# DiMarzio PAF 7



## Chris Bowsman (Aug 29, 2010)

I have a mystery pickup (fairly bright, kinda chimey like a PAF) in my Schecter's bridge spot. A few days ago, I pulled out the ceramic magnet and swapped in an Alnico 2. The output obviously dropped a bit, and for the better. Tonally it's good, but like most of the folks here, I'm obsessed with swapping pickups.

I don't have a lot of experience with lower output pickups, but I'm interested in the PAF 7. The only band I can think of that uses them is Korn. I love how chunky and percussive their stuff sounds, but unsure how well a PAF 7 would work for faster, "tighter" sounding metal.

Any opinions?


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## rectifryer (Aug 29, 2010)

This depends. If you are used to really low output pickups they're awesome. The k7 I have has really full lead tones yet pretty clear low end when playing fast. I have swapper the PAF7 for a X2N7 but I dont know if that was for the better since I was already used to the PAF7. 

The PAF doesnt hide anything.


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## Chris Bowsman (Aug 29, 2010)

I like "doesn't hide anything," if that also means it's extremely responsive to what my right hand is doing.


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## Phlegethon (Aug 29, 2010)

with the way a PAF works, it's actually one of the best choices you can make. low output and low magnetic pull on the strings means a good frequency response with nice harmonic content. this helps avoid any mud on the low B a whole lot as there's not enough pull from the pickup to interfere with the string. the EQ is also not going to be spiky in any frequency that would cause the previously mentioned mud either due to a PAF being on the bright side of things


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## Chris Bowsman (Aug 29, 2010)

I have a '62 Les Paul/SG (my dad's actually) with the original PAFs in it. Does the ceramic magnet in the DiMarzio tighten things up a bit?


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## onefingersweep (Aug 30, 2010)

I don't see why a PAF type pickup wouldn't work well for metal. PAF pickups has naturally a tighter response due to the lower output, i.e less fat = tighter. Reason most metalheads don't use lower output pickups is probably because they want a bigger sound and maybe a more compressed sound. A low output pickup may not sound so great when you play live on your own but when you can layer several tracks in studio I don't see why it shouldn't sound good.

Low output = tighter and more string clarity.

It's a bit surprising that people who uses really thick strings and tunes low doesn't use singlecoils more. You never see that in that sort of metal, which is a shame since it would make the guitar really "djenty", same thing with low output HB's.


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## BMU (Aug 30, 2010)

My RG8527 has PAF7's. I haven't spent much time with them yet, but compared to the Blaze II's, under heavy distortion, they're more transparent, tighter and harmonically "richer" - maybe due to lower string pull as someone said, good point that. On the same amp settings they're surprisingly no less "metal" than the much higher output Blaze II's. Bear in mind I'm comparing a mahogany J Custom with the basswood UV. All I know is I can't wait to go play 'em some more.

Slightly ot: are the J Custom PAF7s the same as the "normal" DiMarzio PAF7's?

I vaguely recall Trey Azagthoth (Morbid Angel) using PAFs at some stage? You don't get much more metal than that.


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## Chris Bowsman (Aug 30, 2010)

onefingersweep said:


> It's a bit surprising that people who uses really thick strings and tunes low doesn't use singlecoils more.



You're preaching to the choir on this one. My two main guitars prior to getting back into a 7 were an Epiphone Les Paul and an old USA Peavey Strat. The strat has a Telecaster bridge pickup and the stock neck and middle. Tuned down to C, it's super heavy and clear as a bell. 

Once I get a second 7, I'll probably end up putting a single coil in the neck of one of them, or at least wiring up some really good split-coil settings. DiMarzios usually work really well for splitting, if you use the coil that's wound hotter (as so many of theirs are wound).


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## onefingersweep (Aug 30, 2010)

BMU said:


> My RG8527 has PAF7's. I haven't spent much time with them yet, but compared to the Blaze II's, under heavy distortion, they're more transparent, tighter and harmonically "richer" - maybe due to lower string pull as someone said, good point that. On the same amp settings they're surprisingly no less "metal" than the much higher output Blaze II's. Bear in mind I'm comparing a mahogany J Custom with the basswood UV. All I know is I can't wait to go play 'em some more.
> 
> Slightly ot: are the J Custom PAF7s the same as the "normal" DiMarzio PAF7's?
> 
> I vaguely recall Trey Azagthoth (Morbid Angel) using PAFs at some stage? You don't get much more metal than that.



It has nothing with string pull to do. They don't have less string pull. It's because they don't drive the amp as hard and therefore doesn't distort and compress as much, the sound is more open and the sound gets more clear.



Chris Bowsman said:


> You're preaching to the choir on this one. My two main guitars prior to getting back into a 7 were an Epiphone Les Paul and an old USA Peavey Strat. The strat has a Telecaster bridge pickup and the stock neck and middle. Tuned down to C, it's super heavy and clear as a bell.
> 
> Once I get a second 7, I'll probably end up putting a single coil in the neck of one of them, or at least wiring up some really good split-coil settings. DiMarzios usually work really well for splitting, if you use the coil that's wound hotter (as so many of theirs are wound).



Nice to see that someone is actually using SC in metal. I was just referring to metal people in general, I mean how often do you see metal guitarists use SC? Thats right, pretty much never.


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## Soopahmahn (Aug 30, 2010)

BMU said:


> Slightly ot: are the J Custom PAF7s the same as the "normal" DiMarzio PAF7's?



Yes.

Let me know how this goes, because I have an Evo7 in my 7620 and it's too fucking thick sounding. I like the screaming leads but there's no such thing as clean tones.


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## BMU (Aug 31, 2010)

@onefingersweep - I was referring to Phlegeton's post above. Less output means it has a weaker magnetic field, hence less string pull. The theory makes sense to me, but who cares, I just know it sounds great. Obviously less compression affects it too, you're right.

