Hi "Uncle." I'll give you the benefit of my knowledge about PAF's, gained over 20+ years of reverse engineering them, a long nasty brutal road...First of all in 1963, PAF's were DONE. They stopped being produced after 1960. BUT, they still had lots of PAF's laying around, so they used them up, so they do show up as late as '64, which is what Eric's 335 was, and its documented his had real PAF's. Any of their guitars that had GOLD trimming, well the gold plated PAF's were on very few guitars so they often show up on much later guitars, because few guitars were gold plated trim, so they had lots of PAF's left over.. So, all you can do it next time you change strings, unscrew the rings on the neck pickup, pull it out and look on the bottom. You won't hurt anything by doing that. No PAF decal, not a PAF. But its not quite as simple as that. There were TRANSITIONAL buckers made, that were neither PAF nor Patent. They had elements of both. I own one that has a PAF decal, but it has the poly nylon red wire in it and the black and white coil leads of the Patents. There just aren't any hard and fast "rules" that cover everything, and I've seen them from every year they were made, dissected them from every year, and had a Senior Metallurgist in a huge steel factory, run the steel parts thru their huge high tech labs for me, over a 6 year period; we covered every pickup Gibson made from 1937-1977, so it was a literal history of steel making I saw from actual PAF parts and the other pickups they made, Patents, TTops, Charlie Christian pickups, PAF minibuckers (few even know about those), and had vintage magnet wire analyzed by Elektrisola's labs. None of these mentors charged me a dime. Your cherry 335 sounds more like PAF's the other sounds like Patents. (maybe I got that backwards, am half asleep here. "Steel" is not the secret of their tone, neither is magnets nor magnet wire nor anything else. Its because they were made in that short time period , with period materials, that have no direct equivalent in our times. So........first of all the "unequal winds" is a myth. Its not true, but persists on the internet forums. They wound BOTH coils with identical winds. What few if any really know, is that each of those bobbins, coil and slug, were NOT identical pieces of plastic. There's stuff I don't talk about and this borders on that. You wind 5,000 winds on a slug coil on a real PAF bobbin, and wind the same recipe 5000 winds on the pole bobbin, you're going to get an offset reading between them of about .2K ohms. Its the same number of turns, but one of the coils is going to have MORE actual LENGTH of wire on it, so you get this mismatch reading. That by itself means nothing. "Power" is NOT measured in "ohms." The true measurement is VOLTAGE OUTPUT. And all that counts is how many TURNS of wire you have, the ohms readings affect nothing. One turn of wire equals one unit of VOLTAGE output. 5000 winds was the official winding recipe and it came from the 10,000 winds recipe from P90's. So, two coils 5,000 winds each, same recipe as P90's. This usually equals PAF's and P90's in the 7.5K +/- range. Thats why most PAF's measure that low reading, the higher winds ones in the 8.6K ranges are what most famous players were lucky to have. Alot less harshness and more power from more winds. Hope you're not going glassy-eyed here, there's more to come here: Of the zillions of PAF's I've restored, I've never found any one of them that weren't great. But you have to know some things about this. If you got a burst with both PAF's being 7.5K, the bridge is going to be really almost harsh and not pleasant, it just doesn't work very well, But in neck a 7.5K PAF is going to give you beautiful clarity. Even an early TTop with that reading will sound great in the neck. So, here's another thing nobody knows about. You get a set of PAF's that have sat in a desk drawer for 30 years, you plug it in and it sounds dull and dismal. When PAF's are not routintely played, they "go to sleep." I'm not kidding here. They have to be played again for at least two full months. There's some kind of weird physics going on that can't be measured or quantified, or explained. Customers of mine who said they bought some PAF's and hated them, I told them, play the hell out of them for two months and get back to me. Every single one of those guys came back and told me they then worshipped those pickups after being played that long. There are other things to know......The braided shield wire they used back then ROTS. The cotton black insulation layer just rots and also the braided shield wire itself degrades so badly you can't even solder to it anymore. I've seen this many times, the rotted cotton makes the insulation properties fail and the oxidized braid also dims the treble content of the PAF. I think the same thing happens with "bad" 'bursts. The entire harness is rotted wire. That or the low wind PAF's are just too edgy. Duane Alman's gold top is one of those, it doesn't have its original PAF's in it, both PAF's in it now are the ones he didn't like, and both are 7.3K. The Patent pickups are when they changed the magnet wire to cheaper poly nylon wire, its not as good sounding as the original plain enamel wire. They also began using shorter magnets and alnico 5 became more standard. There were other change too, that I don't talk about. Sometimes you can find Patent buckers that are actually PAF's from the transition. They may have Patent decals but you find they have still the plain enamel brown/purplish wire in them are a higher winds up in the 8K+ ranges, and have black coil leads off each coil. The complete OTHER part of all this is that those vintage Les Pauls were made with woods and materials that don't exist in our times. I did a four episode video series on my channel using real vintage hardware parts and closest modern parts that just don't ever quite get there. In the four episodes, I progressively made changes on a stock Gibson LP and by the fourth episode, the guitar sounded ten times better in the pursuit of fixing Gibson's mistakes. Me and four other guys also recreated the original ABR1 bridges that really WERE an integral part of old LP sound. Took us two years and a ton of money to pull it off, but no ne had ever even tried to do that. Anyway, drop by my channel if you want to learn more about vintage PAF's and HEAR many of them I've worked on and saved from the trash can. Love your video, any questions you have just contact me. I wrote for Burst Believers II and other magazines and websites, and am putting it all together in a my own book finally, something that won't go out of print, hopefully. Thanks for the great video.

