[jazzfromhell]

Hey guys, been away from this board for awhile but I'm coming back with a burning question (see topic title).
I've joined a Maiden tribute band ('80-'88) just for fun and I'm doing Adrian. A SD in the bridge is a given and I'd like a nice neck pickup to go with it. The catch: I have the PAF Pro and the Super 2 in other guitars and they obviously work great for this. However I'd like to try a Dimarzio I've never used before. I like the output/"gain feel" to be the same when I switch between pickups so I'm thinking Evo Neck. Am I way off? Is there something else I should try? I haven't been keeping up with the latest developments.
Cheers,
/kristian

[BluesJam]

The truth is Adrian probably uses vintage Fenders and Gibsons when recording.  Stage guitars are probably EQ’d with Fractals or the like.  His Jackson use a Super D in a H/S/S configuration.  Humbucker from Hell and the Eric Johnson Humbucker have some single coil tones.  Maiden guitars has a lot of focused mid range and cuts through the mix.   Obviously, you cannot duplicate that with pickups alone. 

[Slartibartfarst]

I think your problem is that Adrian is a Blues player at heart and likes his guitars to have variety between positions, so for the neck, you really need something like a PAF. Unfortunately, the PAF Pro is undoubtedly the best choice. If you want to try something that is similar but different, I would suggest taking a look at the Fred pickup.

[BluesJam]

Fred is based off the PAF Pro and gives a bump in mid range. 

You could also try a .001, .002, or .003 capacitor in parallel to get a bit more midrange voice out of the Pro.  You can get push pull or an on/off/on mini switch to change the mid-range hump of your pickups. (Less pronounced cocked wah sound)   The capacitor mod cuts with distortion.

[jazzfromhell]

Thanks guys.
You're right, I should probably just go with the PAF Pro. Why fix something if it ain't broken?
Cheers!

[buddroyce]

It's a tried and true pickup!