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Fralin Pure PAF query...

Brabazabba

New member
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Messages
2
Hi, I have a ‘77 3 pickup LP Artisan & after a couple of years of ownership I thought I’d try tinkering with some alternate pickup options as a change from the original tarbacks that were in it. (originals were about 16k neck & bridge and about 7.5k middle & sound a bit dark & thick). Latest experiment was a set of Lindy Fralin Pure PAF’s but when I popped them in they were out of phase with the middle pickup. Since they are braided wire I can’t change the phase on them or the middle pickup. Just wondering if anyone knows if this is just the way Fralins are? If so, what is the reason? I can’t find any discussion or mention of them being deliberately out of phase with standard humbuckers ( I tried a SD Phat Cat in the middle position from another guitar & it was out of phase with the Fralins too). Is there an explanation for this that anyone knows of? Much appreciated! (Hello from Ireland, by the way...)

Jon
 

duaneflowers

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
2,522
Hi, I have a ‘77 3 pickup LP Artisan & after a couple of years of ownership I thought I’d try tinkering with some alternate pickup options as a change from the original tarbacks that were in it. (originals were about 16k neck & bridge and about 7.5k middle & sound a bit dark & thick). Latest experiment was a set of Lindy Fralin Pure PAF’s but when I popped them in they were out of phase with the middle pickup. Since they are braided wire I can’t change the phase on them or the middle pickup. Just wondering if anyone knows if this is just the way Fralins are? If so, what is the reason? I can’t find any discussion or mention of them being deliberately out of phase with standard humbuckers ( I tried a SD Phat Cat in the middle position from another guitar & it was out of phase with the Fralins too). Is there an explanation for this that anyone knows of? Much appreciated! (Hello from Ireland, by the way...)

Jon

Out of phasedness is just a matter of a magnet flip... one pup can only be OOP in relation to another one. To get them in phase the mags just need to be facing the right way. Flipping the magnet in your middle tarback should set the world right again...
 

Brabazabba

New member
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Messages
2
Out of phasedness is just a matter of a magnet flip... one pup can only be OOP in relation to another one. To get them in phase the mags just need to be facing the right way. Flipping the magnet in your middle tarback should set the world right again...

Thanks for the reply, just noticed how early it is in the morning over there :)

I'm not sure I'd get very far trying to look inside the tarback - it's pretty well sealed in black epoxy or something so I don't fancy poking around too much with that...

I solved it by trying a Bare Knuckle Mule with 4 connector wire in the middle position so I was able to swap the hot & the ground wire when connecting to the pot... But I'm just curious why the Fralins are opposite phase to all the other pickups I've tried in there... It just means I can't try to mix & match them with other braided wire pickups - unless the magnets are flipped?

Cheers, Jon
 

duaneflowers

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
2,522
Thanks for the reply, just noticed how early it is in the morning over there :)

I'm not sure I'd get very far trying to look inside the tarback - it's pretty well sealed in black epoxy or something so I don't fancy poking around too much with that...

I solved it by trying a Bare Knuckle Mule with 4 connector wire in the middle position so I was able to swap the hot & the ground wire when connecting to the pot... But I'm just curious why the Fralins are opposite phase to all the other pickups I've tried in there... It just means I can't try to mix & match them with other braided wire pickups - unless the magnets are flipped?

Cheers, Jon

I've heard of quite a few instances in which Gibson made the middle pickups out of phase (which I prefer in 3 pup Lesters). You can try your bridge or neck tarback in the middle position to see if the results are the same. Pure PAFs are a little underwound, so the tarback neck might sound nice in the middle position.

My Fralin Pure PAFs are normal (polepieces facing south) but I have no idea if Fralin company policy is to follow the 'industry standard' or to just make sure any given set is in phase.
 
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