This is a very nuanced question as there are many kinds of archtops and archtop pickups. For simplicity, let's just say that we're referencing the two most popular gibson electric hollow and semi hollow models, the 335 and 175. I'm a hobbyist pickup nerd who owns (&loves) a DGT... I've played my share of archtops when working in a music store for many years. Here's a few thoughts:
- PRS never publishes specs on their pickups but are likely wound with incredible consistency compared to the original Gibsons. The Gibson PAF "sound" is almost mythical because it's a moving target. The main variables are how many winds and what kind of alnico magnet.
- Through interviews, Paul has said he uses Plain Enamel from the original PE wire source that supplied to Gibson on the 5XXX and the DGT, so the parts are pretty accurate - but I took my DGT apart and it had a brass plate on the bottom... at least that's what I think it was. The PAF spec calls for a nickel base plate. Doesn't bother me as the 5XXX are very PAF-like and the DGT are especially PAF like to my ears.
- David Grissom went through a long process to replicate his PAF that are on an old 335 that he loves. He says they sound and perform the same for him, musically, and he's a Nashville guy with attention to those kinds of details.
So: If you want a pickup that sounds like it's a copy from an old 335 or could have shipped on a 175 and with some very authentic parts (the PE wire, especially) then the DGT is as good as it gets.
For my personal opinion: The bridge pickup is wound hot-sounding. Similar flavor to a Lollar High Wind which is around 9k and with an alnico 2 magnet. The neck is more like a low-wind. 7k and Alnico 2 sounding, to my ears.
Both hot and cool PAF are used by Jazz/Archtop guys but I have it under good authority that Lollar's most popular set with the Jazz crowd is the high-wind because of the less-spikey EQ and compression the higher wind provides.
