Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

Avenger316

Avenger316

New member
Here's my story:

A few months ago, I got a Les Paul Vintage from a buddy (all mahogany body, rosewood fretboard, no maple cap, like this one here). The guitar sounds nice and warm when I strum it unplugged, but when I plug it in, it becomes really trebly, especially on my amp's clean setting.

I think it's because of the PAF Pro in the bridge position. (I don't want to tweak my amp eq, because the amp the sounds pretty good with my other guitar.) I've fooled with the pickup height and polepieces, hoping that would help cut the treble, but no such luck.

For now, I'm just turning the tone knob on that pickup down to about 4 or 5, but I'd rather have a permanent solution.

Suggestions?
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

paf pro trebly? that sounds kind of strange. aren't les pauls made with mahogany bodies? to my knowledge, mahogany isn't real bright. i've played a paf pro and it wasn't bright to me - and i play strats. i tried it with 250k pots though, so maybe it sounds brighter with 500. i don't know.

if you want something warmer and less highs get a super distortion or invader maybe.
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

Sounds like that Les Paul might be naturally bright. Double check all wiring, make sure nothing is wrong or out of place and then take it from there.

One of my favs in Les Pauls, when I had mine, was the Super Distortion. For low output, I love the Gibson '57 Classics. I also used a Custom Custom in that Les Paul, sounded great. If yours is naturally bright, that might be an option too.
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

I've got a Custom Custom in my 82 mahogany Mock, and it's not particularly bright. All the experiences I've had with Super Distortions gave ME the impression that they're pretty bright, but they were all vintage pickups in old Deans.
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

Avenger316, do you have 500K pots or stock 300K pots on your Gibby? Also, it would help a lot if you tell us what type of music you're after and how high an output you want.

the invader is very dark, but it is also very brutal, you can only play metal with it, it sounds like SH!T clean. the Super Distortion is pretty bright, in fact.

If you want to stay with DImarzio, I'd recommend the AirZone or the AirClassic/PAFClassic depending on your taste, and if you want Duncans then try the CustomCustom of the Alnico II Pro.
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

The Super Distortion is NOT bright!
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

Before you start the cycle of buying & selling PU's to find an exact tone, try swapping magnets, pots, and caps. Much cheaper. You can take off the worst highs & warm your tone with either an A4 or A3, OR a pair of 250K pots with a .100 cap. I use 250K's on my bridge PU's with A5's, which gives a rich, full tone & shaves off any shrillness. If you put in an A4 or A3, 500K pots work best.

You can run through a lot of PU's and hundreds of dollars following the myriad of recomendations from this forum (their wood's tone is probably different from yours, as is their style & tastes). That's fine if you have the resources. Otherwise, read the old threads on magnets. If you keep in mind that 500K pots brighten and 250K darken, you can use the right ones to help dial in that elusive tone you want.
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

I notice that Custom Custom and Super Distortion have come up more than once in this thread. I'll keep those in mind. But first:

To blueman335, pstarove, and ErikH: the wiring looks properly done in the control cavity. The pots look to be 500k, so I think my next move is to swap them out with 250k pots. If anyone is interested, I'll post my results.

to pstarove: I play with a praise group: during service, it's strictly strumming with a bit of chorus through the clean channel of my amp. However, on a few fellowship nights (not during service), we play with a few teens from our youth group, which becomes like a classic rock night (some Queen, "Rock and Roll", "Crazy Train", "Rock and Roll All Night", certain ACDC songs, some U2...). I don't need a pickup with "Pantera/Metallica" output levels, medium output is fine. (The output on the PAF pro is fine with me, but the amount of treble...)

To barbarianbrute: I agree with you - mahogany guitars are usually warm, but this one gets bright when plugged in. By my logic, that points to something in the electronics, rather than the wood.

