Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

A

always SD

New member
hi
i know that everyone has an opinion
but if you are experienced like Jimi said

what can you say about this ?

in my opinion, the guitar is very important to make good comparisons
so, if you changed your pickups with the same guitar ok :)

for example a sh1 vs 490r vs paf pro

a sh4 vs tone zone vs 498t but the test can't be interesting if the guitars was different
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

I know I hated the 490 set when I had it. But that is all I can help with. I don't have enough experience with others (sorry Jimi).
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

the legend is that the dimarzio pickups would be better for shredders :)
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

Blondes vs brunettes vs redheads.

Legend says blondes have more fun.

What is best? ;)
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

I've used all 3 brands and I've liked pickups from each manufacturer. I've disliked more dimarzios and gibsons than duncans, but they all make some winners.
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

i really would like to professionals or men who have a lot of experiences to know
if there are differences or not
if some pickups give a sound like muddy sound or if the others are better for each notes (Satriani)
but Satriani played with a pearly gates too so, it really depends on the guitar first

clean sounds, warm sounds, fast legatos

have you seen a shredder with a 498t?
a bluesman with the Fred?
a funky man with sh4?

what i can say it Prince played with EMG SA and 81 and it sounded really good for both worlds
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

I have built and repaired quite a few guitars. In general, Gibson, Dimarzio and SD all make good products. Some pickups do not sound great for some applications.

In very general terms, I would put Gibson at the bottom of that list in quality of pickups. However, realize that is based in my personal preference. In general, I don't think I am quite as fond of dimarzio as I am of most of Seymour Duncan products I have tried.

However, an invader is not a pickup I like. The black winter I believe to be exceptional, and as long as I could play it well, it does everything I want to do quite well. I know I have seen more weird combinations than you mention. I have played megadeth on a Charlie Christian pickup in a thinline tele. However, personally I would not suggest that is the optimal pickup or the guitar for that application. (It sounds better than I would have guessed though.)
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

always SD said:
i really would like to professionals or men who have a lot of experiences to know
if there are differences or not
if some pickups give a sound like muddy sound or if the others are better for each notes (Satriani)
but Satriani played with a pearly gates too so, it really depends on the guitar first

clean sounds, warm sounds, fast legatos

have you seen a shredder with a 498t?
a bluesman with the Fred?
a funky man with sh4?

what i can say it Prince played with EMG SA and 81 and it sounded really good for both worlds
Click to expand...
So what sweeping generalities are you looking for to support your equally vague thesis?
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

Gibson 1964 said:
In very general terms, I would put Gibson at the bottom of that list in quality of pickups. However, realize that is based in my personal preference. In general, I don't think I am quite as fond of dimarzio as I am of most of Seymour Duncan products I have tried.
Click to expand...

+1

Gibson seems to care more about hitting a budget target than the resulting tone. Case in point is Tim Shaw having to use different wire for his PAF clones in the early 80s because the vintage correct stuff was too expensive. I've played quite a few aftermarket pups and I tend to like SDs the best. I don't know if that's because I'm used to them, or because they just sound 'right' to me. I've tried a bunch of DiMarzios and don't care for them generally, though I do like the Tone Zone, Air Norton, & Satch pups (PAF Pro, PAF Joe, Fred, etc). I can't seem to get along with BKPs at all, and it isn't for lack of trying.
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

always SD said:
i really would like to professionals or men who have a lot of experiences to know
if there are differences or not
if some pickups give a sound like muddy sound or if the others are better for each notes (Satriani)
but Satriani played with a pearly gates too so, it really depends on the guitar first

clean sounds, warm sounds, fast legatos

have you seen a shredder with a 498t?
a bluesman with the Fred?
a funky man with sh4?

what i can say it Prince played with EMG SA and 81 and it sounded really good for both worlds
Click to expand...

Bill Steer of Carcass plays death metal with a Duncan '59 in a Les Paul and the stock (Gibson) P-90 in a Les Paul Jr. He used to use the Dimarzio Super 3 in an RG.

Professional, using those three brands you're asking about. It's really just up to the player. The pickup is meant to balance the sound of the guitar with the amp you're using.
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

I've found I tend to like DiMarzio pickups in the neck and Seymour Duncans in the bridge. That being said, there are many Duncans I like the in the neck–so far I have never bonded with a DiMarzio in the bridge.

