Quote Originally Posted by msteeln
Have you tried Bare Knuckle's Mules?
I wasn't speaking of all the pickups I've tried...I'd have to be The Bank of America to be able to do that...

Of all the actual sound clips of custom pickups compared to actual 1959 and 1960 Les Pauls with original PAF's, this is the closest I've heard. I have heard clips of Bareknuckle Mules. They're great pickups, no doubt, but so are so many other hand wound pickups out there (of which I have several).

Dave Stephens has made PAF pickups an obsession and has compiled more data on their construction and materials than anyone else I've ever seen, heard, or read about. He's so fanatical about it that he's worked with metalurgists in analyzing base plates, pole slugs, wiring, etc. He's interviewed people who've worked for Gibson during the 50's and 60's.

Many others have created great pickups, but there's just that edge that these pickups have that make them sound like they're from the vintage era.