Liquifire

[UberMetalDood]

I just installed a Liquifire and D Sonic combo in my anniversary model Ibanez. I have used the D Sonic before but paired with the Air Norton. The D Sonic/Air Norton is a great set, but I wasn't expecting the Liquifire to be an even better match. The Liquifire is a super good pickup. It's not like the Air Norton so I can imagine that the people who bought Air Nortons and didn't mesh with it would probably really like the Liquifire.

It has some of the smooth qualities of the Air Norton but less low mids and bass, and it's a little brighter overall. I've only just installed it hours ago so I can't find the words to describe it yet except that it kind of reminds me of a PAF Pro and Air Norton put together. It's not boxy sounding, and it has a great balance for a neck position humbucker.

The only thing I can say is just wow! I am blown away here. The Liquifire is the best neck pickup I have heard in a long time. I am anxious to try it out in a strat, but it's going to stay in my Ibanez for a few more days so I can get a better feel for it. At this point, I'm thinking it would make an excellent strat neck pickup or even in a Les Paul. It's kind of high in output compared to the PAF 36th anniversary neck which I love, but it's still about the upper middle of the medium-output category.

Try this neck pickup! It's versatile. It's warm and clear. It's makes you want to keep the switch on the neck pickup and solo all day long. It has been hard to find the perfect match for an AT-1 but this might be it. After a few days, I'm going to try it in a strat and then a Les Paul.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Liquifire

Oooo, sounds nice!

 

[Guston7]

Re: Liquifire

Have you had a chance to try any of the Music Man Petrucci models? I'm wondering how the Liquifire compares to what I have. My model is after the AN/SS, but before the LF/CL. Mine has the D-Sonic bridge and "Dmz Custom JPM neck".

 

[allstarrme]

Tell us about the drop sonic too, I have been considering this combo for my Sterling JP50. Right now I'm fairly happy with the pickups considering it was a $300 guitar, way better than any epi's. But if they are that good I will try them.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Liquifire

Have you had a chance to try any of the Music Man Petrucci models? I'm wondering how the Liquifire compares to what I have. My model is after the AN/SS, but before the LF/CL. Mine has the D-Sonic bridge and "Dmz Custom JPM neck".

I had a Petrucci model similar to what you describe for a short period of time. It was a limited edition model with a D Sonic bridge and a toasted, birdseye maple neck with a purpleish color. I'm pretty sure the neck pickup was an Air Norton, but I never looked under the pickup to check.

The best comparison I can make is the Air Norton since it seems the LiquiFire is based on it. What makes the Air Norton such a cool pickup is because it's kind of low profile. It has a dark, smooth quality to it that takes time for your ear to fully appreciate. You might not think it's all that great at first but once you start playing it in a mix and hearing it recorded, then you realize the Air Norton has been giving you what you wanted the whole time.

The Liquifire is a little more easy to like immediately because they shifted the midrange in such a way that it's a bit more open and less bassy. It's still smooth but with the midrange opened up a little. Like I said, the best I can describe it at this point is a cross between an Air Norton and PAF Pro.

Tell us about the drop sonic too, I have been considering this combo for my Sterling JP50. Right now I'm fairly happy with the pickups considering it was a $300 guitar, way better than any epi's. But if they are that good I will try them.

Man I love the D Sonic. It's my favorite ceramic pickup that Dimarzio makes. However, that being said, it must be installed with the metal bar towards the neck pickup. Installing it the other way doesn't appeal to me. I don't know this for sure, but I think the D Sonic/Air Norton was what Petrucci used on his best album ever - Suspended Animation. Everyone knows what the D Sonic can do for metal riffing and solos, but here's the kind of tone it can get when you back off the gain a little.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbIdxdZ_eJo

 

[CTN]

Re: Liquifire

I installed a LiquiFire for a friend of mine on his guitar.

Yep, really nice neck pickup, sorta like a JazzN, but a touch warmer, and with more character and articulation.

 

[Guston7]

Re: Liquifire

The neck pickup in mine is not an Air Norton. It has no slug coil and, if memory serves, its DC res is a bit lower. I checked Dimarzio and they say there's no production model equivalent. I wouldn't be surprised if it is essentially an AN, but with dbl allen coils. That's pretty much how it sounds...a bit brighter and more defined than the AN.

I did not like the D-Sonic at first. It seems cold and hard, I guess overall more harsh than I'm used to. It's great, however, at heavily distorted power chords and helps tighten up the often too big/loose low-end on my Mesa. If I want smooth singing lead tone, I'm forced to go neck on that guitar.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Liquifire

Best neck pickup I've found, the PAFPro/AN comparison is dead on. And it doesn't sound anything like a jazz.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Liquifire

Didn't know you had such a hard on for Petrucci.

