DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary Standard Neck Humbucker w/ Nickel Pole Pieces (Cream)

Here are the characteristics that make a great vintage humbucker: a soft magnetic field, sweet tone, perfect balance between warmth and clarity, the ability to go from clean to distorted by pick attack alone.

For the PAF® 36th Anniversary Neck they wanted to continue in the path of pioneers such as Seth Lover (designer of the original Patent Applied For humbucker) and create pickups that combine all of the characteristics of great vintage humbuckers. These pickups are not merely clones. They re-engineered the PAF® using patented technology and Larry DiMarzio’s own 1959 cherry sunburst Gibson® Les Paul® as the reference.

Larry’s Gibson® Les Paul® has a uniquely amazing sound and it’s not only due to the pickups — it’s the total fusion of many elements of the guitar itself. Although the pickups have a weak magnetic field, the sound is well defined: almost like a single-coil. They duplicated the weaker magnetic field in order to allow the strings to vibrate longer, as well as focus and articulate the attack and output. They use computer-controlled winders to consistently layer the 42-gauge custom-coated wire, achieving the exact frequency response they want. Then it’s dipped in their custom formula to eliminate squeal and microphonics.

The cover is made from nickel-silver and their new plating makes it more magnetically transparent than the originals. The PAF® 36th Anniversary Neck is smooth but not muddy. It performs equally well in the neck or bridge, just as the best humbuckers from the 50s did. They’ll build the PAF® 36th Anniversary any way you want it.

The PAF® 36th Anniversary Neck is available uncovered, and they also offer three types of covers: standard polished and plated, buffed with no plating, and their vintage worn cover that looks so authentic and broken in that you’ll swear it’s been hanging around since 1959.