The Justin Hawkins bit was great 😂

Keep the sunburst Tom! I love the sound of that guitar!

The gem in this video is the fact that a man with as much experience and decades of hard work hours on all kinds of guitars as our dear Unc just said “you were right and I was wrong”. Be willing to say that is the key to lifelong learning. Just might be the most important lesson I have to be better at practicing. Thanks for the reminder Tom….. Happy Christmas

In 2001 I worked in a guitar shop and a 59 Burst came in. After it was set up I played it thru a cranked blackface super I have NEVER had an experience like that with a guitar before or since. Felt like another person took over my body and was playing That guitar gave back ten times what you put into it

“You could go and have a bite and you’d still be hearing this one”!

Uncle Larry, I turn 74 in three weeks. I started playing guitar when I was 14 and I'm still learning. Thanks for your time and knowledge. Much appreciated.

One of the best episodes yet! Years and years of knowledge condensed into 16 minutes. Thank you Uncle Larry.

That was very revealing. Both 335s were very good but, if I had to choose one it would be the sunburst. That Burst killed both of them. Tom, it is great to see you are still learning, the mark of a true artist.

Great informative video !!!

Great tips from Uncle Larry! Thanks.

Great comparison and explanation. Love this one!

I do appreciate you insight. Thank you.

Congrats dude! Incredible piece of history.

Thanks Larry

Terrific insights here, thanks so much!

Very interesting video, thank you for posting UL

what a great and interesting episode thanks Tom

Great video (and great title too), thanks!!

Awesome insight. Very much appreciated Uncle Larry.

Excellent class! thanks for the valuable info. huge help!

Uncle Larry Rides Again,... Again. Love the nerding out, u pretty much covered all the bases and then some on double humbucker guitars in one breath, fair play dear chap👏

Merry Christmas Uncle Larry. Much respect...

WOW - Great info here, Thanks!!

Thank you very informative 👍👍

Currently thinking of a pickup swap in my Tele, this was really helpful. So many good points

Tom that was a value-added session. So much insight in 16 minutes! Thank you from the bottom of my strat playin heart for all the videos you've put out. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas Uncle Larry Thanks for sharing your years of experience with vintage guitars! Love it👊 Perch and Pierogis

This episode is fucking amazing, Tom. Thanks for this one. I’ve really wondered about how these types of guitars truly compare. Two 63 335 and a burst with your hands showing these details is a true Christmas miracle.

Good Stuff Tom... Merry Christmas to you and your family... Thanks so much for all the posts and info this year... take care brother 👍 Vote for the Tobacco Burst

Thanks Tom, great video yet again. Merry Christmas to you and your boys. Hope a tasty ale or two finds you. Cheers 🍻

I mostly watch your videos for the noodling but your genuine love for guitars is mesmerizing. Great video

Hey Tom...Amongst the most valuable lessons I learned this year was...The Parts of a Plant...Thank you!!!

The burst. Keep the burst.

Not only a talented player and teacher but hysterical. ! The Justin Hawkins bit had me rolling !

