DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

[Inflames626]

Hi guys,
I've never owned a set of DiMarzios. I believe everyone makes good stuff and to give everyone a chance.

Of the Duncans I've tried I really like the Full Shred and Screamin' Demon--something bright and articulate with a tight bottom but not as much output as a Duncan Distortion. In DiMarzio's line, I'm leaning toward the Super 2 and Vai Evolutions.

People have also told me that the Custom 5 sounds like the Tone Zone. I'm guessing the PAF Pro sounds like the Jazz.

Based on YouTube samples, the Super Distortion sounds similar to a JB, but slightly more aggressive and with tighter bass, almost like an EMG 81. I thought I'd see if this is accurate. Other people tell me the SD is very bassy. In my head I hear the SD as being very mid focused and British sounding.

I know they're pushing the Deactivator line at the moment but something about them doesn't tempt me as much as the classic designs.

I'm a big fan of Maiden and Priest, whom I understand used DiMarzio back in the early days.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

Maiden and Priest would be the Super Distortion, or you could go with a Dual Sound. The Dual sound was an S.D. that could be split.They are technically the same pickup now, but the Dual Sound comes with a push/pull pot included.
I may be wrong as I have no personal experience with these DMZs, but on paper it looks like a PAF Joe would be similar to a Demon and a Super 2 might be close to the Full Shred

 

[El Supremo]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

Classic Maiden and Priest would be the Super Distortion (which sounds absolutely nothing like a JB btw ).
You could also take a look at the Transition. Ceramic, but not that hot of a wind.

 

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

People have also told me that the Custom 5 sounds like the Tone Zone. I'm guessing the PAF Pro sounds like the Jazz.

No and no, not even close. And the super D and JB have very little in common. There is no DiMarzio similar to full shred bridge; humbucker from hell is somewhat similar to full shred neck.

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

Hi guys,
I've never owned a set of DiMarzios. I believe everyone makes good stuff and to give everyone a chance.

Of the Duncans I've tried I really like the Full Shred and Screamin' Demon--something bright and articulate with a tight bottom but not as much output as a Duncan Distortion. In DiMarzio's line, I'm leaning toward the Super 2 and Vai Evolutions.

People have also told me that the Custom 5 sounds like the Tone Zone. I'm guessing the PAF Pro sounds like the Jazz.

Based on YouTube samples, the Super Distortion sounds similar to a JB, but slightly more aggressive and with tighter bass, almost like an EMG 81. I thought I'd see if this is accurate. Other people tell me the SD is very bassy. In my head I hear the SD as being very mid focused and British sounding.

I know they're pushing the Deactivator line at the moment but something about them doesn't tempt me as much as the classic designs.

I'm a big fan of Maiden and Priest, whom I understand used DiMarzio back in the early days.

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks.

From what I have heard on this forum, The Dimarzio that sounds like/ closest to a Screamin Demon is the Fred.
Also the Tone Zone sounds does not sound like the C5 . While they are both high output The Tone Zone has lots of low end and mids, while the C5 is a bit mid scoped.
The Super Distortion sounds nothing like a JB. I have again Heard that the Andy Timmins model sounds a lot like a JB. The Duncan Custom would be close to the Super Distortion but still there is a difference.

For Maiden and Priest I would go with Super Distortion.

 

[Archer250]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

Also, both the Tone Zone and Paf Pro are middier than the C5 and Jazz

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

There was a guy who posted a recorded clip comparison of the Tone Zone and JB in the same guitar with the same amp settings a couple years ago on this forum, asking if people could identify one from the other. Pretty much everyone guessed wrong . . . The TZ was brighter and more defined, the JB was a bit bassier. Both sounded very similar though, fair output with lots of mids.

 

[Swyse]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

There was a guy who posted a recorded clip comparison of the Tone Zone and JB in the same guitar with the same amp settings a couple years ago on this forum, asking if people could identify one from the other. Pretty much everyone guessed wrong . . . The TZ was brighter and more defined, the JB was a bit bassier. Both sounded very similar though, fair output with lots of mids.

