No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

[fenderiarhs]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

duncans better than dimarzio?no.....just different

[papersoul]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

Wait a minute....Papersoul, do you know what kind of pickups Adam Jones uses?

Yes, he has a JB in the bridge of his Silver burst.

[Farkus]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

I don't like pickups that don't look like original equipment on guitars. Duncans look
better, even though I wish they'd do away with the logo alltogether.

As for sound, I don't like sifting through boutique pickups, because they cost more and don't sound any better, in my experience. I'll never buy any DiMarzio's because every one I had got sold or returned for not being the sound I wanted. Not to mention, Duncan provides us this board for free. The least we can do is support them for that!
I don't even like talking about DiMarzio's. I will say that if you look at the artist roster for Duncan and compare it to DiMarzio's, you'll see that the guys with fat tones use Duncans and the guys with "Bumblebee Tone" are using DiMarzio's. It's so dramatic, it's almost not even debateable.
uke:

Agreeing with the above, I have to say that I can usually tell when a player is using DiMarzio (especially PAF pros and the like). The first time I ever heard Dream Theater I was like...'wow what a great player. He sounds...thin...though. Sounds like DiMarzio'. One of my best friends and I made a pact that we wouldn't inflict pain on each other by playing DiMarzio equipped axes when we jammed (not a joke). On the other hand, I have tried and liked one of their single coil pickups, I think it was the FS-1. It sounded quite good, actually. But their humbuckers...forget about it. If you like that tone, use them. But, for the most part, if you decide you don't like that sound, you'll be changing pickups; I've had zero luck with changing settings on my amps to get more tones. This is what seperates Duncans from DiMarzios to me. I don't hate DiMarzios, I just don't use them.

Of course this is all opinion, just my 2 cents worth...

Farkus

[kevlar3000]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

I use whatever works for the particular guitar I am playing. I use both lines as well as Fender neck pickups in my Tele and Strat. One maker has not satisfied all of my wants so my mind is wide open as far as what to use. For the marketplace more choices is better than less choices for me the consumer. This us versus them thing is really missing the point. It comes down to what tools can help me to be creative and both companies more than have a place in my gear.

[brinton]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

I love My blue velvets

[Xeromus]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

my two cents based on what I have and use:

Duncans are buttery and smooth, crunchy and velvety

Dimarzios are harsh, aggressive, raw, maybe a little buzzy fuzzy and noisy

EMGs just sustain freakin' forever and sound real damn nice in my opinion.

these are based on these pickups I've owned or used:

Duncan: JB, Distortion, Screamin' Demon, Jazz

EMG: 81,85

Dimarzio: H2 single coils and Tone Zone bridge

I think I'm going to put some duncans in my Ibanez to replace the Dimarzios. I like the raw edge but they just hurt my ears after a while.

[walt]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

I would say no one is better than the other, it's just a matter of what you are looking for. Do you like Fords or Chevys or Chrysler? The key is to keep an open mind and look over everything to get you the sound that is in your head.

[vaderv]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

Hey, here comes my 2 cents. If you want a vintage vibe in a humbucker. buy a gibson, single get a fender. If your lookin for a nice hotrod, get a JB or a Superdistortion. Every Guitar "God" got famous using one of the 2. Both DiMarzio and SeymourDuncan will bend over backwards to please customers. They both make great products. You wont be dissapointed with either.

[CrazyD]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

i prefer dimarzios

I think you meant to give the link to www.TrevorRabin.com.

Sorry could'nt resist.

[yes-fan]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

ive always thought about this. what if someone gave you a les paul with dimarzios in it, and you played it, and you loved it. but you didnt know they were dimarzios...then someone gave you a les paul with duncans in it, you played it and loved it and you didnt know they were duncans. then the person told you who made the pickups. what if you hated dimarzios but you liked the sound of the dimarzio equiped one better? would you change your mind?

[yes-fan]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

I think you meant to give the link to www.TrevorRabin.com.

Sorry could'nt resist.

trevor rabin killed yes. he destroyed the band. they werent even suposed to be called yes anyways.

[papersoul]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

Yes, he has a JB in the bridge of his Silver burst.

Plesk00?????????

[shreder75]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

I've had both and it's hard to say, really..I had a hot rails ni the first guitar Is tarted to play way back when and I LOVED it..

My esp came with a Demon in it. Wasn't really for me. So I replaced it with a Distortion. Still, wasn't for me. It's in the shop getting a JB as we speak. hopefully that'll be the last time I have to put a pup in that thing. So we'll see how I feel about that probably this week.

I have a new EBMM axis..has a custom wound dimarzio in it. I didn't like it at first, then I screwed with the action and the pole peices and whatnot and in about 10 minutes, I loved it. I'll never take that thing outta that guitar. It just sounds and feels too good..Would there be a duncan that would sound good in it? I'm sure there is. But I ain't gonna mess with it =)

[ranalli]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

my two cents based on what I have and use:

Duncans are buttery and smooth, crunchy and velvety

Dimarzios are harsh, aggressive, raw, maybe a little buzzy fuzzy and noisy

EMGs just sustain freakin' forever and sound real damn nice in my opinion.

these are based on these pickups I've owned or used:

Duncan: JB, Distortion, Screamin' Demon, Jazz

EMG: 81,85

Dimarzio: H2 single coils and Tone Zone bridge

I think I'm going to put some duncans in my Ibanez to replace the Dimarzios. I like the raw edge but they just hurt my ears after a while.

This is what i'm talking about....somebody tries TWO pickups of their whole line and then makes a blanket statement that Dimarzios are harsh, buzzy and noisy....please.

FYI I found the Duncan Distortion to be way more "harsh" than the Super3 IMO. And I also found the JB to be way more agressive in a good way than the Super Distortion. Every pickups is different...it's tough to make blanket statements without playing a lot of pickups.

And dont' forget that everyone is using different amps/guitar too. A "harsh" pickup on someones amp is smooth on someone elses.

[brinton]

Re: No biased opinions! are duncans just better than dimarzio's?

This is what i'm talking about....somebody tries TWO pickups of their whole line and then makes a blanket statement that Dimarzios are harsh, buzzy and noisy....please.

FYI I found the Duncan Distortion to be way more "harsh" than the Super3 IMO. And I also found the JB to be way more agressive in a good way than the Super Distortion. Every pickups is different...it's tough to make blanket statements without playing a lot of pickups.

And dont' forget that everyone is using different amps/guitar too. A "harsh" pickup on someones amp is smooth on someone elses.

I totally agree, I don't think someone could make such huge generalizations with that experience, I myself don't have tons of experience with duncans I usually just play used equipment that happen to have duncans or dimarzios or emgs. I'll then take it to a room with all their super merchandise and do comparisons through nice amps. If I don't have the experience I don't give the advice, seems easy enough. I wouldn't want my opinion to be influenced by someone who says dimarzios all sound compressed because he played a Evo through a crappy amp :dammit: