Dimarzio PAF Pro.The forgotten original Ibanez JEM and Paul Gilbert Humbucker.Perfect for metal?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 เม.ย. 2024
- This is a follow up on a video I made about medium output Humbucker pickups when using high gain...and the Dimarzio PAF PRO is my all time favourite. Released in 85 and designed to cut through a high gain, high FX 80s mix, it's perfect for modern high gain tones...less bass, more mids, more treble...check this out
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PAF Pro as a bridge pickup is completely overlooked. It's my favorite Dimarzio humbucker--no question.
I agree!👍
Spread the word of the PAF Pro!
Absolutely... it's just so great for cutting through the mix. And it's been a bit forgotten... Probably because it's classed as a medium output pickup...and everyone seems to want all the output
Absolutely, it's such a great pickup, the way it cuts through the mix even when using a lot of gain is great
Been doin that since 1991! 🤘
PAF Pros are awesome! I'm thinking about throwing one in an hss strat.
Great video! Thank you!🤘
I definitely hear what you are talking about. I listen to an old recording that I did in my early 20’s and I heard that sound. Yep a PAFPro. Great sound. I always struggle to get the perfect rhythm sound and the perfect lead sound out of the same pickup
Anyone else really like that "wha pedal stopped in the middle" Michael Schenker lead tone the PAF pro can get?
Oh absolutely
The PAF pro is the perfect pickup for those who want to pile on tons of gain and play at very high volumes yet retain treble clarity. It's perfect for the era of hot rodded Marshall OD channel + distortion pedal as a booster. It will always have that distinctive treble bit and "clickiness" when picking hard. There's a video out there of Paul Gilbert using his blue PGM with pink PAF pros that demonstrates the tone perfectly. For bedroom players like myself, I tend to prefer a very hot pickup such as the evolution so I can get the sustain and sensitivity Im looking for at low volumes.
Yeh I know what you mean, I've the Evolutions in a Korean Jem 555, they are very easy to play, the Seymour Distortion" is the same in that respect. Very balanced, I had some Dimarzio Gravity Storm in a Floral Jem, they were very nice, very balanced , not too bright, quite mid focused too
Someone recently recommended to me a combination of the SD in the bridge and the Evo in the neck. Do you think that would work in an old Ibanez?
@@lionelhutz3170 evo in the neck is good, quite hot so you do need to screw it down a bit to balance with the bridge, if I remember right, the Evo is based on the SD, more top end though, the Evo 2 is a bit less "hifi" , I loved the Gravity Storm when I had a floral Jem . Less output than the Evo, similar to the PAF Pro but "creamy"
Totally agree with you my friend. Nice video andnice channel !!!
Thank you so much
Paf pro's have always been my go to pickup. Got them in all of my strats.
Not because they are the best or anything, im sure there are better things out there. But they are great and if you buy two, they both will sound identical. Plus they work very well with my single coils.
Ontop of that they are THE most common pickup you'll find with F-Spacing for floyd guitars.
That's very true, they go great with single coils and even the position 2 and 4 on HSH guitars because they stay balanced with the single coil in the bridge and neck.
I bought an RG550 back in late '87 and when the PAF Pro's came out I got one and installed it (my guitar shop did it actually) and it sounded so much better than the stock pickups. Years later after I had sold the RG I got a Jem FP which also had PAF Pro's and sounded amazing. Some 30 years later and there's a pair of them in a drawer of my desk and they need to have the wires sorted out so I can get them on my newest RG550. Thanks for the incentive to sort them out :)
Oh nice, old PAF Pros ..even better. I always feel older ones seem to mellow or just lose any spikiness over time
@@Fergieguitar all you have to do is replace the stock A5 on any new PAF Pro with a unoriented A5 to get the sound the old ones get. 👍
The unoriented A5 has less magnet pull so it smooths the high end a touch getting rid of any spikiness. cost about $8 for the magnet but be careful
when swapping them.
This is interesting! I’ve just bought a late 90s RG550 and want to replace the pickups. I had considered the PAF Pro for the neck…
@@lionelhutz3170 The Paf Pro is a great neck pickup especially if using a hot bridge humbucker, it's not muddy at all, Super Distortion in the Bridge and PAF Pro neck is great
@@lionelhutz3170 My '91 RG550 has dual PAF pro's and a HS-2 in the middle and it sounds amazing. I prefer the PAF pro in both neck and bridge but sometimes will use a FRED in the neck.
