Description
DiMarzio built the Area Hot T Bridge (DP421) around a question every Tele player has probably asked at some point: what if a bridge pickup had the EQ curve of a vintage PAF, but kept the classic single-coil Tele layout? Rather than shrinking a humbucker down to fit, DiMarzio kept the traditional 6-magnet Tele configuration and tuned the response around it. The result reads more detailed and controlled than a standard Tele bridge, with plain strings that cut with genuine bite and wound strings that land somewhere between humbucker warmth and P90 grit.
- Alnico 2 magnets, shared with the rest of the Area series, keep the low end from getting boomy and avoid excessive string pull
- 4-conductor wiring for coil-tap and phase flexibility
- Output rated at 238 mV with 9.33 Kohm DC resistance
Like its sibling the Area T, this pickup is unusually reactive to pick attack, volume swells, and — notably — pickup height. Set it close to the strings for maximum output, or back it off for a cleaner, more headroom-friendly response. 250K pots are the recommended starting point, though DiMarzio notes that going 500K across the board, or pairing a 250K volume with the 1 Megohm EP1202, can push the tone toward extra twang without losing the core character.
Introduced in 2009 and covered under patents 4,442,749 and 5,908,802, this is a purpose-built bridge pickup for the standard Telecaster bridge position — for players chasing PAF-flavored tone without giving up single-coil snap.
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