Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
- Thread starter Benjy_26
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GHWelles
New member
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
I have some Dimarzio Virtual Pafs. I First tried one in the bridge of a Jackson Soloist. Sounded so good it is now in the bridge and neck of four of my guitars. I think I even like them better than the Duncan Antiquity PAF I have in another guitar.
Duncan Virtual PAFS are a touch dark but have a nice vowel midrange and nice sizzle on top that is not harsh. They are like an idealized PAF and they generally get very good reviews. They also give a nice split single coil sound at the neck.
I have a 59 in the neck of one guitar that is just too dark, but it may be the guitar. I briefly tried Pearly Gates and they were a little to bright for me.
Of course it all depends on the guitar you are putting them in, but I have the DiMarzio Virtual Pafs in many different guitars and it sounds good in all of them.
I have some Dimarzio Virtual Pafs. I First tried one in the bridge of a Jackson Soloist. Sounded so good it is now in the bridge and neck of four of my guitars. I think I even like them better than the Duncan Antiquity PAF I have in another guitar.
Duncan Virtual PAFS are a touch dark but have a nice vowel midrange and nice sizzle on top that is not harsh. They are like an idealized PAF and they generally get very good reviews. They also give a nice split single coil sound at the neck.
I have a 59 in the neck of one guitar that is just too dark, but it may be the guitar. I briefly tried Pearly Gates and they were a little to bright for me.
Of course it all depends on the guitar you are putting them in, but I have the DiMarzio Virtual Pafs in many different guitars and it sounds good in all of them.
Benjy_26
25's Nemesis
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
I'm plainning on putting them on a Yamaha AES500. It's a bolt on maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, mahogany slab body, and LP Jr. style tailpiece. This guitar sounded too thick and bassy with the 59/JB combo I tried with it. Do you thing the VPAF set will sound brighter than the Duncans I tried before?
I'm plainning on putting them on a Yamaha AES500. It's a bolt on maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, mahogany slab body, and LP Jr. style tailpiece. This guitar sounded too thick and bassy with the 59/JB combo I tried with it. Do you thing the VPAF set will sound brighter than the Duncans I tried before?
GHWelles
New member
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
I use a Marshall Studio 15 with RCA 6V6 Blackplates through a 2X12 Cab with one Vintage 30 and one G12-H30 and I use Keeley and AnalogMan modded Tubescreamers.
My Duncan Antiquity Custom and Texas Hots are the best single coil pups I have tried and The DiMarzio Virtual Paf is probably my favorite bridge humbucker. The DiMarzio Virtual Paf has a very unique sound to me but I admit the Duncan Antiquity PAF I have does sound more authentic.
My favorite neck humbucker is the Duncan APH-II.
jeremy said:
I use a Marshall Studio 15 with RCA 6V6 Blackplates through a 2X12 Cab with one Vintage 30 and one G12-H30 and I use Keeley and AnalogMan modded Tubescreamers.
My Duncan Antiquity Custom and Texas Hots are the best single coil pups I have tried and The DiMarzio Virtual Paf is probably my favorite bridge humbucker. The DiMarzio Virtual Paf has a very unique sound to me but I admit the Duncan Antiquity PAF I have does sound more authentic.
My favorite neck humbucker is the Duncan APH-II.
GHWelles
New member
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
Did you have 500K pots?
I don't really know, the DiMarzio Virtual PAFS sound a little dark to me. They seem to work well in taming bright guitars, though you can really crank the treble settings without too much hiss or noise due to the "air" technology".
If you want a brighter sound, a lot of people recommend the Pearly Gates, and the APH-II in the neck is a bright and really great sounding neck pickup IMHO. The APH-II pup in the neck would be much brighter than the '59 I think.
Benjy_26 said:
Did you have 500K pots?
I don't really know, the DiMarzio Virtual PAFS sound a little dark to me. They seem to work well in taming bright guitars, though you can really crank the treble settings without too much hiss or noise due to the "air" technology".
If you want a brighter sound, a lot of people recommend the Pearly Gates, and the APH-II in the neck is a bright and really great sounding neck pickup IMHO. The APH-II pup in the neck would be much brighter than the '59 I think.
Benjy_26
25's Nemesis
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
1megs, actually. I thought about the Pg's for this guitar, but since it's nowhere near being my main axe (more of a testbed, really) I didn't want to spend the money on a PG set if I can find something similar for less cash.
GHWelles said:
1megs, actually. I thought about the Pg's for this guitar, but since it's nowhere near being my main axe (more of a testbed, really) I didn't want to spend the money on a PG set if I can find something similar for less cash.
Majestic
New member
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
Let's talk some more about this.
I've seen reviewers use the word "chimey", and that makes sense from a PAF, but I thought the VPAF was supposed to simulate an A2 magnet, which I would've thought would elimnate some chime.
When people refer to a "3D" quality to the VPAFs, what exactly is it they're referring to ?
Do the pickups live up to DMZ's description of being tight on the lows, and warm on the high strings/frets?
I realize I could just get a Duncan with an A2 magnet for my EBMM Axis guitar, but I'd actually like to just plunk in a DiMarzio, if it fits the bill. Anything will be better than the stock pickups, which are just too thick/hot/bassy. I think they rate at 16.3k or something.
