Pure P.A.F.
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
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Pure P.A.F. 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.
Tonal Graph for Pure P.A.F.:
The tone graph below for our Pure P.A.F. features Lows, Midrange, Highs, and general Output.
Attack: Soft & Round
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 |
| Bridge Ohm Reading (Stock): | 8K |
| 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 |
**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
Sizing
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:
Select This Lead If...
- You are wiring a set of pickups to a Gibson® Style Instrument, like a Les Paul or 335.
Avoid This Lead If...
- You need Coil Splitting
- You are purchasing a Single Pickup
- You need to Reverse the Phase
3-Conductor Lead:
Select This Lead If...
- You need Coil Splitting
- You are purchasing a Single Pickup (You can reverse the phase)
- You are wiring pickup(s) to a Blade Switch, like a Fender-Style instrument.
4-Conductor Lead
Select This Lead If...
- You need Series / Parallel Wiring
Avoid This Lead If...
- You have limited space in the wiring cavity (wire can be bulky).
Pure P.A.F. Questions And Answers:
Notice:
Have a question about our Pure P.A.F.? Ask it here. Your Question will be publically visible. If you want to ask a Private Question, please contact us through our Contact Us Form.
If you have multiple questions, please call us at (804) 358-2699.
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Do you guys offer the quick connect for installation on Epiphones? Mine just plug into the guitar for what seems to be easy switching.
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Q Do you guys offer the quick connect for installation on Epiphones? Mine just plug into the guitar...... Read moreA Hey Jake, As it turns out, we do not feature any Gibson quick connect compatibility at this time. However, it is advisable to remove the Quick Connect system entirely and replace it with a standard soldered wiring harness. You can expect better results in tone and peace of mind knowing the soldered harness will last a lot longer than the plastic clips – they are the weakest link in your signal chain by far.
I am looking to replace my 57 classics in my 2015 Gibson traditional, which has 57 classics, I like the classics but had an issue with the bridge pickup having a bad coil. My question is that would these be brighter than a 57 classic? I find those pickups to be a little dark for me.
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Q I am looking to replace my 57 classics in my 2015 Gibson traditional, which has 57 classics, I li...... Read moreA
Hey Todd, the Pure P.A.F.'s are a touch brighter. They also feature an overwound bridge which balances better than the 57 Classics.
What do you see most purchased for a replacement pickup set for a Gibson or Epiphone SG? And your recommendation for the same for a classic sound both clean and overdriven. Lastly would this be the same to get the sound similar of Derek Trucks' SG? Thank you for your knowledge. Your web site is extremely informative.
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Q What do you see most purchased for a replacement pickup set for a Gibson or Epiphone SG? And your...... Read moreA
Hey Cory, thanks for your question - we recommend our Stock Output if you're looking for a balanced tone - it will be clean, pretty, and open-sounding, but will break up nicely as well.
Hey there, I'm going to get a pair of Pure PAFs for my 2002 PRS McCarty Hollowbody I. Are there any specs you would recommend? I'm unsure about the correct string spacing and if it would need a long lead length. Thank you for your time.
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Q Hey there, I'm going to get a pair of Pure PAFs for my 2002 PRS McCarty Hollowbody I. Are there a...... Read moreA
Hey Mike, thanks for your question. Regarding string spacing, PRS splits the difference between Gibson and Fender spacing. I'd recommend a 50mm Bridge and 49.2mm Neck. You can add these to cart separately. You will be fine with our normal length lead.
I've got a new Epiphone SG Standard. What do you recommend as far as output goes for a set of PAF's? What benefit would I get with a hotter 7.8k 8.4k wiring? Also, understanding that not potting the pups would void the warranty. How does that affect the harmonic quality having them lightly potted compared to not potted? Lastly, I would assume that I would need to order the braided shield for correct wiring. Would that be the case? Thank you!
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Q I've got a new Epiphone SG Standard. What do you recommend as far as output goes for a set of PAF...... Read moreA
Hey Cory, thanks for your question. Compared to the Stock Output, the 7.8K / 8.4K features a bit more output and a thicker tone that's a bit warmer and "beefier". Lightly potted vs no potting is really hard to tell the difference, in my opinion. You'll get a tiny bit more microphonics and touch sensitivity without potting, but the difference is incredibly subtle. If wiring like a Gibson, you'll need the Gibson Braided Shield wiring.
