The Forgotten Guitar Tone Everyone's Missing | P.A.F. Pickups Out of Phase

**The Forgotten Guitar Tone Everyone's Missing | P.A.F. Pickups Out of Phase**
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Before high-gain amps, pedalboards, and modern guitar rigs, many legendary players discovered a unique secret weapon hidden inside their guitars: the out-of-phase pickup sound. In this episode of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, we explore the distinctive tone of vintage P.A.F. humbuckers wired out of phase—a sound that is thinner, sharper, and surprisingly expressive, yet often overlooked by today's players. From blues and classic rock to the iconic tones of players like Peter Green and T-Bone Walker, we examine why this forgotten guitar tone became legendary and whether modern guitarists are missing one of the most inspiring sounds ever created. Tune in as we put authentic vintage-style P.A.F. pickups through their paces and rediscover a tone that deserves a second look.

🎸 Gear Featured in This Episode
Vintage 1952/57 Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop conversion with ThroBaK SLE-101 Plus MXV pickups.
2004 Gibson R7 1957 Historic Reissue Les Paul Goldtop with ThroBak '57 SteelHead Alnico 4 pickups.
Vintage 1979 Fender Silverface Deluxe Reverb
Nobels ODR-1 effect pedal

Could one of the most distinctive vintage guitar tones be hiding in plain sight?

In Episode #058 of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast, Jon, Matthew, and Paul explore the fascinating world of **out-of-phase P.A.F. humbucker tones**—a forgotten sound that helped define some of the most recognizable guitar recordings ever made. We compare **electronic out-of-phase wiring** versus **magnetic out-of-phase pickups**, explain exactly how each works, and demonstrate the dramatic tonal differences through a series of guitar jams featuring ThroBak's legendary low and medium output P.A.F. reproductions.

Along the way, we check in with Paul as he builds a set of **SLE-101+ P.A.F. pickups** destined for a Collings guitar, answer viewer comments from Episode #057, and dial in vintage-inspired tones through a **1979 Fender Deluxe Reverb** and **Nobels ODR-1**.

Then things get heated in this week's **Guitargument** as we react to recent comments made by Fender CEO Bud Cole during a dealer meeting. Was the repeated use of foul language appropriate? Did his remarks help or hurt Fender's standing with guitar players and dealers? We even hear from a vacuum salesman responding to Bud Cole's infamous comments and make our case for why YouTube's Rick Beato might be the perfect candidate to become Fender's next CEO.

In **The Cool Down**, we offer our final thoughts on the controversy surrounding Cole's remarks and what it could mean for Fender's future relationship with the guitar community.

Plus:

• A new "Rorschach Riffs" with Matthew
• And finally Matthew muses musical about the upcoming RUSH "50 Something" Tour macking a stop in Detroit later this Summer. 

Whether you're chasing vintage P.A.F. tones, curious about out-of-phase wiring, or following the latest developments in the guitar industry, this episode has something for every tone enthusiast.

**Subscribe, leave a comment, and let us know: Which out-of-phase tone do you prefer—Electronic or Magnetic?**

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https://www.throbak.com

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