Dimarzio PAF 36th Anniversary DP223 Review
- Barış Şahin
- Apr 11
- 11 min read
Dimarzio PAF 36th Anniversary DP223 Review
We can safely say that the flagship among DiMarzio’s PAF-style pickups is the PAF 36th Anniversary DP223. I remember it stirred up quite a bit of debate on various forums when it was first released. Especially on the Duncan forum, I recall reading plenty of harsh comments. And if my memory serves me right, there were lots of posts insisting that “this isn’t what a PAF should be,” or “PAF pickups are not supposed to be built like that,” often listing the qualities a true PAF is supposed to have.
On top of that, one of my favorite DiMarzios—the Virtual Hot PAF—was being discontinued around the same time, possibly because of the release of the 36th Anniversary model. Back then, I have to admit, I kept my distance from the PAF 36th for quite a while, both because of what I’d read and due to my own Virtual Hot PAF fanboyism, lol. Over the last few years, on the other hand, I’d been trying to get one in my collection and in my experience, and only recently was I finally able to achieve so. Here are my measurements, impressions, thoughts, comparison with modded V7 and magical Virtual Hot PAF…
The Test Guitar
My PAF 36th still sits in the bridge of my hand-made Ibanez Js/Radius formed guitar that has a lightweight korina body, a Q-sawn one-piece Honduran mahogany neck in a chunky neck profile (very similar to the Gibson R8 necks), Pau Ferro fretboard, Hantug made titanium alloy fixed bridge, 25” scale, Jescar 55090 (narrow tall) stainless steel frets, CTS 500K long shaft pots, and Jim Dunlop DESBN1052 Super Bright 10/52 Strings tuned half step down. The guitar has a Dimarzio PAF from late 70s in the neck. Its essence (unplugged) tone ranges from balanced to warm.
Although the shape of the guitar is Ibanez JS, the tonal design aimed for a Gibson LP or SG. Therefore, the guitar has a distinct nasal sound due to both the selected woods and the scale. Anticipating the clarity issues on the neck found in some guitars with 24.5” or 24.75” scales, I envisioned the PRS scale to be more favorable. As a result, the guitar combines the comfort of the Ibanez JS/Radius series with the sound of a Gibson LP/SG.
Evaluation
Let’s read the desciption first, as always;
“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 our PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge we 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. We re-engineered the PAF using our 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. We duplicated the weaker magnetic field in order to allow the strings to vibrate longer, as well as focus and articulate the attack and output. We use computer-controlled winders to consistently layer the 42-gauge custom-coated wire, achieving the exact frequency response we want. Then it’s dipped in our custom formula to eliminate squeal and microphonics. The cover is made from nickel-silver and our 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. The PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge is hotter than the Neck. It is not only for set neck 24¾” scale guitars, but it’s also an excellent bridge pickup for trem-equipped bolt-ons. We’ll build the PAF 36th Anniversary any way you want it. Choose the bobbin style — vintage glossy or modern matte, the type of base — traditional, long-legged or standard, short-legged, and the type of cable — vintage single-conductor or 4-conductor. The PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge is available uncovered, and we also offer three types of covers — standard polished and plated, buffed with no plating, and our vintage worn cover that looks so authentic and broken in that you’ll swear it’s been hanging around since 1959.
The PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge model has the best qualities of the Virtual PAF bridge and Virtual Hot PAF pickups and then some. It's as loud as the Virtual Hot PAF, but has as much low-end and midrange definition as the Virtual PAF Bridge Model. The highs are actually bigger and smoother than either model. The 4-conductor version also splits very well. Single-coil mode is bright, but not at all sterile-sounding.”
…And, my measuremens are here;
Dimarzio PAF 36th Anniversary DP223
Magnet – Alnico 5
Advertised DCR: 8.60 K Ohm (Series)
Measured DCR: 9.01 K Ohm (Series)
Measured DCR: 4.50 K Ohm (Screw Coil)
Measured DCR: 4.48 K Ohm (Slug Coil)
Inductance @100Hz: 5.61 H (Series)
Inductance @100Hz: 2.39 H (Screw Coil)
Inductance @100Hz: 2.39 H (Slug Coil)
Measured C: -32.9nF (Series)/ -63.1nF (Screw Coil) / -64.8nF (Slug Coil)
Output: 285 Milivolts (advertised)
EQ (B/M/T) – 6/6.5/5 (old catalog data) 4/5.5/5.5/4 (official website)
Gauss: 270G screw, 240G slug (measured at top center of D&G pole pieces)
Patents: Virtual Vintage & Airbucker
Ambient Measurement Temperature: 22C
Visually examining the pickup, we can say that it looks like a typical humbucker—your standard, traditional humbucker form. However, if you inspect the coils under the right lighting, you can barely spot traces of Virtual Vintage slugs. Unlike a typical DiMarzio humbucker, it features a nickel-silver baseplate. Its polepiece screws are in standard size; almost the same found in classic PAF clones. Thanks to DiMarzio’s Airbucker technique, even though the pickup contains a long Alnico 5 magnet, the flux density I measured at the center of the pickup reads closer to Alnico 2 levels. In most humbuckers with an A5 magnet, I usually get a reading around 3000/380 Gauss. But here, the average is about 250 Gauss—roughly the same as many PAF clones that use an A2 magnet, as I mentioned earlier.
