Opinions on the Dimarzio PAF pro

[maiden_fan]

I was thinking about putting one in the bridge and neck of my RG.

This is only based on this clip that I think sounds badass.

Would it work with my JVM for a Maiden kind of tone?

 

[Everlone]

I had a PAF Pro in the neck of an IC300 Iceman. Sounded great... really smooth and thick. I think Dimarzios go great with Ibanez guitars. Just look at how many Ibanez signature models have Dimarzios in them. I also think it would be a good match with the JVM since it has so much gain and the PAF Pro isn't super hot. I bet it would sound great.

 

[jkdsteve]

Dimarzio PAFs pros sound fantastic in RGs...well at least the pink ones I had in my 80s RG did : .. tone is in the colour

 

[chunktone]

Don't really care for Dimarzio's, with the exception of the Fred. I really like those. The rest seem a bit grainy to me. Duncan's seem to have more clarity to my ear.

 

[ke2]

Don't really care for Dimarzio's, with the exception of the Fred. I really like those. The rest seem a bit grainy to me. Duncan's seem to have more clarity to my ear.

The Fred is supposedly a beefed-up PAF, according to DiMarzio.

"We designed FRED® to bump the mid-range of the PAF Pro® EQ up a notch, but in the process, something unusual happened. Harmonics that humbuckers usually don't reproduce started popping out, particularly with overdriven amps and distortion units. FRED® has about the same power as the PAF Pro®, but the unusual overtones create a sound with more crank and growl. Joe Satriani was the first player to discover and exploit these qualities, and it's been his main bridge pickup ever since. FRED® is really sensitive to changes in pick attack and control settings, and its distinctive tone makes a great recorded sound for both penetrating solos and tight rhythm tracks.
Tech Talk: The Fred® started out as a prototype designed to add a little midrange to the PAF Pro®. When we sent one of the first ones to Joe Satriani, he discovered and exploited a unique tonal characteristic - the Fred®'s ability to emphasize upper midrange and treble harmonics through an overdriven and distorted amp. Many standard humbuckers have a tendency to fatten up with distortion. The Fred® does the opposite; it gets tighter and brighter, much like a single-coil. Joe uses the Fred® strictly as a bridge pickup, but it's also a distinctive neck pickup - works really well with a Norton®, Tone Zone® or Evolution® bridge model"

I`m not too keen on the Fred, but I can see it working nicely in other settings than mine. If I could afford a new axe everytime I wanted another sound, I`d definitely keep it in one of my gtrs

 

[JTyson]

Don't really care for Dimarzio's, with the exception of the Fred. I really like those. The rest seem a bit grainy to me. Duncan's seem to have more clarity to my ear.

I agree, the Fred is one of the few humbuckers by them I liked

 

[guitarslinger]

INTERESTING. The Fred is one of the only aftermarket pickups I REALLY hated (Add the Semen Demon to that list).

That said, the PAF Pro is cool, but it's not stellar. I find it a little dark in the Neck position, and a little weak in the bridge position.

I think it would be awesome in the middle position of a HHH guitar.

In the Dimarzio line, I would go:

Bridge: Breed Bridge, Evo bridge,
Neck: PAF Classic, Air Classic, Virtual PAF, Humbucker from Hell