Back to the PAF7s for metal. I'll make a comparison: I also have a PRS SE Custom 24 - those pickups put out noticeably less crunch than the UV, as one would expect. But the PAF7's on the J custom are just as f*ing METAL as the UV. That's what I found surprising, and pleasing. Now, maybe it's because the J Custom itself is more resonant, i.e. more of the pick energy finally gets converted to electric current hitting the amp. Dunno. But the PAF 7's sound fantastic for metal in the J Custom. (YMMV)


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## BMU (Aug 31, 2010)

PS - that's an interesting idea about SC's for more djent & low B-string clarity. Putting that on the mental list of things to try before I die


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## onefingersweep (Aug 31, 2010)

BMU said:


> @onefingersweep - I was referring to Phlegeton's post above. Less output means it has a weaker magnetic field, hence less string pull.



Not necessarily. In this particular case the pickups have the exact same type of magnet, which is the thing that causes string pull. It's always the same whether you have the guitar plugged in or if you just play it acoustically.



BMU said:


> PS - that's an interesting idea about SC's for more djent & low B-string clarity. Putting that on the mental list of things to try before I die



And most SC's have more string pull due to their construction, but still less output.

I'm thinking of a Warmoth baritone 7-string, tuned to F and with a HB voiced like a SC just because it looks better with a HB, definitely going to try that when I can afford it.


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## Jedi_Ekim (Sep 3, 2010)

So has anyone used their PAF7 with a split/series/parallel switch setup a la the Ibanez Artist AR300 and AR5000 axes?

I ask because I recently got a AX7521. I like it okay so far, but I want to make it as much of a "7 string Les Paul" as I can.

And the PAF7's sound like they would work well in that capacity. But the "Tri-Switch" setup would make it even more versatile.


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## JohnIce (Sep 3, 2010)

Here's a Paf 7... definately would say it's one of the clearest and tightest low B's I've heard:


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## Jedi_Ekim (Sep 3, 2010)

Where did Dave finally say what pups were put in that axe? He didn't know last I'd heard.


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## JohnIce (Sep 4, 2010)

Jedi_Ekim said:


> Where did Dave finally say what pups were put in that axe? He didn't know last I'd heard.


 
Come to think of it, he hasn't confirmed it... but he's used Paf 7's in all his past Ibbys and/or custom-wound Paf 7's that are slightly hotter, and that's also what it says on the DiMarzio website. His tone is pretty much identical to what it used to be, and this guitar is also made of Ash like his Ibbys, so pretty much everything suggests that these pickups are also Paf 7's or at least custom-wound variations on that pickup.


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## MetalGravy (Sep 4, 2010)

onefingersweep said:


> It has nothing with string pull to do. They don't have less string pull. It's because they don't drive the amp as hard and therefore doesn't distort and compress as much, the sound is more open and the sound gets more clear.
> 
> 
> 
> Nice to see that someone is actually using SC in metal. I was just referring to metal people in general, I mean how often do you see metal guitarists use SC? Thats right, pretty much never.




I always figured it was a noise issue. That''s why I don't use singles anymore.


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## Jedi_Ekim (Sep 5, 2010)

So does anyone have input on splitting the coils, parallel, series thing for the PAF7s?

I know I like the sounds I get from splitting the PAF Pro and Fred pickups on my JS6000.


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## Chris Bowsman (Sep 5, 2010)

Typically, the lower the pickup's output, the worse it sounds split. However, DiMarzios don't always adhere to that rule, because they will often put a higher resistance coil with a lower resistance coil. Wire so you're using the higher one, and it works better.


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## onefingersweep (Sep 8, 2010)

MetalGravy said:


> I always figured it was a noise issue. That''s why I don't use singles anymore.



There's plenty of noiseless singlecoils out there these days. It's 2010. They are more quiet than a humbucker.


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## scherzo1928 (Sep 8, 2010)

What I like about the PAF7, or well the paf in general is that its so clean, that with some EQ, you can pretty much turn it into anything you want it to be.

Sure it's naturally good for clean stuff. But it's also very articulate, and can easily be a solo/chords/metal pickup. It's definately one of my favourite neck pickups.


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## Rook (Sep 10, 2010)

I found the PAF7's not necessarily to be 'tighter' but they were much clearer. My favourite 7 pickup so far's been the Blaze II but I'll get to that.
The PAF7 I felt sounded almost too weak, which is quite difficult to explain. I think it's a great pickup if you've got the amp to compensate. I also don't tend to like any ceramic clean sounds, they always have a slightly hollow, artificial sound to me. On a 6, give me a set of Air Classics any day, but 7's i feel need the ceramic to sound clear and not muddy, and i think ceramics need a decent output to come close to sounding 'right'. I then get my cleans by splitting the two humbuckers together (a la JP6/7), but split humbuckers don't sound decent until the pickup has a fair bit of winding on it - hence, Blaze 7.
Single coils are noisey, and the pole pieces are the permanent magnets so have a higher string pull. Noiseless singles, such as the area, I find lose that spikey bit of treble that gives them the character I go for, that could just be me though.
'Tightness' is to do with how much voltage goes into the front of the preamp, and where on the frequency spectrum it's coming from. I.e., if you can put proportionately more treble through your the input of your amp, the gain will be 'tighter'. On the other hand, get a bassy pickup like a Mo'Joe, and your sound will get all squishy.

Those are the general principles I go on anyway :-S As far as tone, you can get a rough idea by knowing the woods and construction of your guitar, but you'll never know for sure until you get it in there. I'd buy a second hand PAF 7, cram it in, if you don't like it sell it, and 99% you won't lose any money.


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