I've been using DiMarzios since I began playing guitar in the mid 80s. I've used many models and still do. But I began using the PAF Pro after trying one on a friend's Charvel in '86. I popped one into my Kramer and loved it. It had way more clarity than the Duncan JB that came stock in the Kramer. The PAF Pro, Double Whammy, Super Distortion, X2N and MegaDrive were the pickups I used when playing shreddy guitar on the Sunset Strip in L.A. in the 80s. But I leaned very much towards the PAF Pro. I also loved the Fred, which was the first Satriani model, but not as adaptable as the PAF Pro. I also began using the Tone Zone when that was released in '91 and played a gig at The Roxy with a Tone Zone in my Charvel. It sounded amazing through my Boogie. I also love the Norton, Air Zone and Steve's Special. But my main guitar has a Tone Zone in the bridge, and that's a Squier. It sounds perfect. Now, on the issue of lower output pickups and modern high gain amps, they go very well together. I remember when I had my Boogie and I played PAF Pros and Freds through it and how great it sounded, with the clarity of those pickups through that amp. Amazing tones. I think for most placers a PAF Pro is perfect, and I mean for any style from metal to jazz. Most players have absolutely no need for a high output pickup. I'm not saying high output pickups don't have their place, but considering how much gain even the average amp has, you can get by and get a better tone with a PAF Pro than a flamethrowing Duncan Distortion or DiMarzio X2N. Good video!
Thank you, that's exactly my thoughts, too hot a pickup, too much gain and it may sound amazing in the bedroom but live.... it's Mush. Great reply and what a place to play.
I am a PAF pro user in all my RG guitars and am 100% happy with them but some players want a bit more lows and warmth so the BREED neck model or the DOULBLE WHAMMY is a good option.
They were in Satriani's earlier models, also. I had a JS6000 (hardtail, mahogany body with oil finish) . It had the PAF pro in the bridge and the FRED in the neck. This model was made in 94.
I remembered the PAF Joe and the the Fred...very cool guitar.
What makes me laugh is when i tried the MO' JOE the Satchur8 i said man he is going further and further from what i love about
The PAF Pro and even the Fred to some degree. IMHO the FRED is still close enough to a PAF Pro where i will use one. but those others are way too far off the mark of what makes the PAF pro and FRED great!
@@Fergieguitar Have you ever tried a FRED in the neck? KILLER neck tone! way better than a Air norton IMHO. Has that paul giblert
neck tone when he used a super II (wired in parallel) years back.
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 I only tried one in a music shop when I was looking to fit a full set of pickups into a Yamaha RGX 321fp but got offered a mega deal on Seymour Duncan 59s I went for those, they were actually a really nice set too, not too hot, just behaved well for everything.
Works good for Trey Azagthoth.
And with JCM 800 marshalls... can't remember the boost but probably a Pro co Rat....old school stacking.
@@Fergieguitar JCM 900 4100 and a rackmount Rat.
@@0421072 oh nice, I remembered something about a Rat being used, nice to see some JCM900 love, I like it, especially with a eq in the fx loop to add a bit of thump. They were going cheap for a while but I think the prices are on the up but still good prices compared to a jcm800
TREY! 🤘
Got a loose PAF Pro. I'm debating on putting it in an Aristides 060 (a hyper modern guitar made of a composite material with lots of inherent sub-bass when played unplugged). The guitar has a HXX electronics set-up. I'm looking for that cut and clarity that you speak of. I've got a Diezel VH4 preamp pedal running through a power amp with modest reverb and chorus on at the same time. I'm looking to play complex 6 note chords gained out with the aforementioned effects, at least at times. My EMG 81X isn't cutting it and this video has helped sell me on this switch which I've been contemplating for a while now. Thanks!
Excellent, please let me know how you get on with the swap.
Paf Pro and Paf Joe is my all time favorite humbuckers. But I think the Paf Pro is to bright as a bridge pickup. It's a little sterile sounding in the bridge and it's hard to pair it with a neck pickup without turning the neck pickup muddy. I think Fred or Mo Joe is better suited for the bridge.
