What may seem to have taken just a couple years, was really a lifetime of Pete Flynn's path. It is both interesting and amusing that his initials are PAF. Go figure. We had Pete send a couple sets down to Texas after his fascinating interview and have spent more than half a year with these pickups listening to them in various guitars and evaluating them. It is good to take your time with endeavors as such. The builders like Flynn who pour their hearts into the craft deserve nothing less. We can certainly say that his work is excellent, and if not, we would have kindly declined to write about them. The original supplied covers were not aged, and our guitars are, thanks to cranking them for ages, running them full bore, the old-fashioned way. Pete has been working on perfecting what he considers the ultimate humbucker cover, that would not take out the high end and output, and four of them were sent for review a couple months after the humbuckers. He also has a few YouTube videos showing off various pickups, as well as one showing the transparency of his covers. Very cool. And well done. These pickups are stellar, and his prices are beyond reasonable. We think too low, actually, but that's his call. We know Pete is ready and willing to hop on a call and talk to any TQR reader. Keep in mind, as always, every set we evaluate sounds different in each guitar. Being able to call Pete to talk about what you are going for and what amps, tones, and guitars these are going in is wise. You won't be disappointed if you take the time.
Flynn Low Wind A2 Bucker Set
We really dig the neck pickup, which has more clarity and woodiness than most modern offerings. We heard hints of a great hollow body guitar. There is an animated high-end beauty, and notable sweet sustain when driven through either a vintage Fender Super Reverb or the little 20 watt Plexi that could, with our '72 Greenback loaded into the Pogreba Golden Bell cabinet. The bridge pickup was very nice, but needed to be raised a bit to find where it was happiest, or we were, for that matter. The vintage character was there, but it was missing just a bit of kick for our taste, so any amps needed to be turned up to get a nice workable feel. What a cool set, and if you prefer to let your amps dial in how much drive you have and not the pickups ruling over everything, these are for you.
Flynn A5 Bucker Set
This bridge pickup is absurdly killer. It has such a fantastic stout body, and as much as it has been said before about great PAF bridges sometimes sounding like a 1950s Broadcaster or Telecaster pickup, this darn thing nails that vibe. What a wide-glide supreme rope it throws, all with a clear and thumping treble snap, but in a pleasing way. This pickup is vocal, powerful, and also inspiring. We loved it. The neck was all there, out front and responsive, with a serious jump and kick that fired up the amps and let them go for it. The neck has a southern vibe, and you can get right down to chasing those early '70s cornerstone songs. It is quite a fine set of pickups, and they have been enjoyed by many players who have rolled through town to hang and jam with us over espresso coffee with cream and a fat dollop of homegrown honey from our Associate Editor and Bozeman beekeeper guru Scott Ulrichs. As for Flynn, way to go, brutha, these are right on the money, and you have definitely arrived to throw down the goods. If so inclined, you might want to get them while you can, before he gets swamped by the wild and rabid seekers. Quest forth... TQ—Riverhorse
www.pickupsbypeteaflynn.com