Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

[idsnowdog]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

I wouldn't over analyze this decision. SD's are easy to find used for about $35 and they are the BBQ chicken and mac n cheese of the pickup world. Nearly everyone likes them and if you don't it's very easy to resell. At worst your out your shipping costs.

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

I think the Super Distortion is a superb pickup. If you're playing anything from 70s heavy rock to modern day metal, the Super Distortion should be your starting point tonally.

 

[357mag]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

Dimarzio wire must be smaller than 26 gauge. I tried a 26 gauge stripper and the hole is still too big.

 

[CTN]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

28 then, I guess. Either way, super fragile wire. Such a pain to work with.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

Make sure you buy strippers that can do 26ga wire. That's what I use and I install a LOT of pickups with no issues at all.

Pretty much.

On mine I use the edge past where the notches end. Just dont test it out on the very last bit of wire left, trying to strip it all in one move for twisting together with an extension. Cuz it WILL chop off the wire if you miss the sweet spot.

When in doubt, use a scalpel. 49¢ / blade, $2.49 per handle @ veterinary suppliers online. No prescriptions qualifications or licenses needed, sharp enough to write with too...

Btw, good source of surgical soldering tools if you dont wanna five finger discount them from the ER for redress for making you wait 12 hours like my pops did back in the day... Same made in pakistan label and looks as the real ER product (hehe), probably identical except the veterinary use only sticker.

Oh, and they also sell lotsa goodies like $2 bandanas, non-FDA approved products to resprout your bald spot (note: will look greasy when applied, cover w/ $2 bandana), industrial quantities of pesticides for barnyard use (screw Raid, expensive and useless), 35 and 60cc catheter syringes (thats 1/8 and 1/4 CUP, or 1 and 2 DRINKS - great for cooking w/ precise measurements or making scientific mixers) and horsie ivermectin for three bucks (nuke those pesky parasites giving you gut problems after you ate smthn weird or swallowed some river/seawater on your last drinking...er, camping binge; also kill lice scabies and even mosquitoes and bedbugs that bite you in the next cpl days lol, as well as cure rosacea, which you REALLY should google if you got it cuz that "blush" is some of THE.GNARLIEST.SH!T.EVER....hey cheaper than a gastroenterologist or dermatologist, far more useful than an introductory visit, AND fda approved for humans @ 100 bucks per dose at your local people pharmacy, for prolly made in india generic, unlike the brand name canadian horsie version hehe).

PS no more ketamine there, though - that ship has sailed

 

[Aceman]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

Space Ace...I am unfamiliar with full size Dimarzio humbuckers. I've never bought or installed a ****ing Super Distortion or any other Dimarzio humbucker. Never. It's a fair question.

Ok - have you ever listened to any music recored from say, 1973 to well into the 80's and beyond? Probably a cool 3rd of the tones yoiu dig from the 70's are SuperD's, maybe 25% or so of the 80's, and still even today.

Ace Frehley on ALIVE - that's classic SuperD
Gary Richrath on REO Hii-Infidelity, that's classic SuperD
Iron Maiden on Number of the Beast - SuperD
Def Lep - SuperD/Super2's

It's kinda like asking "is the Toyota Camry a decent car?" On 20 Billion out there driving every day.

So again - I have to ask what you really want to know about it????

- It's Humbucking
- It's Hot (but not mega-hot by today's standards
- It's got a solid tight bass and miss, but more treble than people give it credit for
- A very "thick" sound.

I love it, very flexible IMO, but certainly not for everything or everyone.

 

[DKSEARS]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

I have Super Distortions in two of my guitars. It is one of the classic sounds of rock and roll. While I'll agree that it has a good muscular tone, it also has a decent amount of bite. It really seems to love mahogany. I was introduced to SD from a player's perspective when I bought my Ace Frehley signature LP a few years ago. I have seen that guitar do it all. I had a friend borrow it for a jazz gig and it nailed nearly any tone he threw at it that day.

I recently put a SD in a custom mahogany super strat that I built, because the Super 3 was just too dark for that piece of wood. I was originally going for toward the Def Leppard tone from Phil's side, just couldn't make the Super 3 work. Guess I'll try the super 3 in a different build.

Once I swapped the SD in, it was like a night and day difference. It balances well with the PAF Pro in the neck, and I'm loving the combination.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[357mag]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

Finally got the pickups installed. Had to wait until my wire strippers arrived. That's 28 gauge wire Dimarzio is using. I was kinda worried that the pickups may be overly bright with the ceramic magnets but they don't sound overly bright at all. Nice rock tone with good string definition. Bass is not flabby or anything.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

SuperD is actually typically caused of being too dark more often. Don't know why. Nice highs IMO. Not too bright - just right.

And don't get too hung on the gauge of this or that. A pup is far more than the sum of it's parts. Tech is tech, and sound is sound, the two are often, but not always or closely, related.

