Alnico II: Lower output. Smoother,
warmer sound. Looser bottom end,
more “vintage”. Used commonly in
’57 style pickups.
Alnico III:
Lower output. A bit
dryer and airier in the mids. Close to
Alnico II but not as rounded and soft.
Alnico IV:
Moderate output.
Mids are a little more scooped then
in Alnico IIs, but have the same
tonal characteristics, with a bit more
bottom end control.
Alnico V:
High output: Mid
scooped, very clear and accentuated
in the high and low end.
The other specs you need to look
for are mismatched coils (gives it a
more 3D, open sound), wax or nonwax potted (helps protect against
squealing and microphonics), 42 gauge
plain enamel wire (vintage PAFs are
almost exclusively wound with this),
and butyrate (special plastic) bobbins.
Another important spec is resistance
(measured in k), the higher the number,
the more output it will have. The other
specs are more or less trivial, and are
non-essential when comparing PAFs in
terms of straight tone.
36
TONE TALK //
LET’S
DIVE
RIGHT
IN:
D. ALLEN
ALLEY CAT
(NECK 7.28K, BRIDGE 8.6K)
Designed by successful and well-loved San
Franciso-based pickup winder David Allen,
the Alley Cat is a wonderful take on the ’57
style PAF. It has warmth, clarity, and a very
balanced tonal spectrum for cleans, as well
as a nice grunt for dirt.
Inspired by: ’57 Style PAF
Magnets: Alnico II
Bobbins: Butyrate
Mismatched coils?: Upon request
Wire: 42 gauge plain enamel
Wax potted?: Not specified
8 Vintage-Style PAFs to Super-Size Your Tone