I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

[BGtelecaster]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

Virtual PAF is a good Humbucker though....

What do yall think of the Chopper T. It intrigues me kinda.

 

[ChickenFingers]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

I liked the DMZ superdistortion, my first aftermarket pickup I bought in the late 80's I nailed the angus young tone and Iron Maiden. Since then I've only owned EMG's otherwise stock pickups, more recently SD hotrails....I recently picked up a DMZ tonezone for cheap and I'm going to experiment and try it in the neck. Also I have a DMZ fasttrack 1 single coil size pickup in the neck as well and love it!

 

[Loserchief]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

My Favorite Pup Combo is Dimarzio Evolution/ Air Norton. Evolving as a player and into new styles i found that i prefer the modern sound of DMZ for my main playing styles. On the other hand if i want more vintage strat or tele pups it's duncan for sure. DMZ leads in the bucker departement for me.

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

It's all a personal preference and really boils down to your guitar and what you're hearing. I think most people forget that tone is subjective. For instance, I've yet to find a duncan or duncans that sound good in either of my RGs, but I would only stray from Duncans to use Bill Lawrence or APCs in anything Kramer. Custom parts guitars...depends on the sound I'm going for. Can't say much for anything w/ a set neck since I've yet to find one I can get along w/ for an extended amount of time. If I had to set up some kind of rating system it would go something like this....

Basswood - Dimarzio
Mahogany/Modern Tone - SD or Lawrence
Mahogany/Vintage Tone - WCR
Alder/Superstrat - Duncan, Lawrence, or APC
Alder/Vintage - Lollar
Maple - Duncan hands down
Swamp Ash - I'll get back to ya on this one still in the build process

That's about how I would rate things. Being subjective though, some would probably disagree.

 

[pstarove]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

I'm convinced that every pickup company has good models and bad models (or let's say, models that only suit a very specific application).

The problem with DiMarzios is that their most well known pickups are Super Distortion, Tone Zone and Evolutions. I consider all of these quite bad sounding. But there are truly great and unique pickups that are way underrated: AirClassics, PAF Classics, Virtual PAFs. Maybe only the AirNorton gets the attention it deserves. So it's just a question of time to promote those great pickups and the people's opinion would gradually change.
Dimarzio's model line is very wide, you really can't tell DiMarzio is S**T just because you tried some models and didn't like them. Maybe you just didn't choose the right models to try.

 

[bzdup]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

try a humbucker from hell. It's the best neck pickup I've played. I haven't experimented that much, but I certainly agree with you. SD's are friggin awesome. Whenever i get a new guitar I always picture it with some nice Seymour Duncan pickups, and it makes me happy!!!

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

Let me just add that to me, DiMarzios and Duncans are about of the same quality and price (that could go one way or another depending on the dealer...) and although I couldn't objectively call one better than the other I do have a very solid impression in my mind (could be wrong) that they go about making their pickups from two entirely different angles, SD opting to keep the basic vintage vibe and give them different colors while DiMarzio goes for a more "modern" (I'm not entirely comfortable with that word but I can't think of a better one) tone, their pickups being very different from each other even in the most basic characteristics...

I guess this very basic common (vintage) quality the SDs have and that large (modern) diversity the DMs have is what makes people go one way or the other.

In my mind there are pretty decent pickups for the right guitar/ear from both companies, it's just a matter of who nails a particular thing better at a given situation.
That said and without going to too much detail I feel that DM has a lot to learn from how SD goes about doing their business, including the post from Evan at the top of this thread of this forum among other things...
In short, I feel that at SD I have a better chance of being heard and better chance of finding what I need even if that isn's an SD pickup...

 

[Simon_F]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

I like the DiMarzio FS-1 and Blue Velvet Strat pups.

But I like the Twangbanger and SSL-1s better.

 

[Brewtone]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

I find that for my tastes it breaks down something like this
Humbuckers: There is one Dimarzio Ilike for every Duncan I like zand the same goes for the ones that I don't like.
Single coils: Duncan all the way, I have yet to find a dimarzio SC that works for me.
SC sized Humbuckers: Dimarzio all the way, I've yet to find one from Duncan that works for me.

Ultimately it's up to your ears and tastes to match the pick to your rig and style no matter who made it.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

I like some HBs from Duncan and some from DiMarzio as well. I also like the BL L500XL and the EMG 81, but a bell is ringing to me for BKs or APCs too.

