[DarthPhineas]

I was looking for PAF pickups with a little extra output, to play classic and Hard Rock. Aerosmith, Guns & Roses, Pearl Jam, etc... for the neck I would like being able to get some Gary moore tones.

Check out the Duncan Antiquity humbuckers, Greenie humbuckers, and Seth Lover humbuckers.

[perrygoround]

Hi, thanks a lot for your recommendations.
However, I need to say that a few years ago I tried -on a different guitar- a pair of Seth Lovers that didn't do it for me. Tone was ok, but I found them a bit low in output for my taste -although it could have been the guitar's fault, not the pickups-. I changed them to somebody for a pair of Whole Lotta Humbuckers and those were just awsome.
In fact, what I want is something that can work on this guitar as good as the Whole Lotta Humbuckers are working in the other guitar while being slightly different; so I can have two different flavors. That's why I though I should be going for the DiMarzio route. I thought I could find something in their cataloge that is on the ballpark of the WLH output and tonewise while sounding slightly different because of the different manufacture.

[DarthPhineas]

There’s a knob or two on the front of the amp that handles output.

[perrygoround]

Hi, I do appreciate that you had taken your time to respond to my enquiry, and also I appreciate your deep knowledge on all things pickups. I have come across your blog a few times, so I know how valuable is your expertise in this area.
However, I was not looking for pickup recommendations, but for specific information about this particular set of DiMarzio pickups (DP194 and DP195, PAF classics neck and bridge). As they are not being produced anymore it is difficult to find info, reviews or videos about them.

Now that you are suggesting some vintage sounding Seymour Duncan pickups, I would like to ask you a very specific question. How would you compare this set (DP195-194) with Duncan Pickups? What would be the closest sounding? Maybe the 59s or the A2P?

Again, thanks for taking some of your time is replying to my questions

[DarthPhineas]

Depends on the era you get them from. If you can get a set of the 59 Models made in the 80s or early 90s, I think you’d be happy. The current production models lack the character, in my opinion.

The ones I mentioned were all intended to be suggestions for the tones you are trying to nail.

A possible DiMarzio option is the 36th anniversary set, but I think the 103 in the neck could be a little more lively. Give the Classics a try and see how they work for you.

You can also call DiMarzio tech support and chat with a cat named Eric. Run your scenario past him and he should be able to line you out well. 

[perrygoround]

Hi, and thanks again.
I will install the pickups tomorrow and try them over the weekend. I hope I will be satisfied. If after some time I found I am not 100% happy, I will give a try to some of your suggestions.
All the best!

[DavidSchwab]

I don't know how much of a premium you would fetch for the older dimarzios. No idea if there's anything special about them. I mean I'd assume that a Super Distortion from the 70's would sound the same as a Super Distortion that was just freshly wound by dimarzio.

Well, it wouldnt sound the same, that much I'm sure of. Every pickup undergoes changes with aging, and mostly for the better in regard to vintage PAF's..

I’ve had some very early patent label Gibson humbuckers, so essentially PAFs. They weren’t that special. And I fact they came out of a ‘58 Les Paul that had been converted to humbuckers. The owner replaced them with these original DiMarzio PAFs, which were much better sounding pickups. This was in 1976.

Pickups don’t age. Not in a good way. Old plain enamel wire can develop cracks in the insulation which leads to shorts. People speculate that magnets age, but they really don’t.

And back then Gibson used whatever magnets or screws that were available. As long as the pickup worked it was good enough.

Everything else is in people’s imagination.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[perrygoround]

So, last saturday I finally installed the neck pickup (PAF Classic DP194). On the bridge I put some other pickup I had around (Suhr Thornbucker).
Happy with both. At first I though that the DiMarzio, even though an improvement in tone from the original Gibson 490R, was a bit muddy, specially compared with the bridge pickup. Then I realized that I had the neck tone control rolled halfway back. So it is great right now, and apparently both pickups (the DP194 and the Suhr) are a good match too. However, I have only tried at home and moderate volumes by now.
But I feel the improvement from the stock pickups. Now the guitar sounds how I like it to sound.