Dimarzio baseplates

F

formula73

INTENSELY corrosive sweat
I’ve got a few of the...mushier...Dimarzios laying around. Has anybody ever tried to lose the Dimarzio low mid hump/lack of high by swapping to nickel silver baseplates? They’re cheap as hell and I like tinkering...
 
i havent but ive know people that have done and it were happy with the result, ymmv but its worth a try
 
I put brass baseplates on my 59 set and it's tone city from the increased mushiness. I don't see why you couldn't put nickel on a dmz if that's the effect you want. I'm sure you'd like it.
 
I put a nickle silver steel baseplate on a Dimarzio Super Distortion and I have put brass baseplates on a few pickups that were very shrill to replace nickle silver steel. Nickle silver steel has resonant lows, decreased midrange and sharp treble response. Brass has broad warm bass and midrange and subdued highs.
 
idsnowdog said:
I put a nickle silver steel baseplate on a Dimarzio Super Distortion and I have put brass baseplates on a few pickups that were very shrill to replace nickle silver steel. Nickle silver steel has resonant lows, decreased midrange and sharp treble response. Brass has broad warm bass and midrange and subdued highs.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that’s exactly the result I’m going for.

Thanks everybody.
 
Cool mod idea. I don't think it ever would have occurred to me to put a brass baseplate on a Duncan.
Or to mitigate the DiMarzio vowel tone with nickel silver.
 
I am interested in trying this with a Super Distortion. It's f-spaced. I have no idea how to go about doing this, and the last time I messed with a Super D I ruined it. So:
1) where would i get a baseplate to fit the dimarzio? Does the spacing matter?
2) are there any videos on YouTube recommend on how to take the pickup apart and put it back together correctly?
Or...
3) anyone with more knowledge and experience than me who would make the swap if I mailed you the pickup [for a reasonable fee, of course]?
 
Dave Locher said:
I am interested in trying this with a Super Distortion. It's f-spaced. I have no idea how to go about doing this, and the last time I messed with a Super D I ruined it. So:
1) where would i get a baseplate to fit the dimarzio? Does the spacing matter?
2) are there any videos on YouTube recommend on how to take the pickup apart and put it back together correctly?
Or...
3) anyone with more knowledge and experience than me who would make the swap if I mailed you the pickup [for a reasonable fee, of course]?
Click to expand...
You will need to measure the pole spacing to make sure you get the proper spacing. You can find new baseplates at Philadelphia Luthier Tools or Mojotone. I replaced the baseplate on my Super Distortion and it made the highs sharper and dipped out the midrange as well as making the bass more punchy.

Replacing a baseplate is easy:
  • You just unscrew the four screws on the base.
  • Then slip a small screwdriver under the edge of the coil wrapping cloth to free up the cloth from the baseplate.
  • Dimarzio's often glue their magnets to the baseplate so run a razor blade around the perimeter of the magnet to loosen the magnet.
  • Then just slip a small screwdriver under the magnet give it a sharp tap and pry it off. Do not try grabbing hold of the magnet and pull it off because that will destroy the ceramic magnet. The glue Dimarzio uses is strong but brittle so if you loosen it and give it a sharp tap it releases.
  • Lastly you will need to unsolder the ground and resolder the ground to the new baseplate.
  • Then you can reassemble the pickup.
 
idsnowdog said:
You will need to measure the pole spacing to make sure you get the proper spacing. You can find new baseplates at Philadelphia Luthier Tools or Mojotone. I replaced the baseplate on my Super Distortion and it made the highs sharper and dipped out the midrange as well as making the bass more punchy.

Replacing a baseplate is easy:
  • You just unscrew the four screws on the base.
  • Then slip a small screwdriver under the edge of the coil wrapping cloth to free up the cloth from the baseplate.
  • Dimarzio's often glue their magnets to the baseplate so run a razor blade around the perimeter of the magnet to loosen the magnet.
  • Then just slip a small screwdriver under the magnet give it a sharp tap and pry it off. Do not try grabbing hold of the magnet and pull it off because that will destroy the ceramic magnet. The glue Dimarzio uses is strong but brittle so if you loosen it and give it a sharp tap it releases.
  • Lastly you will need to unsolder the ground and resolder the ground to the new baseplate.
  • Then you can reassemble the pickup.
Click to expand...

All of this except...for a super D there are no holes for the poles in the baseplate, so the only thing that matters is the bobbin screw spacing, and even that can be fudged.
 
idsnowdog said:
You will need to measure the pole spacing to make sure you get the proper spacing. You can find new baseplates at Philadelphia Luthier Tools or Mojotone. I replaced the baseplate on my Super Distortion and it made the highs sharper and dipped out the midrange as well as making the bass more punchy.

Replacing a baseplate is easy:
  • You just unscrew the four screws on the base.
  • Then slip a small screwdriver under the edge of the coil wrapping cloth to free up the cloth from the baseplate.
  • Dimarzio's often glue their magnets to the baseplate so run a razor blade around the perimeter of the magnet to loosen the magnet.
  • Then just slip a small screwdriver under the magnet give it a sharp tap and pry it off. Do not try grabbing hold of the magnet and pull it off because that will destroy the ceramic magnet. The glue Dimarzio uses is strong but brittle so if you loosen it and give it a sharp tap it releases.
  • Lastly you will need to unsolder the ground and resolder the ground to the new baseplate.
  • Then you can reassemble the pickup.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I think I may give it a try.
 
Thanks for the thread - this is something I have been wondering for a while. People who have swapped the base plate on F-spaced DiMarzios - did you use the 50 mm spacing perhaps? I have not encountered a dedicated DiMarzio replacement base plate anywhere yet,.
 
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