DiMarzio Haters - Why?
- Thread starter sosomething
- Start date
- Status
TVFV
Well-known member
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
It’s another debate in the guitar community that goes absolutely nowhere. I wonder if double cream bobbins would give me a “creamier” tone?
It’s another debate in the guitar community that goes absolutely nowhere. I wonder if double cream bobbins would give me a “creamier” tone?
Last edited:
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
So long as no one spells it "creme", I don't really care about the issue. If I really need that to fit the color scheme, I'll just mix coils from a zebra and a reverse zebra pickup.
So long as no one spells it "creme", I don't really care about the issue. If I really need that to fit the color scheme, I'll just mix coils from a zebra and a reverse zebra pickup.
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
I quit reading about half way through the first page. People don't seem to familiar with how the business world works regarding patents though. I didn't look to see if Dimarzio has any patents but it actually sounds more like a Trademark, but regardless patents don't work how you would expect.
In order for something to be patentable it is supposed to be novel, marketable, and until recently you were the first to develop it. The laws have changed now to first to file instead of first to create. The United States Patent and Trademark Office does nothing to determine if those 3 criteria are met. It is left up to the courts to decide. This allows larger company's to patent just about anything and prevent competitors from entering a specific market because of the costs associated with the legal system. At one company I was at we were prevented from attaching two parts with an axial torsion device. Yes, our competitor patented using a screw to hold something together. I certainly wish the system didn't work this way, but I can't easily single Dimarzio out when the practice is so prevalent and perfectly legal.
This is a very simplistic overview of how the system works but conceptually it captures the essence of it.
I quit reading about half way through the first page. People don't seem to familiar with how the business world works regarding patents though. I didn't look to see if Dimarzio has any patents but it actually sounds more like a Trademark, but regardless patents don't work how you would expect.
In order for something to be patentable it is supposed to be novel, marketable, and until recently you were the first to develop it. The laws have changed now to first to file instead of first to create. The United States Patent and Trademark Office does nothing to determine if those 3 criteria are met. It is left up to the courts to decide. This allows larger company's to patent just about anything and prevent competitors from entering a specific market because of the costs associated with the legal system. At one company I was at we were prevented from attaching two parts with an axial torsion device. Yes, our competitor patented using a screw to hold something together. I certainly wish the system didn't work this way, but I can't easily single Dimarzio out when the practice is so prevalent and perfectly legal.
This is a very simplistic overview of how the system works but conceptually it captures the essence of it.
Laughing Kookaburra
Active member
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
Erp.
Erp.
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
I just sold 2 sets of 'Boutique pickups ' and replaced them in my guitars with a set of Dimarzio PAF 59 pickups and a set of SD Pearly Gates and they look and sound amazing
At the end of the day, all i care about is my sound...period
Who or where pickups are made means zero
This topic shows up all the time.
DiMarzio makes great pickups. Period.
They may not have your particular flavor (just like any pickup maker may not), but then again, they may.
I like and hate some DiMarzios, some Duncans, etc.
I have had nothng but amazing service and advice from the DiMarzio guys (and Duncan guys). They are EXTREMELY knowledgable about guitars and pickups (like Duncan). They got famous (and stayed famous) for a reason (like Duncan).
I think some people around here just love the brand loyalty thing and feel this is a good forum to slag the competitor.
DiMarzio makes some pretty amazing pickups (especially their single coils), and one is losing out to just write them off.
I agree, the Air Zone is great. The Breed is great. The SDS-1 is my favorite Strat bridge single coil of all time. Fantastic pickup.
My 2 cents.
I just sold 2 sets of 'Boutique pickups ' and replaced them in my guitars with a set of Dimarzio PAF 59 pickups and a set of SD Pearly Gates and they look and sound amazing
At the end of the day, all i care about is my sound...period
Who or where pickups are made means zero
freefrog
Well-known member
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
Bingo.
