Description
DiMarzio built the PAF 36th Anniversary Neck (DP103BK) by studying what actually made the best late-50s humbuckers special: a deliberately weak magnetic field that lets strings ring out longer while keeping the attack articulate, almost single-coil-like in its definition. Rather than cloning an old pickup, DiMarzio reverse-engineered the formula using Larry DiMarzio’s own ’59 Les Paul as the benchmark, then recreated that low-output, high-clarity magnetic behavior with computer-controlled winding of 42-gauge wire and a nickel-silver cover that’s more magnetically transparent than vintage originals. The result is smooth without going muddy, and it holds up whether you run it in the neck or bridge position.
On the bridge side sits the Norton (DP160FBK), voiced in F-spaced trim for guitars with wider string spacing at the bridge. It splits the difference between DiMarzio’s FRED and Tone Zone — you get some of FRED’s edgy harmonic bite plus the midrange muscle of the Tone Zone, using the same dual-resonance winding approach found in both. It’s hotter and bigger-sounding than a vintage-style bridge pickup but stops short of full distortion-humbucker territory, which is why DiMarzio considers it one of their most versatile bridge options. It pairs naturally with lower-output neck pickups like the PAF 36th Anniversary, PAF Pro, Air Norton, or Air Classic.
- DP103BK PAF 36th Anniversary Neck: 4-conductor wiring (1-conductor optional), Alnico 5 magnet, 250mV output, 7.31 kOhm DC resistance
- DP160FBK Norton Bridge (F-Spaced): 4-conductor wiring, Alnico 5 magnet, 352mV output, 12.62 kOhm DC resistance
- Both finished in black
- Includes a free set of D’Addario EXL110+ Regular Light Plus strings
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