电吉他论坛精华：有关PAF拾音器的一点秘密（一）

有关PAF拾音器的一点秘密

The PAF legend was born during the recording sessions of amazing songs by Jimmy Page and his PAF equipped 1959 Les Paul, by the blues based tones of Mike Bloomfield and Eric Clapton and their Les Paul guitars, by the blazing guitar leads of Eddie Van Halen and his rewound PAF in his parts guitar, by the blues-based rock of Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and his Pearly Gates flametop with PAFs, as well as other music artists.

有关PAF的传说是由Jimmy Page(一把录音时所使用的1959年Les Paul).Mike Bloomfield.Eric Clapton.(他们用具有PAF的Les Paul产造了篮调的基本音色)Eddie Van Halen.(一把配备PAF的结他)Billy Gibbons(一把配备PAF的Pearly Gate)还有很多的音乐人而诞生的.

The PAF story has a life of its own. Some of the stories about PAFs are true, some myth and some created from outright poor conclusions. Not all original PAFs are made the same. Heres part 1 of the PAF story:

PAF的故事有它独特的生命.有关它的故事.有些是真.有些所谓的秘密只是吹牛的.不是所有的原装PAF都是一样的.这是有关PAF故事的第一段落:

The History
By the mid-1950s, Gibson wanted to counter the latest electric guitars introduced by competitors and especially those by Fender. Leo Fender had built a company from nothing in the mid-1940s to a substantial factor in the solid-body guitar market. Gibson believed they could beat Fender and other rivals for market share by developing a low-noise pickup. Players loved the sound of Gibsons P-90 and Fenders single-coil pickups, but they also put up with the 60-cycle hum (noise) inherent in their respective designs.

历史

在50年代中期.Gibson公司打算反击Fender以及其它竞争对手所设计的新颖结他.Leo Fender在40年代中期白手兴家地创办了一家制造结他的工厂.而且在实心结他市场中很受欢迎.Gibson公司相信他们可以靠着发展一种低嘈音的拾音器来打败Fender公司等等的对手.结他手都喜爱Gibson
的P90,Fender的单线圈的声音.但他们也会把一个 60-cycle hum(noise)的拾音器放到他们各自设计的结他之上.

Gibsons management assigned this important task to one of their engineers, the late Seth Lover. Seths subsequent design and patent changed guitar playing and music recording history. Lets leave the heavy technical discussion for another article and understand the basic design: Seth connected two single coil pickups in series. However, he connected the coils out-of-phase electrically and magnetically. Thus, the signal is passes through the pickup minus much of the noise or hum. That is how the pickup Seth designed came to be known as the humbucker.

Gibson公司的管理者把这重要的工作分配给其中一位工程司.Seth Lover.Seth后来的设计和专利改变了结他的演奏以及录音的历史.这些复习的工程问题我们先不要谈.我们先来明白他的根本设计:
seth把2个单线圈串联在一起.但是.Seth把它们的电流性和磁性都反向地连接.如此.通过拾音器的信号中杂音大减.这就是Seth的设计.也就是后来人所共知的Humbucker.(双线圈)

Gibson Humbucker Pickup Patent

Seths pickup patent was filed on June 22, 1955. Gibson added the new pickups to steel guitars in 1956, and in 1957 on electric solid-body and arch-top guitars, including the popular Les Paul Model. During 1957, a small black decal with gold lettering was added to the underside of the pickup. This decal read, "PATENT APPLIED FOR". Later, as the vintage guitar market evolved from savvy recording artists to local musicians, these pickups became known as the PAF.

1955年6月22日.Seth所设计的拾音品申请了专利.1956年.gibson把这种新的拾音器加在民遥琴上.1957.侧安装在实心,半空心电结他上.当中包括了很爱欢迎的Les Paul型号上.在1957年中,一个带着金字的小黑印花加了在拾音器的下方.印花中写了"patent addlied for".后来,经典结他的市场由专业录音乐手渐渐旷大到本地音乐人之时.这些拾音器变成人所共知的PAF.

Gibson PAF Decal

Seth Lover received his approved pickup patent, #2,896,491, on July 28, 1959. By late 1962, Gibson changed the decal to read, "PATENT NO 2,737,842". It is interesting to note that the patent number listed on the decal was not for the pickup design, but for Les Pauls trapeze tailpiece. One can assume Gibson was creating a research roadblock for the competition. Or, was it simply a typo? The competition idea seems more credible, but silly, as these new decals appeared 7 years after the pickups were first installed on Gibsons instruments.

1959年7月28日.Seth收到所申请其设计的拾音器的专利.编号为#2896491.Gibson把拾音器上的小印花的字改成"patent no 2737842".有趣的是.这次印花上的编号不是拾音器专利设计的编号.反而是Les Paul上的琴桥的专利设计编号.这到底是Gibson公司为了在竞争上为对手制造一个资料搜集的路障.还是印刷错误?前者比较可信.但是挺笨的一个方法.因为在第一个安装在Gibson乐器上的新拾音器的7年之后,这批新印花才开始使用的.