… to compare to an already old story about Duncan and Seth Lover:
… and people are of course absolutely free to have different opinions about DiMarzio.
Now, experience and experiments with their products have generated mixed feelings here.
The Brian May Signature, for example, didn’t seem an improvement over regular Tri-Sonic’s.
Same thing with a few other designs - Area’s, 36th’s or virtual P90’s aren’t necessarily so convincing that they’re supposed to be compared to their models, technically or sonically.
Now and to be clear: I’m not simplistically suggesting that DiMarzio’s are to trash.
Some of their products involve pretty clever design twists (like Dual-Resonance) and/or have “that” legendary tone that we loved back in the days. What would I do myself without the DM SuperDist in one of my SuperStrats, even though I’ve 20 other brands of guitar pickups (and a few personal designs) in my own instruments?
There's just this impression that DiMarzio PU's and products are variable, subject to change without notice (see the DP103) and, in some cases, seem to be valorized by the reputation of the brand instead of justifying it.
Conversely, the tone of the good ones is not that hard to duplicate (if not to improve) as soon as we know their tech specs and how to mod or to build a PU.
Not to mention that there’s loads of second hand DM’s on the market - I’ve paid some brand new ones 10 bucks per unit in a rebate sale, a few years ago.
All these ideas might be interesting to weight when it comes to sustain directly the company with our money…
All that being said with a full respect for other opinions – but also with a personal mistrust against DiMarzio, for all the reasons above.
FWIW. YMMV.
Bingo.
… to compare to an already old story about Duncan and Seth Lover:
… and people are of course absolutely free to have different opinions about DiMarzio.
Now, experience and experiments with their products have generated mixed feelings here.
The Brian May Signature, for example, didn’t seem an improvement over regular Tri-Sonic’s.
Same thing with a few other designs - Area’s, 36th’s or virtual P90’s aren’t necessarily so convincing that they’re supposed to be compared to their models, technically or sonically.
Now and to be clear: I’m not simplistically suggesting that DiMarzio’s are to trash.
Some of their products involve pretty clever design twists (like Dual-Resonance) and/or have “that” legendary tone that we loved back in the days. What would I do myself without the DM SuperDist in one of my SuperStrats, even though I’ve 20 other brands of guitar pickups (and a few personal designs) in my own instruments?
There's just this impression that DiMarzio PU's and products are variable, subject to change without notice (see the DP103) and, in some cases, seem to be valorized by the reputation of the brand instead of justifying it.
Conversely, the tone of the good ones is not that hard to duplicate (if not to improve) as soon as we know their tech specs and how to mod or to build a PU.
Not to mention that there’s loads of second hand DM’s on the market - I’ve paid some brand new ones 10 bucks per unit in a rebate sale, a few years ago.
All these ideas might be interesting to weight when it comes to sustain directly the company with our money…
All that being said with a full respect for other opinions – but also with a personal mistrust against DiMarzio, for all the reasons above.
FWIW. YMMV.
Last edited:
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
Was there some recent movement in a legal case? I don't get why this is important right now. Seems like water under the bridge, but maybe I'm missing something.
Was there some recent movement in a legal case? I don't get why this is important right now. Seems like water under the bridge, but maybe I'm missing something.
SAguitar
New member
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
Yawn...
When I bought my first Les Paul, it already had a pair of DiMarzio Super Distortion (cream) pups in it. I was young and ignorant, and didn't know anything about swapping pickups, or tone, or even much about playing guitar. All I knew was that I wanted a Les Paul and a friend of mine wanted to sell this one. I played it like that for about 15 years and thought it was fine, heck, it was loud and stayed in tune. Then I heard about Seymour and since I already knew how to solder, I jumped on the train. Since then I have probably swapped pickups in Lester at least 20 times, and currently he is sporting a pair of Seymours, a Jazz and a Pearly Gates (wired for Humbuckers of the Holy). Oh, and I don't have any DiMarzio pickups in my collection.
