[george homme]

O.k I have a guitar which has the following specs

Alder with maple top Tele Body - Bolt on and Maple neck two hum buckers configuration and vintage 2 point tremolo bridge 25.5 scale. Also note that the hum buckers are body mounted in to the wood...no pick guard.

Its going to be my main instrument as currently I don t have another guitar.

So my question is this..

Which Pickup set its going to be more versatile for this guitar.?

1. DMZ Virtual Hot Paf (Bridge) + 36th Anniv. (Neck)

or

2. DMZ AT-1 DP224 (Bridge) + 36th Anniv. (Neck)

By versatile I mean a guitar that can handle Clean, Crunch, Mid gain and high gain as good as possible.....My style is Blues to Hard rock (i.e Van Halen - Alice in Chains)

[greenlion]

I really liked the Virtual Hot PAF, but did not like the AT-1 at all (although I do like Andy Timmons' tone a lot). I wish they still made the Virtual Hot PAF. I think it will be much more versatile and will mesh with the 36th neck better.

[jazzfromhell]

I really liked the Virtual Hot PAF, but did not like the AT-1 at all (although I do like Andy Timmons' tone a lot). I wish they still made the Virtual Hot PAF. I think it will be much more versatile and will mesh with the 36th neck better.

+100

[darkbluemurder]

Having both pickups I would also say that the Virtual Hot PAF is more versatile. It's always easier to boost a signal than to cut it, and it is always easier to remove highs than to add them.

Cheers Stephan

[DarthPhineas]

I'd also go with the VHPAF. The AT-1 can be a little softer.

The VHPAF can be a little hard to find, but the 36th Anniv Bridge is really close.

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Having both pickups I would also say that the Virtual Hot PAF is more versatile.

Completely disagree.  Have had plenty of both in various guitars, still have a VPAF in one guitar although I switched mags to A3.  Still have AT-1s in LOTs of guitars.

AT-1 much more versatile, covers more styles well.  VHPAF is just that... A PAF.  Like most PAFs, it can be RAGING BRIGHT in a lot of guitars unless your amp is very dark, in which case your neck bucker would be a blob of mud.  In a bolt on maple board Tele, I'd expect the VHPAF to be really, really bright, even with 250k volume.

[darkbluemurder]

If the OP had asked which pickup balanced better with a neck humbucker I would have recommended the AT-1 in a heartbeat but that wasn't his question. Personally I would also choose the AT-1 over the VHPAF in this application for the exact same reasons you stated.

To get more versatility out of the AT-1 to me would necessitate to set up the guitar for alternative wirings for the bridge pickup. If the OP is open to that I agree that AT-1 would be more versatile than the VHPAF since the greater output makes a better foundation for split and parallel options.

Cheers Stephan

[headcrash]

I would also recommend AT-1, since a PAF style pickup in bridge position can be too quiet for a similar neck pickup.
Plus, in a guitar like the Tele of the OP a AT-1 will sound best for crunch to higain. I personally do like it for cleans and semi cleans, since it is not as shrill as many (PAFish) bridge humbuckers. All in all AT-1 is not as far awayfrom a PAF sound in general, it just isn't as glassy and will sound fuller. It does VH brown tones with ease!

In one of my guitars I have a AT-1 in bridge, which I can switch to parallel. This is a great sound, not single coilish at all, just a bit thinner and lower in output. Works great for crunch and mid gain sounds.

[rumblebox]

I really liked the Virtual Hot PAF, but did not like the AT-1 at all (although I do like Andy Timmons' tone a lot). I wish they still made the Virtual Hot PAF. I think it will be much more versatile and will mesh with the 36th neck better.

My experience exactly. The AT-1 only sounded good almost touching the strings and got honkey as i backed it away trying to lower the output. I tried it because i love andy's tone, but i exchanged it for an Air Norton and I'm  completely satisfied. It acts like a very over-wound PAF type.

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[darkbluemurder]

It acts like a very over-wound PAF type.

Just to make it clear, you are referring to the Norton, not the AT-1, correct?

Thanks, Stephan

[rumblebox]

It acts like a very over-wound PAF type.

Just to make it clear, you are referring to the Norton, not the AT-1, correct?

Thanks, Stephan

Yes

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