Patent Number Decal

The Making of a PAF

Between 1959 and 1960, Gibson made PAF pickups with white and black plastic bobbins. Prior to this point in time, both of the bobbins were black. These oblong bobbins are exposed when the pickups metal cover is removed. Thus, some PAFs are referred to as double black (two black bobbins), zebra (one black and one white bobbin) and double cream (two white bobbins). Because collectors and players want the rarest possible instruments, amps, parts, etc?vintage double cream and zebra PAFs command higher prices that the more common double black pickups. These variations of PAF pickups with cream bobbins are also in their prime period of construction from 1956-1960. The bobbins color does not influence the sound of the pickups. Its purely cosmetic, but creates a very cool image.

在59,60年之间.Gibson公司用黑白的塑料来制造PAF.在这之前.Gibson公司只用黑色的塑料来制造PAF.当拆下拾音器上的铁盖后.这些塑料都会暴露出来.于是.PAF的拾音器有些是双黑(黑黑).有些是斑马(一黑一白).有些是双白"译者按:CREAM=奶油.XD!"(白白).由于收藏家和结他手都希望想拥有最稀有的设备.乐器.音箱.等等.由于双白和黑白PAF拥有一个较为经典形象所以价钱比双黑来的要高.其实双白的PAF也是1956~1960年的最初的设计.什么颜色其实对声音没有影响.但是具有化妆的作用.建立一个十分酷的形象.

"译者按:VINTAGE来源自红酒.意思为陈年好酒.在这我译为经典"

Double Cream PAF

From 1956 until sometime in 1961, Gibson used different Alnico magnets in their PAFs. Alnico magnets (composed primarily of the alloys ALuminum, NIckel, and CObalt) come in a variety of grades based on their magnetic strength. Gibson used the same magnets (size and grades) available for their P-90 pickups. It seems Gibson randomly used Alnico 2, 3, 4 and 5 grade magnets in PAFs until 1961. The higher the magnets number, the higher the magnetic strength. By 1961, Gibson began consistently using a smaller size Alnico 5 magnet. Generally speaking, decreasing the flat (top) side size of these magnets decreases the power of the pickups.

在1956年到1961年之间,Gibson公司使用不同的Alnico(磁性合金)的磁铁来制造PAF.Alnico磁铁(当中含有铝.镍.钴)当中根据磁力的强度来分类为不同的等级.Gibson公司使用相同的磁铁(体积和等级)来制造P-90拾音器.在1961年之前.Gibson公司没有一个硬性的绦例.所以制造PAF的磁铁都很随意地.当中2,3,4,5等级磁铁都有.高的数字代表高的磁力强度.1961年之后.Gibson公司开始固定使用小体积的5号Alnic来制造PAF.通常来说.减少磁铁上平坦(高)的一方会减少拾音器的力量.
(最后一句译的不好)

As for wiring, Gibson used a braided shield wire for connection to the control pot. The pickup bobbins were wound with #42 (plain enamel) wire. The bobbin wire appears purple versus later versions that appear reddish. Gibson eventually switched to polyurethane coated wire around 1963. The capacitance of the coating is determined by thickness and material composition, and this influences the sound of the pickup. When coatings change, the sound signature of the pickup can change.

在电路上来说.Gibson公司用带有镶缀保护的电线来连接电位器.拾音器的卷线筒用了42号(全搪瓷)卷线筒的金属丝除了紫色之外.后来更有淡红色.1963年.Gibson公司最后使用了涂有聚氨酯的金属丝.覆盖金属丝之物料的厚度和成份都影响着拾音器的声音.当对它作出改变时.拾音器的音色特点也会被影响.

The amount of wire (and coating) wound on each bobbin determines the DC resistance and other factors, including sound characteristics. When the bobbins are wound with more than a nominal amount of wire, the more power they exhibit, thereby sounding fatter in the midrange with less treble. The resonant peak of the pickup changes as more or less wire is used. Due to human intervention and the wide-tolerance of the winding machines and the test equipment used by Gibson from 1956-1961, PAF pickups during these years usually measure between 7.5 - 9.0 thousand ohms (K ohms). I have measured an original, unaltered 1960 PAF in the neck position of an ES-335 guitar at 10.0 K ohms! After 1961, almost all PAF and patent number decal pickups seem to measure 7.5 K ohms +/- .25 K.

金属丝的数量(以及涂上的物料)都影响着直流电的电阻以及其它等等的参数.对拾音器音色特点起了影响.当使用了比正常更多的金属丝时,输出侧会更有力量,也更为厚.中音较突出.高音侧相对减少了一点.金属丝的数量影响了拾音品的共呜点.(意思应该是说对声音的敏感度,在那段频率会更敏感)1956~1961年间.由于人为的因素,缠挠机器以及Gibson公司本身测试机器的误差.在这数年间的PAF通常也在7.5~9.0K ohms之间.作者曾经量度过一个1960年装在ES-335琴颈位置的原装的PAF.它的参数是10.0K.1961年之后.差不打多所有PAF以及专利设计的拾音器的参数也是7.5K ohms.(误差率为 +/- .25K)

PAF Magnet and Wiring