On another note, I am not a player who likes Fender pickups! I have no Fender pickups in any of my Strats or Teles. In those, I use mainly Kinmans, and Gold Lace Sensors.
Yawn...
When I bought my first Les Paul, it already had a pair of DiMarzio Super Distortion (cream) pups in it. I was young and ignorant, and didn't know anything about swapping pickups, or tone, or even much about playing guitar. All I knew was that I wanted a Les Paul and a friend of mine wanted to sell this one. I played it like that for about 15 years and thought it was fine, heck, it was loud and stayed in tune. Then I heard about Seymour and since I already knew how to solder, I jumped on the train. Since then I have probably swapped pickups in Lester at least 20 times, and currently he is sporting a pair of Seymours, a Jazz and a Pearly Gates (wired for Humbuckers of the Holy). Oh, and I don't have any DiMarzio pickups in my collection.
On another note, I am not a player who likes Fender pickups! I have no Fender pickups in any of my Strats or Teles. In those, I use mainly Kinmans, and Gold Lace Sensors.
DavidRavenMoon
New member
DiMarzio Haters - Why?
You read that where? Here? Lol.
I used to work at DiMarzio. They are extremely well made pickups. Lots of custom parts and little details you don’t notice. Every pickup is tested with a signal generator and a scope.
They make an awful lot of OEM pickups for Ibanez and Earnie Ball. I think those companies would go elsewhere if the quality was poor.
I think both companies make great products. And not all the same thing either. Competition is good!
As far as the double-cream trademark. At this point in time I don’t agree with it, since their standard color is black, but they were one of the first aftermarket pickup makers, and that was their look. All their pickups were cream, including the Strat and bass pickups. In the 1970s when you saw cream pickups you knew it was DiMarzio. So they were there first.
And no, they didn’t steal anything. Gibson never made pickups without covers at the time. And a double cream pickup was just by chance and you wouldn’t see it unless you removed the cover. And Gibson didn’t own any trademarks.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You read that where? Here? Lol.
I used to work at DiMarzio. They are extremely well made pickups. Lots of custom parts and little details you don’t notice. Every pickup is tested with a signal generator and a scope.
They make an awful lot of OEM pickups for Ibanez and Earnie Ball. I think those companies would go elsewhere if the quality was poor.
I think both companies make great products. And not all the same thing either. Competition is good!
As far as the double-cream trademark. At this point in time I don’t agree with it, since their standard color is black, but they were one of the first aftermarket pickup makers, and that was their look. All their pickups were cream, including the Strat and bass pickups. In the 1970s when you saw cream pickups you knew it was DiMarzio. So they were there first.
And no, they didn’t steal anything. Gibson never made pickups without covers at the time. And a double cream pickup was just by chance and you wouldn’t see it unless you removed the cover. And Gibson didn’t own any trademarks.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
From what I can see, this thread was revived for no constructive purpose and the commentary has devolved into something even less constructive
Let's be clear:
1) DiMarzio makes a high quality product. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't have a clue about how pickups are made. You think Yamaha, Ibanez, Ernie Ball, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Nita Strauss, Paul Gilbert, etc would opt for low quality pickups? Dream on...
2) Some of DiMarzio's past business tactics have indeed been questionable. If that bothers you, don't buy their product.
3) If you think you're avoiding supporting DiMarzio by buying secondhand, you're likely kidding yourself. There's a fairly good chance those "used" pickups you just bought on eBay went to fund the seller's brand new set of DiMarzios. Money moves and the company is happy
4) Comparing something like the Tri-Sonics to the Brian May pickups is futile. Different size/format = different everything (construction, magnet, resulting DCR, etc). Does a "JB Jr" sound exactly like a JB? Does a "Phat Cat" sound exactly like a 1940's Gibson P-90? Do they have the same DCR, magnet size and magnetic field as the pickups that inspired them? NOPE! And a knowledgeable person wouldn't expect them to.