The first satriani Ibanez sig guitars had dual PAF pro's as well. 🤘
On Passion and Warfare Vai used PAF Pros on his six strings and Blaze prototypes for his seven strings which are identical to the Steve's Special although for seven strings. The Steve's Special is a six-string version of the Blaze. A great pickup with a lot of clarity for a high output pickup because the mids are dialed back. It's worth trying. BTW the Steve's Special are named for DiMarzio engineer Steve Blucher who has designed many of their best pickups, not after Steve Vai.
All of my Ibanez Rg's Have the PAF pro in the neck and bridge. My 3120 prestige came with the pro In the neck spot but had a tone zone in the bridge position so I replaced it with a PAF pro. I have been asked why took the tone zone out? To be honest the pro just feels And responds a lot better to me plus like you mentioned i do not like a mega amount of low end coming from the pickup. The pro has just enough bottom to move air but not get muddy.
Perfect, the Tone Zone is really dark, ok if you're above the 12th fret but it doesn't cut in the mix. Thanks for all the comments, it's great to read so much enthusiasm and from the same era I started using them.
@@Fergieguitar I much prefer the Bridge Dimarzio in my EBMM Axis over a TZ which to me is the "perfect Tone zone".
Funny thing is it beat the Tone zone when it was chosen for VH's sig guitar. They were down to two dimarzio's, The TZ and the AXIS bridge p'u and
eddie went with the axis one,so that is why i call it the perfect "Tone zone". It has the balls and harmonic's and more of the power of a TZ but more clarity and definition. I would say it is like a PAF pro- Tone zone hybrid. right in the middle of those two. I will never even consider replacing it in the axis guitar.
The neck axis pickup which is a lot like a Air Norton is OK but i like the PAF Pro or a Fred in the neck a lot more. I just leave it there because it is
a very expensive guitar and want to keep it 100% stock in case i ever have to sell it,
Great video! I bought a paf pro to be in the neck together with a super 3. I found it a little too muddy for my taste in the neck. I swapped to a humbucker from hell and hit home in the neck. I've saved the paf pro to be installed in the bridge for another guitar. After listening to a lot of demos I am starting to think the Paf Pro might be the bridge pickup I've been looking for. I tune to drop B and play through and ENGL e650 with maxon od808 in front. I don't need a lot of output from my pickups. I am always looking for clarity, dynamics and a tight sound for expressive riffing. I lower the height on the super 3 quite a lot so I figure maybe I should swap it for the paf pro.
That will work well in the Engl, it's not the most scooped Engl but still got that voicing, I'm actually hoping to pick up one of those amps next month on my way to Germany...the PAF Pro will certainly cut the bass and up the mids/ top.
@@Fergieguitar Cool! Same model? I actually ordered a breed neck pup to try in the bridge as well. Heard it is supposed to be a slightly beefier paf pro. If the transition from super 3 to paf pro is to steep :D
@@rickardmoller7824 yes, E650 Blackmore signature...to go better with the PAF pro, try the Gravity Storm. I had those in a Premium Ibanez Jem...very nice warm pickup, rolls off well too
I'm between a PAF PRO or a SUPER DISTORTION for the bridge pick up, my influences are marty friedman, paul gilbert, steve vai, etc, bands like megadeth, x japan, mr.big xyz, that said, which pick up would you recommend I use?
Ohh both are good but very different, for a darker tone the Super Distortion had serious thud, PAF has punch and clarity. I think to cover from Gilbert to petrucci, you need 2 very different tones, I'd favour Super Distortion for more modern Vai, Dream Theater but watch the gain levels. I'd maybe look at the Evo, it's got clarity and power.
Well 2 of those guys used the PAF pro(Paul Gilbert, Steve vai) Personally I think you can get the PAF pro to sound anyway you want it to. I play Everything from clean Jazz to Death Metal on it I can't do that with a super distortion
As to what you were saying about the Tone Zone having flubby low end, I'd say in midwood guitars they can be flubby. Also they work best in strat scale. For me they are idea in bright, thin sounding strat style guitars, and this is how I've used them since 1991. In the right guitar they are perfect, but it is not adaptable in the way a PAF Pro is.