I normally would be paranoid about putting this pickup in my Floyd-equipped Axis, but I'd like to install it in my Axis with a vintage trem, which is warm & soft.
Let's talk some more about this.
I've seen reviewers use the word "chimey", and that makes sense from a PAF, but I thought the VPAF was supposed to simulate an A2 magnet, which I would've thought would elimnate some chime.
When people refer to a "3D" quality to the VPAFs, what exactly is it they're referring to ?
Do the pickups live up to DMZ's description of being tight on the lows, and warm on the high strings/frets?
I realize I could just get a Duncan with an A2 magnet for my EBMM Axis guitar, but I'd actually like to just plunk in a DiMarzio, if it fits the bill. Anything will be better than the stock pickups, which are just too thick/hot/bassy. I think they rate at 16.3k or something.
I normally would be paranoid about putting this pickup in my Floyd-equipped Axis, but I'd like to install it in my Axis with a vintage trem, which is warm & soft.
GHWelles
New member
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
1. Chimey: I think it is. The DiMarzio virtual PAF has an A5 Magnet with some technology to simulate some charachteristics of A2 magnets, but it is not as soft as a true A2 PAF, hence the bright chimey edge.
2. The 3d quality is there and is sort of a hollow vowel airy sound, hard to describe.
3. The Virtual PAF is most definately there on the low note clarity and high note warmth. Regular A2 Pafs seem loose on the low strings, and the Virtual Paf is very defined. This is one of its major strengths for me. Low note work does not get lost.
4. I have one in a Jackson Soloist refitted for vintage trem. I also have a neck virtual paf in the bridge of a fat strat. The neck pup in the bridge is a little cleaner and brighter than the regular bridge version.
5. If you want to put one in an EBMM Axis, you can get the virtual paf in cream zebra.
Majestic said:
1. Chimey: I think it is. The DiMarzio virtual PAF has an A5 Magnet with some technology to simulate some charachteristics of A2 magnets, but it is not as soft as a true A2 PAF, hence the bright chimey edge.
2. The 3d quality is there and is sort of a hollow vowel airy sound, hard to describe.
3. The Virtual PAF is most definately there on the low note clarity and high note warmth. Regular A2 Pafs seem loose on the low strings, and the Virtual Paf is very defined. This is one of its major strengths for me. Low note work does not get lost.
4. I have one in a Jackson Soloist refitted for vintage trem. I also have a neck virtual paf in the bridge of a fat strat. The neck pup in the bridge is a little cleaner and brighter than the regular bridge version.
5. If you want to put one in an EBMM Axis, you can get the virtual paf in cream zebra.
Majestic
New member
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
So the equalization of the pickup is appropriate for certain variations of VH tones?
I don't want first-album tones.....although supposedly that album's brightness was from the producer/mixer, and not Ed's rig.
I like the tones on WACF, and 1984, especially.
So the equalization of the pickup is appropriate for certain variations of VH tones?
I don't want first-album tones.....although supposedly that album's brightness was from the producer/mixer, and not Ed's rig.
I like the tones on WACF, and 1984, especially.
GHWelles
New member
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
For EQ info see the DiMarzio site for this pickup, tone guide.
http://www.dimarzio.com/flash.htm
Majestic said:
For EQ info see the DiMarzio site for this pickup, tone guide.
http://www.dimarzio.com/flash.htm
Last edited:
StrykeBack
New member
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
I'm putting an Air zone in the bridge of my Ibanez SZ for sure, but i'm trying to find out what to match it with in the neck. This "chimey" review its getting is getting me interested. I went and bought an air norton off of ebay but don't know if that'l work out. Dimarzio's tech support said it would probably be too dark for my guitar. They actually recommened the bridge version of the Air classic in the neck of my guitar. While my guitar tech said he puts the virtual PAF matched up with the air zones in the bridge of the guitars he builds.
What do you guys think? This probably isn't a very high gain pickup is it? but a good amp and some pedals can fix that issue right? I'm looking for some coil tap cleans while having some chunking and palm muting with really tight lows. Styles are a mix of U2, nickelback and Pillar.
What would make a good match for an air zone in the bridge? this V PAF., air classic or the air norton?
I'm putting an Air zone in the bridge of my Ibanez SZ for sure, but i'm trying to find out what to match it with in the neck. This "chimey" review its getting is getting me interested. I went and bought an air norton off of ebay but don't know if that'l work out. Dimarzio's tech support said it would probably be too dark for my guitar. They actually recommened the bridge version of the Air classic in the neck of my guitar. While my guitar tech said he puts the virtual PAF matched up with the air zones in the bridge of the guitars he builds.
What do you guys think? This probably isn't a very high gain pickup is it? but a good amp and some pedals can fix that issue right? I'm looking for some coil tap cleans while having some chunking and palm muting with really tight lows. Styles are a mix of U2, nickelback and Pillar.
What would make a good match for an air zone in the bridge? this V PAF., air classic or the air norton?
StrykeBack
New member
Re: Anyone tried the Dimarzio Virtual PAF's?
bump...need to order in the next couple days
bump...need to order in the next couple days
