DiMarzio PAF® 59 Neck Humbucker Pickup – Cream

DiMarzio PAF® 59 Neck Humbucker Pickup – Cream

Experience the warmth, clarity, and expressive dynamics of a legendary vintage humbucker with the DiMarzio DP274CR PAF 59 Neck Electric Guitar Pickup. Inspired by the original late-1950s Patent Applied For (PAF) pickups, this premium neck humbucker combines traditional materials, vintage-inspired construction, and precision winding techniques to deliver authentic classic guitar tone.

Developed using Larry DiMarzio’s own 1959 Cherry Sunburst Gibson Les Paul as a tonal reference, the PAF 59 Neck was designed to capture the open, natural response of exceptional original PAF pickups. Rather than heavily colouring the guitar’s sound, its carefully balanced construction allows the instrument’s natural character and playing dynamics to remain prominent.

At the heart of the pickup is a 2½-inch degaussed Alnico 5 magnet, providing a refined magnetic response and excellent sensitivity to picking technique. Combined with traditional 42 AWG enamel wire, its scatter-wound coils produce a rich, harmonically detailed sound with smooth midrange, articulate highs, and a full-bodied low end.

The PAF 59 Neck features unpotted coils, staying faithful to the construction of many original vintage humbuckers. This design contributes to its lively, resonant character and exceptional dynamic response. However, players using extremely loud or high-gain amplifier setups should be aware that unpotted pickups can be more susceptible to microphonic feedback than wax-potted alternatives.

With a manufacturer-rated 202mV output, the PAF 59 Neck focuses on vintage-style articulation rather than aggressive power. Clean tones remain open, warm, and detailed, while overdriven passages produce creamy sustain and rich harmonic overtones.

One of the pickup’s defining characteristics is its responsiveness. Gentle picking produces smooth, expressive notes, while stronger attacks introduce additional brightness and harmonic intensity. This makes it an excellent choice for blues, classic rock, jazz, fusion, and vintage-inspired lead performances.

The pickup features Double Cream butyrate bobbins mounted on a traditional long-leg nickel-silver baseplate, closely reflecting the materials used in late-1950s humbuckers. Its premium vintage-style construction gives the pickup an elegant appearance and complements classic electric guitar designs.

Designed primarily for the neck position, the PAF 59 Neck produces articulate chords, fluid lead tones, and a clear response across all six strings. It can also be installed in the bridge position when a lower-output vintage-style sound is preferred.

For a complementary pickup combination, pair it with the DiMarzio PAF 59 Bridge (DP275). Together, they deliver balanced output, expressive clean tones, and the smooth overdriven sound associated with classic arena rock.

Featuring traditional single-conductor wiring, the pickup integrates with compatible vintage-style guitar electronics. Its passive design requires no battery.

Finished in distinctive Double Cream, the DiMarzio DP274CR PAF 59 Neck offers authentic vintage-inspired tone, exceptional playing dynamics, and timeless humbucker character.

Specifications