Re: Parallel Axis versatility?
Both PATB-3 and the original PATB-1 do all of those things pretty well. I'd say the PATB-1 has the slight edge if you like pickups similar to the JB and you're needing something that really runs the gamut.
The PATB-2 "Distortion" is pretty aggressive, making it a little less flexible than the others, but it still sounds great! I've never done it, but I've always thought that utilizing a coil split on the PATB-2 might provide some really solid clean tones, as well.