We know from the official specs that the coils are wound with AWG 42 wire. When we focus on the winding itself, we can see that the coils are evenly wound. In other words, there's no use of different gauge wire (dual resonance), nor is there any mismatching in the winding.
I don’t think describing the tonal character of the PAF 36th is all that difficult. At its core, you could say it has a fairly flat EQ curve. Not perfectly flat—there’s a good amount of bass, though it's not super tight (still tighter than Air Norton thou). To my ears, it leans quite a bit toward that Alnico 2 character, but it's not as spongy as many A2-equipped humbuckers can be. If I had to sum it up very roughly, I’d say it’s about 40% A5, 60% A2 in flavor. The highs are smooth and rounded—not harsh or edgy. Just smooth. The mids, however, are the main contributors to the pickup’s overall voice. The mids are pronounced—probably the most prominent part of the spectrum—but not overly so. There’s a slightly congested, nasal quality in the midrange, while you're not immediately thrown into “unavoidable Angus Young mode” either lol :) Plug your guitar to the crunch channel of your British style amp (or simulator, modeling whatever) and think of “Brown Sugar” of ZZ Top where you can check my demo video i’ve shared above.
Now let’s move on to a comparison with the Virtual Hot PAF (VHP)... (Click here to read my detailed review of the VHP.) The VHP is truly one of my all-time favorite medium-output bridge pickups. As I mentioned at the beginning, I spent years reading various comparisons between it and the PAF 36th. I remember how some people who loved VHP hated PAF 36th when it was first released. On top of that, DiMarzio’s own official recommendation was to use the DP223 instead of the VHP. So even though I maintained a biased distance for years, I’m now able to evaluate the PAF 36th completely independently of all those negative comments—and I have. I tried the PAF 36th. Is it better than the VHP? Flat-out, no. It’s not worse—but just different. And for personal reasons, I still find myself in the VHP camp. That said, the PAF 36th has a character all its own, and I’m genuinely glad it exists. I really liked it. However, when I look at things more broadly, clarity is an essential quality for me—and the VHP is definitely clearer than the PAF 36th. When it comes to the tune and depth of the highs, and the way harmonics jump out, the VHP gets the edge. Still, if I were to install a pickup in the bridge of a guitar that’s already fairly bright-sounding, I might actually choose the PAF 36th to help maintain tonal balance. Output values? PAF 36th has 285mV, Virtual Hot PAF has 265mV. But… As far as i remember, VHP sounded a little bit louder, on the very same guitar.
So how does it compare to the previous pickup in my guitar—the modded V7? As some of you might know, I really liked the Ibanez V7 in the bridge position after modding it with a roughcast Alnico 2 magnet. I even uploaded several demo videos about it to my YouTube channel. When it comes to mids, the modded V7 is way more pronounced. I once described it as a kind of "Junior JB," remember? In contrast, the PAF 36th has a much flatter EQ response—it’s more balanced across the spectrum. The modded V7 feels more focused and mid-forward. In terms of output, they’re actually quite close. Maybe the modded V7 is just a touch lower in output, but the difference isn’t drastic.
As for dynamic range and compression response... it's exactly how I like it. With everything wide open, there's a slight natural compression—but it’s never overbearing. You can still clearly hear how your picking style or finger technique comes through the amp in a really sweet, musical way. Especially when the amp is set just a bit past the edge of breakup, you really start to appreciate how responsive the pickup is to your picking dynamics. It opens up your phrasing palette in a noticeable way. Super satisfying to play.
For the output, i would put PAF 36th in the moderate output category. Because it feels that it has more balls than most of common 8-8,5K PAF bridge pickups.
When I think about how I feel about the DiMarzio PAF 36th and what its strongest points are... I think one of the first things I’d highlight is how well it responds to lower tunings. My test guitar was already tuned down a half step, and I have to say—the DP223 handled that tuning beautifully. Then I dropped the high E string another half step just to see how it would respond, and it still sounded great. It delivered some really sweet EVH-style aggressive brown tones—like the vibe you get on “Unchained”—with ease. That kind of punchy grind in lower tunings is something this pickup handles well.
Now, just because it shines in the styles I mentioned above doesn’t mean it falls short or becomes average in other genres. Like many humbuckers of this caliber (hot PAF class i mean), the PAF 36th is far from being “limited” when it comes to versatility. I have no doubt you'll enjoy the unique flavor it brings when your favorite powerful prog rock melodies or heavy rock riffs come to life through the DP223 on your guitar. It’s got the range to handle a lot more than just vintage-leaning tones.
Now let’s get to one of the more debated aspects of the PAF 36th: This pickup is called "PAF." But is it really a PAF? That question has sparked plenty of discussion. Here’s my take on it: I’ve never played an real, vintage PAF in my life. Moreover—there’s no single “PAF” pickup. They varied, you all know that. Magnets changed, DCRs varied, and so on. Every pickup maker out there has a particular PAF profile they’ve tried, liked, and decided to replicate. And truth be told, very few of the material components that make up an authentic PAF are actually present in DP223 pickup. But if you’ve read interviews with Larry DiMarzio or Steve Blucher, you’ll know that DiMarzio’s official approach has never been about recreating a vintage PAF through identical components. Their goal has been to achieve that era’s tones through modern materials and methods—to match the voice rather than the historical blueprint. In my view, the PAF 36th pulls that off—just like I pointed out in my review of the Air Classic Neck. Based on my own experience, the PAF 36th Bridge is a successful take on the PAF tone concept. That said, I can’t completely dismiss the critical voices either. If for you, a true PAF replica must include things like plain enamel wires, maple spacers and roughcast magnets, then yes—you probably won’t love the PAF 36th in theory. But if the tonal character I’ve described sounds like it might suit your guitar, I highly recommend giving it a try.
Alright, so what about the downsides of this pickup… Are there any? Honestly? İ can’t find of any :) Well, okay—sure, there are moments when I’ve thought, “What if it had just a bit more of that, less of this?” Like how about it would have a little more output (not much, maybe something in the ballpark of the PAF Pro) Or “What if it were just a touch clearer in the high end?” But at the end of the day, I wouldn’t actually want the PAF 36th to change. Because pickups like that do exist already. I wouldn’t want the PAF 36th to become something else—it’s great as it is, with its own unique character. Let the others do their thing—this one deserves to stay true to itself. Pick the pickup that fits your tonal needs, and let each one shine in its own lane.
The PAF 36th pairs particularly well with the vintage Dimarzio PAF (DP103) from the late 70s. I strongly believe that Air Classic neck will do fine, too. PAF 36th neck (modern DP103) is suggested by officials, since i haven’t tried one i can’t suggest or make you avoid. Moreover the Air Norton in the neck can fit well. On the other hand, generally speaking, lowerwind A2 neck humbuckers can suit fine like Alnico 2 Pro, Pearly Gates Neck etc.
Cleans? Pretty nice and sweet. I am the right expert to say solid words about it but i could achieved typical sweet clean tones in the favour of Slash, Duane Allman, Lynyrd Skynyrd etc. The clean tones of the guys played Les Pauls style…
Conclusion
I’d like to sum up the DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary Bridge with this phrase: “Modern PAF” It delivers nearly everything you’d expect tonally from a classic PAF-style bridge pickup, but with a healthy dose of modern refinement, thoughtful touches, and practical options. You can get the DP223 in all the colors and configurations DiMarzio offers—cover options included. And compared to many of its competitors, especially when you look at list prices, it’s noticeably more affordable. In today’s market, “more tone for less cost” is a pretty sweet deal. My test guitar has virtually SG/LP tones and i really did enjoyed. It’s a keeper. And i wished that i could have couple of more PAF36ths to try it out on my other guitars, especially on my fat strat. Because i believe its potential on the bridge position of HSS guitars. At the end of my test, my #1 is still “Virtual Hot PAF” yet i achieved a truely wonderful gem in my pickup culture. Thanks to Mr.Larry DiMarzio and his infamous cherry burst ’59 Les Paul :)
If you play rock or its subgenres, or southern rock, or blues rock, or power blues or something, or modernrock etc. I think it’s very unlikely that you won’t like the PAF 36th bridge. There is no reason i can think about.
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