From what I can see, this thread was revived for no constructive purpose and the commentary has devolved into something even less constructive
Let's be clear:
1) DiMarzio makes a high quality product. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't have a clue about how pickups are made. You think Yamaha, Ibanez, Ernie Ball, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Nita Strauss, Paul Gilbert, etc would opt for low quality pickups? Dream on...
2) Some of DiMarzio's past business tactics have indeed been questionable. If that bothers you, don't buy their product.
3) If you think you're avoiding supporting DiMarzio by buying secondhand, you're likely kidding yourself. There's a fairly good chance those "used" pickups you just bought on eBay went to fund the seller's brand new set of DiMarzios. Money moves and the company is happy
4) Comparing something like the Tri-Sonics to the Brian May pickups is futile. Different size/format = different everything (construction, magnet, resulting DCR, etc). Does a "JB Jr" sound exactly like a JB? Does a "Phat Cat" sound exactly like a 1940's Gibson P-90? Do they have the same DCR, magnet size and magnetic field as the pickups that inspired them? NOPE! And a knowledgeable person wouldn't expect them to.
freefrog
Well-known member
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
WITHOUT CORRELATION WITH THE TITTLE OF THIS TOPIC, I share below a few things about the DiMarzio Brian May Signature set evoked above (pic 6 shows it next to a MIC Fender Strat single coil).
The inductance of these DP206 is around 1.9H and their DCR, between 8,1k and 8,3k (vs 2.4H and 6.7k for the Tri-Sonic in picture 7).
About this set as about other DM models, I've also measured resonant peaks and other objective tech data that I'll share or not, depending on the context.
WITHOUT CORRELATION WITH THE TITTLE OF THIS TOPIC, I share below a few things about the DiMarzio Brian May Signature set evoked above (pic 6 shows it next to a MIC Fender Strat single coil).
The inductance of these DP206 is around 1.9H and their DCR, between 8,1k and 8,3k (vs 2.4H and 6.7k for the Tri-Sonic in picture 7).
About this set as about other DM models, I've also measured resonant peaks and other objective tech data that I'll share or not, depending on the context.
Last edited:
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
Hmm, I must not know the whole story. I'm not following the relationship, or point, between the previous Kinman anti-competitive issue, and the technical dissimilarity between a DM Brian May signature pickup, a MIC Strat pickup, and a previous Burns/other Tri-Sonic pickup. Was Kinman making a kind of Tri-Sonic that DM is now making? or is this just starting to belong in the off-topic room?
Hmm, I must not know the whole story. I'm not following the relationship, or point, between the previous Kinman anti-competitive issue, and the technical dissimilarity between a DM Brian May signature pickup, a MIC Strat pickup, and a previous Burns/other Tri-Sonic pickup. Was Kinman making a kind of Tri-Sonic that DM is now making? or is this just starting to belong in the off-topic room?
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
I'm still waiting to hear what Erotic Role Play has to do with this, I mean it's intriguing in the least. Stop the suspense
I'm still waiting to hear what Erotic Role Play has to do with this, I mean it's intriguing in the least. Stop the suspense
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: DiMarzio Haters - Why?
Freefrog, what the heck is your point with all this?
I can see how DiMarzio was attempting to modernize and shrink the Trisonic's construction:
How could you possibly expect the specs to be the same with such modifications needed to fit a traditional Strat layout?
More importantly, if you don't like the Brian May sigs, ditch 'em! Clearly they're not making you happy
P.S. - This thread sucks
Freefrog, what the heck is your point with all this?
I can see how DiMarzio was attempting to modernize and shrink the Trisonic's construction:
How could you possibly expect the specs to be the same with such modifications needed to fit a traditional Strat layout?
More importantly, if you don't like the Brian May sigs, ditch 'em! Clearly they're not making you happy
P.S. - This thread sucks
- Status
Similar threads
