Dimarzio or SD in basewood

S

sdelac2

New member
Hi
Has anyone have experience and ever compare Dimarzio Super2 and SD Distorzion bridge position in basswood

I have guitar in basswood body with maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. It have a Duncan Design Detonator HB108 which is bassy. I want bridge pick up brighter and sharp sound. Dimarzio Super2 is good but it better for neck because have more mids and treble and it is 8.7 kohm. SD Distorzion is better balanced but dont know how is in basswood and have 16 kohm.
I hear that Dimarzio better for basswood.
I dont know which is better and is it
8 kohm enough strong and more better than 16 kohm for bridge and which is different between 8 kohm and 16 kohm.
Thank you
regards
 
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Hello ICTGoober.

Mincer is correct.

I had Dimebucker in my Hamer Explorer (African White Limba body).

Very tight bottom end with the Dimebucker. I also had a Dimarzio Super Distortion in my Hamer as well. Both pickups were good very good.

Good Luck with the Tone Chasing.
Please keep in mind that no two guitars are the same.

There are so many variables at work here.
Be patient and enjoy the process. The reward is VERY SATISFYING.
 
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Your description sounds like you would like the Dimarzio Fred in the bridge. It pairs well with the PAF Joe in the neck and works well in basswood guitars.
 
He mentioned the Super Distortion, Super 2, Detonator, and Duncan Distortion, so I'm assuming he is not really looking for vintage PAF tones. Maybe he will let us know.
 
Now that you've said that, I think you'd really like the Fred in the bridge. The Air Zone and Tone Zone sound great in Basswood as well and works well for what you describe, but they are not as bright.
 
Based on original questions

* If Super 2 vs Super D - You want the Super 2. In fact, may be the best choice of things you mentioned.

** The 108 is basically a Duncan Distortion with Invader poles. It is very very similar to a Duncan Distortion. If you think that is too much bass, you probably won't like a Distortion either.

*** Based on the music - I would have said a Duncan Distortion is what you want.

Finally, regarding the "Wood" factor; You are asking about really high output pickups, through a highly processed Yamaha amp. These pickups would all sound like they sound if you put them in a 2x4 or an Uber-Tonewood custom guitar.

I say just get a Distortion and call it a day. That amp can craft the metal tones right around whatever you put in there. My other call would be a Duncan JB It is "The" Hair Metal pickup.
 
Would I lie to you?

Megiytw.jpg
 
To the OP: all good advices above. Special mention for Aceman whose contribution stands out! :-)

Anecdotically and to ramble a bit: there's no reason why DiMarzio would be "better" for basswood bodies... Firstly, there's dozens of different DiMarzio models with their own distinctive tones. Secondly and even if I agree that various materials sound differently, the neck and hardware of a guitar can make much more difference than what the body is made off. Thirdly, each bit of wood has its own resonance, anyway, and even two guitars of the same model can therefore sound dissimilar... < : 0)

Regarding 8k vs 16k: typically / generally (in blanket statement mode), more resistance = more inductance. Inductance is the main factor making pickups "bassy" (not the only one, but the main). So it seems that you want/need a pickup with a lower inductance than the stock one.

You could start by trying your 108 humbucker wired in parallel. Not as a permanent pickup but just to see if you actually need a less powerful pickup : parallel wiring divides by 4 the measured DCR and inductance, lowering the output level and giving a "thinner" tone.

The rest is a question of adequation between pickups and your guitar as it is, with its specific hardware and overall resonance. There's no rule here IMHO/IME. Mostly trials and errors (or not). But if you mount a 16k pickup with multiple ceramic magnets, it might sound bassy too. ;-)

BTW, I've two Superstrats with the same scale, basswood bodies, rosewood fingerboards on bolt on maple necks and similar Kahler trems. They don't sound the same. Unexpectedly, the lightest one is actually the "bassiest", currently fitted with a... DiMarzio Super Distortion (+ a "no load" pot tone control meant to make it brighter).
One thing to notice is that when I swap the bridge pickup, it never cancels the basic character of the guitar. It's a dark sounding instrument by nature - it has hosted DiMarzio Super Dist but also Tone Zone, DP206 "Brian May" single coils, X2N, Duncan Hybrid, a Bare Knuckle "True Grit", some Bill Lawrence dual blade, various P.A.F. replicas and an undefined quantity of prototypes of mine, since it's the guitar that I use to test pickup designs: the "base" tone of the instrument could be clearly heard in each case. :-)

Good luck in you choice!
 
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Well Nice of you what you want to help.
I think that good way if is Detonator HB108 is too bassy that Distorzion not god way and Super2 is maybe better which have 8 kohm and have more
chance be bright and apsolutly not muddy.
regards
 
sdelac2 said:
I play 80 hairy metal and very like Dokken and Stryper sound.Have Boss JS10 and Yamaha THR10x.
Click to expand...

With that I will recommend a couple Duncans. Forst would be the Alt 8 Bass wood in my experience has a tendency to be dark and compressed tone wise. I ahve owned several Ibanez guitars in particular with basswood bodies. The Alt is very tight and cuts well in both the top and the mids. Also a Hybrid would work well due t how it generates harmonics. One of teh absolute best bridge tones I have gotten with a basswood body were with a JB in a Yellow and black Striped Ibanez mutt. Was shockingly good! The guitar was a pawn shop rescue and I couldn't believe it had a JB in the bridge after I got it sorted it sounded so good until I pulled the bridge pickup!
 
Ascension said:
With that I will recommend a couple Duncans. Forst would be the Alt 8 Bass wood in my experience has a tendency to be dark and compressed tone wise. I ahve owned several Ibanez guitars in particular with basswood bodies. The Alt is very tight and cuts well in both the top and the mids. Also a Hybrid would work well due t how it generates harmonics. One of teh absolute best bridge tones I have gotten with a basswood body were with a JB in a Yellow and black Striped Ibanez mutt. Was shockingly good! The guitar was a pawn shop rescue and I couldn't believe it had a JB in the bridge after I got it sorted it sounded so good until I pulled the bridge pickup!
Click to expand...

I agree about basswood being usually a bit compressed and dark/rounded in the highs. Great host for the alt-8 as it will lend some cut to the upper mids while keeping the lows tight. IME basswood is not a great host for pickups that are not tight in the lows and/or have darker compressed highs.
 
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