Vintage Dimarzio PAF Review
- Barış Şahin
- Jun 20
- 9 min read
As most of us probably know, PAF pickups primarily refer to the humbuckers Gibson manufactured between 1957 and 1960 relatively. Today, countless variations and replicas of these pickups are made by virtually every pickup manufacturer. In other words, everyone has their own take on the PAF :) DiMarzio, on the other hand, was one of the first companies to introduce their PAF-style pickups to the market back in the 1970s. The pickup featured in this review is one of those vintage copies made during that era (from mid to late 70s). Let's see what someone from the modern world hears when they plug it in... Let me say this upfront: this review does not include a comparison between the vintage PAF that I have and the more recent 36th Anniversary PAF DP103, simply because I’ve never used the modern version. I wish DiMarzio had provided some media support to me so I could’ve added a comparison paragraph...
The Test Guitar
My vintage PAF still sits in the neck 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 whole step down. The guitar has a Dimarzio PAF 36th in the bridge. 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;
From 1997 catalog
“Classic vintage tone–a smooth, almost voice-like quality–the PAF has that in-tangible “swell” to the notes after attack. It possesses vintage output, and “breathes” freely with an open, warm character. Played flat-out through non-master volume tube amps, the PAF recreates the deep character of the great plug-in, turn-up and wail school of tone. Modern potting techniques and tight, consistent winding eliminate squeal and microphonics common to the originals. Here is solid tone for both neck and bridge positions. The PAF balances well in the neck with hotter bridge pickups.”
From 80s catalogs
“Strong, sweet tonesounds pretty & tough at the same time” and from another catalog “warm lows, singing highs, vintage sound”.
…And, my measuremens are here;
Vintage Dimarzio PAF DP103
Magnet – Alnico (2 or 5)?
Advertised DCR: 7.65 K Ohm (Series)
Measured DCR: 7.85 K Ohm (Series)
Inductance @100Hz: 4.23 H (Series)
Measured C: -36.8 nF (Series)
Output: 203 Milivolts (advertised)
EQ (B/M/T) – 7/6/5 (old catalog data)
Gauss: 210G screw, 200G slug (measured at top center of D&G pole pieces)
Ambient Measurement Temperature: 21C
I happened to acquire this pickup from a local musician, quite by chance. It’s a double cream DiMarzio PAF, and to make sure it was the real deal, I emailed DiMarzio’s customer service. Once they confirmed its authenticity, I went ahead and bought it — and I’m so glad I did :)
When examining the pickup visually, it’s clear that it differs from today’s DiMarzios in a few minor ways—like the screws, beveled slugs for instance. But in terms of fundamentals, it shares much in common with modern DiMarzio builds. The screw length is spot on, the baseplate is brass, and the wiring is single braided. Over time, I believe the color tone has changed slightly. Even if I hadn’t seen it firsthand, I’d still say—purely as a personal impression—that there's a tonal difference in the cream hue compared to today's models. Modern cream seems to lean slightly more orange/warm in hue.
Looking through the bobbin windows, we can see copper-colored wire, which means there's no purplish plain enamel wire like you might find commonly in other PAF clones. As for measurements, I got magnetic flux readings consistent with Alnico 2 territory. So if I were to judge purely based on the numbers—without any prior knowledge—I would have concluded, based on both inductance and magnetic strength, that the magnet inside is Alnico 2. That said, I’m still not 100% sure. Could the magnets in this ~50-year-old pickup have been degaussed over time? Theoretically, magnets may lose about 2–3% of their strength per decade, so dropping from 300–350 Gauss to 200 Gauss would be a bit too much under normal circumstances. But who knows—maybe it was exposed to extreme temperature changes or strong magnetic fields over the years. That said, many “unofficial” sources do claim that DiMarzio PAFs from that era typically used Alnico 5 magnets, so I should at least mention that as well.
