Bare Knuckle PolyPaf Humbucker

The PolyPaf is the newest P.A.F. and the newest Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood Signature humucker set. Fans of Nolly’s Polymath humbuckers are going full mental over this new offering. As they should!

“Poly?!” you ask! How is a P.A.F. using poly wire? Great question. It’s not. Take assurance that plain enamel is embracing each bobbin. LOL! However, “poly” is a reference to the definition of “much” or “many”. In this instance, I can assert that it can mean the amalgamation of a P.A.F.’s desired attributes.

Not to beat a dead coil (HaHa!), but we should all know that the original Kalamazoo humbuckers of 65-ish years ago were all over the place. Grab any from that big pile to find that one is a stud and the one next to it is a dud. LOL! Industry standards and quality control were out the window. That means that it takes a trained ear with loads of experience and expertise to go through mountains of examples of the best. It’s a good thing that we have Nolly.

Installation

This is going in to a double-hum guitar with a maple neck and rosewood board. It’s the same testbed as for the Painkiller and SIlo evaluations, to name a few. This means that the BKP 550k pots and the BKP caps are part of the wiring harness. I’m going to suggest .015μF for the neck and .022μF for the bridge. Tuning is E standard with 10-46 strings.

Unoriented Alnico 5

Unoriented Alnico 5 roughcast magnets are in the PolyPaf humbuckers. What is Unoriented? What does that mean? If you already know, feel free to move along. HaHa! If not, here is my un-TED Talk on it:

Most traditional Alnico bar magnets in most humbuckers as we know them are oriented. The grain is “oriented” in a similar direction. This yields a more consistent and predictable result. Unoriented is just that. Where the composition is not “oriented”. The result is a subtle dithering or vacillation of the magnetic effect. A gentle softening, if you will.

In the case of an unoriented Alnico 5 magnet, you get the better parts of the sweetness of an Alnico 2 quality that accompany the inherent firm precision of an Alnico 5. When adding the roughcast characteristics, each magnet becomes a bit of a unique snowflake.

Slug It Out

Bare Knuckle describes the PolyPaf pickups as having “a unique combination of high carbon steel slugs under the wound strings.” What does that mean? Slugs and poles are available in different percentages of carbon content. The higher the carbon, the brighter the tone. And, wouldn’t you know, less carbon is less bright.

Of course, there is an assortment of values to choose from. Some companies might find what works for them and stick with the one recipe. Others go to where the tone leads them and might have many options to consider. Meanwhile, a few literally grab stuff from the bin at the hardware store! Thankfully, BKP is going for the tone.

In this instance, BKP’s marketing reads as if they tailored these components to the purpose. Sort of a stealth approach, if I must say. You don’t see it coming! LOL! Not as visually obvious as some of the other “blended” pole/slug/blade options we sometimes see.

Take Me Higher

As I am preparing to install these pickups, there is a disturbance in The Force. The mystic energy of a Tone Jedi summoning me to raise the height much higher and closer to the strings. “I’ll try,” I respond. “No! There is no “try”! commanded the wizened Master.

Who am I to disagree?! LOL! So up it goes. In my instance, I’m taking it up to about half the distance as usual. Let your ears be your guide. I’m also finding that raising the neck in a similar manner yields a most excellent reward. And while this may seem to be a little counterintuitive to some, the results speak for themselves. Not to go down too many rabbit holes, but also consider adjusting your pole pieces to match your string radius.

Evaluation

Do you ever happen upon pickups that make you want to keep playing? That’s the PolyPaf. This is a very interesting set of humbuckers. Especially consider that P.A.F. is right there in the name. While the tone invokes so many classic P.A.F. hallmarks, the vibe transcends constrictions associated with vintage characteristics. “What choo talkin’ about, Phineas?!?” Yeah, it’s layered. But a complex voice requires a complex description.

We all like what a dedicated P.A.F. replica brings to the table. The clarity, chime, snap, complexity, transparency, responsiveness, sweet high end, woody lows, etc., etc., etc. And yet even in the modern world of amp selection, sometimes we might still need a little more bump and grind. The PolyPaf has that already baked in. In fact, the natural drive of the PolyPaf will often have you thinking you’re playing a hot vintage selection. And maybe on paper, it is. But the tone is firmly classic.

The very slightly potted coils allow so much more of the nuance to come through. If you like the mechanical finger noise of bending the note into the natural decay, this is for you. Or if you enjoy that slight tinge of harmonic feedback to slightly crown above the surface, this also for you. Conversely, if you want to rip your favorite high-octane spandex-clad riff-rock, you will be at home here. The sweetened focus of the unoriented Alnico 5 produces a highly expansive palette that is full of dynamics.

Specs

You’re seeing a slight offset on those coils. About 3% on the bridge and approximately 4% on the neck. In most instances with most builders, that is very much within the realms of standard operating tolerances. However, you will hear in the some of the promotional content out there that this is an intentional offset. Specifically tuning each coil can introduce a little more air into the voice of the final result. If you are an old hand at the BKP menu, you are reasonably familiar with this approach.

Demo

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Conclusion

Versatility is everything with the PolyPaf. Much like the Polymath, this is right in that “just right” zone that can defy pigeonholes. The amp selection and the players abilities are the petrol that feeds the PolyPaf engine. And you can always change the octane of the amp or give your fingers a tune-up. LOL! Go easy and you’ll hear a sweet purr. Dig in strong with some attitude and you might get slapped in the best of ways.

The PolyPaf is going to be good for all classic and modern playing applications from blues rock to modern metal. It is available is 6, 7, and 8-string options. There are over 2 dozen bobbin colors, over 20 covers, over 15 radiators, and 20 radiators to choose from, with a dozen pole screw selections. You can find a local dealer or order you own custom creation direct from BKP via their website.

For reference, this Bare Knuckle PolyPaf humbucker set evaluation was conducted with the following: Fractal Axe-Fx II XL+ featuring Celestion Impluse Responses and Fractal MFC-101 MIDI Foot Controller. ADA MP-1 Tube Pre-Amp loaded with Tube Amp Doctor ECC83 Premium Selected tubes, using the ADA MC-1 MIDI Controller. Fryette LX II Stereo Tube Power Amplifier. Physical cabs use are Marshall 1960B, Mojotone British, and Peavey 6505 cabs loaded with Celestion Classic Series Vintage 30s and Classic Series G12M Greenbacks.

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