DiMarzio Vintage Mini - Firebird

[Zhangliqun]

They use ceramic mags -- which makes you wonder why DM calls them "Vintage", but hey.

Got someone with a couple of these he wants to replace and I'm trying to find out if they are traditional Firebird construction (2 magnets IN bobbins) or just steel blades in the bobbins with one magnet below. Anybody know?

 

[hamerfan]

Re: DiMarzio Vintage Mini - Firebird

I see four screws on the back, which lead me to the one bar magnet below theory.

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/gibson-firebird-v.1450539/page-2

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: DiMarzio Vintage Mini - Firebird

The DiMarzio FBs are actually not FB pickups. They are basically New York mini hums (i.e. the kind used on old Epis, Les Paul Deluxes, and other Gibson guitars), but with smooth covers.

The S.D. SM-1 has the proper old-school Firebird construction at a fair price. The SM-2 and SM-3 do not have "proper" Firebird construction.

The SM-1 can be special ordered with a smooth cover, or you can order a non-aged cover on an Antiquity version.

You might consider special ordering them unpotted as well, if he is really after an original Firebird tone. He might want to get them potted, though, if he plays loudly.

This is original Firebird construction. Sometimes the sheet metal inserts were on top, between the bobbin tops and the covers, instead of where I put them in the drawings. The SDs follow this construction, except they use a single, wide wood shim instead of the two narrower ones like old FB pickups. SD also encases them rather heavily in wax. I don't mind the wax potting, myself. They are a complex sandwich of parts, and the wax helps them, IMO.

 

[switchman]

Re: DiMarzio Vintage Mini - Firebird

Hi - Assuming you mean the Dimarzio DP240 Vintage Mini Humbucker which looks like a Firebird with a no Hole cover? Dimarzio doesn't make anything called a Firebird pickup. I had a DP240 here I disassembled. As others said the construction is nothing like a true vintage Firebird. Its two slug bobbins with a Ceramic bar magnet and, what looks like a steel keeper on one side only, and a stupid amount of wax. I've had two here made at different times both read 5.92K on the meter. I could see why they call it "vintage" because, by their standards, even though it's louder and brighter than a vintage Firebird or mini-hum, it's clean and not high output. Sort of like some Strat ceramic dual-blade humbuckers. Really bright wound strings...

 

[Bodeanicus]

Re: DiMarzio Vintage Mini - Firebird

The DiMarzio FBs are actually not FB pickups. They are basically New York mini hums (i.e. the kind used on old Epis, Les Paul Deluxes, and other Gibson guitars), but with smooth covers.

The S.D. SM-1 has the proper old-school Firebird construction at a fair price. The SM-2 and SM-3 do not have "proper" Firebird construction.

The SM-1 can be special ordered with a smooth cover, or you can order a non-aged cover on an Antiquity version.

You might consider special ordering them unpotted as well, if he is really after an original Firebird tone. He might want to get them potted, though, if he plays loudly.

This is original Firebird construction. Sometimes the sheet metal inserts were on top, between the bobbin tops and the covers, instead of where I put them in the drawings. The SDs follow this construction, except they use a single, wide wood shim instead of the two narrower ones like old FB pickups. SD also encases them rather heavily in wax. I don't mind the wax potting, myself. They are a complex sandwich of parts, and the wax helps them, IMO.

View attachment 94613

View attachment 94614

A buddy gave me two SM-1's he used to have in his LP Deluxe. I had an old Squier Bullet Strat lying around, and thought "What if..."

So, I bought a double mini-hum pickguard from Ebay, some 500K pots, a .47 capacitor, and slapped it all together.

Man, it sounds fantastic. Seriously. Crystal clear cleans of a single coils, and the mids and bass of a low ouput PAF. It's truly the best of both worlds.

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