Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

[snowman3000]

I'd like to try a new bridge pickup for my floyded strat. Currently I have a regular PAF (DP103). Low-E and High-E are off axis but it sounds pretty good. I love the tone, it's just a little too weak. I tried to get it closer to the strings but over a certain level it sounds too treblish.
Should I get a Virtual or a Virtual Hot? I need the S*A*M*E tone just a little more powerful. Is it possible to increase the output of a pickup without changing the tone texture?

 

[jmh151]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

Is it possible to increase the output of a pickup without changing the tone texture?

Yes, with a booster, like a Tubescreamer, Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster, Boss SD-1 or DS-1, EMG PA-2 preamp, MXR Zack Wylde Booster, etc....

Out of all of them I hear the Seymour Duncan and MXR Zack Wylde are the best clean boosters

 

[snowman3000]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

NO NO NO! I didn't mean pedals! I mean like an hardware upgrade around the pickup itself!

 

[guitarslinger213]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

magnet swap, even though it will probably change the tone drastically :sad:

 

[walt]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

You could try the Hot, you may also want to take a look at the screw bobbon and turn them in to the pickup while raising the overall height of the pickup "may" help also.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

If you like the PAf you should not change it

If you have to - I will say, you better like presence, because the VPAF has a bit more. It's smooth, but it has a high end sparkle (that some might call fizz). If you want a rounder tone go VPAF hot, if you like bright, go VPAF std. Just mind the fact the VPAF is kinda bright, I would say a touch more than the 59

 

[snowman3000]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

Yeah I thought that VPAF is brighter than regular.. So you're saying that VHOTPAF is sweeter in the top end? I find the regular PAF a lil bit too bright but I can live with it. On DiMarzio's website VPAF and VHOTPAF have the same top-end the VHOT has just a lil' more bottom. DiMarzio guys told me Virtual is tighter than VHOT and both of them are less trebly than the regular PAF. All I need is a DP103 PAF with a bit more output!

I'm confused! Once again!:banana:

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

...... All I need is a DP103 PAF with a bit more output!
......

I wouldn't hurt to try VHPAF. You could always sell it if you don't like it, but youl probably like it. It has ~25% more output than the old Dimarzio PAF, according to Dimarzio. Stratdeluxer reported that the VHPAF has strong output. The Air Classic looks to have about 10% more output than the old PAF, and should have fairly soft highs being a airbucker. I have also heard that the Duncan EVH 78 has pretty strong output for a A2 PAF. Being A2, the 78 may be just what you want.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

I have the VPAF N in my SG and I recently pulled the VPAF Hot out of the bridge position of this same guitar for the Brobucker...

The VPAF Hot is a powerful articulate pickup with more lows but more mids also....It also has a nice top end but it isn't ice picky....It's not as smooth as the Brobucker but it's a more aggressive pickup with better cut...

The VPAF N is pretty boomy in the lows,nice chime in the highs and a nice eq in the mids...I ended up lowering this pickup flush with the pickup ring and cutting the pole screw bottoms almost flush with the baseplate to get rid of the boomy lows...Great pickups,but the coolest thing about this series,is this sense of added space or air or 3D type tone that you hear when playing clean..It's hard to explain but something you hear when using the series...To me the VPAF N is very much like the 59N in it's eq,lows,mids,but it has that 3D thing that the 59 lacks.

These pickups are pretty popular right now and you could unload them if you don't like the series.I'm going to keep my double creme VPAF Hot as I Like the Brobucker more,but I see the VPAF Hot as a great bridge pickup for a strat? Just haven't tryed it yet.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

NO NO NO! I didn't mean pedals! I mean like an hardware upgrade around the pickup itself!

A hotter wind with an Alnico 3 mag would do the trick.

 

[snowman3000]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

A hotter wind with an Alnico 3 mag would do the trick.

Hmmm...interesting...Who'd be able to do the work?!

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

I am with Zhang! i have a '79 DiMarzio PAF on i which i let one coil winding up to 5k. It a kind of 4k/5k totally 9k Unbucker. Great beef in the bridge, more mids, more volume, almost the same highs! Didn't change the magnet, but a A3 could bring it in the VHPAF region! The rewind costs about 30 $ - ask Zhang he surely will do it for you!!

 

[snowman3000]

Re: Regular Paf - Virtual - Virtual Hot?

Well if he's willing to do the job for about $30 i'm in west 'kin' hollywood! :fingersx: As I told you before the tone is perfect as is just need a lil' more output. PAF DP103 is 203mV let's say around 250mV and I'm done!

P.S. Any differences between a 79' PAF and a modern one?