I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

[Jackson Distortion]

Naw, it's just that some user's of DiM's pup's say they aren't "well made" - yeah, whatever that means, right? But, I had a blue - which was really baby blue - DMZ D Sonic pickup that I recently had removed for a black one I had. Lo and behold (yeah, that I just said that, haha) it actually sounded fuller and better to me than the previous same model. mg:

I mean, the blue one sounded good, with it's heavy sound, but the black one has a more balanced sound. I'm sure because of the lack of bass in the blue one, it caused the overall sound to sound a l'il harsher than usual. But, the black one is warmer, more balanced sounding, and just plain more fun playing with!

Any of you guys experience a similar happening where two identical pickup models that sounded differently - somehow? I wanna know if it was especially an SD pickup - which are supposed to be built to extremely high standards . The D Sonic is pretty pricy, but I'm glad I bought another ('twas for another axe I didn't end up buying)... I wonder if that is a valid issue of why some of us changed our pickups at one time or another? Hmmm... :scratchch.

 

[jerryjg]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

Naw, it's just that some user's of DiM's pup's say they aren't "well made" - yeah, whatever that means, right? But, I had a blue - which was really baby blue - DMZ D Sonic pickup that I recently had removed for a black one I had. Lo and behold (yeah, that I just said that, haha) it actually sounded fuller and better to me than the previous same model. mg:

I mean, the blue one sounded good, with it's heavy sound, but the black one has a more balanced sound. I'm sure because of the lack of bass in the blue one, it caused the overall sound to sound a l'il harsher than usual. But, the black one is warmer, more balanced sounding, and just plain more fun playing with!

Any of you guys experience a similar happening where two identical pickup models that sounded differently - somehow? I wanna know if it was especially an SD pickup - which are supposed to be built to extremely high standards . The D Sonic is pretty pricy, but I'm glad I bought another ('twas for another axe I didn't end up buying)... I wonder if that is a valid issue of why some of us changed our pickups at one time or another? Hmmm... :scratchch.

thats a question I asked awhile back. Fromn waht the gurus told me, the tolerances are tight for production. There should not be any difference, and theres not such a thing as a bad sounding unit. I only got a couple of reponces though. I imagine that when you get to custom shop stuff, there is even less of a chance for error.

 

[Smilemon]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

I love my FT2.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

I imagine that when you get to custom shop stuff, there is even less of a chance for error.

Yeah, I can understand that.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

I love my FT2.

Wish I could say the same.
But then again I think it has more to do with it being a single coil sized pickup at the bridge than anything else...

As for cheap, I paid 119€ for the DiMarzio FT2 and only 96€ for the Custom Shop Crazy 8.

You tell me...

 

[sosomething]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

I love the PAF Joe in the neck of my Carvin. Awesome neck pickup.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

One thing to remember is that DiMarzio's bobbin colors will have an effect on their tone. Baby blue is going to be a bit light, softer, and maybe a bit more polite than one with black bobbins.

 

[jeremy]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

dimarzios are high quality products, they wouldnt sell as many pups if they werent. i have no idea what their tolerance is and it could be lower than duncans.

i have problems with dimarzios business practices but never had any issues with their products.

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

One thing to remember is that DiMarzio's bobbin colors will have an effect on their tone. Baby blue is going to be a bit light, softer, and maybe a bit more polite than one with black bobbins.

That's right. The blue plastic has more capacitance, and the pickup is an inductor, so the two will tend to cancel, with the blue plastic cancelling more of the signal, especially in the low frequencies, than the black plastic.

Maybe you routed the lead differently. Maybe the solder joints weren't as good when you had the blue one installed. A good mechanical connection is important before applying solder.

 

[barbarianbrute]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

That's right. The blue plastic has more capacitance, and the pickup is an inductor, so the two will tend to cancel, with the blue plastic cancelling more of the signal, especially in the low frequencies, than the black plastic.

Maybe you routed the lead differently. Maybe the solder joints weren't as good when you had the blue one installed. A good mechanical connection is important before applying solder.

is there an actual audible difference in tone with different colored bobbins?

 

[ex-250]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

maybe its just all in your head, as your pickup isnt so flamboyant looking now

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

is there an actual audible difference in tone with different colored bobbins?

Yes. The brighter the color the plastic is, the darker the pickup sounds, unless we're talking about the green pickups, in which case darker = a better parallel or split tone.

Weird, huh?

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

Boys, the part about soldering in my post was serious. The part about routing the lead may remotely be possible.

But the first part, well, my tongue was planted firmly in my cheek.

But everyone knows that creme pickups deliver a more classic 60'/70's rock tone. And yeah, everyone knows the thing about green pickups too.

 

[uOpt]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

I think it is more likely that the magnets were slightly different.

Why not swap them and try?

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

I personally think they look/feel like a lower quality product than Duncan offers, and quite honestly, I thought the same about the BKP vs a JB I had at the time. Comparison was before installing, just holding the pickups. I think Duncan makes the highest quality, most professional constructed product in the market.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

I don't like the leads or the baseplates on newer DMZ's, but other than that, they're fine by me.

As far as the same model pickup sounding different, I can tell y'all that my MJ wound JB sounds a bit cleaner and airier than a current production pickup I had ( got rid of THAT JB, BTW).

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

It is possible to have two pickups from the same manufacturer and of the same model that will sound slightly different. A pickup is the sum of its parts and its construction methods, so maybe the tolerances aren't so tight that they produce a perfect pickup every time.

Quality control really isn't about producing perfect identical units as much as producing units with minimum acceptable variation. It is possible that individual units may not pass the quality control standards and the manufacturer isn't aware of it! The only pickups that I have run across from Dimarzio that I have found are obviously flawed are the Brian May single coils. But I can't say whether the problems I and others have with them aren't at some level a design feature? I have also found that the difference between the 6 & 7 string Evolution pickups is pretty glaring. The 6 string version has a nasty lower midrange warble while the 7 sting version is much tighter and clearer.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

It is a strict rule on this site down from the tone Gods themselves that we don't slam SDs competition on this site because they are not here to defend themselves.

I know most of this thread is tongue-in-cheek but please no slammin the wannabes.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

It is a strict rule on this site down from the tone Gods themselves that we don't slam SDs competition on this site because they are not here to defend themselves.

I know most of this thread is tongue-in-cheek but please no slammin the wannabes.

Nice example you're setting.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: I think DiMarzio's are cheap!

If I was #2 in the world I'd wannabe #1.