I really like the Gibson Ceramic set (496R&500T) out of their offerings...if I ever went back to a Les Paul though I'd probably throw in a Pearly Gates or WLH set in it.
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

I run JBs and 59s and Tone Zones and Air Norton's and I like em all.
I own Gibson pickups but I'm not a fan of most of them. They usually get swapped out pretty quick.
On a side note, I only like Alnico 4 in my 59 necks and I only like Alnico 8s in my JBs.
My Tone Some in my Ibanez Prestige RG gives me a pretty convincing Brown Sound thru my EVH 5150iii.
I love that pickup and my JB 8s in my Les Paul's are awesome once that magnet gets broken in.
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

LtKojak said:
Blondes vs brunettes vs redheads.

Legend says blondes have more fun.

What is best? ;)
Click to expand...


Brunettes, of course!

All three manufacturers make a wide range of PU's, so you really can't generalize. Of those, Gibson has the smallest selection, the highest prices for what you get, and I suspect they make PU's themselves so the don't have to pay a middleman. More of an obligation.

Duncan and DiMarzio on the other hand exist by being able to beat stock PU's. They have a flair & a passion for PU's and it shows in their products.

I'm a big PAF fan and have PAF's made by all three (and a few others). I have more Duncan PAF's than any other. It's apparent that Seymour has a genuine love for them.
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

always SD said:
i don't understand your sentence
Click to expand...

He is saying you didn't word your question very well and as a result, he believes you are asking a rather complicated question and expecting a simple answer.
For example: I can see the heaviest shredder with a Duncan Distortion, a Dimarzio Super Distortion, or a Dirty Fingers no problem. Just like I can see a classic blues player with a Duncan 59, a Dimarzio PAF or a Gibson Burstbucker.

Each have such a wide range of humbucking options that it really boils down to subtle and complex differences in design and tone not only from model to model but also from company to company. One's take on a PAF would be different to anothers, same with other styles, and we haven't even started talking about single coil styles or actives yet.

To lump each company together to be associated with a particular style devalues the products that those companies produce that fall outside of that generalization.

This is why Kojack made the comment about Blondes, Brunettes, and Redheads. It's just really broad.
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

This thread appears to be founded on the entirely false notion that particular pickup brands and models have rigid and distinct applications from which no deviation is permissible.

Mention has already been made of playing metal using a Charlie Christian style single coil pickup. I used to extract positively evil tones from a Gibson Iommi humbucker installed in a down-tuned Epiphone Lucille. True to my Gloss, I have slam dunked da Funk on an SH-4 JB humbucker - probably in parallel mode and with the guitar volume pot rolled down to about 7. The instrument in my avatar pic uses EMG guitar pickups for the bass register.
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

always SD said:
in my opinion, the guitar is very important to make good comparisons
so, if you changed your pickups with the same guitar ok :)

for example a sh1 vs 490r vs paf pro

a sh4 vs tone zone vs 498t but the test can't be interesting if the guitars was different
Click to expand...

At some point I've had the DiMarzios and the Duncans in my Music Man. I haven't had the Gibsons but I'll compare the two other brands.

The SH1 '59 is a little bit brighter and cleaner than the PAF Pro. The PAF Pro is smoother and has a little more output and natural compression to my ears. This would be my experience using both in the neck position

The Tone Zone Compared to a JB has a lot more low end, flatter mids, and smoother highs than the JB and it's tighter as well. The SH4 JB is louder, has more mids, less lows, and sharper highs than a Tone Zone.

I hope that helps.
 
Re: Dimarzio vs Gibson vs Seymour Duncan pickups

LtKojak said:
Neither we do with yours. Any of them.
Click to expand...

some people have no humour here
and very agressive
this is not the good way to have good answers in a quiet talk

but i wanted to find a man who had some experiences with the same guitar and with a lot of pickups
that's hard to find

what i wanted to say is there must be a reason why shedders have dimarzio's
except a proposition about money ?or friendship

i don't like dimarzio pups because if it's good for shredders, these are not the very good sounds that i prefer because what i have heard was "no life" and not warm at all
but the guitar is very important so i think i prefer Gibson or some strat that any basswood body like Satriani had

yesterday i listened to johnny lang with Cindy Lauper

the guy with his telecaster had the best sound i have heard from a long time
but he had bill lawrence pickups too
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
legendary pickups of the 80s sounds
Replies
1
Views
379
Bill Dennis
B
belensky
The Humbucker Archive: DiMarzio, EMG, BKP, Suhr & Duncan Tested – My Notes & Comparison Samples (Long Read)
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
Artie
Artie
Rex_Rocker
DiMarzio bobbins and polepieces?
Replies
5
Views
437
freefrog
freefrog
D
Matching a neck humbucker for the Tone Zone
Replies
13
Views
704
nienturi
nienturi
Rex_Rocker
Gibson 498T/490R - My review
2 3
Replies
47
Views
8K
EmiAba
EmiAba
Back
Top