Artists
These artists trust their tone to our Pure P.A.F.
Ben PlattInikoBig Stuff
"Fralin has absolutely breathed new life into every guitar I own. These are some of the most dynamic and reliable pickups I have played and will continue to be a part of my sound for years to come."
Great Southern ReunionLee Roy ParnellSkydog
“The first time I ever tried Fralin pickups, it was as if somebody removed a heavy blanket from in front of my amp. I could hear all the detail and articulation that I had been missing before; like hearing my guitar in Hi-Def. Amazing. Fralin pickups have had a permanent place in my tone arsenal ever since. Thanks Lindy!"
Moga Family Band
"I am always in search of quality. So glad that I found Fralin. Their attention to detail and quality is something that makes you feel confident and proud to have in your guitar. The sonic difference is obvious"
Get It Prewired
Get our Pure P.A.F. prewired into a Prewired Pickguard!:
Featured Reviews
Reviews We Worked Hard For, and Are Proud Of
Customer Reviews
257 Genuine Reviews for Pure P.A.F.
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Lindy and Team,
Wow! Just wow! You guys recommended the Pure P.A.F. set wound slightly hotter when I wanted the Alnico II tone with a bit tighter bottom end. I put these in my ‘76 Les Paul Custom. I play through a custom 18 Watt Marshall circuit, cranked for maximum tube-scream, and these pickups just LOVE it! Crisp and clear, very vocal midrange, tight bottom end with just a touch of A2 squish. THE pickup pair for classic rock riffing and blues. I couldn’t be happier. Now I have to buy more sets for my other LP’s!!! Thank you
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I love these pickups! Swapped out the stock pickups in my Charvel DK24 HH because the stock pickups sounded plain, boring, sterile. The guitar is an absolute beast now. The pickups have tons of character all across the frequency spectrum along with incredible clarity. The sound is addictive.
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Lindy Fralin Pure P.A.F. Pickup Set Review
I installed the Lindy Fralin Pure P.A.F. set in a custom Telecaster — and it’s simply stunning.As a worship guitarist, I rely heavily on clean tones that carry emotion. These pickups deliver an incredibly clear, open sound that’s so pure, it honestly brought tears to my eyes the first time I played. There’s a depth and honesty in the tone that feels alive.
I paired the pickups with a Vitamin Q paper-in-oil capacitor, and the synergy is phenomenal. The highs are never harsh — they roll off smoothly with a beautiful sweetness. The clarity remains even in higher gain stages, where many P.A.F.-style pickups tend to get muddy. These don’t. They stay articulate and emotionally rich no matter the setting.
If you’re after a pickup that doesn’t just sound vintage but feels meaningful — this is the one.
Absolutely inspiring. -
I put a pure PAF wound to 7.8k with a treble bleed and no tone pot in the neck position in my partscaster and it’s hands down my favorite pickup. Thanks to all the kind and skilled people at Fralin!
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I recently purchased a Pure PAF for an an HSS strat build (paired with some Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle). The pickup is sublime, but I knew it would be – I have Fralin pickups in five of my guitars. Lindy does not miss.
I already knew Fralin made my favorite pickups on earth, but I had yet to experience just how fantastic their customer service was prior to this purchase. When I couldn’t decide between a Modern or Pure PAF, I was able to pick up the phone and speak with Lindy directly. He kindly and patiently walked me through some options and found the perfect humbucker for me.
I ran into some problems while installing the pickup into a particularly complex wiring setup (multiple resistors, push-pull pots, etc), but Tyler came to my rescue. Over countless calls and emails, he helped me diagnose and correct the problem. He even drew up a wiring diagram for me.
The Strat is now a lifer, and easily my most versatile guitar, but my big takeaway here is – this is without question the best customer service I have ever received from a gear brand. I’m a Fralin customer for life. Thank you again Lindy, Tyler, and team. I couldn’t be happier!
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These pickups sound great! I replaced a stock set of Gibson Burstbucker 60s pickups, which are good, but a little too high output and compressed for my setup. The Pure PAFs provide just a little bit more clean dynamic headroom, and they are still good for breakup.
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I bought a Epiphone inspired by Gibson 59 Les Paul. Not bad but could be better. I rebuilt the guitar with all new wiring and hardware. I was reading an article about wax potting pickups by Lindy Fralin and decided to give these a try. I was not expecting the sound that came out after I finished. All I can say is WOW!!! I’ve had EMGs, Seymour Duncan, and Dimarzio in my guitars. But nothing like this!!! The sound was powerful and clear, that true les Paul growl is just amazing!!! I’m definitely pleased with the results! And I can definitely say I will be changing all my guitars pickups to Lindy Fralin Pure PAF!!!
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Replaced 5708s in a PRS McCarty – intermittent short in neck pickup. Loved the 5708s but these are even better. Getting better clean and over-driven tone with my Helix Marshall model.
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As promised in an earlier review I am putting a PAF in the neck position of each of my jazz guitars. One in each Benedetto- fantastic tone.Replaced the neck pickup in my PRS Mike Mushok baritone and the guitar came alive. Rich, clear low end and warm, full high end. Currently building a single neck pickup “Jazz” telecaster and cannot wait to complete it to hear the PAF in it. These are without a doubt the best pickups ever!
