Di Marzio DP246G PG-13 Middle (gold)

Being on the road with Mr. Big can be challenging when it comes to tones because there are so many different styles the band plays — acoustic ballads, heavy songs, fast songs, bluesy songs — and Paul needs pickups that allow him to achieve all of those sounds.

Paul wanted a middle pickup to add to the Neck (DP242) and Bridge (DP243) models to make a complete PG-13 set.

To clear the way for picking, the middle pickup's height needed to be set lower, but the pickup's volume still had to be comparable to the neck and bridge pickups. We used a combination of rare earth (neodymium) and alnico magnets to increase the output of the PG-13 Middle in order to level-match the pickups. When combined with the PG-13 Neck and Bridge, the PG-13 Middle adds a nice new flavor that fills out the minibucker set.

The PG-13 Middle features 4-conductor wiring, neodymium and alnico magnets, and height adjustment screws for the pole pieces.

The PG-13 Middle is a powerhouse for a minibucker. It's clean enough to work in all positions. The magnetic field is pretty hearty, so it will growl as it gets closer to the strings. It does a fine job tracking the tone of the guitar wherever you place it.