Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

[UberMetalDood]

I put it into my alder/rosewood American strat with a Chopper in the neck. When I bought the AT-1, I was thinking it would be something like the Tone Zone but a little brighter and less bassy. I was mostly right except I didn't expect to get the juiciness of a Breed too.

I knew the AT-1 would be outstanding on a clean amp and would render a fantastic lead tone but I wasn't sure how well it would preform for heavy chording. It's chunky but not overpowering like a Tone Zone. The clarity is good and you barely have to try to get amazing harmonics.

Its output is similar to a Norton or Full Shred. On my Engl Screamer, it cleans up from full overdrive on the red channel to a gritty clean sound just by dialing back my guitar volume pot to 4. I am using 250k pots by the way.

I need more time to compare it with my Norton bridge but it's possible there is a new contender for my favorite Dimarzio pickup.

 

[lazyfinger]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

Hey, good review! Let me know how it is compared to Norton and JB. I think AT-1 was rumored to be JB inspired.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

The AT-1 is my favorite DMZ...

I was going to order another for my latest Charvel, but figured I would try an EJ set in there.

 

[CountFunkula]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

It is, to my knowledge, a tweaked Breed Bridge. Slightly cooler and brighter. Not too much like a Tone Zone, but it could be described as an "idealized" TZ. It doesn't sound much like a JB, although Andy Timmons did use a JB prior to this. Great pickup! I like the Breed more, but that's just personal preference.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

Sounds pretty sweet! It's a contender for being my next new DiMarzio. I've still gotta review my new Humbucker From Hell... In short, I like it quite a bit. Gotta wait a while for clips though.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

Hey, good review! Let me know how it is compared to Norton and JB. I think AT-1 was rumored to be JB inspired.

Well I don't think any Dimarzio is inspired by a Duncan pickup. Dimarzios flavors all of their own. I guess if anything the AT-1 is kind of between a Norton and a Breed or Tone Zone. It's hard to pin it down because I've only been using it since yesterday.

I guess the most awesome thing about the AT-1 is the overall package. It's warm, defined, has an excellent midrange, and sounds incredibly good on a clean amp. If you take a Tone Zone, scale back the bass a little, round off the highs, and give a little more overall presence, you would get the AT-1... or if you take a Breed, balance out the midrange a little, keep the overall presence but scale back the treble a hair, then you would come close to an AT-1.

Like I said though, I've had less than 24 hours with this pickup. My ears may hear something different tomorrow. These are kind of my initial impressions. I'm restringing all of my other guitars so none of them have strings yet. When I get those strung up I can compare to a pretty nice variety of Dimarzios and Duncans. I'll post more comparison info then.

Sounds pretty sweet! It's a contender for being my next new DiMarzio. I've still gotta review my new Humbucker From Hell... In short, I like it quite a bit. Gotta wait a while for clips though.

I'd like to hear a review of the Humbucker from Hell. One of my friends says it makes an awesome neck pickup.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

For what it is worth, I have my AT-1 paired with a HFH, and I have no plans to change them.

That is a strong statement from a guy with over 50 pups in the parts box.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

I was told that the AT-1 is the same tone as the bridge pup in the ebmm axis.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

I have one and they don't sound the same. While there are some similarities, the AT-1 has some substantial differences. I would venture to say it's a bit brighter. Either way both the AT-1 and Musicman pickups are outstanding.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

I have one and they don't sound the same. While there are some similarities, the AT-1 has some substantial differences. I would venture to say it's a bit brighter. Either way both the AT-1 and Musicman pickups are outstanding.

Uber are they at least real close sounding to each other? dimarzio wont sell the custom wound axis bridge pup and the tone zone is no where near the same like dimarzio says it is.

 

[Heavy]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

I have one and they don't sound the same. While there are some similarities, the AT-1 has some substantial differences. I would venture to say it's a bit brighter. Either way both the AT-1 and Musicman pickups are outstanding.

Have you tried them in the same guitar? That's the only way to tell what a pickup is doing.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

Uber are they at least real close sounding to each other? dimarzio wont sell the custom wound axis bridge pup and the tone zone is no where near the same like dimarzio says it is.

Sure there are similarities, but the same kind of similarities between say a JB and a 59. I have compared my Axis and Reflex pickups (the same Musicman custom wound Dimarzios) extensively with a Tone Zone, Norton, Air Norton, PAF Pro, Mo'Joe, etc...

Musicman says the closest thing to their pickups is an Air Norton/Tone Zone combo, however, I've tried those as replacements and they're not the same. I would like to say that the bridge may be closer to an Air Zone because it sounds like it uses the same "air" technology in the bridge too. It kind of has the same qualities.

Since the Air Zone is a Tone Zone with the "air" thing built in, that could very well be what brings it closest to the Musicman pickups. The Air Norton is also very close and it's hard to tell a difference except that the Musicman neck pickup might be just a smidge less dense in bass and low mids.

The only bad thing I have to say about Musicman as a company is the fact that they won't provide replacement pickups even for Axis owners who bought direct from their dealers. Every guitar manufacturer should at least make replacement parts available to the dealers. That's one thing that really bothers me abou Musicman.

Have you tried them in the same guitar? That's the only way to tell what a pickup is doing.

I haven't heard a pickup sound radically different in different guitars, but obviously there would be some differences. I think you can generally get an idea of how a pickup will sound if you have knowledge of how different types of woods, bridges, nuts, etc... affect tone.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

Sure there are similarities, but the same kind of similarities between say a JB and a 59. I have compared my Axis and Reflex pickups (the same Musicman custom wound Dimarzios) extensively with a Tone Zone, Norton, Air Norton, PAF Pro, Mo'Joe, etc...

.

of ALL the dimarzio's you have tried which would you say has the closest overall tone to the axis bridge up? I made a half aired tone zone(slug coil is aired) which is real close so that may be the closest i will ever get since music man wont let dimarzio sell the axis pu's. the air norton in the neck is close enough to me but trying find a bridg dimarzio has been a bit tougher!
I was hoping the AT-1 was close enough

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

I just ordered another AT-1 and a LiquidFire (sic?) for a Charvel...

I love the AT-1 in the hard Ash guitar it is now, so lets see how it works in Alder.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

I'd really like to know about them... what X-way switch do you use?

In general?

The ash guitar has a superswitch, and the Charvel a toggle.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

I just ordered another AT-1 and a LiquidFire (sic?) for a Charvel...

I love the AT-1 in the hard Ash guitar it is now, so lets see how it works in Alder.

I can see how the AT-1 in an ash guitar would give it that extra little snap, crackle and pop. I would like to hear how it sounds in that guitar. I put mine in my alder strat, then in my Ibanez. It sounded awesome both ways but I just got the EVH pickups so I put them back in my Ibanez and the AT-1 is back in my strat.

I can't see how anyone would not like how they sound in alder. The Ibanez AT100 features an alder body so that pickup is tailor-made for an alder body strat. It will be awesome in that Charvel.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

Still loving the AT-1 in my alder-body EBMM Silhouette.

It's a nice compromise.

Thick without being woofy or dark

Hot without being overbearing or unclear

Tight without being brittle.

Very touch-sensitive, and cleans up well.

One of the best bridge humbuckers for lead playing that I've used.

In the case of the Silhouette, it saved that guitar from being sold. Totally brought it to life. That's now the guitar I grab when I tell people "Hey, wanna hear a strat that sounds like a Les Paul?"

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

Still loving the AT-1 in my alder-body EBMM Silhouette.

It's a nice compromise.

Thick without being woofy or dark

Hot without being overbearing or unclear

Tight without being brittle.

Very touch-sensitive, and cleans up well.

One of the best bridge humbuckers for lead playing that I've used.

In the case of the Silhouette, it saved that guitar from being sold. Totally brought it to life. That's now the guitar I grab when I tell people "Hey, wanna hear a strat that sounds like a Les Paul?"

Funny thing because I met a guy at the music store who has a fixed bridge Silhouette and when he was going to buy a Tone Zone I recommended that he try an AT-1 instead. He went ahead and got the Tone Zone and said he would return it under the exchange policy if he didn't click with it. I wonder if a fixed bridge strat like that would really sound like a Les Paul.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

Funny thing because I met a guy at the music store who has a fixed bridge Silhouette and when he was going to buy a Tone Zone I recommended that he try an AT-1 instead. He went ahead and got the Tone Zone and said he would return it under the exchange policy if he didn't click with it. I wonder if a fixed bridge strat like that would really sound like a Les Paul.

Mine's got the vintage trem and I set it to float, and the AT-1 in there really brings out all the big body in the tone. Now the guitar is naturally a bigger, deeper-sounding guitar to begin with.. Just that particular piece of alder, I think, but the AT-1 lets me hear it at its best.

I've put the TZ in a few guitars before, too... both of them pretty dead and plinky guitars.... and the TZ helped some. Kind of gave them some oomph. In any guitar that's not a total dog, I think the TZ would be mega-overkill with all that output and bass and lack of highs.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Got my Dimarzio Andy Timmons AT-1 pickup yesterday

Mine's got the vintage trem and I set it to float, and the AT-1 in there really brings out all the big body in the tone. Now the guitar is naturally a bigger, deeper-sounding guitar to begin with.. Just that particular piece of alder, I think, but the AT-1 lets me hear it at its best.

I've put the TZ in a few guitars before, too... both of them pretty dead and plinky guitars.... and the TZ helped some. Kind of gave them some oomph. In any guitar that's not a total dog, I think the TZ would be mega-overkill with all that output and bass and lack of highs.

That's interesting because I don't get the thing about the output, and have seen comments about the output before. I once bought a Duncan Distortion and I couldn't tame my amp with that thing in there. The Tone Zone to me kind of sounds like a medium-high output pickup. At times I wish it would drive the amp a little bit more actually.

I don't keep it as close to the strings as my Les Paul pickups but I get a fair amount of output with it. An interesting thing I noticed is that in a strat the Tone Zone seems hotter than in my Ibanez even though both guitars have a similar volume unplugged. I also noticed that even low output pickups seem hotter in a Les Paul but I always attributed that to the loudness of the guitar itself, unplugged.