To all: Thanks for the advice and tips so far. Keep 'em coming!
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

Avenger316, so if you just want to take away the excess brightness of the PAFPro, you have two options, the first one is to modify the circuit (250K pots) or the pickup itself: put an Alnico2 magnet instead of the stock Alnico5, and if it doesn't help, swap the short allen screws for the longer fillister screws. This will cost you very little ($5-10).

If the 250K do not help and you prefer not to mess with the pickup mods yourself, you'll have to swap your pickup for a warmer one. You have several options, all of which are warmer than the PAFPro:
1. Seymour Duncan Antiquity bridge (if you have the money)
2. Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro bridge
3. DiMarzio PAF Classic bridge
4. Seymour Duncan Seth Lover bridge

That's basically all.
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

I was gonna say A2P....

Or maybe Tonezone if high output mojo is what you want.

Not sure about the CC - yes its fat, but in a really bright guitar might be too middy - a bit harsh.

I think my SuperD is brighter than my tone zone. Maybe that's just my ears...

Some Gibsons are just bright - it happens!

This might be a bit out of wack, but have you tried the tone knob? Seriously...
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

the superd is brighter than the tone zone. but that doesn't mean it's bright. anything but bright...
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

pstarove said:
Avenger316, so if you just want to take away the excess brightness of the PAFPro, you have two options, the first one is to modify the circuit (250K pots) or the pickup itself: put an Alnico2 magnet instead of the stock Alnico5, and if it doesn't help, swap the short allen screws for the longer fillister screws. This will cost you very little ($5-10).

If the 250K do not help and you prefer not to mess with the pickup mods yourself, you'll have to swap your pickup for a warmer one. You have several options, all of which are warmer than the PAFPro:
1. Seymour Duncan Antiquity bridge (if you have the money)
2. Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro bridge
3. DiMarzio PAF Classic bridge
4. Seymour Duncan Seth Lover bridge

That's basically all.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions. I've got some 250K pots on the way, and am looking for some A2 and A3 magnets. It's funny that you mention swapping the screws: a few weeks ago, I switched out one row of the allen head in the PAF pro with fillisters from some gibson pickups in my "old pickup box." The PAF pro wound up looking and sounding like a Screamin Demon - it got really harsh and shrill. Putting both rows as Fillisters didn't change it much.


Aceman said:
I was gonna say A2P....

Or maybe Tonezone if high output mojo is what you want.

Not sure about the CC - yes its fat, but in a really bright guitar might be too middy - a bit harsh.

I think my SuperD is brighter than my tone zone. Maybe that's just my ears...

Some Gibsons are just bright - it happens!

This might be a bit out of wack, but have you tried the tone knob? Seriously...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions and advice. I usually leave the tone knob wide open, and this is one of the few times I actually touch the tone knob. The "Tinkerer" part of me wants to do more than just turning the tone down to 4 or 5.
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

Get as many different kinds of alnicos as you can, as you never know how they'll sound in your wood & your PU. I put in more A4's than any other alnico (and have a pile of A2's that I've pulled out of Gibson PU's). Wymore Guitars has free shipping on $50 orders, so get a dozen and you'll be set of a while.

Before you place an order, here's a recap of the characteristics:
A2 - Low output, heavy on mids, with little treble and bass. Loose, flabby low ends. Some guys feel these are best on bridge PU's where their low end isn't as noticeable.
A3 - Lowest output of all, but with a little more treble that gives it some sparkle. If an A2 is a little too dull & lifeless for you in a certain guitar, an A3 may be ideal.
A4 - Has the most balanced EQ of the magnets. Nice warm tone. Moderate output. Ideal for when a bridge A5 is too bright. Works well in the neck too. A4's & A5's are the best all-around magnets.
A5 - Scooped mids, so the treble & bass are prominent. High output. Usually excellent in the neck, but is too bassy for some (not me though).
A8 - Hot & powerful; bridge only. Use in moderation.

