LEADGUY and whoever is interested

[rgorke]

Strat 78 was using a sh5 with the 12000 build on some of his later clips and it sounded really good

Are you sure?

I am pretty sure he has been using a Super Distortion and/or MM 1300 and 1400s.

[Marshall SL12301]

Strat 78 was using a sh5 with the 12000 build on some of his later clips and it sounded really good

Are you sure?

I am pretty sure he has been using a Super Distortion and/or MM 1300 and 1400s.

Yeah before the dsd he did a clip of mostly eruption licks he was using a SH5 and said it is a little dark sounding but really close.
Cant find the clip on his soundclick account?

[redozzman]

For starters, there are tonal variations among vintage PAFs, but few modern reproductions sound convincingly like any of them.

Magnets - Real PAFs used A2,3,4 and 5 interchangeably. These were sand cast American magnets, not the cheap Chinese magnets that virtually every modern pickup maker (Duncan, DiMarzio, etc.) uses today. There is definitely a difference.

Wire - Real PAFs used plain enamel 42awg wire. Modern poly wire has a different overall diameter and capacitance.

Winding - The tension and winding patterns associated with real PAFs is a key to replicating that sound. None of the originals were hand wound, and that is apparently important.

Bobbins - The shape of those original butyrate Gibson bobbins is important

Poles - Matching Gibson's metallurgy is apparently important


Coils - Real PAFs had asymmetrical coils - no two had the exact same resistance, simply because the winding was not automated.

My advice is, if you want a PAF in your pickup stash, sell those nine you have presently, and get one of these:

A2 - familiar '59-'60, early ZZ Top
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRXSTI4z ... re=related

A5 - typical post '60, the Franky pickup Ed would have pulled out of his ES-335
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRmDKDR9 ... re=related

A5 (hot) - Gibson employee took a coffee break while the winder was running, Jimmy Page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu9FpWiiQrw

Ill take a guess based on your response here, and wager you are in tone heaven with the DS VL's???

[Ted B]

Ill take a guess based on your response here, and wager you are in tone heaven with the DS VL's???

Not only do they sound like PAFs in every way imaginable, they sound (IMO) like the best original PAFs.

[Rich_D]

Ill take a guess based on your response here, and wager you are in tone heaven with the DS VL's???

Sorry to be dumb, but I've read through this thread 3 times and can't find what a DS VL is.

Signed, lost in the alphabet soup.

[MrBeasty]

Anybody has a better version of this?

[MrBeasty]

Ill take a guess based on your response here, and wager you are in tone heaven with the DS VL's???

Sorry to be dumb, but I've read through this thread 3 times and can't find what a DS VL is.

Signed, lost in the alphabet soup.

It's SD VL - Stephen Design Vintage Lab

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRXSTI4z09Y[/youtube]

[Ted B]

Sorry to be dumb, but I've read through this thread 3 times and can't find what a DS VL is.

Dave Stephens Vintage Lab PAF: http://www.sdpickups.com/humbuckers.shtml

Anybody has a better version of this?

No, but I can post the text if you're having trouble reading it.

[MrBeasty]

Anybody has a better version of this?

No, but I can post the text if you're having trouble reading it.

Yes, please!

[Ted B]

"This is my SH-5 humbucking pickup; I call it the Duncan Custom. It has the warmth and response of the old "Patent Applied For" humbuckers, but also has more output and a brighter sound. The brightness comes from the specially designed high-power ceramic magnet that is connected to both coils, making one coil a north pole, and the other a south pole. The studs and adjustable screws conduct magnetism up toward the strings. The opposing poles pick up outside interference as equal but opposite currents which cancel each other before the signal reaches the amp, and that is how hum is eliminated. The higher output comes from the extra wire I wind on the coils; each coil has exactly the same number of turns of copper wire. The resistance is perfectly balanced with the magnetic power. My SH-5 sends a hot signal into your amp without sacrificing high frequencies; you get a defined attack and superb sustain along with sensitive response to your picking techniques. This is one of the most versatile of all humbuckers - and you can put it into your guitar. I make eight different kinds of humbuckers, each with a different sound, and they fit right into most guitars with little or no alteration. I always give you instructions and wiring diagrams. My color catalog has full information about all my hot vintage and custom pickups."

[rgorke]

Ill take a guess based on your response here, and wager you are in tone heaven with the DS VL's???

Not only do they sound like PAFs in every way imaginable, they sound (IMO) like the best original PAFs.

For $500 a set, they had better!!!

I did like listening to them.

[Marshall SL12301]

OH it is soooo obvious that that SH5 mag ad was printed AFTER eddie threatened to sue him!
Seymour make sure that NO mention or simialrities to VH were in that ad!

[dirtycooter]

and the mystery goes on yet again to another stone to turn over. What year is this ad from?
If anyone has made a huge mystery outta the evh pickup though it has been seymour with his friggin IM1, Evenly Voiced Harmonics horseshit renamed the 78, alledgedly the producer of the frank replica p/u in the last couple years, what else?? He has created more confusion than the line at the secretary of states office on this VH pickup business.
But if live Ed was usin non hex polepieces in the 78 tour, then maybe just maybe this is the evolution of the blazin club boots to the actual 78 tone somewhere.
Does this thing push like the DSD does??

[N3m0 7h3 Fi5h]

I am pretty convinced that prior to the 1st record ed had used the MM's and DSD's in the clubs and on the demos but right before he went into the studio to make their debut for a major label eddie went to seymour and said i use these but want it more like this(the look and tone) which is the duncan custom! thats what i would do if i were getting ready to do my first major release!
I think the black PAF looking pup is the ES335 paf rewound to the 13.6K custom and was used for all the strat parts on the 1st record. The rest is amp,hands,effects,etc
Now mind you the customs being today may not be that same exact pup??? My newer ones are all darker sounding
But IF you own a old 1979 handwound one like i do chances are it is the same as the VH custom
these are very easy to ID, there is NO engraving on the baseplate like the newer ones have"seymour duncan pickups made in the USA" and the tag just says "THE CUSTOM" like mine here, The eddie vanhalen custom


here is the top of my custom


I have NEVER seen or heard about one but i wonder if the earliest customs had a VAN HALEN CUSTOM sticker?

Well ... When I see these photo above .. remind me directly to old Jackson J-80C Pickups ... Stock pickup in Jackson or Charvel Guitars (Bridge Pickups) in 88's/89's until mid of 90's period... almost the same spec arround 13-14kohms, ceramic magnet, (by rumor.. it was originally designed by Seymour Duncan.. ..IMHO..) .

The Jackson/Charvel Pickups (import model) was built by GOTOH, almost exactly having silver baseplate like in the Photo, Slugs+Filister Screw Bobins, instead of Hex Screw on DMZ SD, having same width like TB's Spec out of duncan (or F-Space of DMZ PU's) ... and eBay sell them in very reasonable price in all out the time ..

.

[Marshall SL12301]

IMHO there is no mystery at all left, eddie was using the MM's ans DSD's just like many believe and then he went to seymours t get a custom pup made by hand from those MM's and dsd's as a template, he went with a standard PAF look to throw others off so he could simply say OH those are just PAF's good job eddie!
Ps to dirty cooter,yes these do drive a amp as hard as a DSD if you set it close to the strings, the frankenstein pup is a SH5 with a alnico II magnet in place of its original ceramic bar.
When i swapped mags in mine ,the frankenstein which now has a ceramic bar and 1979 custom sound basically the same