According to the ear test—well, let me repeat—if I were blindfold-testing this pickup, I’d once again guess Alnico 2. That’s why my personal opinion is that this '70s DiMarzio PAF most likely has an Alnico 2 magnet.
Henceforth, I should note that I haven’t been able to find any official information in old DiMarzio catalogs regarding the grade of the Alnico magnet used in this pickup. It’s known that masters like Larry DiMarzio and Steve Blucher have considered Alnico 2 to be inconsistent and have generally avoided using it. That’s why there are very few DiMarzio models with Alnico 2 magnets. However, based on both my measurements and my listening/playing impressions, this particular pickup leans much more toward the Alnico 2 side of the spectrum.
There is actually one more way to make an educated guess—but it would require fully removing the magnet. If I were to pull it out, recharge it from scratch, and then take new measurements, I could make a clearer call: if the magnet reads somewhere around 800–1000 Gauss, I’d confidently say it’s Alnico 5. If it falls between 600–800, then I’d lean toward Alnico 2. But honestly, I don’t want to disassemble a vintage pickup like this.
If I were to evaluate the EQ curve purely by how it plays and sounds, I’d say it comes across as quite neutral overall. The mids feel just slightly forward, the lows are rich, and the highs are present —but not exaggerated and smooth. To me, it sounds like a textbook PAF neck pickup. Can’t agree more with the classic “warm lows, singing highs, vintage sound” description. Lows are not as tight as a Jazz but never goes spongy, either. Mids are so sweety and ready for you to serve without going “overly nasal”.
As for the overall tone—are you asking? Should I say “Holy angels singing hymns”? Nah, those kinds of descriptions always sound like marketing fluff to me. I tend to steer clear of exaggerated, catchy phrases like that because they just don’t feel honest.
But here’s what I can sincerely say: if you’ve ever dreamed of that elusive “warm yet clear” neck tone—this is it. Ever since I installed this vintage PAF, I’ve had other pickups come and go for testing, but I keep putting things off or trying them in other guitars, simply because I’m so happy with this one. What really stands out is the smooth, vocal-like quality of the mids, warmth and clarity—it’s genuinely sweet. Playing melodic lines with it is pure joy. Think of the melodic passages in Camel’s music—or Santana’s, perhaps. Or maybe even those other melodic foot soldiers of the British Invasion in the '70s. This pickup just sings when you play that kind of material. It’s incredibly satisfying.
Evaluating its dynamic range wasn’t surprising for me. It is a PAF clone. It has very limited natural compression and that’s all. PAF is very lively and breathing puppy.
On my Air Classic review i told ya:
“What do you expect from a PAF clone or PAF type pickup for the neck position of your guitar? Chimey? Clear yet warm? 3-d depth? Sensitive to touch and phrasing? Relatively affordable than many boutique humbuckers? Well, while choosing a PAF clone for my guitar, I would prefer it to capture clear and balanced tones, enhance harmonic richness, and possess a slightly warm, vintage character. Additionally, I would expect it to deliver top-notch performance in terms of sustain and touch sensitivity. These criteria would be the essential factors for me in selecting a pickup that can produce a versatile sound suitable for various music genres and allow me to achieve a “tone friendly” sound.
Air Classic has all of them. And even some more. I tried it on two of my guitars on the neck. What did i get from both guitars? Very classy good ole PAF tone with mojo. I really enjoyed its round and sweet tunes. Dynamics feels so good with them. You can manipulate your tone by volume knob and also the picking intensity. Reaction to picking is not as fast as tight but warmer and rounder.”
I can clearly and undoubtly tell those for “the PAF”, too.
Comparison with the Air Classic neck? Hmm. That would be hard because it’s been too long since the last time i have the Air Classic on that guitar. So that kindo comparison could be a bit tricky. Still, if I try to roughly summarize what stuck with me, I’d say the Air Classic and this vintage PAF are quite similar in terms of tone and dynamics. The Air Classic feels a bit more rounded and clearer, while the PAF comes across as a bit warmer. Output-wise, they’re nearly identical. Honestly, pickups like these are very hard to tell apart unless you A/B them back-to-back in a controlled test.
