Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

[fretburner]

Pardon me if I keep coming here for questions, especially about DiMarzios.

I am going to buy a set of DiMarzios for my RG350DX THIS WEEKEND and I need your opinions. I chose DiMarzios for this guitar for variety's sake. I'm putting a Custom and A2P on my Epiphone LP.

Here's what I want for my bridge pickup:

Dirty Rhythm: Very Heavy, Bright, Great Harmonics.
Clean Rhythm: Clear (or should I say glassy) and Bright.
Lead: Trebly withOUT being thin.

I will put a PAF Joe on the neck position and plug it in a JTM60.

Most of the guys in g.com recommends the Tone Zone. But I'm worried it's not bright enough and that it's too middy?

Steve's Special they say is great for Metal Rhythm but might have a problem in cutting through the mix (we have a rhythm guitarist) because of it's scooped mids? I'm also concerned that it might sound thin?

I'm switching a lot between the neck and the bridge pup in soloing. I love to have a great contrast between the two positions.

The Fred they say wouldn't do metal well. Just not enough low end in that pickup. Although, I think this pickup will satisfy my brightness and harmonics requirement.

HELP!!!

 

[dani]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

forget about the tone zone unless its the air zone. it will be a toss up between ss and fred. i will go with the ss. you can always dial in some mids to compensate the scoop mids.

 

[fretburner]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

What's wrong with the Tone Zone?

 

[wixedmords]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

Nothing is wrong with the TZ. It is a bass/mid strong pickup. Likely not what you are looking for.

You may want to look the Super 3 up.

 

[RockStarNick]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

My friend has a brand new John Petrucci Music Man. The pickups in there, while being "top secret", the bridge one is basically a Dimarzio Steves Special.

To my ears, in a trem guitar, with a basswood body, that pickup sounds like absolute garbage. don't get me wrong, it's defined as heck, but its almost TOO high fi, and it sounds shrill and non-organic. Not smooth in the least bit.

I think the tone Zone, in a locking trem guitar, would sound killer.

Never heard a fred.

 

[fretburner]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

Nothing is wrong with the TZ. It is a bass/mid strong pickup. Likely not what you are looking for.

You may want to look the Super 3 up.

Aside from the 3 mentioned, only the Evo and the Super Distortion are available from the local retailer.

A lot discouraged me on the Evo since it's too "sensitive" that a slight touch on the strings or wherever will have the notes/noise jumping out of your guitar.

The TZ doesn't have the treble/presence for a good Metal "chugga, chugga" sound?

 

[ranalli]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

The ToneZone is a very niche pickup for the brighest setups IMO....I don't know why people recommend it like it's Dimarzio's only pickup they make...so many others are better.

Furthermore, you might want to just list what your retailer actually has cause otherwise people will just keep naming stuff you cant' get anyway.

 

[fretburner]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

Well, these are the only F-Spaced Humbuckers they have right now:

Fred
Evo Bridge
Steve's Special
Tone Zone
Super Distortion

I might have missed one pup though

 

[EL WHOPPO]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

IMO, The Tone Zone was too dark, while the FRED was too trebly. So I went down the middle with a Norton (Basswood guitar). It's suppose to medium output, but it has more output than the JB.

 

[frankencat]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

The SS is a great pickup - probably my favorite Dimarzio. It also happens to be the most "Duncan'ish" Dimarzio to my ears. Coincidence?

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

Don't get scared by a mid scoop in a pickup, it actually makes it sound more open, crisp, and overall, audible to my ears. If anyone says that a pickup with a mid scoop gets your signal lost in a mix, they've got a weak signal to start out with.

I'd recommend the SS for you because the Fred is a very nasal sounding pickup, and the Tone Zone doesn't quite clean up as well as the SS.

 

[fretburner]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

Don't get scared by a mid scoop in a pickup, it actually makes it sound more open, crisp, and overall, audible to my ears. If anyone says that a pickup with a mid scoop gets your signal lost in a mix, they've got a weak signal to start out with.

I'd recommend the SS for you because the Fred is a very nasal sounding pickup, and the Tone Zone doesn't quite clean up as well as the SS.

If I chose the SS, will it match up the PAF Joe well?

Somebody is saying that I should go with the PAF Pro and not the PAF Joe.

 

[Destructone]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

IMO, The Tone Zone was too dark, while the FRED was too trebly. So I went down the middle with a Norton (Basswood guitar). It's suppose to medium output, but it has more output than the JB.

does the Norton really have much more output than the JB? How much output does the JB have, millivolts-wise?

 

[fretburner]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

Also, I thought I was already fixed on getting the PAF Joe for the neck pickup. But someone discouraged me on that especially if I get the TZ or SS because it might not balance well even if I lowered the pup in the bridge. So I'm seriously considering others.

My other choices are the PAF Joe and Air Norton. What are your recommendations?

Here's what I want from the neck pickup:

Warm
Round
Clear and Bright enough (not very trebly)

think: Paul Gilbert's solo spot in Japandemonium.

Harmonics are nice but not very critical. I also rarely use the neck pup for rhthym (clean or dirty).

Is the Air Norton with it's boosted mids actually warmer and rounder than the PP and PJ?

Or should I play it safe and go with the PP?

Thanks!

 

[34029324079]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

I put a FRED in the bridge of an epiphone les paul!

it is horrid don't do it. doesnt have the sound of a les paul maybe ibanez if your into that.

any pickup can do metal, lots can do mids and highs.

you will regret the FRED imo ...I did.

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

What about the Breed? That sounds up your alley.

When I think Fred, I think satriani

When I think Steves Special I think Petrucci

Tone Zone - Gilbert and a number of others.

 

[fretburner]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

^^They donnot have the Breed available here. I'm also worried it might sound vintage. I also want variety. I already have an Epi LP where I will put duncans in it.


If I get the SS, can the PAF Pro go well with it? Or would the Air Norton be better?

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

I have PAF Pro with Tone Zone and it balances quite well. TZ is one of their highest output pickups, IIRC. It could be a bit hotter, though. For you, maybe not.

TZ is quite a dark pickup. I'd steer away from it if I were you. EVO, though I haven't tried it, seems to be the best one.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

^^They donnot have the Breed available here. I'm also worried it might sound vintage. I also want variety. I already have an Epi LP where I will put duncans in it.


If I get the SS, can the PAF Pro go well with it? Or would the Air Norton be better?

From what you are saying you need I would go with a SS in the bridge. Either the PAF Pro, Air Norton, or PAF Joe would match fine with that.

 

[Peterku]

Re: Fred vs Steve's Special vs Tone Zone -- URGENT ADVICE NEEDED!!!

If the local dealer doesn't have a model, you can ask them to order one for you. That's what Dimarzio wrote me once. Or, you can order the model of your choice from http://www.aampselectricguitarstore.com for a very good price.