Getting started with DiMarzio--suggestions?

[Inflames626]

So over the past 26 years I've been playing guitar I've mostly used EMGs and Seymour Duncans. I have a fully dedicated pickup drawer with probably $5000 worth of pickups both installed and for use as parts. I'm just now considering trying DiMarzio.

Of course there are your bread and butter sets--JB/Jazz/Distortion/59. Or 60/81. What would these be for DiMarzio?

My guess is the Tone Zone/Super 1, 2, 3/PAF Pro/Air Norton might be these.

Right now DiMarzios seem a bit hard to find on the used market, while the JB/Jazz/59 are the Toyota Corollas of guitar pickups (I say that with respect).

I am not sure which model I will like. I tend to like moderate output, articulate, fairly bright pickups, with my rig making up for any output issues. The opposite of what I like would be something like an Invader--very dark and overwound. My logic is it's easy to add in distortion, but it's hard to add in clarity.

This has me thinking I would like something like the Evolution 1, Super 2, and Humbucker from Hell.

As far as SD's lineup, I like the original Blackouts, the Mick Thomson Blackouts, the Custom and Custom 5, the Distortion, and my favorite set, the Full Shred.

My favorite all-round pickup is probably a Gibson 498t (to my surprise) with a 57 Classic + in the neck. Alnico 5s for me usually get rhythm duty, ceramics get solos, and Alnico 2s get neck position blues bending.

And of course I have my assortment of EMGs in 18 and even 27 volts. They sit well in a mix for certain things and styles and yes they have a colored sound but they were what I started with and I still like them from time to time. Nothing beats an EMG 60 in the neck through a Roland JC-120.

My main concern about DiMarzio--they seem to have a very colored sound. Their bass pickups especially are very clacky and I much prefer stock original Fender P and J pickups to DiMarzio. I would go so far as to say I might have to run a lot of DiMarzios in parallel to water down the output and get an acceptable tone. In addition, I haven't heard a lot about their vintage true style single coils.

Some other things DiMarzio does just don't make sense. Why buy a Deactivator when you can purchase a used EMG 81 that it is trying to imitate for half price? Or even an EMG X when you can just wire in additional batteries and go back to the compressed original sound if you want by changing the wiring?

Anyway, I digress. I'd appreciate some input from the Ibanez/DiMarzio crowd for sure. Thanks.

[soulforger]

Moderate output and articulate sounds like the Transition set made for Steve Lukather, who incidentally switched from years of using EMGs for these Dimarzios. 36th Anniversary PAFs are great as well, and similar but more vintage or hot vintage in output. Classic would be Super Distortion and a PAF Pro, if the Super D is too hot for what you are looking for, try a Fred or an AT-1 with the Pro They make a lot of great pickups!

[devastone]

The Transition set is actually pretty hot, but have great tone. The Norton (non-aired) is one of my favorite bridge pickups.

[FuseG4]

The regular d-activator is an interesting one in that it's tight, bright, but ballsy, and in that way I'd say you can use it for metal lead or rhythm but that it doesn't sound like an EMG. Maybe they should have marketed it differently.

[GuitarStv]

I think the Tone Zone is a great sounding bridge pickup with a no-load tone pot.

[pskorz]

The regular d-activator is an interesting one in that it's tight, bright, but ballsy, and in that way I'd say you can use it for metal lead or rhythm but that it doesn't sound like an EMG. Maybe they should have marketed it differently.

That was my experience with it. It was definitely an assertive pickup, but not at all “active-like.”

[pskorz]

So, there are a wealth of options. I have a ton of Duncan pickups, and relatively little experience with dimarzio. A couple decades ago I had an RG with a Fred bridge/IBZ single/paf pro neck. I remember that guitar being very versatile and I really loved the 2 and 4 positions-very stratty.
I have a Warmoth dual hum strat that I use for mostly classic rock covers. Originally it had a Fred in the neck (which it still has) and a d activator bridge. Honestly, the d activator I liked—and it’s totally not marketed toward a player like me. But it was loud, punchy, articulate, and in my experience was still a good clean pickup; it split nicely, too. I ultimately changed the bridge to a super distortion, which I prefer.

the super distortion. Was it appropriately named in ‘72? Yes. But I find it to be more tame than a Duncan distortion. To me the super d is a souped-up humbucker, but not a real fire-breather or anything. It’s mids have a lot of presence, but it pushes the highs and lows, too. It sounds very balanced to me. It’ll push the amp a bit more than a PAF type pickup, but it’s still pretty versatile and I think does clean well.

so, having said that, I’d recommend trying a super distortion in your bridge. For the neck:
1. Paf pro if you want articulate
2 super 2 for louder and articulate
3. 36th anniversary for a traditional paf vibe
4. Fred for a more modern (and I mean ‘95 as opposed to ‘80 as “modern”)

I think you’d be pleased with any of those. But if you aren’t, those are all a good basis for comparison. You can call dimarzio to do a trade in and say “the super D is too THIS or too THAT.” Or “I have a paf pro in the neck, but I need something darker or louder” and they’ll steer you in the appropriate direction.

