Historic PAF Winder Found!

[JGundry]

Okay, I have known about this machine for nearly 6 months. I wanted to wait and see if I could finalize a deal to buy it until I broke the news. I now own this machine.

These are the facts:

This machine was used by Gibson to wind PAF's and T-Tops. I personally spoke to a former Gibson employee who saw this same machine in use making PAF's in the 50's. Other former 50's Gibson employees at Heritage Guitar Inc. confirmed the Historical significance of this machine.

The machine's automated traverse and tensioning system was made by a pattern maker at Gibson. This man is still alive but is 85 years old and in poor health. I'm not sure if I will be able to talk to him but I hope to. The wire guides and traverse are totally hand made one of a kind.

The traverse and winding pattern is radically different from anything the Leesona 102 can produce. I spent an hour digitally mapping out the traverse 5 months ago. The machine still works.

It is small machine winds four humbucker bobbins at a time. Seth Lover mentioned a small 4 bobbin winding machine in the Duncan interview.

There are more facts but I'm not sure how much I want to share yet.

Here are some pics. These were take in the old Gibson factory building in Kalamazoo where this machine has been idle gathering dust for decades.

Wire guides.


Tensioners.

[Stan H]

Nice find, Jon!

[truetone]

congratulations, hope to hear more!

[David Schwab]

Cool! Boy, that's a lot of dust!

[SK66]

Is it yours?
What a marketing tool that would be for the "new vintage" arena...
Now you've got vintage Fender and Gibson covered....AND with automatic winders!

[JGundry]

Is it yours?
What a marketing tool that would be for the "new vintage" arena...
Now you've got vintage Fender and Gibson covered....AND with automatic winders!

Thanks guys. Yes I own it. It is pretty cool to have this machine and the Leesona 102. Both together complete a big part, and in fact maybe all, of the PAF winding puzzle. But for the Fender stuff, others know much more about that than me.

[mick]

Cool stuff Jon.....I reckon the old bloke might liven up chatting to someone who is showing interest in something he did all those years ago..

Nick

[JGundry]

Here are a couple more shots I took when it was still in the old Gibson building. I blacked out part of the traverse mechanism, sorry. I may share that later. I'm taking the whole thing apart right now. The wiring for the motor and switches has cloth insulation. Three of the wires were completely bare from rubbing against the case. It's a wonder I didn't get zapped when I first ran it. When I get it back together I will post a shot of the entire unit.

[Mark Hammer]

Is that stuff from the old Parsons Street facility? I had a tour of the place in 1982, before it got closed and some assets were transferred to Heritage Instruments. Gotta love the smell there.

[JGundry]

Yep. This machine was sitting on the 3rd floor near the old spray booths when I first saw it. I had a special order guitar with Heritage that took 2 years for them to finish. When it was done I picked it up directly from the factory (which is the old Gibson plant). When I was there I asked them if they had any old pickup winders there and they showed me this one. My jaw dropped when I first saw it.

By the way the Heritage guitar I ordered was a chambered H-150CM and it's a great guitar, 8lbs. I think most of the more recent year Pleked Heritages are very good. I have several Historic Gibson electrics that I really like but I when their prices skyrocketed a few years ago I started looking at Heritages. Heritages really do have a mojo and vintage feel that you don't get from new Gibson stuff. Maybe it's because I've been to the old facility so many times but it's very satisfying to play a guitar that is largely hand made, in the old plant, by the old Gibson guys that love making them and love passing on what they know to the younger workers. You can just feel it when you play one.

[NightWinder]

....

Heritage is by far one of the best pieces I've had the pleasure of playing..Amazingly great detail and tone....Nice thread Btw Jon : )

[David Schwab]

Is that stuff from the old Parsons Street facility? I had a tour of the place in 1982, before it got closed and some assets were transferred to Heritage Instruments. Gotta love the smell there.

I love old factory buildings! Back in the 90's we had our shop in the same building where Guild used to be in Hoboken NJ. I was told we were on the same floor, but I'm not sure exactly where they had their shop. But it was cool anyway.

[JGundry]

Here are some pics of the machine cleaned up. I made some pickups on it that sounds great. I had to scrape the dust off with a putty knife. But after a good vacuuming, some Simple Green to get the dried oil off and some Pledge on the table top it's presentable. New belt, clean oil, rewired, runs like a top.


I was afraid of losing any of the mojo so I saved it. Here is genuine PAF mojo dust. Spence and I can smoke it in a peace pipe next time he comes to America. Genuine PAF mojo wing nuts on the right.


Here is some genuine Gibson PAF mojo solder splattered on the side.

[kevinT]

Ok, Jon....you have your magical dust...but i have to spill the beans....I carry out an ancient native american (souix) war dance to coax the mojo out of my PAF clones....I also don all the original ceremonial attire

[salvarsan]

I had to scrape the dust off with a putty knife. ...
I was afraid of losing any of the mojo so I saved it.
Here is genuine PAF mojo dust.

Good move.

Everyone knows (or should) that
the pre-Norlin PAF Mojo Dust™ is better.

-drh