PAF sound on a budget?

[Kaputnik]

I've got a Warmoth body and neck on the way and have begun reconsidering my pickup choice
I originally planned on installing a GFS Mean 90 bridge and Dream 90 neck pickup, but I'm now leaning towards a pair of vintage-sounding humbuckers instead.

I'm (of course) trying to get as close as possible within my budget (and configuration) to the type of sound associated with old Gibsons, warts and all, which in my ears means low output with sparkle, bite, twang and a relatively subdued low end.

I'm loving the way DiMarzio's 36th anniversary PAFs sound, but I was wondering if there are any other good alternatives around the $60 (each) mark or below? Splittable is a plus, but not required.

Wilde's L-90 (and L-500) come to mind, but I'm not sure if I can live with the design  :icon_tongue:

What about pots? I have a CTS 250k volume and 500k tone pot that was meant to go with the GFS 90s - would I need to go 500/500 for a HH setup?

The body is chambered swamp ash with a maple top. I'll be using a Fender Am. std 2-point tremolo and a maple neck with rosewoord board.

 

[Kostas]

...I'm loving the way DiMarzio's 36th anniversary PAFs sound, but I was wondering if there are any other good alternatives around the $60 (each) mark or below?

You can find Duncan, DiMarzio and Gibson PAFs if you buy second hand. GFS, Tonerider and Stewmac Golden Age are within your budget. Probably more, there are hundred of pickup makers these days.

 

[bagman67]

I think the GFS Vintage 59 may be a good choice at a very low price.  I haven't played 'em, but every other GFS thing I've played has been very good.

 

[KaiserSoze]

You can find the big names used for that range.  There are a lot of people who swap out pickups quite a bit so there are a lot out there.  I was happy with a set of Tonerider humbuckers that I tried but if I were on the hunt for humbuckers I'd probably look around on Ebay for a used set of Dimarzio or SDs.  If you didn't like them you could probably sell them for about what you paid.

 

[Kaputnik]

Thanks for the replies.

To clarify my original post, I was hoping for some pointers towards specific models to look out for at or below the price of 36th PAFs.

I haven't yet heard any demos of SD that have impressed me, but then again I haven't tried that many different pickups "in the flesh". I used to be partial to the 490r/t combo from Gibson, but as DiMarzios seem to be quite a lot cheaper than SD or Gibsons in general (used or new) I might as well just go for the 36ths then.

As for the budget brands, I did check out some GFS alternatives and some of the "professional series" alnico II buckers sounded good, but they seem to be unpotted, which I'm not so sure is a good idea in the long run. I haven't been able to check out Toneriders in-depth yet, but from what I've gathered they tend to get about the same kind of feedback as GFS (good for the money, but maybe not quite at the level of the "big boys"). Will look into them some more as the price is definitely right, but I'm a tiny bit sceptical when it comes to the QC of the cheaper brands.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I have Dimarzio's, Duncans, GFS's, and a custom handwound.  I love them all, and I have to honestly say that after using several GFS models over the past 5 years, they compare well with the big boys.

I love the NEOTN7 in my tele: http://www.guitarfetish.com/Neovin-Pure-Vintage-Neck-Pickup_p_553.html
and the TruCoil 10K in my TFS6: http://www.guitarfetish.com/10k-True-Coil-_p_1967.html

The Alnico II might be up your alley, they have them with/without cover, zebra, black, etc...
http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-Classic-II-Alnico-2-Vintage-wound-Humbuckers-Black-_c_86.html

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I have a pair of Epiphone PAFs you can have for the cost of postage (from the UK). They are very nice - would definitely have kept them in the guitar, but I already had a PAF Les Paul and I was beefing it up a bit with hotter pickups.

They're splittable and sound good split, especially both split in the middle position.

The small downside is that each one has a tiny dent in the cover. It's been there since new, and I only spotted it once all the strings were off the guitar. With the strings on they're invisible.