Help researching old dimarzio pickup

[brandon.miller]

So I just bought a original 1969 fender precision and the original owner sent me a old dimarzio precision pickup with it. He said he bought it in 1970 and installed it bit eventually put the original stock pickups back in.

Can anyone help me date these just out of curiosity since there are no markers under the pickups just a patent applied for sticker. All the other older pickups I've seen for this model are attached to some kind of brass plate but these weren't.

[brandon.miller]

Couple more pictures of the box and owners manual

[walterw]

not sure what you're asking; it's an old Model P, dimarzio still makes them.

[brandon.miller]

Guess I'm just asking what the patent applied for sticker means. I was trying to research it and all I could find was PAF guitar pickups. That and if its a paf pickup is there any difference in these and the new ones? I didn't know if these were more desirable or worth anything.

[Stone Soup]

All PAF means is the patent hasn't been secured, at the time of manufacture. I think it's great you have the original box and paperwork.

[brandon.miller]

So are these more sought after than pickups after they got the patent? Just trying to figure out if they're worth anything or if theyre worth the same as the newer ones

[TomB]

I don't think any DiMarzio P-pickups have collector value. They're great pickups, though. Check 'em out!

[tbplayer59]

PAF is what Dimarzio called their copy of an early Gibson Humbucker Les Paul pickup that Gibson had marked patent applied for back in the day. Donation started the whole after market pickup industry with big magnet pickups like the model P targeted towards hard rock players. That's one loud pickup you have there.

[Stone Soup]

Originally Posted by tbplayer59

PAF is what Dimarzio called their copy of an early Gibson Humbucker Les Paul pickup that Gibson had marked patent applied for back in the day. Donation started the whole after market pickup industry with big magnet pickups like the model P targeted towards hard rock players. That's one loud pickup you have there.

That has nothing to do with the PAF stickers on his Model-P pickups. PAF just stands for Patent Applied For.

Brandon, I don't think there is anything special about these pickups. I'd ask a vintage expert, though, to be sure.

[SGD Lutherie]

Those are early Model Ps. After they got a patent they put a sticker on them with the patent number.

All DiMarzio pickups were cream colored back then. They still hold a trademark on that color!

They aren't made any different from the modern ones.

Here's one in an old SD Curlee bass I'm working on:

[andk5591]

I dunno - I would put them on Ebay as rare vintage PAFs - should be work a gazillion dollars..... I have a set on my main bass and am not aware of any changes made later - Larry Dimarzio was pretty happy with them as they were originally designed... I do suggest using the dual sound capability though.

[bassclef112]

I've had a number of PAF versions - as stated, they are the earliest ones made while they waited for the patent to clear.
At some point some years ago I bought a brand new one - it sounded exactly the same. Great pickups.

About 15 years ago I bought a set of NOS PAF DiMarzio J's still sealed in the box. A few years ago I put them into a Warmoth J. Outstanding. Nothing different than the new ones - it was just cool to have a sealed set.

DiMarzio really opened the doors for aftermarket pickups. It seemed like everyone was buying them back then to upgrade their Fenders. Then they were picked up as standard issue by so many other makers - that's why there are so many still around.