Description
DiMarzio didn’t just clone a vintage PAF for this 36th Anniversary set — they dissected one. Larry DiMarzio’s own ’59 cherry sunburst Les Paul served as the literal reference point, and what they found was a surprisingly weak magnetic field responsible for that famously long sustain and single-coil-like clarity. Both the DP103BK neck and DP223BK bridge rebuild that weaker-field character on purpose, using computer-controlled winders to lay down 42-gauge custom-coated wire with real precision, then wax-dipping each coil to keep squeal and microphonics out of the equation.
- DP103BK Neck: Alnico 5 magnet, 4-conductor wiring (1-conductor optional), 250mV output, 7.31 Kohm DC resistance. Smooth without turning muddy, and versatile enough to work in either position.
- DP223BK Bridge: Alnico 5 magnet, 4-conductor wiring (1-conductor optional), 285mV output, 8.60 Kohm DC resistance. Introduced in 2008 (Patent 5,399,802 & 5,908,998), it’s hotter than the neck model, splits cleanly into a bright but musical single-coil mode, and holds onto low-end punch and midrange definition that a lot of hot PAF-style pickups lose along the way.
Nickel-silver covers with DiMarzio’s newer plating stay more magnetically transparent than the vintage originals, so none of that carefully re-engineered tone gets choked off before it leaves the pickup. Both units arrive finished in black.
This set also includes a free set of D’Addario EXL117 Medium Top/Extra-Heavy Bottom electric guitar strings — a solid pairing if you’re chasing that same vintage-forward, sustain-heavy vibe from the strings up.
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