Description
Joe Satriani wanted a neck pickup that split the difference between the PAF Pro’s clarity and the warmth of a late-’50s Gibson humbucker. The result, developed with DiMarzio and road-tested throughout the 2003 G3 tour, is the PAF Joe — a Virtual Vintage design that Satriani himself calls “tubular.”
What that actually means on the fretboard: low strings speak with real definition instead of turning muddy, while notes played high up the neck stay round and warm rather than getting brittle or thin. That balance makes the PAF Joe equally comfortable holding down rhythm work or carrying a lead line — chords come through clean and separated, single notes keep their body no matter where you’re fretting.
It runs slightly less hot than the PAF Pro, which makes it a natural neck partner for punchier bridge pickups — PAF Pro, FRED, The Breed Neck Model, Air Norton, and Norton all pair well with it. Works across solid, semi-solid, and hollow-body electrics, in any position you want to drop it into.
- Wiring: 4-conductor
- Magnet: Alnico 5
- Output: 272 mV
- DC Resistance: 8.26 kOhm
- Year introduced: 2004
- Patent: 5908998
Finished in black, this is the same pickup Satriani leaned on live — a straightforward drop-in for anyone chasing a neck tone that’s clear without losing its warmth.
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