Compared to the Mojotone '59 Clone neck, I can comfortably say that the Mojotone '59 is noticeably clearer. So if you're dealing with a pronounced muddiness issue in the neck position, the '59 Clone might be the better choice. In terms of output—maybe it's the clarity, I’m not entirely sure—the '59 Clone also feels like it has slightly more punch. The vintage PAF, on the other hand, is more... well, creamy :)
Now let’s get to the question many people are probably more curious about: how does it compare to the Duncan ’59? Let me say again—this isn’t based on a direct A/B test, but rather on what I remember hearing and how those impressions stayed with me over time. Compared to the DiMarzio PAF, the Duncan ’59 has more pronounced lows and highs, with the mids sitting slightly further back. Especially due to the way its low mids are voiced, as I’ve mentioned earlier in this review, the ’59 can sometimes cause clarity issues in the neck position—or at least worsen any that already exist. In that sense, I find the DiMarzio PAF to be a bit more favorable. Given that my test guitar has a naturally warm tone and tends not to get along well with neck pickups that lean muddy, the vintage DiMarzio PAF definitely has the edge in this context. The DiMarzio has rounder highs, and the mids are smooth with a relatively vocal character. The Duncan ’59, on the other hand, sounds—how should I put it—almost hi-fi in comparison. In terms of output, I’d say a new Duncan ’59 is a touch hotter than the vintage DiMarzio PAF.
Needless to say that the PAF is very versatile humbucker. You can have it for playing from blues to metal or from rock to reggea. It sounds so good to play southern rock riffs or arpeggios while perfect for your Gary Moore licks or Dave Murray parts, as you may know, his many Iron Maiden parts have vintage Super Distortion and PAF contribution.
The PAF is a pickup that can successfully handle many tasks within rock genres, adapting to various guitars with different wood types, constructions, scales, and pickup configurations. And that’s exactly how it should be—after all, this pickup was designed for a musician who embodies the pinnacle of musical versatility.
The PAF paired pretty well with the PAF 36th in the bridge— What’s more, depending on the style of music you play, this neck pickup can be paired with a wide range of bridge humbuckers. If you’re going for heavier rock tones, it could work really well with something like the Super Distortion or the Tone Zone. For lighter, more nuanced styles, I have no doubt it would pair nicely with pickups like the PAF Pro, the FRED, or the Virtual Hot PAF or the Air Norton.
Personally, I think it also matches beautifully with many 10K overwound PAF-style bridge pickups—which I happen to really like.
From the Seymour Duncan lineup, I can easily see it working with the ’59 Bridge, JB, Custom, or even the Custom Custom.
How about your ideas? What pickup pairing would you try with this Dimarzio PAF? Please welcome to my comment section below.
Conclusion
This vintage DiMarzio PAF from the 1970s may not come with the hype of modern boutique replicas, but it holds its ground remarkably well. Its tone is warm, articulate, and smooth—especially in the mids—offering a vocal-like quality that makes melodic playing a joy.
Its relatively neutral EQ, combined with sweet highs and rich lows, make it a textbook PAF neck pickup. Whether you're playing expressive leads, vintage-flavored passages, or blending it with anything from a Super Distortion to a PAF Pro, Air Norton, Al DiMeola Bridge or Virtual Hot PAF, its compatibility and musicality shine through. It’s not flashy, but it gets under your skin in the best possible way. For anyone chasing that elusive "warm but clear" neck tone, this pickup is the real deal. If you are into PAF clones, I think it’s very unlikely that you won’t like Dimarzio PAF.
I just want to know about, your ideas and experience, too. Please share the in the comment section below. So that we can achieve better review, shall we?
Please feel free to subscribe my blog & follow my socials. So that you can support me;
Guitar pickup reviews
Comments