Dimarzio YJM dropped?

[Syris]

Hey everyone, got a new B.C. Rich so you know what that means. Yep, those pickups are outta there. For the bridge I'm going to put in a Drop Sonic for my heavy stuff. For clean and blues rock I want to put a YJM in the neck position.

Well, so here's the question part haha . I play in D standard, very rarely drop C. I know the Drop Sonic is built for this but what about the YJM? Will it work well with the added bass of drop tuning? Is it still going to be clear and glassy?

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

I can't think of any reason it wouldn't. Most single coils work really well with low tunings.

Most pickups really won't sound all that different at D than E.

 

[walt]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

I personally don't like the YJM tuned down any lower than 1/2 step (Eb). They seem to loose the clear/glassy tone that they are famous for. 2 things that I can think of for this are that when you tune down, there is less tension on the strings and they vibrate easier, with a low output pup like the yjm, it may be too much vibration for the magnetic field which "could" lead to mush for sound. Something a little hotter, like a Cruiser, Fast track 1, or chopper might be better.

 

[Syris]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

when you tune down, there is less tension on the strings and they vibrate easier,............ Something a little hotter, like a Cruiser, Fast track 1, or chopper might be better.

Hmm, strings huh? Well, my guitar has 52-10s on it. Maybe that would keep the same amount of a tension as a set of 42-9 in standard tuning. I didn't noticed a significant change in tension when I changed strings and tuning.

I was looking into the Chopper but that seems more like a rythm pickup. I'm already using the Drop Sonic for that. What about the Cruiser and the Fast Track 1? How are these for lead work?

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

I'd go for something else. The YJM is waaay too low output compared to the D Sonic. The D Sonic's output is 390 mV, while the YJM is only 93 mV or so. Switching from the bridge to the neck will have a very noticeable volume drop, and then switching back to the bridge from the neck would have a huge increase in output.

I'd go with a Fast Track 1. It's got rails and a bar magnet, so you can put it closer to the strings without pulling them out of tune like you would with the YJM, and it's got more than double the output of the YJM, so you'll get a better balance with the Fast Track 1. And I don't think it'll become muddy, like the Chopper might.

 

[walt]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

I'd go for something else. The YJM is waaay too low output compared to the D Sonic. The D Sonic's output is 390 mV, while the YJM is only 93 mV or so. Switching from the bridge to the neck will have a very noticeable volume drop, and then switching back to the bridge from the neck would have a huge increase in output.

I'd go with a Fast Track 1. It's got rails and a bar magnet, so you can put it closer to the strings without pulling them out of tune like you would with the YJM, and it's got more than double the output of the YJM, so you'll get a better balance with the Fast Track 1. And I don't think it'll become muddy, like the Chopper might.

+1 The Fast Track 1 isn't bad and I believe that Andy Timmons uses a Chopper in his guitars also and get really good tone out of it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KaVVZYOvMFY

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

I personally don't like the YJM tuned down any lower than 1/2 step (Eb)... "could" lead to mush for sound. Something a little hotter, like a Cruiser, Fast track 1, or chopper might be better.

I find that as a whole, the Dimarzio stacks (HS and VV) are a little mushy and spongy in the low end. The magnets are real short (top coil only) and I have to agree that it would probably mush out, especially in the neck position. I agree that the Fast Track 1 or Crusier could be a better alternative. They're extremely crisp for side-by-side rails, so they should maintain clarity under lower notes.

If you want a stack, get the SD Classic Stack Plus. They are more robust in the attack, and clearer IMO too. It should work better for drop tunings than a Dimarzio.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

+1 The Fast Track 1 isn't bad and I believe that Andy Timmons uses a Chopper in his guitars also and get really good tone out of it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KaVVZYOvMFY

Actually, he used to use the DiMarzio Double Whammy humbucker and 2 Cruisers. Now he has some special signature humbucker custom wound by DMZ in his signature Ibanez, and still 2 Cruisers in the neck/mid positions.

 

[walt]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

Actually, he used to use the DiMarzio Double Whammy humbucker and 2 Cruisers. Now he has some special signature humbucker custom wound by DMZ in his signature Ibanez, and still 2 Cruisers in the neck/mid positions.

