Description
DiMarzio didn’t set out to clone a vintage PAF — they set out to understand why one particular ’59 Les Paul (Larry DiMarzio’s own cherry sunburst) sounds the way it does, then reverse-engineer that magic into a modern, reliable pickup. The result is the PAF 36th Anniversary set, pairing the DP103BK neck with the DP223BK bridge, both finished in black.
Both pickups share the same DNA: a deliberately weak Alnico 5 magnetic field that lets strings ring out longer, plus 42-gauge custom-coated wire laid down on computer-controlled winders for a precise, repeatable frequency response. Each coil is wax-dipped to keep squeal and microphonics out of the equation, and both wear nickel-silver covers with a more magnetically transparent plating than the vintage originals — so the magnet does the talking, not the metal.
The DP103BK neck pickup is the smooth, single-coil-like voice — warm without turning to mud, articulate enough to clean up just by backing off your pick attack. The DP223BK bridge is the hotter sibling, built to cut through in bridge position on set-neck or trem-equipped bolt-on guitars alike, with bigger low-end and midrange definition than you’d expect from something this loud, plus 4-conductor wiring that splits cleanly to a bright, musical single-coil tone.
This set ships with a free pair of D’Addario EXL110 Regular Light strings, so you’re ready to install and play.
- Neck (DP103BK): 4-conductor wiring, Alnico 5 magnet, 250mV output, 7.31 Kohm DC resistance
- Bridge (DP223BK): 4-conductor wiring, Alnico 5 magnet, 285mV output, 8.60 Kohm DC resistance, Patent 5,399,802 & 5,908,998
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