Very interesting Uncle Larry always learning something!! Those PAFs are definitely tricky.. Thanks for what you do!! Enjoy that burst you certainly deserve it!!! Hunker down and do those Yuenglings! I'm in Michigan and it's not looking great this weekend!! Stocked up also with my beverage of choice! 🥶 Merry Christmas!!!

You are so right about Paul Kossoff.Really enjoyed this video.Thanks for sharing…

Hey Tom! Thank you so much for the show the other night. I couldn't be there but had a fantastic time watching it on the internet. I really appreciate that you put these shows together for your fans. You always blow me away with your endless creativity. Best to you and yours and keep up the great content please! Merry Christmas sir!

Merry Christmas, Uncle Larry! The Starship Trooper! Little Tommy. Cherry!!

How these video's you publish don't have 100K plus views each is just crazy....You have the most down to earth refreshing and entertaining video's on KZfaq....Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

So much knowledge & wisdom being passed on here. I had no idea about fingerboard separation... Have a '70 SG that just started becoming plinky sounding on the high E in the upper register. Might be that exact issue cause it ain't the relief/neck angle, saddle, or nut.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences on vintage guitars. I'm with you, vintage has an edge.

Thanks for the wisdom.

Good stuff Larry

this episode is so good!!! that being said, i'm always concerned about the middle position, having the right quack, so i lower both pickups to the point of bloom, first the neck and then the bridge, the latter has to be jangly and kerrangy at the same time, but its height is determined by how it blends with the neck pickup. unpotted also is very important for that hollowness, and richness.

As much as I think it would be cool to have a nice vintage guitar I'm glad it is in the hands of guys like you, and other artists who can bring out the best of those iconic instruments. I'm not hurting with my very non-vintage 2016 LP. It may not be the best of the breed but I love it and it is mine. Happy Holidays and thank you for the great content!

Yeah Tom, this stuff you just can’t learn anywhere. Please don’t ever feel like you’re going on too long. About to watch the Bday show! Have a great Christmas with the boys!

So great that you got your burst. Totally agree with you on the PAFs. I had a lovely '62 335 and that I never could understand why I loved my friends '63 more. Lot's of water under that bridge. now. Happy Holidays, teach.

Great video! I have some of that excessive nasal thing going on in the bridge pickup of my '64 335. What really helped was lowering the pole pieces into the pickup.

That burst is so magical!!!

I gotta tell you, you got a lot of heart, a ton of passion and amazing skill. I set down my guitar over the summer and fall cause I just couldn’t seem to get to where I wanted to be. I’ve been beat to hell this year and man just brutal shit. I haven’t been around and just had been letting go. Then I said enough, and this my brother is where I came to put myself back on the road. Lotta love for ya brother, thanks for always being here even when I haven’t been.

Cool video UL. Merry Christmas to you and the family.

Stay Warm Uncle Larry. I hope you didn't lose power. Stay Warm and the best Christmas to you and Yours!!!!!!

Thanks for this video, Tom! You just validated and put in to words exactly what I was trying to tell a friend of mine this past Saturday when he brought over his SG. We compared the sound and playability of his SG to my 335, through my Marshall. And, you are so damned spot on about the sustain, and/or lack of sustain, on the higher frets. I absolutely loved the sound of his SG, but only up to the first 9 frets. Anything higher and, for me, it wasn't even enjoyable to play. He even said it was already set up, too. Whereas, my 335 is easy all the way up the neck and is a joy to play. My Les Paul is the same way (but another friend borrowed it last weekend , though, so it wasn't here for him to compare). I don't use a pedal, either, although I am going to get another volume pedal this week, though (well, that's a different story). I can't wait to turn him on to this video. Thanks, again...Happy Holidays and stay warm! And, may all your guitars have perfect humidity :)

I love that progression at the beginning on the Red one, it has soul - it's refined raw. The Red one for sure no contest!

Really enjoyed the show on Tuesday. The wife was thrilled to meet you. Thanks for being so gracious after a show.

Wow that was a really cool bit about the sustain I had no clue the saddles made a difference but it makes a lot of sense.

