Modifying pickups – PAF Pro on steriods

Ibanez RG550 20th Anniversary Reissue with DiMarzio PAF Pro installed

One of my first forays into modifying pickups was swapping the stock Alnico 5 magnet with a ceramic magnet in a DiMarzio PAF Pro. In the end the problem I had with this modification was that I found I had too much treble, and the pickup was a bit too twangy for my liking. I reverted the PAF Pro back to stock, and then put it into the neck position of my RG550, and dropped a DiMarzio Tone Zone into the bridge position.

After learning a bit more about magnets, and their uses in pickups I decided that I would try putting the PAF Pro back in the bridge position, and load it up with an Alnico 8 magnet.

The Alnico 8 magnet is capable of providing the same warm tone that an Alnico 5 provides, but boosts the output much like a ceramic magnet. It’s kind of the best of both worlds when it comes down to it.

I decided to make a video to show how simple this modification is. All it takes is a new magnet, some screw drivers, a Stanley knife, and  around 15 minutes of your time.

Please give me feedback on this. It is my first YouTube video. I hope to upload more soon.


I hope this video shows you how easy it is to perform this modification. As long as you are careful with pulling apart your pickup there is no real risk of damaging it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *