Hi folks.
Please help. I'm actually at the end of my tether now. I've spent I dunno how long trying to get a very specific tone i.e. Vivian Campbell's Dio tone from around 1984 or so. I've posted a link to a video below i.e. that's what I'm after. I've now spent a LOT of money on guitars JUST trying to get that tone and it's not happening and it's driving me insane. I've got three guitars: two Jackson's and a Blaze VC-II Shredder (give you three guesses why I bought the Blaze!!!). Landed: the Blaze cost me nearly $5K and I figured that it was exactly what I needed. But no. And sadly: the closest I come to the tone I'm after is with my cheapest guitar (Jackson Dinky, Poplar body, Maple fretboard, stock Jackson pickups). My Blaze (Honduras Mahogany body, Ebony fretboard, Seymour Duncan Full Shred bridge, Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB middle) is very dark sounding and seems to lack mids. My other Jackson (Jackson Dinky, Poplar Body, Rosewood fretboard, stock Jackson pickups) sounds similar to the Blaze in the sense that it also seems to lack mids. but this particular guitar has loads of bottom and loads of top (to the point where it's almost impossible to tame i.e. dunno what's up with this particular guitar but it has LOADS of bite and growl to the point that it doesn't matter WHAT it's plugged into: you have to dial everything back otherwise everything becomes WELL distorted to the point of the bottom blowing out or the tops becoming shrill). As I said: with my cheapest Jackson: I'm getting close i.e. it seems to have a little less bottom and slightly less top but it has a definite clarity, is full, and has mids. that the other two do not. And happy as I should be: it kinda pees me off that I've got two other very expensive guitars and I just cannot "get it on" with them so I need to sort them out (well one of them at least) now and once and for all!!!
Now from doing a bit of research: Vivian, in 1983/1984, with Dio, apparently started out with Seymour Duncan Invaders and then switched to Dimarzio Super Distortions (which I THINK are the pickups in the video on the link below i.e. they have silver pole pieces and not the black pole pieces of the Invaders but I could very well be wrong of course). Problem is: there seems to be a LOT of disagreement on the Internet as to which pickups Vivian was actually using in his Charvel strats. at the time. I've now also looked on both Dimarzio's website and, obviously, Seymour Duncan's website and it would seem, according the specs. of these pickups, that they have a bit of a bottom cut and a mid boost. So my question REALLY: is WHICH pickups do I need PLEASE!!! Pending input from you all here: the way I see it the only choices I have are the Dimarzio Super Distortions, the Seymour Duncan Invaders, or POSSIBLY (seen this mentioned as well) Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6). I don't particularly want to mod. the Blaze as it's supposed to be a sort of collector's piece so I'm figuring on replacing the pickups in my "bright" Jackson first (and if that doesn't get me my tone then, oh well, guess I'll have to mod. the Blaze).
Please PLEASE help!!!
When helping though: please do bear in mind the types of wood used for the bodies and fretboards. If I put the specs. of my "bright" Jackson into Seymour Duncan's Pickup Finder the Invaders are recommended.
Also not bothered at all with the neck pickup really BUT I also don't want to leave a gaping hole in a guitar so what would be a good match??? Or would it just make sense to put the same pickups in both positions e.g. two Invaders or whatever???
One other thing (almost forgot): this is not an issue with the Jackson's i.e. although they have Floyd's (the "bright" one has an original Floyd Rose and the other Dinky, that sounds good, has the Jackson licenced Floyd) the pickups are not F-spaced but the Blaze's bridge pickup (SD Full Shred) is the F-spaced version. The SD Distortion (SH-6) appears to be the only pickup of the three that I've noted above that comes in a bridge version. So not QUITE sure where to go from here IF some of you around here recommend the Dimarzio or the SD Invaders.
Here's the video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6cnPRjx8B4&t=145s
I cannot quite put my finger on the tone i.e. it's like it's got a "mid jangle"???
Regards,
Dale.
P.S.
Don't quote me on the above pickup options that I've mentioned i.e. feel free to suggest others. I say this because I've been doing some more searching now and again: much disagreement and / or inaccurate information (some on even these very forums) i.e. have even found posts where SD Custom pickups were apparently used (not to mention a whole host of other types). All very confusing.
Please help. I'm actually at the end of my tether now. I've spent I dunno how long trying to get a very specific tone i.e. Vivian Campbell's Dio tone from around 1984 or so. I've posted a link to a video below i.e. that's what I'm after. I've now spent a LOT of money on guitars JUST trying to get that tone and it's not happening and it's driving me insane. I've got three guitars: two Jackson's and a Blaze VC-II Shredder (give you three guesses why I bought the Blaze!!!). Landed: the Blaze cost me nearly $5K and I figured that it was exactly what I needed. But no. And sadly: the closest I come to the tone I'm after is with my cheapest guitar (Jackson Dinky, Poplar body, Maple fretboard, stock Jackson pickups). My Blaze (Honduras Mahogany body, Ebony fretboard, Seymour Duncan Full Shred bridge, Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB middle) is very dark sounding and seems to lack mids. My other Jackson (Jackson Dinky, Poplar Body, Rosewood fretboard, stock Jackson pickups) sounds similar to the Blaze in the sense that it also seems to lack mids. but this particular guitar has loads of bottom and loads of top (to the point where it's almost impossible to tame i.e. dunno what's up with this particular guitar but it has LOADS of bite and growl to the point that it doesn't matter WHAT it's plugged into: you have to dial everything back otherwise everything becomes WELL distorted to the point of the bottom blowing out or the tops becoming shrill). As I said: with my cheapest Jackson: I'm getting close i.e. it seems to have a little less bottom and slightly less top but it has a definite clarity, is full, and has mids. that the other two do not. And happy as I should be: it kinda pees me off that I've got two other very expensive guitars and I just cannot "get it on" with them so I need to sort them out (well one of them at least) now and once and for all!!!
Now from doing a bit of research: Vivian, in 1983/1984, with Dio, apparently started out with Seymour Duncan Invaders and then switched to Dimarzio Super Distortions (which I THINK are the pickups in the video on the link below i.e. they have silver pole pieces and not the black pole pieces of the Invaders but I could very well be wrong of course). Problem is: there seems to be a LOT of disagreement on the Internet as to which pickups Vivian was actually using in his Charvel strats. at the time. I've now also looked on both Dimarzio's website and, obviously, Seymour Duncan's website and it would seem, according the specs. of these pickups, that they have a bit of a bottom cut and a mid boost. So my question REALLY: is WHICH pickups do I need PLEASE!!! Pending input from you all here: the way I see it the only choices I have are the Dimarzio Super Distortions, the Seymour Duncan Invaders, or POSSIBLY (seen this mentioned as well) Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6). I don't particularly want to mod. the Blaze as it's supposed to be a sort of collector's piece so I'm figuring on replacing the pickups in my "bright" Jackson first (and if that doesn't get me my tone then, oh well, guess I'll have to mod. the Blaze).
Please PLEASE help!!!
When helping though: please do bear in mind the types of wood used for the bodies and fretboards. If I put the specs. of my "bright" Jackson into Seymour Duncan's Pickup Finder the Invaders are recommended.
Also not bothered at all with the neck pickup really BUT I also don't want to leave a gaping hole in a guitar so what would be a good match??? Or would it just make sense to put the same pickups in both positions e.g. two Invaders or whatever???
One other thing (almost forgot): this is not an issue with the Jackson's i.e. although they have Floyd's (the "bright" one has an original Floyd Rose and the other Dinky, that sounds good, has the Jackson licenced Floyd) the pickups are not F-spaced but the Blaze's bridge pickup (SD Full Shred) is the F-spaced version. The SD Distortion (SH-6) appears to be the only pickup of the three that I've noted above that comes in a bridge version. So not QUITE sure where to go from here IF some of you around here recommend the Dimarzio or the SD Invaders.
Here's the video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6cnPRjx8B4&t=145s
I cannot quite put my finger on the tone i.e. it's like it's got a "mid jangle"???
Regards,
Dale.
P.S.
Don't quote me on the above pickup options that I've mentioned i.e. feel free to suggest others. I say this because I've been doing some more searching now and again: much disagreement and / or inaccurate information (some on even these very forums) i.e. have even found posts where SD Custom pickups were apparently used (not to mention a whole host of other types). All very confusing.
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