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?216519-Tone-Zone-and-JB-compared

I think this is what you're referring to, and I also assumed the JB was the second one. In my experience with two identically specced basswood guitars the tonezone was overwhelmingly bassy and the JB was quite bright, which seems to be most people's experience with the pickups.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

Already been said, Super Distortion definitely. Not that much like the Full Shred but it can do what it does for the most part.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

There are a lot of descriptions of Dimarzio pickups being thrown around here that do NOT mesh at all with my experiences with those models.

If you like the Full Shred and the Demon, the closest thing I can think of would be the Breed Bridge, and even that is more balanced and fuller. The Steve's Special comes to mind when I think about the Demon.
The Super D and Super 2 are on the other side of the world from a Demon and Full Shred. Nothing in common in my opinion. The Paf Joe is also nothing like the Demon. Worlds apart.

The Custom 5 sounds nothing like a Tone Zone, except that they both have a lot of bass. The Paf Pro and Jazz are also very different pickups.

You being a big fan of Maiden and Priest makes me wonder why you would like the Full Shred and Demon. Those are definitely not the pickups I would choose for those tones. So, my question would be, do you want to sound like a Full Shred / Demon, or do you want to sound like Maiden and Priest? Also, this just occurred to me, are you talking about the Full Shred neck pickup or bridge pickup?

 

[Inflames626]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

I have a bit more flexibility than someone in a live situation because I'm mostly recording.

I'm also a fan of 90s Gothenburg death metal, which has a Maiden basis.

I prefer taking some of the output and harshness out of the tone by going with lower output pickups and using something with a smoother high gain sound than a 5150. High gain saturation, but not fuzziness. I can usually approximate this in Pod Farm by boosting a JCM 800 with a Tube Screamer and adjusting to taste, which I find more pleasing than using a higher gain amp model like a Mesa, Engl, or Diezel with no boost. With the right impulse responses, by the time it's double tracked and mixed, the guitars sound quite thick and saturated.

Here's an example that I did with EMTY Blackouts and a JCM800 setting.

https://soundcloud.com/devolve1980/goliaths-disarm-their-davids

The tone of Maiden, Priest, and classic period Slayer can be a bit middy for me at times, but I use them as a basis for a two guitar melodic sound. It's still closer to what I prefer than going with the usual Mesa/scooped set up or the 5150 saturated set up.

The Full Shred/Demon work for me in a Maiden context because the emphasis is on note definition and soloing. Mostly, I liked how the harmonics were in the FS and how it adjusted to dynamic playing well. It actually made me play differently. The Demon I like less, but its tight low end makes up for the Full Shred's lack of bass.

I seem to find a lot of players like pickups that really color their tone and often like to make up for lack of preamp gain by going with hotter output pickups. I'm not that type of player. I like a very even, transparent response (traditionally used actives for many years, but I now play with passives due to more wiring options) and I like my adjustments further down the signal chain, rather than being baked into the pickup.

More specifically, someone compared some samples of a Gibson 498t I posted to the Tone Zone. They are here.

https://soundcloud.com/devolve1980/hamer-tone

Some people might think I have higher output pickups than a 498t, but I prefer taking low/mid output pickups and boosting them, rather than trying to tame a hot pickup.

For Priest, I did this with a JB (left)/EMG HZ4 (right). You're mostly hearing the HZ4 here (passive 81) with a JB making most of the body. To me, it sounds pretty vintage 70s and thus Super Distortion.

https://soundcloud.com/devolve1980/beyond-the-realms-of-death

So I don't think it's necessarily "If you don't have a Super Distortion you're not going to sound like Maiden."

So, to me, the actual pickup doesn't matter all that much because I can make a pickup sound like something out of its genre with software (got a very heavy sound out of a Classic 57+ in the bridge once, and it's a vintage pickup).

However, starting with the right pickup is a big help to me. Besides harmonics, the biggest part is eliminating mud--what other people might hear as tone. Hence my preference for cleaner sounding pickups.

Hope this helps.

 

[Archer250]

Re: DMZ pickups similar to Full Shred

There was a guy who posted a recorded clip comparison of the Tone Zone and JB in the same guitar with the same amp settings a couple years ago on this forum, asking if people could identify one from the other. Pretty much everyone guessed wrong . . . The TZ was brighter and more defined, the JB was a bit bassier. Both sounded very similar though, fair output with lots of mids.

I really question the validity of that test. IME, The JB has a *slightly* smoother high end than the Tone Zone, but it definitely has MUCH less bass and low mids.