Di Marzio DP151F / PAF Pro (black/cream)

The PAF Pro was created when chops-intensive playing was first starting to happen, and high-gain amps and rack systems were becoming popular. A pickup was needed that combined a lot of presence and "cut" with an open-sounding PAF vibe. The transparency of its sound lets the PAF Pro slice through heavy processing, where darker-sounding pickups get lost in the mud of the effects chain. Low notes have both snap and chunk, and there is a spike in the mid-range that gives the pickup a subtle "aw" vowel sound, like a wah-wah pedal stopped in the middle. Treble response is tweaked to produce highs that stand out without getting brittle. The PAF Pro makes an outstanding neck pickup in almost any guitar, and it's an exceptional bridge pickup when high output isn't required. This is a great building block pickup, because it's effective in many different situations. Try it in the neck position with a hotter bridge pickup - anything from a Norton to an X2N will create a good two-humbucker match. As a bridge pickup, it's really effective with single-coils, because it won't drown them out with too much power, and it's bright enough to blend in tone-wise.