What is a SHAW PAF ??

[blackdog]

I've seen these mentioned a couple of times in these forums, can anybody explain a little ??

L.

 

[Ed Rafalko]

Tim Shaw worked for Gibson in the late '70s and early '80s. he developed one of the earliest versions of the PAF replica.

 

[BrianGWN]

Just to elaborate, I think his pickup efforts were originally intended to go towards those LP Heritage 80 guitars which were an attempt to offer LP guitars more with reissue appointments.
The Shaw PAFs continued to appear in other guitars through parts of the 1980s, apparently some LP Customs had them with little tiny PAF stickers actually on the pickup mounting rings.

 

[Winston]

Very interesting. I had a '85 black Custom that had those PAF stickers on the rings. I had always wondered about those. This Custom also came from the factory with nickle hardware.

 

[Steven]

Shaw PAF's

I have them in my '81 Les Paul Heritage 80, and my
'82 Les Paul 30th Anniversary Goldtop.
They also came as standard in my '82 Dot 335,
but I have SD Antiquities in this guitar now.

I like the Shaw PAF's, very nice underrated weeping tone.

 

[blackdog]

Thank you guys...

And BTW is there any way to recognize them ??
I have a pair of HBs bought as spares in 1979 and would like to know.

 

[BrianGWN]

Here's what I've been told: For starters you would expect them to have the pickup baseplates of that era with the stamped/impressed Pat. No. 2737842. Then they will also have some kind of an inked number usually six digits, the last two might indicate the year. They will have the PAF square hole in the bobbin, and probably one of the most distingishing features is that instead of a maple wood spacer between the bobbin and the metal frame, they instead with have some kind of white plastic spacer.

 

[blackdog]

Thanks Brian...

Mine definitely belong to the stamped patent number era, but I don't quite recall if the bobbins were T-tops or not. These Pups have been through a lot during the last 20 years, but have been with the covers for the last 5+...

I guess I'll recheck one of them.
The readings are quite low, both are below 7.5K.

And where is that ink stamped number supposed to be located ??