The seemingly endless attempts of guitar and pickup makers to recapture the ‘golden era’ of pickup design and manufacture continues as DiMarzio launches its take on the original Gibson PAF 59 neck and bridge pickups.
Larry DiMarzio used his own 1959 Cherry Sunburst Les Paul for a reference, then applied the same materials as were used back in 1959. He says the PAF 59 Neck and Bridge models were built following an ‘old family recipe: We started with a 2-½-inch degaussed Alnico 5 magnet. The 42 AWG enamel wire coils are un-dipped and scatter wound. They’re tuned to capture the guitar’s voice and dynamics without colouring it’.
The PAF 59 Neck and Bridge models feature Double Cream butyrate bobbins on DiMarzio’s long-leg nickel/silver base plate.
‘The PAF 59 Neck model is very responsive, and harmonics leap out. Combined with the PAF® 59 Bridge model, it’s got that smooth, overdriven, classic arena rock sound,’ the company says. ‘Like the vintage “Patent Applied For” pickups, the PAF® 59 Bridge model has perfect harmonic range with exactly the right amount of oomph. It has a subtle roll off on the top end that sweetens the highs in the bridge position’.
Info: www.dimarzio.com.