Vintage Humbucker Pre-Wired Pickup Set

Includes DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary Neck humbucker and 36th Anniversary Bridge humbucker both with F-spacing*. Comes with complete wiring harness with solderless installation.

PAF 36th Anniversary humbuckers
Here are the characteristics that make a great vintage humbucker: a soft magnetic field, sweet tone, perfect balance between warmth and clarity, the ability to go from clean to distorted by pick attack alone. For the PAF 36th Anniversary humbuckers DiMarzio wanted to continue in the path of pioneers such as Seth Lover (designer of the original Patent Applied For humbucker) and create pickups that combine all of the characteristics of great vintage humbuckers.

These pickups are not merely clones. DiMarzio re-engineered the PAF using their patented technology and Larry DiMarzio's own 1959 cherry sunburst Les Paul as the reference. Larry's Les Paul has a uniquely amazing sound and it's not only due to the pickups - it's the total fusion of many elements of the guitar itself. Although the pickups have a weak magnetic field, the sound is well defined - almost like a single-coil. The weaker magnetic field is duplicated in order to allow the strings to vibrate longer, as well as focus and articulate the attack and output. DiMarzio uses computer-controlled winders to consistently layer the 42-gauge custom-coated wire, achieving the exact frequency response we want. Then it's dipped in our custom formula to eliminate squeal and microphonics. The cover is made from nickel-silver and our new plating makes it more magnetically transparent than the originals.

PAF 36th Anniversary Neck DP103
The PAF 36th Anniversary Neck is smooth but not muddy. It performs equally well in the neck or bridge, just as the best humbuckers from the 50s did. The PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge is hotter than the Neck. It is not only for set neck 24-3/4" scale guitars, but it's also an excellent bridge pickup for trem-equipped bolt-ons.


PAF 36th AnnIversary Bridge DP223
The DiMarzio DP223 PAF bridge position humbucker pickup uses new technology to duplicate the qualities of vintage electric guitar pickups--without sacrificing the presence and open sound of the best vintage humbuckers. This 36th anniversary PAF bridge pickup, a hotter version of the PAF, isn't just for set-neck 24-3/4" scale guitars, but is also an excellent bridge pickup for tremolo-equipped bolt-on neck guitars.

There was no such thing as a neck or bridge humbucker in the 1950s, but there was a wide range of performance between individual pickups that made some better suited to one position. Some of the old pickups had a lot of wire on the coils, which created more power and a warmer tone.

Want to go totally retro? The DiMarzio DP223 PAF Bridge pickup in standard spacing is also available with authentic vintage bobbins in glossy black, glossy double cream or glossy black and cream zebra; vintage "Patent Applied For" long-legged nickel-silver base, 1-conductor cable and your choice of polished and plated or vintage worn cover.

The 36th anniversary DiMarzio DP223 pickup is recommended for: Bridge position, can also be used in neck position with hotter bridge models.

Tech Talk: The DiMarzio PAF bridge pickup has the best qualities of the Virtual PAF bridge and Virtual Hot PAF pickups and then some. It's as loud as the VHPAF but has as much low-end and midrange definition as the VPAF bridge model. The highs are actually bigger and smoother than either model. The 4-conductor version also splits very well. Single-coil mode is bright, but not at all sterile-sounding.

*F-spaced humbuckers should be used in the bridge position on all guitars with string spacing at the bridge of 2.1" (53 mm) or greater. On these guitars, if the nut width is 1-11/16" (43 mm) or greater, F-spaced pickups can be used in the neck position as well.