Kim talks Vintage Guitar Parts

Zebra PAF pickups. Starting in early 1959, PAF pickup bobbins started to be (randomly) white. On all zebra (half black, half white) PAF pickups, the white bobbin is almost always the non-adjustable bobbin (though there are rare exceptions). "Normal" zebra PAFs with the black bobbins with adjustable poles. Photo by Kim LaFleur ~ Vintage Checkout ~

Photo by Kim LaFleur ~ Vintage Checkout ~

Photo by Kim LaFleur ~ Vintage Checkout ~ 

Photo by Kim LaFleur ~ Vintage Checkout ~

The tape that is used to wrap the bobbins. It is *not* a PVC plastic tape, but instead is a black paper-ish adhesive tape. It should not look like it was ever removed, unless the pickup was rewound (rewinds are a bad thing).

Photo by Kim LaFleur ~ Vintage Checkout ~

"Rare" zebra PAFs with the white bobbins with adjustable poles.

Photo by Kim LaFleur ~ Vintage Checkout ~

Photo by Kim LaFleur ~ Vintage Checkout ~

Photo by Kim LaFleur  ~ Vintage Checkout ~

Another PAF equipped Gibson Les Paul:

A double-white PAF pickup. Again in 1959 white bobbins were fairly common, and some pickups were Zebras (as seen above) and some were "double whites" (as seen below). For example, on Les Paul Standards around serial number "9 0600", the plastic humbucker pickup bobbins can often be white. By mid-1960 the use of white PAF bobbins ceased, and PAF pickups again because all black ("double black"). Again notice the "circle around the square" tooling holes at the top of both white bobbins.

Photo by Kim LaFleur ~ Vintage Checkout ~

Photo by Kim LaFleur ~ Vintage Checkout ~

Photo by Kim LaFleur  ~ Vintage Checkout ~

Photo by Kim LaFleur ~ Vintage Checkout ~ 

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Here’s a summary of Humbucking pickups. Just be aware that changes occur over time. When I say "1965" that does not mean January 1, 1965. All changes transition in as parts are used up and replaced by new parts. * 1956 to Fall 1957: Original PAF. Long magnet, *no* PAF sticker, purple bobbin wire, black leads on both coils, brushed stainless steel covers, phillips screws on base, ohms can run from 7k to high 9k ohms, black bobbins PAF style bobbins ("circle in a square"), "L" shaped tool marks on feet. PAFs were first installed on lapsteels in 1956. The long magnet dimensions are 2.5" long, .5" wide, about .125" thick. * Fall 1957-1960: Original PAF. Long magnet, "Patent Applied For" (PAF) sticker, purple bobbin wire, black leads on both coils, nickel covers, phillips screws on base, ohms can run from low 7k to high 9k ohms, black bobbins PAF style bobbins ("circle in a square") until 1959 cream colored pickup bobbins are often seen, ‘L’ shaped toolmarks on feet. * 1961-1962: last PAF pickups. Short magnet (starting July 1961), PAF sticker, purple wire, black leads on both coils, nickel covers, phillips screws on base, both bobbins are black again, PAF style bobbins ("circle in a square"), "L" toolmarks on feet. The short magnet dimensions are 2.37" long, .5" wide, about .125" thick (decreased magnet length 1/8"). * 1962-1965: Early "patent no." sticker, nickel cover, short magnet, PAF style bobbins ("circle in a square"), redish/copper colored bobbin wire (probably happened in 1963), some point in here bobbin lead wires change to one black and one white, Phillips screws on base. Plastic on bobbins more durable and bobbins are flat (PAF style pickups often have bowed pickup bobbins), "L" toolmarks on feet. Note the last version of the PAF (1961-1962) is basically identical to the nickle plated 1963 Patent# pickup (and on guitars with gold parts, probably as late as 1967 Patent# pickups are equivalent to 1961-1962 PAFs, since Gibson used less gold plated parts and inventories lasted longer). Because the wire color changed around 1963 from purple to a reddish/copper color (and some other changes, listed above), technically the 1964-1965 Patent# pickups are different than the 1963 Patent# and late PAF pickups (though the tone is very similar). Also keep in mind gold plated PAFs used in archtop electric guitars (especially varitone guitars) can be seen as late as 1965 (yes PAFs as late as 1965!) The reason for this was simple – Varitone guitars had gold plated pickups with one pickup having a reversed magnet. This style of pickup was used far less than a nickel plated pickup. Hence these gold plated varitone equipped archtops are sometimes seen with one or two PAF pickups into 1965

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