Thank you so much for this video! Great information, helps a lot!!!
I got an old Ibanez SA-160, Mahogany body, quite thin. I like this guitar, so I want to get a new pickup for it. I think about putting a PAF pro in it, but I'm not sure, if it works with the thin mahogany-body. And I ask myself, if the Dimarzio FRED would be a better choice... suggestions anybody? ;-)
I've an S series..well Egen18tvm, either is good, it really depends on the amp and gain levels, for me the PAF pro is great in high gain compressed American voiced amps that can be a bit boxy, but can be very bright into a Marshall type...but great in a band mix
I bought a new USA Charvel and it came with a PAF Pro(neck) and Super Distortion(bridge). The PAF Pro is by far the best pickup I’ve ever played. For leads and rhythm. Now I want to try one in the bridge…
The output is a lot lower but in real world use, you won't have any issues especially with a lot of gain. The MDS and highs will make it slice through ..I do like the Dimarzio super distortion but it's dark.
@@Fergieguitar One of the many great things about the PAF Pro is since it has such a balanced EQ you can use it with any body wood.🤘
Vai's P&W is all PAF pro for the Jem stuff and Blaze custom for his 7 string Universe. The EVO's did not come out until "sex and religion".
I remeber that era so well, watching Vai and Satch on TV at EXPO 92, it was so rare to see them on UK TV, I think I still have the video tape of that concert, I then seen Vai live supporting Aerosmith in 93 in Glasgow....that's when I 1st seen the original EVO..it looked so new!!
@@Fergieguitar BTW, you were correct Vai's Charvel "Green meanie" definitely had PAF Pro's. He recorded Crossroads(the movie where he is Jack Butler)
and all the Roth stuff with that Charvel. You can hear the PAF pro's on DLR's "eat em and smile" and "skyscraper"
One thing I wanted to mention was that the PAF Pro was the perfect combo for the first-generation Jem. I remember when I first played a Jem and heard how well the set worked. I prefer Vai's tone from that era much more than his modern tone which is way too distorted and hot. I was never into the Evo pups. Just not my cup of tea. Too hot and spiky.
I've got them in my JEM 555 and they are ok but I put the Evo2 into another Ibanez, it's nice, halfway between the PAF pro and the Evo....rolls off nicely and warm. But yeh, the early Vai stuff was "spanky"
@@Fergieguitar The Evo 2 is better than the Evo so far as my ears are concerned. I like the Gravity Storm and Dark Matter 2 sets. What I mainly use these days are the Tone Zone, Air Zone and Norton, and also a Super Distortion.
@@angusorvid8840 I do like the Evo2 but seems a bit forgotten
The "paf" pick up is funny. Normally companies name a pick up because of the artist it's designed for or what it was designed to do for a player i.e. Super Distortion or Tone Zone.. However the PAF Pro is the definition of laziness without apologies in product naming. Patent Applied For..... One of the most known and popular pick up with the most boring and blatantly unimaginative name will live forever... Whomever named that pick up will go down in history proving you don't need to be a "go getter" and be hard worker to have success
Maybe they need an update version...the Dimarzio PG...folk will assume it's a Paul Gilbert signature...but actually..."Patent Granted" 😁 You're right though ..its from an era before big marketing and snake oil spin
When i spoke to Steve Blucher about the history of the PAF pro he told me they named it PAF Pro because it is a tweaked DP-103 PAF they already made and sold. The guitar player Bill Conners(guitar player for Return to forever) wanted a DP -103( PAF) that could cut through a lot of effects in the signal chain and would have a tight Bottom with a Medium output and good presence. The definition and clarity of a Pro is as good as a EMG 81! Steven vai put a set in his Charvel "Green meanie" after he found out about them from Blucher, Satch was next to put them in his ibanez and then Paul Gilbert found out about them
and used them with Mr Big live with the exception of one guitar(the blue PGM with pink F-holes) that one had a Tone zone in the bridge but the rest of his PGM's all had dual PAF Pros.
I don't think it's a bad name for a guitar pickup. The paf pro is the paf pro and I like it as is. It speaks for itself.
@@bence42 I agree! 👍