[ijustwntit]

I know the VHPAF isn't a pickup that gets brought up often these days, but does anyone here have hands-on experience comparing the old DP214 Virtual Hot PAF with the DP223 36th Anniversary PAF bridge?

[greenlion]

I've played them both, but not in the same guitar type. I loved the Virtual Hot Paf (run with a 300k pot) in a strat bridge. I tried the 36th bridge in a Les Paul and a PRS SE. Compared to the Seth Lover Bridge and Whole Lotta humbucker bridge, the 36th doesn't impress me. I like the 36th neck better than the bridge. The 36th bridge is definitely not a "replacement" for the Virtual Hot Paf like they said. Its a completely different sound and feel.

[slugworth]

Yes, completely different pickups. The VHPAF is more loose and fat. The 36th bridge is more old school.

I like the 36th better overall, but IMO the differences between them make them suited for different applications. I love the 36th bridge, but I wouldn't choose it to play hard rock or metal. And if I'm going for fat, I'd pick an Air Zone over the VHPAF.

[ijustwntit]

Thanks for the responses so far!

Would you say one has more output and "sizzle" than the other?  As in, would either the VHPAF or the 36th be better at those "sweet, but rude" ZZ Top (i.e. Duncan Pearly Gates) type tones? 

Have either of you played a Duncan '78, by chance?

[greenlion]

I wouldn't say that either of them is exactly ZZ-top sizzle. I remember the Vhot being a little more chewy in the middle like a Duncan CustomCustom (which is similar to the 78 in a way) I don't remember much sizzle from the 36th. It reminded me of a more balanced less fuzzy Duncan 59 with more mids. The pearly gates bridge is brighter than either of these but it does have the sizzle you are talking about. The 78 is out of my price range, but I'd like to try it one day.

[greenlion]

I looked up what I had said about the 36th back when I had it installed:

I hear really present highs, very bright. Tight but not very fat lows and fairly bland midrange. The neck has a slightly woody tone, but the bridge does not. My hollowbody is a fairly well balanced guitar and my PRS is a very warm sounding guitar ( I had them in 2 guitars). The 36th PAFs sounded very similar in both.

I also commented at the time that is was as bright as my 59 bridge, although that is not the way I remember it now...

I stopped using the VHotPaf when Dimarzio discontinued them because I wanted to have my backup strat set up the same way, and I couldn't find one. I use the Duncan CustomCustom now in combination with 2 Fat 50's single coils, all run with a 300k volume pot and 250k tone.

[LPBII]

As far as the 36th being as bright as the Pearly Gates, I would say yes. Bright and tight (for a PAF) is how I describe the 36th. The 36th in the Bridge is not thin though. As far as output, the 36th does have more than the avarage PAF but not quite as much as the Pearly Gates as I remember them. I would say the Pearly Gates compares more closely to the PAF Pro or the Fred in output. DiMarzio says that the 36th is as loud or louder as the VHPAF, but other say no its not.

[greenlion]

I think of "loud" as a function of your amp's volume knob, not the pickup, but I remember the Vhot being noticeably hotter and more aggressive than the 36th. I bought the 36th hoping it would be a good replacement for the Vhot and one thing that disappointed me a bit was its lack of power in comparison.

[bubs_42]

Sorry bump and old thread, but I was not impressed at all with the Dimarzio 36th. I do however like the old Vintage Dimarzio PAF's that I have had in my Hamer Guitars in the past. So I purchased some NOS Dimarzio Virtual PAF's. A Neck and a HOT Bridge. Does anyone remember how the EQ graph went on both pickups?

[rockroll@7]

Does anyone on this thread or someone viewing this have a Dimarzio Virtual Hot Paf they should sell me for the bridge position regular spaced? 

[DarthPhineas]

When I spoke to DiMarzio about this a month or so ago, they are still taking special orders for the VHPAF in regular spacing.