I stand corrected. Thanks

 

[Syris]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

Thanks everybody, especially sufferinrewind on the bit about the output. That would have been a horrible shock.

Ok, now I'm in search of a pickup that best compliments the D Sonic. Doesn't have to be a DiMarzio. My usual tone settings are;

Bass: 4
Middle: 8
Treble: 6

I'm planning on the neck position pickup to be my lead. So I guess it's out put would be something like this;

Bass: 6
Middle: 4
Treble: 9

What neck position, single coil sized (a strat sized humbucker would be no problem by me) would best work with the D Sonic? I play hard rock. The Lil Screamin Demon looks promising, ideas on this one?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[walt]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

Cool Rail, lil 59 from duncan
Pro track from dimarzio.

I have a pro track in the neck of one of my strats and it's very good for leads. It's a rail design so there is no drop out of signal. Next to poles on stacked buckers like HS3 Classic Stacks etc, I like to looks of rail designed side by sides versus all of the little screws like on the jbjr, lil59 etc, but that's just me. At the end of the day, it's what you are looking for in sound. Take advantage of the exchange policy of the company's pickups you want to use until you find what you are looking for.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

I wouldn't go with a DiMarzio single coil sized 'bucker in the neck, personally. I don't think there are many with enough output that won't have the potential to become muddy.

 

[walt]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

I wouldn't go with a DiMarzio single coil sized 'bucker in the neck, personally. I don't think there are many with enough output that won't have the potential to become muddy.

I haven't experienced the "muddy" syndrome with my protrack, maybe it's because I'm using a 250 volume pot with no tone control??? I don't know, just asking. Either way, in my strat which I had loaded with a ToneZone, ToneZone S, and now a VHot Paf I have had no problems with the mud syndrome.

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

Walk are you playing with low tunings with that Pro Track? That can be all the difference in the world in regard to mushiness.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

I haven't experienced the "muddy" syndrome with my protrack, maybe it's because I'm using a 250 volume pot with no tone control??? I don't know, just asking. Either way, in my strat which I had loaded with a ToneZone, ToneZone S, and now a VHot Paf I have had no problems with the mud syndrome.

Is the Pro Track in the neck position? Is it in a Strat, or is it directly mounted to the guitar's body? In a Strat, it's kind of hard for any pickup to be muddy, especially with a maple fingerboard and since the pickups are mounted to a pickguard rather than the guitar's body. As for it not being wired to a tone control, that might be why it doesn't become muddy. If it were, it could potentially become muddy.

If used with 500k pots, I think it might be okay.

 

[walt]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

Is the Pro Track in the neck position? Is it in a Strat, or is it directly mounted to the guitar's body? In a Strat, it's kind of hard for any pickup to be muddy, especially with a maple fingerboard and since the pickups are mounted to a pickguard rather than the guitar's body. As for it not being wired to a tone control, that might be why it doesn't become muddy. If it were, it could potentially become muddy.

If used with 500k pots, I think it might be okay.

My strat is set up like this:
Neck - Pro Track
Mid - Fast track 1
Bridge - VHot Paf

wired to a 250k volume
VHot Paf is wired to mini toggle for coil tap
Tone is disconnected

I tune a 1/2 step down with a d-tuna for some drop d stuff. That's as low as I go, anything else isn't musical to my ears, just noise. I use a 250k pot because with a 500k the VHot Paf becomes a little too bright for what I'm doing. I don't play with as much gain/distortion as some of the newer stuff out there, but for doing 80's metal, early VH (even some Van Hagar stuff), this guitar covers it with ease.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: Dimarzio YJM dropped?

I've heard the ProTrack, and it sounded warmer up by the neck. But, it was direct mounted in the guitar I heard it in. I don't know if the guy was using 250k or 500k pots, though. The guitar was like a Tele-Gib. He had two single coil sized buckers in the neck spot, kinda like Neal Schon has on his signature Gibson Les Paul. One was the Cruiser, the other was the ProTrack. The ProTrack sounded really nice, fat and warm when it was clean, but under gain it kinda sounded mushy, and that was in standard tuning. Of course, he had it in a mahogany body/mahogany neck/maple capped guitar, so the mud factor would be a lot higher there than it would be in a Strat.