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CUSTOMER REVIEWS
199 Genuine Reviews for Pure P.A.F.
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Put a Lindy Fralin Pure PAF in the bridge position of my Les Paul Standard. It’s warmer and clearer than the Suhr Thornbucker that was in previously. Gives the guitar a more authentic vintage Les Paul sound. Very happy with this choice.
I play a Benedetto Bambino custom model guitar and I wanted to try some different pickups just for curiosity. I always really liked the stock pickup but I just wanted to try something new. I was told that the Pure PAF pickup would not be as hot in output, which in my opinion I looked forward to hearing. After installing, my first reaction was how amazingly even they sounded in all guitar registers. There was something really controlled about them. Yes the pickups were definitely not as loud but after playing a couple of shows, this has not been any kind of detriment. In fact for me I prefer it as I like a very clean sound and these things deliver. What prompted me to try was after having some LF Split Blades installed in one of my strats many years ago and I simply loved them. So yes, thrilled to say the least. Lovely tone character. Thanks for a class pickup.
Exactly what I was looking for! Got the stock wind Pure PAFs to replace the burstbuckers in my 2021 Gibson 335 DOT. I wanted pickups with a lot of clarity for playing clean or low gain. These humbuckers sound amazing!
Another one, … out of the park !
It’s hard to relate the change in my ‘74 LP Custom I’m words, or words that are appropriate to post to one’s site meant to express it’s phenomenal list of virtues and perhaps one’s personal perceived flaws … and let’s face it … those folks are probably Cajun
PURE PAF, Bridge, 8.2k with Alnico III magnet and raw nickel cover. Simply put, the tone and sound are clean and clear but not shrill or overly bright with clarity almost rivaling a single coil strat pickup. The clarity and note separation are what really set it apart from the prior humbuckers I had tried in the bridge (PRS Custom 22 sunburst series, originally came with 57/08 humbuckers). The customer service from Fralin is second to none. I called and spoke with one of Fralin’s assistants about what I was looking for, especially the issue of achieving proper volume balance with a very low output neck pickup (Dimarzio Eric Johnson Model), this sparked the recommendation to try an Alnico III magnet instead of the stock Alnico II, but go with the 8.2k output to keep it full and round sounding (I found all prior bridge humbuckers too bright). The recommendations seem spot on. The pickup is of course of great quality. For the price, these are hard to beat. It is a pleasure doing business with Fralin and I will happily do business with Fralin again (I also have had a set of his Real 54 strat pickups, which also were excellent). The Pure PAF is definitely worth a try if you are looking for a PAF style humbucker that is not too bright in the bridge position, yet full and very clear (the clarity and note separation are outstanding). Curious now about the neck pickup option. Thanks Fralin!
I installed the Pure P.A.F’s in a 335. These pickups are as clear as a mountain lake. Chords ring out beautifully through them. There is no detectable mud in the neck pickup. I can’t find a bad tone in my guitar anymore. What a delight!
Great company and outstanding customer service! I installed the Pure PAF pickups in my PRS S2 standard satin. The quality of the workmanship of the pickups was top notch. Easy to wire in on my guitar. I loved the sound in the neck pickup! The middle was fine, but I did not care for the sound of the bridge pickup at all. I thought it was too bright and nasally sounding. I played with the pickup height but could not get it to sound like I wanted. I’m sure it was just me and maybe I just don’t care for that bridge PAF sound or it just didn’t work in my particular guitar. I installed the PRS pickups and am saving the Fralin pickups for perhaps another guitar in the future. As I said, great company to deal with and all the other reviews reflect their dedication and quality. I would definitely buy from Fralin again.
Absolutely love my new Pure PAFs in my Heritage 535. Completely change my relationship with my guitar and is giving me all the clarity, volume and tone I dreamed it could have!
I just wanted to thank Lindy and staff for your superior products. I just recently purchased your Pure PAFs for my (rewired) 2008 LP Std, and also have your Steel Pole 42s in a 2007 AS Tele, your P-92s in an Epi Dot, and your Jazz pickups in a MIM J-Bass. They have all made each guitar sound the best it can (better than I imagined it could), and I am so grateful for your expertise. Thanks so much.