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P.A.F. Pickup Secrets: The KZ/LP-115 P.A.F. Pickup Winder

jwalker

Les Paul Forum Sponsor
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
2,592
Here is the latest P.A.F. Secrets video. This one is about the KZ/LP-115 P90 and P.A.F. pickup winder that I have documented was purchased by Gibson in 1950. This machine was rescued from the Gibson Kalamazoo factory by none other than Les Paul himself when the Kalamazoo factory clearing equipment out for the Gibson move to Nashville. I go into lots of details about the history of the machine, how I tracked it down and how it makes P.A.F. coils that are different mechanically and tonally from the other known vintage P.A.F. winders Gibson used. I tried to give as much info as possible. Watch the entire video if you get a chance. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Mr. Papa

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 14, 2002
Messages
1,418
thank you, very cool to see the craft aspect of how these instruments were created, down to the last details.
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
This was a most awesome video and history lesson and I loved it and please keep them coming , as I can't get enough knowledge of pickups . There is just something spectacular about Throbak and I am in awe of the rich tone of Throbak pickups . I will continue to find the right and proper words in the kings language to describe the tones my ears are hearing . All I can say at this time is that the tone is such a rich textured sound that no other pickup maker including Gibson Custombuckers (my former favorite ) has ,such tone , sustain and a sound which is unlike all others which to me sound to clean and dull and lifeless . It's like a sound that is on the verge of breaking up and starting to so easily distort and is just so rich -which is sweet music to my ears . I think it's the wire used, the metals that make up the base plate and the covers , the screws used for the polepieces , the metals used for the slugs .Every thing all together is magic . I also believe that ThroBak is using the same suppliers that Gibson used in the golden era and wound on vintage machines that Gibson used in the golden era in KZOO ,whereas nowadays everyone is trying to cut corners and nickels and dimes into penny's and that shows up in the finished product .No wonder my ears can tell a difference but yet I am not able to articulate it good enough in words to describe the wonderful tones I am hearing . Anyway keep up the great work and I am a very happy and most appreciative customer and devotee of all things ThroBak !!!!!!!!!! P.S. I will be buying more ThroBak pickups into my 2 other Les Paul's , as I have done 2 so far and 2 more to go and any Les Paul's I purchase in the future because I am far from done -That is a guarantee !!!!!!!!
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
I'm really enjoying and learning from your videos too. And it was so cool to see this part of Gibson history. BTW I thought those pickups you did for the "chasing Oscar" Pat and whatshisface show, wound on this machine, sounded awesome and very convincingly vintage and accurate given the tonal Oscar ballpark.
 

J.D.

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
10,030
Bravo! Loved it. Thanks for all of these videos. I'm so glad that someone has taken the time to figure out this pickup history in this level of detail and is willing to share it with us tech geeks. :applaude
 
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