SuperD is a very flexible pup.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

Finally got the pickups installed. Had to wait until my wire strippers arrived. That's 28 gauge wire Dimarzio is using. I was kinda worried that the pickups may be overly bright with the ceramic magnets but they don't sound overly bright at all. Nice rock tone with good string definition. Bass is not flabby or anything.

You can fine tune it pretty well since it has two rows of screws. If you do find it too dark you can swap out the brass baseplate for a nickle steel baseplate which will shift the emphasis from the low mids to the high mids. I had to replace the baseplate on mine because the previous owner had direct mounted it and destroyed the mounting legs.

 

[357mag]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

I wonder if I got the pickups set too far away from the strings. Right now when I depress the last fret on the low E the pickups measure more than an eighth of an inch away.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

I wonder if I got the pickups set too far away from the strings. Right now when I depress the last fret on the low E the pickups measure more than an eighth of an inch away.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is a larger gap than the standard starting points that most manufacturers recommend. Having the pickup farther away will reduce its volume and make it thinner sounding. That can be a good thing if your taste (and/or your rig) calls for it.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

Normally I capo at the 12th fret and then use an automotive ruler to adjust the height of the pickup. I usually start with 3mm on the bass and 2mm on the treble and fine tune from there.

 

[Securb]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

I have the single spaced Telecaster Super Distortion. If sounds just like the iconic humbucker. That pickup is all about hard rock/metal goodness. They are very warm and articulate with awesome touch sensitivity.

 

[357mag]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

The Super Distortion seems to have a slight buzzy quality to it.

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

Heheheh... stripping those tiny pickups wires. I actually use my teeth (front top & bottom) and never had an issue.

I'm diggin that Sg. Looks like Wizard of Oz Emerald Green.

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

Pretty much.

On mine I use the edge past where the notches end. Just dont test it out on the very last bit of wire left, trying to strip it all in one move for twisting together with an extension. Cuz it WILL chop off the wire if you miss the sweet spot.

When in doubt, use a scalpel. 49¢ / blade, $2.49 per handle @ veterinary suppliers online. No prescriptions qualifications or licenses needed, sharp enough to write with too...

Btw, good source of surgical soldering tools if you dont wanna five finger discount them from the ER for redress for making you wait 12 hours like my pops did back in the day... Same made in pakistan label and looks as the real ER product (hehe), probably identical except the veterinary use only sticker.

Oh, and they also sell lotsa goodies like $2 bandanas, non-FDA approved products to resprout your bald spot (note: will look greasy when applied, cover w/ $2 bandana), industrial quantities of pesticides for barnyard use (screw Raid, expensive and useless), 35 and 60cc catheter syringes (thats 1/8 and 1/4 CUP, or 1 and 2 DRINKS - great for cooking w/ precise measurements or making scientific mixers) and horsie ivermectin for three bucks (nuke those pesky parasites giving you gut problems after you ate smthn weird or swallowed some river/seawater on your last drinking...er, camping binge; also kill lice scabies and even mosquitoes and bedbugs that bite you in the next cpl days lol, as well as cure rosacea, which you REALLY should google if you got it cuz that "blush" is some of THE.GNARLIEST.SH!T.EVER....hey cheaper than a gastroenterologist or dermatologist, far more useful than an introductory visit, AND fda approved for humans @ 100 bucks per dose at your local people pharmacy, for prolly made in india generic, unlike the brand name canadian horsie version hehe).

PS no more ketamine there, though - that ship has sailed

That was a bit of a meandering btw. All good stuff tho. I knew a guy that used to buy all kinds of stuff at horse supply stores. Cheaper and he swore that the quality was at least as good.

 

[Buzzin_Cousin]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

I've got the single coil rails version of the Super D in the bridge of a strat, and a full size version in the bridge of a tele. Took me awhile to find the bridge to house it, too.

I like them both quite a bit. Maybe better than the SD Hot Rails.

Never heard the Super 2.

 

[~Vintage~]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

Anyone here have any experience with the Dimarzio Super Distortion or Super 2? I'd like some feedback on these pickups.

Yes, they're good.

Finally got the pickups installed. Had to wait until my wire strippers arrived. That's 28 gauge wire Dimarzio is using. I was kinda worried that the pickups may be overly bright with the ceramic magnets but they don't sound overly bright at all. Nice rock tone with good string definition. Bass is not flabby or anything.

You're overthinking the whole small wire thing.....just touch a lighter to the insulation, then quickly grab where you want to strip with your fingernail and pull off the insulation. It's super easy and you don't need a special pair of strippers. I have an expensive Greenlee pair of cutter/strippers but they don't strip as small as the 28guage either, I have my fingernails for that.

 

[357mag]

Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion & Super 2

Yes, they're good.


You're overthinking the whole small wire thing.....just touch a lighter to the insulation, then quickly grab where you want to strip with your fingernail and pull off the insulation. It's super easy and you don't need a special pair of strippers. I have an expensive Greenlee pair of cutter/strippers but they don't strip as small as the 28guage either, I have my fingernails for that.

I'm not overthinking anything. That wire is so small and fragile you have to have the correct tool for the job. Now that I got the correct strippers it's much easier.