Gibson PAF
| P.A.F. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Manufacturer | Gibson Guitar Corporation |
| Period | 1956—1975 |
| Type | Passive Humbucker |
| Magnet type | 1956-1960: Alnico 2, 3, 4, and 5 1961-1975: Alnico 5 |
| Output specifications | |
| Voltage (RMS), V | 127 mV at 7.715 kHz |
| Impedance, kΩ | 1956-1961: ~7.5-9.5 1961-1965: 7.25-7.75 1965-1975: 7.5 |
| Sonic qualities | |
| Resonant frequency, Hz |
7.715 kHz |
A P.A.F. or simply PAF is an early model of the humbucker guitar pickup invented by Seth Lover in 1955. Gibson began use of the PAF on higher-model guitars in late 1956 and stopped in around 1962. They were replaced by the Patent Number (Pat No) pickup, essentially a refined version of the PAF. These were in turn replaced by "T-Top" humbuckers in 1967, and production ended in 1975. Though it is commonly mistaken as the first humbucker pickup, the PAF was the first humbucker to gain widespread use and notoriety. The PAF is an essential tonal characteristic of the now-famous 1958-1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard guitars, and pickups of this type have gained a large following.
In the mid-1950s Gibson looked to create a new guitar pickup different from existing popular single coil designs. Gibson had already developed the Charlie Christian pickup and P-90 in the 1930s and 40s; however, these designs—like competitor Fender's single-coil pickups—were fraught with inherent 60-cycle hum sound interference. Engineer and Gibson employee Seth Lover spent much of 1954 working on a noise-cancelling or "hum-bucking" guitar pickup design. By early 1955, the design was completed. In June 1955, Lover and Gibson filed a joint patent for the pickup design.
Gibson began switching from P-90s to PAFs first on the company's lap steel guitars in 1956, and then on electric guitars in 1957. Les Paul Goldtops and Customs were the first solid-body electric guitars to receive PAF humbuckers, and Gibson's ES Series were the first hollow/semi-hollow designs to receive them.
In late 1957 a black sticker with gold lettering was applied to each pickup's underside, that read "PATENT APPLIED FOR." This name was shortened to "PAF" to create the nickname these pickups have been known by since. US patent 2896491 was eventually issued on July 28, 1959. The popular abbreviation "PAF" as used in guitar pickups is now a registered trademark of DiMarzio.
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