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Great pickups, I like the Fralin pure PAF very much and I’m extremely happy with the tone. The workmanship is outstanding and Fralin builds and ships fast.
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Got a set of pure pafs (slight overwind on the neck) for an Epi LP that was overdue for some upgrades. Really nice classic tone, everyone who tries my modded guitars (I’ve done about 5 all w Fralins) always comment on the overtones/harmonics along with touch sensitivity. I’m hard on guitars (live band situation not just bedroom) so I prefer cheaper low end stuff, I’ve been modding amps and guitars for over a decade and started with some bigger brand stuff but when I finally went with Fralins it was clear what the hype was about…I’m fully in the camp here that most non-musician types won’t care or can’t tell the difference but any instrument needs to be something you want to pick up, nice electronics is a pretty cost effective way to get there. My list of Fralins: Squire tele with a bridge humbucker sized quiet p90, 5% overwound. Next I did an epi LP w stock humbucker sized p90s. Tele w standard blues, then I did an epi LP p90 quiet humbucker 5% overwound in the neck and pure paf in the bridge (my current #1), latest was epi studio LP w pure pafs…everyone of these I can’t put down whether it’s cleans or distorted the Fralins deliver
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The Pure PAF neck pickup has been the answer for all my dual humbucker guitars. Gone is the mud and mush. They are articulate and cut through, yet still retain warmth and sweetness. Like taking a blanket of my speaker cabinet.
Thanks Lindy! -
I purchased the PAF and two Blues Specials to go in a MIJ 1986 Fuji-Gen Fender guitar and they sound fantastic. This guitar is a rare model with a 24.75″ neck, so I redid the whole wiring harness and fitted an HSS pickguard etc. The guitar really does sound good on either my Marshall or Fender. I am contemplating doing another one as this one turned out so good but this time with the steel pole 42/neck, blues special middle and PAF for bridge. I am drooling…
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I just installed my second Pure PAF 7.5K neck pickup in my PRS 594. I’ve always had trouble finding the right neck pickup that was clear and articulate, yet is still warm and airy. I’m a humbucker fan, but it seems so many of them sound muddy in the neck position and just seem to get lost in the mix. Fralin’s PURE PAF have taken care of that problem. I have matched them with different bridge pickups and don’t have any problems balancing them volume wise. Great for sweet lead work and full and sweet with both pickups on. The first one I matched with a Fralin Modern PAF stock wind and put them in a first year PRS Zach Myers that always seemed to sound a little muddy. The Fralin combination did the trick with that and it’s now one of the go-to gig guitar. The clarity and sweetness combination is a winner for me. Thanks Lindy!
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Used to modify a PRS Custom to McCarty wiring. They have all the “fullness” everyone has come to expect from a great after-market bucker and have just a bit of sheen on the top to help note definition. They also have tons of gain that I did not expect but ,was glad to get. These were slightly overwound with nickel covers and the fellow I did this work for was absolutely floored. A great product always makes you look better. Just hit the order button. You will not regret it.
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The mud is gone…so the thrill is back! I have many guitars, a lot of them are different PRS models, and I play mostly old Classic Rock and Blues. One of my least expensive, but favorites is a Zach Myers tribute singlecut. It plays great, but has always sounded a bit muddy, regardless of the different pickups I’ve tried. After having success with other guitars I finally ordered a set of Fralins for it. it was hard to spend $400 on pickups for a $500 guitar, but I like it and thought if they don’t do the trick I’ll use them on a different one. I got Lindy’s PAF humbuckers in raw nickel. A Modern Bridge at 9.1K and a Pure PAF neck at 7.56K. It was like taking a blanket off of my speaker cabinet. Very full and warm, but still very articulate. The Modern bridge is full and has just enough power to breakup beautifully, but clean up perfectly by just rolling off the volume a bit. The neck pickup has the clarity that has always been missing in this guitar, but it’s still warm and sweet. Looks like I’ll be getting more of them for my others when I can spare the funds. Well done Lindy!
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I really didn’t want to begin by repeating that which is always stated – my guitar, now, feels like a completely different instrument. I had the slightly overwound P.A.Fs installed into my 2022 Tokai Premium Love Rock LS 138F (Ocean Burst), and it has gone from a guitar that, whilst gorgeous and of sound-quality, I had experienced difficulty connecting with it, and in the years I’ve owned it, the times it’s been played can be counted on a single hand!
The way the sound opens up is spectacular, and once experienced, you will understand and it will be beyond mere descriptions, similes, and adjectives; it was akin to hearing someone with a severe cold and nasally voice suddenly communicate with crystal-clarity, definition, and a lot more room, and space, for notes and sounds to resonate without impediment. Fortunately, this doesn’t imply they’re clinical in their sound – they are warm, clear, yet articulate, and anything but muddy.
I knew I had made the right choice. I apologise for a late review, albeit I needed time to sit with the guitar so that my review is from nothing but an honest experience. Thank you, King of Tone – Lindy Fralin (and awesome team).
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