dimarzio people help please.

[fusion101]

Is the dimarzio megadrive the same thing as the X2N?

[ranalli]

Re: dimarzio people help please.

No, very different.

The Megadrive from what I've heard is basically a Steve's Special with an A5 magnet. Apparently the sound is warmer and not as scooped. It's a little cooler too.

The X2N is apparently a huge output humbucker, they dont' have much in common really other than having a rail type look instead of straight up polepieces.

[SliderJeff]

Re: dimarzio people help please.

Ranali nailed it on the head. The Megadrive IS still a scooped pup... but just not quite AS scooped as the SS. They are very close tone-wise though. Minor EQ tweaks in the signal path could probably render any differences completely undistinguishable in a blind test.. hence the reason that DMZ no longer lists the Megadrive in their catalog.

For a recorded example of the Megadrive in a shred setting, listen to anything off of Tony MacAlpine's "Maximum Security" cd. For reference, the neck pickup used on that same cd is the Al DiMeola neck model... also a DMZ.

Hope that helps,
Jeff

[fusion101]

Re: dimarzio people help please.

thanks alot for that information

[Fusion1]

Re: dimarzio people help please.

Slider Jeff, thats cool I forgot he used the Al Dimeola neck, but seeing he was one of his influences it makes perfect sense.

[SliderJeff]

Re: dimarzio people help please.

No problemo. I like to pass on the info I DO actually know something about when I can. There were a couple other mid to late 80's shredders that used one of those two pickups. David T. Chastain used the Al Di Neck. Scott Dalhover of Dangerous Toys used the Megadrive, Marc Ferrari used both, Vinnie Moore used the Al Di Neck and Jeff Young also used the Megadrive. Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. After the Maximum Security cd, T-mac sorta went on a bender as far as different gear and pickups and I totally lost track of what was used on what cd. Now he's into that God awful Carvin crud, IMHO. Can't stand his CAB or Planet X tone... it's really a shame. Oh well.. at least he can still shred, bad tone or not.

Thanks,
Jeff

[ScottD]

Re: dimarzio people help please.

Hey Guys,

This is Scott from Dangerous Toys.

I did indeed use a megadrive pickup for a while in the early nineties.

Very good pickup and very different from an X2n.

The Megadrive wasn't buzzy and super scooped out like the X2n.

I'm currently using the Duncan Distortion, Full Shred, and Lil Pearly Gates.

I highly recommend the Duncan Distortion as well as the Custom Custom for a fat sound with nice gain and great clarity.
L8TR,

Scott

[Kent S.]

Re: dimarzio people help please.

The Megadrive has a bar type polepiece, and a set of adjustable allen head poles, the X2N has two bar type poles ... Much different, also the intent of the megadrive is that both coils are unmatched and have different outputs and tonal personalities. The X2N both coils are pretty much the same.Yeah the megadrive has a mid dip with med-hi output; the X2N is very high output with relatively flat response (hi end is preserved ), No mid scoop at all. Just a follow-up post.

[Majestic]

Re: dimarzio people help please.

Hey man, I think I like bein' scared.

....wish you all were there.....

Great tune!

[ScottD]

Re: dimarzio people help please.

Hey man, I think I like bein' scared.

....wish you all were there.....

Great tune!

Thanks!