Here are the characteristics
that make a great vintage humbucker: a soft magnetic field, sweet
tone, perfect balance between warmth and clarity, the ability to go
from clean to distorted by pick attack alone.
For our PAF 36th
Anniversary Neck we wanted to continue in the path of pioneers such as
Seth Lover (designer of the original Patent Applied For humbucker)
and create pickups that combine all of the characteristics of great
vintage humbuckers. These pickups are not merely clones. We
re-engineered the PAF using our patented technology and Larry
DiMarzio’s own 1959 cherry sunburst Gibson Les Paul as the reference.
Larry’s Gibson Les Paul has a uniquely amazing sound and it’s not only
due to the pickups - it’s the total fusion of many elements of the
guitar itself.
Although the pickups have a weak magnetic field,
the sound is well defined: almost like a single-coil. We duplicated
the weaker magnetic field in order to allow the strings to vibrate
longer, as well as focus and articulate the attack and output. We use
computer-controlled winders to consistently layer the 42-gauge
custom-coated wire, achieving the exact frequency response we want.
Then it’s dipped in our custom formula to eliminate squeal and
microphonics.
The cover is made from nickel-silver and our new
plating makes it more magnetically transparent than the originals. The
PAF 36th Anniversary Neck is smooth but not muddy. It performs
equally well in the neck or bridge, just as the best humbuckers from
the 50s did.
There is no reference standard for the sound of a
humbucker from the 1950s. All of them had variations in output and
tone, and these differences could be quite large. Recently, we have
focused our research on making pickups with warm highs and bright
lows. This combination is only found in our favorite vintage
humbuckers, and it’s really good for a pickup intended for both the
neck and bridge positions. It allows the bass strings in the neck
position to avoid muddiness, and the treble strings in the bridge
position to be warm and not brittle.
Recommended For: All positions
Quick Connect: No
Wiring: 4 Conductor
Magnet: Alnico 5
Resistance: 7.31 Kohm
Year of Introduction: 2008
Pole Pieces: Nickel
Spacing: Standard
Cover: Nickel