You'll want several A2's. Its good to have a couple A3's on hand, but you may not use them often. When I get a dozen magnets, I make at least half of them A4's. You'll get surplus A5's when you pull them out of PU's, so you may not need to order any. And you may want to try one A8.
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

Avenger316 said:
I notice that Custom Custom and Super Distortion have come up more than once in this thread. I'll keep those in mind. But first:

to pstarove: I play with a praise group: during service, it's strictly strumming with a bit of chorus through the clean channel of my amp. However, on a few fellowship nights (not during service), we play with a few teens from our youth group, which becomes like a classic rock night (some Queen, "Rock and Roll", "Crazy Train", "Rock and Roll All Night", certain ACDC songs, some U2...). I don't need a pickup with "Pantera/Metallica" output levels, medium output is fine. (The output on the PAF pro is fine with me, but the amount of treble...)
To all: Thanks for the advice and tips so far. Keep 'em coming!
Click to expand...
Man if you are playing in a Praise Team and only using the clean channel with a bit of chorus you sure aren't doing the suff we are!! I am running ether a Fender Prosonic or TSL Marshall SCREAMING and I'm SHREADDING on my team!! Here is an example http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=439224&songID=4453782
and
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=439224&songID=4939016
Anyway I would try ether a Custom 5 or Custom Custom in your Paul. Both will give you more meat and be less harsh on the high end than the PAF Pro is. If you want to stay with the Dimarzios a Norton or Virtual Hot PAF would be a BIG improvement for the type tones you discribe!!
 
Last edited:
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

The Air Norton will warm up a bright guitar as well.
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

blueman335 said:
Get as many different kinds of alnicos as you can, as you never know how they'll sound in your wood & your PU. I put in more A4's than any other alnico (and have a pile of A2's that I've pulled out of Gibson PU's). Wymore Guitars has free shipping on $50 orders, so get a dozen and you'll be set of a while.

Before you place an order, here's a recap of the characteristics:
A2 - Low output, heavy on mids, with little treble and bass. Loose, flabby low ends. Some guys feel these are best on bridge PU's where their low end isn't as noticeable.
A3 - Lowest output of all, but with a little more treble that gives it some sparkle. If an A2 is a little too dull & lifeless for you in a certain guitar, an A3 may be ideal.
A4 - Has the most balanced EQ of the magnets. Nice warm tone. Moderate output. Ideal for when a bridge A5 is too bright. Works well in the neck too. A4's & A5's are the best all-around magnets.
A5 - Scooped mids, so the treble & bass are prominent. High output. Usually excellent in the neck, but is too bassy for some (not me though).
A8 - Hot & powerful; bridge only. Use in moderation.

You'll want several A2's. Its good to have a couple A3's on hand, but you may not use them often. When I get a dozen magnets, I make at least half of them A4's. You'll get surplus A5's when you pull them out of PU's, so you may not need to order any. And you may want to try one A8.
Click to expand...

That's a nice post - and where did all the A2 love come from?!?!?!?!
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

To Ascension and jimlp: Thanks for the pickup suggestions. If my tinkering with the electronics doesn't work out, I'll keep these pups in mind.

To Blueman335: thanks for the refresher on Alnico magnets.

If I may threadjack a bit:
Ascension said:
Man if you are playing in a Praise Team and only using the clean channel with a bit of chorus you sure aren't doing the suff we are!! I am running ether a Fender Prosonic or TSL Marshall SCREAMING and I'm SHREADDING on my team!! Here is an example http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=439224&songID=4453782
and
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=439224&songID=4939016
Click to expand...

If only our band could convince our church's music director to head in this direction. Right now, even having the praise band for one sunday a month raises eyebrows. (I don't envy my music director's job)

End threadjack
 
Re: Suggest a replacement for DiMarzio PAF Pro?

I actually think the Super Distortion is a great idea. I like dimarzios in Gibsons a lot actually. Played a les paul many times with a PAF in the bridge, it ripped. I had an SG standard with a super distortion bridge & it RIPPED. sounded great. But if the paul is REALLY that bright, a Custom Custom may work, but it's thick & mid-heavy. I think CCs can sound like mud in some pauls with the high output & mids....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top