Hey, Uncle Larry. Every second of this class was riveting. Thank you. It was 225 Parsons Street and kind of still is. The Heritage guitars are still there. It's an interesting story from when Gibson left for Nashville. I think you'd like it and also understand it, from the perspective of the guys and their families who wanted to stay. I have a couple of their guitars and it kind of feels good to pick them up. I'm that level of player where the story of a thing contributes a lot to the playing experience. Not good enough, at all, to abandon sentimentality as part of the experience. Hell, a lot of Homeskoolin' classes get me emotional. See?

I freakin LOVE it when you get deep into the nerdy stuff about these guitars. I learn SO much. Thanks Tom!❤

Awesome vid. Like the sunburst 335 tone more than the cherry.

Gold Dust from the Deep Minor. Happy Christmas man and stay warm.

I remember your comments about the SGs and was thinking about that when you started gushing over the burst. Not that i was holding you to anything -- there is always context and nuance to consider. But i appreciate that you've clarified. Not everyone watches your videos necessarily in order. I know I didn't at first. That burst is really a beautiful guitar!

That burst though, oh my god what a guitar!

man - I cracked up on the Uncle Larry Rides Again!

What do I think , I can only come up with word , BRILLIANT!!!

The top wraping on the cherry can make a difference. Nice thoughts Tom! Love those 335:s! Stay warm.

Probably my favorite gear video ever 😂

Cool video, great insights! Agree on the nylon saddles, the red one is top wrapped which also might be contributing to the difference. I prefer the tone and sustain of the sunburst one. Aside from that, the cherry one looks way cooler than the sunburst. I like to top wrap my 335 and Les Paul but I tighten the tailpiece down hard to get the most solid transfer possible. I never liked to raise the tailpiece up where the threads are the only connection. Just my preferences. I've seen that Bloomer video before and he nails it with that observation. He's one of my earliest influences and much of my approach to playing blues started with him. Such a sad story of his demise and the things that occurred prior to that, like abandoning his LP at the last gig before he OD'd.

The amount of musical knowledge you drop on us is astounding, Uncle Larry. Thank you, from the bottom of my music loving heart. I hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas this year. I love that burst 335, and that sustain is wonderful, as is the tone, but when I hear that cherry 335, oh man! Less sustain, but Killer tone. Now I'm only hearing the sound through earbuds at the moment, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I'll probably have another listen through some good studio headphones later on for fun. I have a non-musician friend, who's a girl, but she's got great ears. I don't usually make a guitar purchase without getting her opinion first. I should let her have a listen to this video and ask what she thinks 😂. Good luck with making that difficult choice, Uncle.

From this video, I'd say they're actually two different guitars and maybe check the stack to see if there is something else that needs to go more than one of these. Your tone demos are unrivaled though, free lessons of high caliber always appreciated. Thank you for putting this together and publishing it.

I’d have a real hard time getting rid of either but definitely a harder time getting rid of the sunburst. Cool video Tom

I really appreciate the deep dive into how you determine what is a quality guitar. I’d probably pick the cherry 335.

I’m glad you have that les paul man you deserve it.

Got a 68 Trini with the nylon saddles sounds great gonna try those metal saddles now. Thanks for the tip.

One of the best episodes. Great information on guitars we love so much. The SG is one of the rare guitars I never intended to have one. My band mate owned an original early SG-Les Paul. I never liked the ergonomics of that lightweight body and a “long” … fat neck pulling towards the floor … It got handed around different players in our country, but it always sounded fantastic.

Just picked up a cherry ‘63 335 as well, loving it!

Uncle Larry - thank you for the sage advice concerning 335 PAFs as well as the sustain on your Burst. Being at the gig Tuesday night, you took us to tone school, making a lonely Princeton Reverb sound huge. It was a pleasure to meet you after the show for a minute with my wife. Thank you for your time - you guys rocked Merry Christmas to you and your family and stay warm this weekend my friend. Your wisdom is greatly appreciated.

Hey Tom, I'm in full agreement that your burst is an amazing, fantastic instrument, and in your hands that's a combo that ranks among the greats!! I'm glad that you found each other!! As for the 335's you may have touched on your own answer. They each have their own unique characteristics so maybe you would have a need for both. As someone with no skin in the game that's easy for me to say (clearly my opinion, as one who suffers from Gear Aquisition Syndrome, doesn't mean shit!!). Good luck with your choice and Merry Christmas to you and your family!!

Uncle Larry Rides Again!