[Cynical]

I am not sure which model I will like. I tend to like moderate output, articulate, fairly bright pickups, with my rig making up for any output issues. The opposite of what I like would be something like an Invader--very dark and overwound. My logic is it's easy to add in distortion, but it's hard to add in clarity
[...]
As far as SD's lineup, I like the original Blackouts, the Mick Thomson Blackouts, the Custom and Custom 5, the Distortion, and my favorite set, the Full Shred.

This sounds like you'd like either the Evo, D-Activator, or maybe the original Super D (which is brighter than DiMarzio's page would lead you to believe). The Illuminator is also a possibility.

[dave74]

Invader isn't that dark really. Maybe if it's too close to the strings it does all that you hear about on the internet.
Don't get me wrong, I would not say it's bright at all either, but the whole "dark and muddy" thing that is commonly touted just sounds like user-error to me.

[devastone]

This sounds like you'd like either the Evo, D-Activator, or maybe the original Super D (which is brighter than DiMarzio's page would lead you to believe). The Illuminator is also a possibility.

I wouldn't consider any of those moderate output, they are all pretty hot. Of course some of the OP's fave SD don't seem that moderate either (Distortion, Blackouts).

I'll stick with my recommendation for the Norton in the bridge, has the mids of the TZ with tighter bass and some cool stuff going on in the highs (the website description is pretty accurate).

The PAF Pro is a great neck pickups, as is the PAF. They have a lot of really good choices, just have to pick a place to start.

[Inflames626]

Thanks for all the input guys.

Some thoughts:

Invader isn't that dark really. Maybe if it's too close to the strings it does all that you hear about on the internet.
Don't get me wrong, I would not say it's bright at all either, but the whole "dark and muddy" thing that is commonly touted just sounds like user-error to me.

I used some Duncan Designed pickups that were modeled after Invaders. They were used in a mid priced Jackson KV3 bolt on with a licensed Floyd Rose bridge. I assume this was to give more tone to such a light guitar. Instead it overpowered the body with bass. Flipping to the neck pickup and turning the tone control on full made the guitar sound like a bass.


This sounds like you'd like either the Evo, D-Activator, or maybe the original Super D (which is brighter than DiMarzio's page would lead you to believe). The Illuminator is also a possibility.

Interesting. I thought the Super 2 in the bridge was supposed to be brighter as an offset to the 1 with the 3 being the most mid heavy and the original having most bass.

My concern with Petrucci pickups is they will be the same--variations on the D Sonic or Crunchlab--made for a mid scooped Mesa sound like on the early Dream Theater albums.



I wouldn't consider any of those moderate output, they are all pretty hot. Of course some of the OP's fave SD don't seem that moderate either (Distortion, Blackouts).

I'll stick with my recommendation for the Norton in the bridge, has the mids of the TZ with tighter bass and some cool stuff going on in the highs (the website description is pretty accurate).

The PAF Pro is a great neck pickups, as is the PAF. They have a lot of really good choices, just have to pick a place to start.


Thanks for the TZ Norton comparison. Somehow I thought the TZ might be comparable to a Custom/Custom 5 in that it's a chugga chugga style pickup.

[dave74]

I'd say go with devastone's recommendation on the regular Norton. Go Norton/paf-pro.

[Inflames626]

Also regarding my taste in output:

I wouldn't consider any of those moderate output, they are all pretty hot. Of course some of the OP's fave SD don't seem that moderate either (Distortion, Blackouts).

When I was thinking high output I was thinking mainly the Invader, X2N, and Blackouts Metal (AHB-2). To me these pickups can get fizzy and fatiguing on the ears in a hurry if they are not dialed in properly, especially through solid state amps as are sometimes used in metal. The Alternative 8 struck me as fizzy as well, even backed down deep into the guitar body.

I feel the same about the Distortion, which is why I mainly use it for tracking solos, as it cuts through the mix very well and is easier on the ears if lightly compressed in post.

I tend to associate the highest output pickups with lo-fi black metal guitar tones and, for rhythm, those aren't the most pleasing to my ear.

That said one of my favorite guitar players of all time, Chuck Schuldiner of Death, used an X2N through a boosted Marshall Valvestate on 1991's Human, and I think that is one of the best death metal guitar tones of all time (even if it sounds like a beehive at high speeds--that's the point and part of the effect).

But that was over 30 years ago. I have dialed in a similar sound with a Classic 57+ in my DAW through a good amp sim plugin.

So these days for me high output pickups are more for a very specific or colored sound made as an artistic choice, not because of a lack of distortion from my rig.

[alex1fly]

I’d say read the descriptions on the website and see what sounds interesting to you. They’re pretty spot on, at least on my experience of using around 7 of their pickups in various guitars. And many of the descriptions recommend a pickup or two to match with.

Only dimarzio I’m using currently is a PAF pro in the bridge of an SG. Marvelous woody sound. Too much high end with volume at 10 on a clean channel, so I’ve been running my amp hot and turning the guitar volume down to 6 or 7 to get a beautifully warm and open clean sound.

[Demanic]

This one's got a D-Activator neck and a Crunchlab. Perfect combination for this guitar. The Crunchlab has a bit more punch than the original D-Activator bridge, but not as thick as the X2N that was in it for a while.

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