Pure P.A.F.

The Ultimate PAF Replacement

$160$320

  • Hum-Cancelling
  • Clean & Articulate
  • Traditional Appearance
  • Vintage Output

Click For New Soundclips

( 228 genuine reviews)

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.

 

 

Options

Select options for our Pure 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.

Bone White Humbucker Bezel

We have Bone White Humbucker Bezels in stock, if you would like your humbucker bezel to match the Bone White bobbins. Bezels are standard Les Paul sizing.

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. You need 3-Conductor or 4-Conductor Lead for this mod to work.

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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The Ultimate In Vintage PAF Tone

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

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.

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.

HIGHS
MIDS
LOWS
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

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 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

Pure P.A.F. Dimensions:

Fralin Humbucker Dimensions

Pure P.A.F. FAQ's

General FAQs

Here are quick answers to common questions we get:

  • What Ohm Readings does your Pure 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 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.

  1. Jeffrey Knutson

    Verified Purchase

    Byrdland type guitar
    These pickups are the perfect combination of lush warm tones and screaming face blistering solo tones. The pickups have a transparent ring that sings through no matter what amp tones you are using. Jeffrey Knutson built a custom guitar Like an upgraded Byrdland, but with more modern jazz guitar touches. I owned a 70s Byrdland and this guitar with these pickups sound so much better than the Gibson.

  2. Mike

    I have a thinline hollow body guitar, and these are the best pickups I’ve put in it. I got the low winding / lower output version for both the neck and bridge. They’re smooth, dynamic and perfect for my hollow body. They really brought out the guitars natural sound. The guitar sounds really good even when just playing it acoustically. And you can really hear more of that hollow resonance with these pickups, which is what I was looking for. They sound great clean and overdriven. I can get that sweet,
    Controlled hollow body feedback with these pickups. This is the third set of pickups I’ve put on this guitar and have finally found the right ones.

  3. Andy Hidber

    Verified Purchase

    Beautiful! Not too bold, not too bright – just the perfect humbucker sound!

  4. Mike Durbin

    Verified Purchase

    See above: The P.A.F. is as Lindy said. Great choice in a HSS strat.

  5. Ian Solinksi

    Verified Purchase

    Pure PAF bridge pickup: Excellent tone and clarity, superb with overdrive and clean. Great purchase.

  6. Nathan Mann

    Verified Purchase

    Customer added no additional comments

  7. Michael Murphy

    Verified Purchase

    Everything I hoped They Would Be

    I put Pure P.A.F.’s in my Gibson ’58 Historic Reissue ES335. The neck pickup is so warm and the bridge is fat and bright. They are everything I hoped they would be. Definitely a major step up from the stock pickups.

  8. Michael Keefe

    Verified Purchase

    Pure PAF’s in an Ibanez L-5 Copy

    The clarity of the new pickups is amazing. No more playing a dull-sounding instrument. High-quality great stuff.

  9. John Dimbat

    Verified Purchase

    Worked very well for this build. Thanks so much for a quality product!!

  10. Wayne Hicks

    I put a set in my Ibanez AS153 and all I can say is wow. I spoke with Lindy on the phone and I was considering another set of pickups. He steered me toward the Pure PAFs. I am so glad I took his suggestion. These are warm, yet can be incredibly bright with unimaginable bite, so articulate, but with enough power to really drive my amp. Awesome!

  11. Jack Winks

    Verified Purchase

    I purchased Pure PAF Humbuckers for my Cort Source (es 335) and it turned out to be a remarkable upgrade for this guitar. The Classic rocker II pickups although reviewed by many as being excellent, to me left a little to be desired. The upgrade I must say was enhanced by custom wiring from Guitar Sauce in Australia and the combination of these two component upgrades have given me a guitar that sounds better than any Gibson or Epiphone that I have owned. I have what I feel is a complete stable now with an American G&L Legacy and the upgraded Cort and have sold off all my other guitars. Thanks Lindy.

  12. Rocket

    THE PURE PAF ARE GREAT !
    I USE THEM IN MY SHINEY BLACK HIGH PERF. FLYING V . IT ORIGINALLY WAS MADE W/ DIRTY FINGERS + WITH CHROME COVERS THEY LOOK & SOUND THE PART. I JUST WANTED TO HAVE WHAT WAS IN GUITARS WHEN I 1st. STARTED PLAYING. I DIDNT PLAY FOR SOME YEARS DUE TO AN INJURY TO MY FRET HAND. IT TOOK LOTS OF TIME HEALIN BUT I CAME BACK AT ALMOST
    60 . THE FRALINS SOUND GREAT EVEN IN MY MARSHALLS . I GERERALLY PLAY EVERY DAY.
    ROCK ON Y’ALL !,ROCKET

  13. Carl Bower

    Verified Purchase

    These are the best sounding humbuckers I’ve ever heard. I put in my Es 335 along with an Emerson custom prewired harness and together it’s sheer bliss. Bright, articulate and badass! Highly recommended.

  14. George Castellano

    Verified Purchase

    Lindy Fralin Pure Vintage PAF’s
    Great Pickup. Exactly what I was looking for!

  15. Dan Firooz

    Verified Purchase

    Amazing!!!

    The craftsmanship and quality are the best I’ve ever played on. Turned my work of art Walking Dead guitar into a true player! Thank you so much !!!

  16. Cliff Kuhlman

    Verified Purchase

    Perfect

    Put these in my PRS S2 Singlecut……The difference is like night and day! Gigged with them yesterday and couldn’t be happier with the result!

  17. Julian Drucker

    Verified Purchase

    Almost the best pickups ever

    My neck pup is still a little dark sounding but worlds better sounding than it was before. The guitar is really singing now !

  18. Jason Romero

    Verified Purchase

    Super awesome pickup and crazy good customer service. When I received the pickup I immediately installed it and output was way low. So I contact Fralin pickups to see if I can get a replacement. About an hour later I get a call and it’s Lindy Fralin himself. He asked me what was going on and it turned out that I had wired it incorrectly and he stayed on the phone with me to help me wire it correctly. Super awesome customer service! The best I’ve ever experienced! Love the pickup so much! Clean and clear and matches my Tele blues special bridge pickup. Thanks again Lindy!

  19. Baksa Gimm

    Verified Purchase

    Thank you for such an amazing product!
    The pure P.A.F has such smooth creamy sounding.
    It sounds so great that you would start appreciate the humbuckers clean tone itself.
    And also the pure nickel cover is beautiful.
    My search for perfect humbucker ends here.

  20. Scott Ackerman

    Verified Purchase

    AMAZING!!!!! So authentic to the original, so responsive. LOVE these.

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