You can have a great tone with any of the above.....

My favorites are the BL, the EMG 81, the SD Demon, the SD C5, the DM Evolution and the DM PAF Pro.

Edit: I'd say, don't look at the amp knobs when you adjust, just listen. It really helps (some of us, maybe me included, have standard knob values in mind and use them always without reason).

 

[thucydides]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

Virtual PAF is a good Humbucker though....

What do yall think of the Chopper T. It intrigues me kinda.

I used a chopper T for a couple of years until I sold my Tele (something had to go, and someone wanted the Tele). I loved it. In full series mode it was ballsy, but w/some brightness to it (that is, not dark, but not spiky). I also had a push/pull on the tone knob to go to a parallel mode, which lightened it up enough to give it a spanky quality. Not spanky like a great Tele SC, but close enough. I didn't try a coil tap; the folks at DM felt that I might find in too glassy in SC mode. Wiring it for series/parallel gives you a versitile pup that can rock and spank.

As far as DM vs. SD, I've used and loved pups from both companies, although lately I've leaned toward SD.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

The truth is, I too have owned quite a few Dimarzios over the years and I don't like them either! Duncans have the sounds I want to hear...a nice warm vintage vibe that reminds me of tones of the 50's and 60's guitars. Even Duncan's more modern higher output pickups keep that vintage vibe...a certain familiarity to the tone.

Duncan's are in about 95% of my guitars. The others have either Fralins or Joe Bardens or Tom Holmes. Lew

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

DiMarzio has a confusing selection. I often wonder if they even know what they are selling. On a manufacturing level, it reminds me of the pistol manufacturer Smith & Wesson during the 1980's. Too many models, overlapping features, bizarre combinations. Insanity.

 

[thucydides]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

Come to think of it, having just sold a few gtrs, I no longer own any DM equiped gtrs...some w/SD, though. And these days I always seem to be looking at the Duncan products when pondering a new pup.

I know, cheap pandering...:smash:

 

[BigDaddy]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

Lew you hear what I hear.

Duncans are made with the correct parts the correct way to get the best possible tone.

I know enough about pickups and tone to make that comment. I have also talked pickups at length with Lindy, Wolf, Tom Holmes and Peter Florance.

There are parts and some new way to make pickups that IMO do not sound good.

I could go into much more detail but I promised I would not slam D pups anymore on this board.

 

[Mephis]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

DiMarzio has a confusing selection. I often wonder if they even know what they are selling. On a manufacturing level, it reminds me of the pistol manufacturer Smith & Wesson during the 1980's. Too many models, overlapping features, bizarre combinations. Insanity.

Listen to your favorite artist, buy what they're using.

Simple as that. I don't know of anyone but george lynch that I like that uses duncans, everyone else uses DMZs.

If anyone has a confusing line up, it's duncan. I have no clue what any of the pickups are intended for by their name.

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

Listen to your favorite artist, buy what they're using.

Simple as that. I don't know of anyone but george lynch that I like that uses duncans, everyone else uses DMZs.

If anyone has a confusing line up, it's duncan. I have no clue what any of the pickups are intended for by their name.

I use neither Duncan or DiMarzio!:wall: I use Tom Anderson, and Gibson...just as you suggest...based on tones I hear and enjoy! :beerchug:

 

[FretFire]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

Duncans are made with the correct parts the correct way to get the best possible tone.

Duncans are made with the correct parts the correct way to get the best possible example of the tone they are after. The thing is that Duncans and DiMarzios target different audiences with the majority of their offerings. Duncans fit more vintage tones better to me, while DiMarzios have a modern edge for the most part. I like them both equally in appropriate situations, to completely write off one or the other is a little short sighted IMO. Then again, maybe you just don't like the modern tones DiMarzios offer in any way and 100% prefer the Duncan lineup. That's cool too, different strokes. Tone is not a black & white topic, everyone has a preference and builds an opinion around that preference. You may know the mechanics behind a pickup but that doesn't mean you can define good and bad tone for everybody. I guess in the end you're just one less person I have to beat to the punch when a nice used PAF Pro pops up at a good price. :laugh2: Cheers, and enjoy your Duncans!

 

[Frankly]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

Larry DiMarzio stole his woman in the seventies.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: I hate DiMarzio pickups!!!!!!

I could live with a PAF Pro...