FIND the PAF... the Poll. RESULTS ARE IN

Results are in! Scroll on down and git you some!:wah

Give me a minute and I'll get the first set of clips back on Sounclick!

Thanks again to EVERYONE who posted in both thread. I know this wasn't easy for you guys to deal with and I apologize.

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

Ok gang, you've been had.

You didn't think it would be that easy did you?!:wah

The purpose of the first "Find the PAF" thread was purely research on my part. I had to find out who's owned 'em, heard 'em live, played 'em and who hasn't. The majority of posters in the first thread mentioned they don't have actual experience with playing a guitar loaded with PAF's, that's what I thought we would find. And that's perfectly fine... it's not like any of us can go down to the local GC and ask, "say, do you happen to have a set of 1959 Gibson Double White PAF's I can check out? I'd prefer them with original covers and unbroken solder joints please." Nope, they're rare birds, not to mention a bit pricey. But that doesn't stop us from yearning for that tone... does it?

In this second installment of the "FIND the PAF" saga, you'll find a link below to a new set of clips:

And here's that link now!

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=515868

In this set of clips, the order from the previous thread has been rearranged. Plus, 2 of the clips have been substituted from previous ones.

The "Ringer" clip is now an alternate take of the same guitar, from the same recording session. Another clip has also been changed out, same deal, it's an alternate take of the same set of pickups from the same recording session... could be the PAF's... could be the pair of Stew-Mac's.:wah (I LOVE that :wah smilie guy!)

Listen, listen to 'em LOUD. Better yet, download the clips and burn them to a disc, then play 'em on a good stereo... the differences aren't all that obvious, especially thru a set of computer speakers.

Here's a hint or two... and my take on PAF's:

First off, ya gotta get some mileage under your ears. Listen to two songs for starters, yup, just two. "Stormy Monday" on the Allman Bros. "Live at Fillmore East" and "Albert's Shuffle" on Al Kooper's "Super Sessions" featuring Mike Bloomfield. Why these two songs? ...The tone's the SAME on both records for all three guitars. Listen for:

In general: a good PAF is overall a bright sound, they sound like a P90 on steriods with lots of complexity in the upper mid-range. The bottom end is tight, not muddy at all and very defined. The highs are full of overtones and, for lack of a better term: "air"... not harsh at all.

Specifically:

1. A hollow, "echo-y" thing in the middle/low strings and a little bit less of it on the high strings.

2. The "chirp" that hits just as a note's being played, and especially bent, on the non-wrapped high strings. It's kind of a metalic sound that's not actually associated with the notes being played... it's more "generic" and therefore something that lends character to the overall sound.

3. "Crying tone". When you get those two songs side by side, you'll hear... without even trying, a very "vocal" sound that sounds like a "vowel" (aaayy, eeee, ahhh, ohhh, yoooouu) sound. Kind of an eerie mimic of the human voice pleading and crying. The "crying" thing's main component is the famous "double tone" that a lot of PAF lover's talk about... it's a ghost note that follows the actual note being played; on the high strings the double tone stacks on top of the actual note and causes a bloom of upper-end harmonics.

Now, take those 3 same tones and amplify them thru two RADICALLY different filters: Marshall and Fender Blackface amps. Duane and Dickie's tone is actually Mike's and vice-versa. No mystery there, just listen. Duane's got all three of the above characteristics goin' on thru a dimed 50 watt Marshall that sounds likes it's just about to blow up, Dickie's got the same tone filtered thru a cleaner amp with more headroom... a 100 watt Plexi. Bloomfield's tone's just about nails the other two, except it's coming thru a brand new clean/edgey sounding Blackface Super Reverb. It's not rocket science, all you have to do is listen.

Ok, I've dropped the my hints, it's time to vote:

The purpose of having a poll is to keep things anonymous. You can vote, and not kill that heavy reputation you've aquired here.

Please keep the comments to a minimum, in this thread, until I announce the PAF and the rest of the herd for this round. I'm looking forward to another round when the next set of custom pickups catches fire... this was FUN!

I'll be back this evening with the list of pickups used in this thread.

Thanks everyone for your input, comments and knowledge.. You guys ROCK!:dude:

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

Well, this is just sadistic now!!

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

Lost interest. Finish it, man. It was fun. Now it's boring.

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

Mods, could we move this to the "Historic District" please... thanks!

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

I'll try but it may take some forum code tweaking thaty only Lily can do. If it doesn't work there, I'll move it to "Baywatch" which is where I suggested you post it so everyone could participate last night

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

k - looks like it worked. Vox populi on

I'll even sticky it for ya

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

Thanks PAF!! You... da... MAN!!:dude:

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

ee ee ee

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

59Vampire said:

ee ee ee

Click to expand...

That's kinda like, :hee , :hee , :hee isn't it Vamp?

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

TomGuitar said:

Lost interest. Finish it, man. It was fun. Now it's boring.

Click to expand...

+1

How about finishing what you started with the first thread?

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

mirrorimij said:

+1

How about finishing what you started with the first thread?

Click to expand...

It's all good Mirror'. Had to do a poll, to keep track of things.

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

C seems to have that classic crispness, with just enough bite and bright. Could be just imagination too.

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

Roadrunner this is total Bull Shit! :bigal

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

Leseattlepaul said:

Roadrunner this is total Bull Shit! :bigal

Click to expand...

Easy big fella, there's a method to all this madness. All you have to do is listen again and vote.

It's simple.

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

Evil. pure evil but...It's still worth a listen! Thanks Roadrunner - as ever from this forum I'm learning all the time.:applaude

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

This time I voted:

#2 = PAF
#6 = ES335

PIT...

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

Well..As I wouldn't know a PAF from a SCHMAF I haven't a clue. All I can do is say which sounds I liked the best which for me where probably B and D. Whether that was the playing or the pickups, I haven't a clue.
There ya go.. No hidden agendas, and it would be a total guess if I voted.
I'm conducting my own little poll here anyway.. Add up the amount of people who guessed and put their name to it on the first round, then wait to see how many anonymous votes there are. Subtract the later from the first and that should give one a rough idea of how many people don't want to put their money where their mouth is.:laugh2:

Great stuff Roadrunner... Confuse the bastards I say....Of course that doesn't include moi as I was confused from the outset.:wah

Phil.

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

btw, voted "DD", same as I did when it was called somethin else previously :ganz

Re: FIND the PAF... the Poll.

I voted. I was hung up between DD and EE, but I went with EE cos I thought it had a bit more "oomph" to it than DD.

Add me, though, to the list of those who think we should just end this today, rather than dragging it out another week. If a poll was necessary, it could've been done with the first thread.