PAF Pickup

[damon78]

Hi everyone, I have a pickup that I would like help to identify. I dont much about them but :

1. It has a PAtent Applied for label on the base.

2. The dc resistance is 8,26 K Ohms.

 

I have lots of pics but I cant seem to load them on the forum.

 

 

I you are interested in taking a look please email me and I will send the pics to you.

 

Thanks

 

Roy

 

nbl85a45@aol.com

[freak show]

Hey, Roy, welcome!

 

Here's a link to the place for info on how to post pic's:

 

http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=11276&p=1

[pippy]

Hi everyone' date=' I have a pickup that I would like help to identify. I dont much about them but :

1. It has a PAtent Applied for label on the base.

2. The dc resistance is 8,26 K Ohms.

[/quote']

 

Hi and welcome.

 

Firstly is it an old pickup or a new one?

 

If it's an old one :

 

The original PAF was introduced in 1957. Later on that year the 'Patent Applied For' stickers were put on the base to deter patent infringement. They had resistance readings anywhere between 7.2k up to the mid 9.s so the resistance reading doesn't tell us much.

 

The sticker, on the other hand, could tell us more. If you can find a source of ultra-violet light place the p-up under it; the original PAF waterslides glow under UV light.

 

Also look at the underside of the mounting feet. The originals had a pair of 'L' shaped marks caused by the tooling process.

 

There are quite a few more differences that differentiate an old one from a new one : what colour are the wires leading from the coils?; what material covers the lead-wires?; does it have paper-tape or plastic-tape around the coils?; how long are the magnets?; do the bobbins have a 'circle-in-a-square-hole' at one end?

 

The old ones are quite valuable although quite how valuable depends on certain other details.

 

The newer p-ups such as the '57 Classic' also have the 'Patent Applied For' waterslide although these are nowhere near as valuable!