Early on in the “Corona Lessons” days I was doing dishes and scrolling KZfaq and the thumbnail of a guy with a cool looking 335 caught my eye so I clicked on it. It was some of the best guitar tone I’d ever heard and I’ve watched every episode since. You can’t sell the burst 335, it’s just too good and you make it sound like nobody else.

Unbelievable Uncle Larry, this is perhaps the best master class on the legendary "PAF". They are of Authurian Legend. You have really helped us see into that legend with clear-eyed insight. Though i don't own any vintage gear, the proof to me of their value is measured by just how many great musicians seek and play them. There IS a reason world class players like you choose them. Thanks so much for such a great breakdown of some of the mystery of the PAF (and btw, you are quite the word smith, love the title of this video).

Great episode thanks Unc! I love the look of the cherry, but If I close my eyes the sunburst 335 wins for me.

The Burst 335 Does it For me, that extra girth in the mids is killing it. Keep the Burst. And the LP Well, keep that Also. Thanx Tommy, very Eye Opening.

Nailed it dude.👏👏

Wow, all cool guitars. My early 70s cherry 335 chopper sounds great, but it has a little of that plunkiness on some of the high frets. That burst is something else.

Otis sent me here via a link, after hearing your awesome stories about gigging with Joe Walsh. Secondly: While both 335's sound great, I would keep the burst, if it were me. Third, that LP is to die for! Fourth: I HAVE FOUND MY FAVORITE GUITARIST PERTAINING TO SHARING VALUABLE INFORMATION & INSIGHT !!! Lastly: I'm 61 yrs old & gigged for years locally here in central Florida, and I'm totally addicted to the tone of older guitars. The less pedals, the better. If I had a limited budget for buying a guitar and tube amp, I would spend the majority of it ON THE GUITAR. The guitar is by far the most important element in the sound chain. THIS WAS MY FIRST VIDEO TO WATCH ON YOUR CHANNEL, AND I'M TOTALLY STOKED. I feel like I just met the best jammin' buddy & guitar/gear guide around.........I feel like I found my way home to a long lost friend who speaks from the heart, great points, with no BS. First video, and you've already caused me to ponder more than I have in many years. THANK YOU BROTHER!!! Steve........Melbourne, Fl.

I completely agree with you Tom. Vintage guitars have that thing that is hard to explain. I have cut heads with a few custom shop reissues against the real deal and there was no comparison! Have a great day!

Thanks Tom! 225 Parsons St. They are still making some nice guitars there.

That old burst kills them all with that perfect roll of from that long sustained note

Something immediately hit me when you plugged that sunburst 335 in. It just speaks! Wow.

Great video. Both if those 335s sound awesome, while very different. The old Gibson factory in Kalamazoo was on Parsons street. They're making Heritage guitars there now.

Mate. I love your brain! I would happily be your tech handing you guitars to hear everything you've got to say! Lots of love from Australia. James.

Happy Birthday, Tom!

Best lesson about 335, les paul and PAF pickups. Tom you should do the same but with your strat, what makes a strat good. Thanks!!

I agree about pickup selections on Les Pauls. I’m going for that same sort of tone you go for Tom. I made a leap and decided to go with a direct replica of Billy Gibbons pickups in his pearly gates , they’re made by Cream T pickups, Thomas Nilsen. He claims they are 100% replicas. Man, they are my favourite humbuckers in my 59 reissue. I’m convinced. As for your decision on which one to keep, I’d keep that burst. That’s the guitar that stands out to me as being the guitar that suits your playing. The guitar you sold Ford was the one… man, that must have been a hard decision to let that one go. Then again, you do own that gorgeous 58 now instead. Congrats! Merry Christmas Tom. All the best! ✌️🎄

Uncle Larry rides again!! I'm gonna say I preferred the red 335 sounds over the sunburst!

Just good stuff.

Love when you indulge us with the gear episodes! So much incredible knowledge. Do you have a specific recommendation for bridge / saddle replacements for the nylon saddle gang? My vote is the sunburst!

Thank you for mentioning my hero Michael Bloomfield! I am obsessed with Bloomers.

Hey Tom! I have a 60s 335 with patent numbers. It sounds closer to the cherry in this video with the tone wide open. But rolling my tone off to about 4 I can get pretty close to the sunburst as some of the nasally qualities go away. Further testing on my day off to follow. Thank you for gifting all of us this knowledge.