Tyson knocks out new vintage PAF clones

Tyson Tone Lab has launched a new set of era-correct PAF humbuckers that are based on a pair of original 1959 PAFs. 

They are designed to deliver the tone and feel of the pickups Gibson installed in its Les Pauls back in 1959. Vintage PAFs were actually not hand-wound, but made on mechanic auto traverse coil-winding machines. Tyson Tone Lab takes the exact same approach with vintage winding machines.

“I have repaired a number of original Gibson PAF pickups and have a set from 1959 that I have tested the Precious and Grace pickups against throughout the development,” said Bobby Tyson, founder and owner of Tyson Tone Lab.

“The goal for the Precious and Grace pickups were not as much to make them era-correct or otherwise as close to the originals just for the sake of doing so because I am able to from a technical point of view. I designed and built these particular pickups to achieve a vintage PAF’s unique tone, dynamics and ability to cut through a band mix without cranking up an amp’s volume to the point of alienating everyone in the venue. The original set I have is capable of doing exactly that, and I am very pleased with the result of our new PAFs that are based on them, as I feel confident that they have this same ability.”

Recreating the iconic ’59 Les Paul Burst Tone with its dry, woody and dynamic characteristics, the bridge pickup (Precious) offers a muscular midrange that retains the hollow tone that is a hallmark of the PAF, while the neck pickup (Grace) has a warm tone with the familiar separation and clarity of an original PAF.

Both are medium-high output pickups featuring era-correct 42 AWG Plain Enamel magnet wire, as well as sand cast Alnico IV bar magnets that are custom charged and matched for each position. The average resistance in each pickup, 7.5K DCR for Grace and 8.1K DCR for Precious, matches the vintage set they were derived from.