Cool

I wouldn't characterize my adoration for John Petrucci as intense so yhe answer would be no, but I have been a fan if his music since Liquid Tension Experiment.

I installed a LiquiFire for a friend of mine on his guitar.

Yep, really nice neck pickup, sorta like a JazzN, but a touch warmer, and with more character and articulation.

Articulate, yes. Like the Jazz, I don't think so personally. It's more like the PG neck than the Jazz. It has that dark midrange character which my PG neck seems to have, but the Jazz is lighter in the mids and bass and is inherently brighter. The Jazz is more balanced as a neck pickup. I don't consider the Air Norton or Liquifire to be "balanced" necessarily because they have accentuated mids. That's what makes them so cool though because they're smooth and achieve the same kind of articulation that the Jazz can but without sacrificing the midrange. After experimenting with magnet swaps, I would say that the Jazz will lose articulation if you increased the midrange like with an A2 or UOA5.

 

[crguti]

Re: Liquifire

I don't have experience with the Liquid fire, but I know that the D-Sonic and Air Norton is a great combination. The Air Norton sounds great in parallel too.
The D-Sonic could be a bit warmer. It is too harsh in the highs. I'm wondering how it would sound with alnico v :scratchch

 

[GrooveHT]

Re: Liquifire

Quick question, how do you like the split inner-coil combination with the Liquifire as compared to the AN? To be honest, the weak spot of the AN/DS combination to me is the DS; as others have mentioned here, it sounds kinda hard/brittle to me, probably great for gained out settings, but not really my bag (baby). A large bit of the appeal of the Petrucci pickup configuration is the middle position, with the inner coils in parallel; love it!

 

[Guston7]

Re: Liquifire

I totally agree. You don't get a lot of choices w/the JP setup, but what you do get is 3 good (and distinctly different) options that are quick & easy to pull up...not to mention all hum-free. I find myself using the 2 singles (middle pos) much more than I do the typical, both HB's-parallel, that's found on most w/a 3-way switch.

 

[soundgardener75]

Re: Liquifire

I absolutely love the LiquiFire the day I tried the new JP6s when they came out. So when I had a chance to score a pair of Crunch Lab/LiquiFire for a reasonable price, I jumped on it. It's in two guitars, one in my wife's Ibanez LE SA (alder) in standard tuning, and a Washburn TB-200 (maple body) in D standard, and I can safely say they rock in both tunings.

 

[P.A.Foholic]

Re: Liquifire

Going to buy Liquifire/Crunchlab for my 7. It's a really good combo.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Liquifire

Well I have a raging veiny hard on for him.

THanks for ur review. Ur reviews are usually pretty throughout and our taste in metal is about the same.

You seem to give a rather unbiased review when you have new gear. Rock on.

let us know what you find with a strat.

What did you think of Black Clouds and Silver Linings? I loved it.

Quick question, how do you like the split inner-coil combination with the Liquifire as compared to the AN? To be honest, the weak spot of the AN/DS combination to me is the DS; as others have mentioned here, it sounds kinda hard/brittle to me, probably great for gained out settings, but not really my bag (baby). A large bit of the appeal of the Petrucci pickup configuration is the middle position, with the inner coils in parallel; love it!

That depends on if you have the D Sonic installed with the bar towards the bridge or towards the neck pickup. When it's towards the neck pickup, the only way I would install it, it's warmer with more midrange and not harsh at all. It's hard to tell how it sounds split because I replaced my switch with a 3 way so the middle position is both inner coils together. It love the sound of it.

I totally agree. You don't get a lot of choices w/the JP setup, but what you do get is 3 good (and distinctly different) options that are quick & easy to pull up...not to mention all hum-free. I find myself using the 2 singles (middle pos) much more than I do the typical, both HB's-parallel, that's found on most w/a 3-way switch.

I can't afford a JP model right now but I'd like to pick up the black stealth and another one of those mystic finishes too.

I absolutely love the LiquiFire the day I tried the new JP6s when they came out. So when I had a chance to score a pair of Crunch Lab/LiquiFire for a reasonable price, I jumped on it. It's in two guitars, one in my wife's Ibanez LE SA (alder) in standard tuning, and a Washburn TB-200 (maple body) in D standard, and I can safely say they rock in both tunings.

What side is the bar magnet facing in your maple guitar setup?

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Liquifire

If I go the humbucker route it will either be two things: Zhangbuckers, Dual Gibby Iommis with neck in parallel, or Dimarzio: AT-1 and Liqufire.

I could go main different way$$.

Where did you get that Petrucci 3 way from?

Zhang winds are first class indeed. Just tell him the tone you're after and he'll nail it for ya.

HTH,

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Liquifire

As much as I like the Liquifire, I wonder if I'd like the CL. Spec wise it sounds all wrong, but warm, dark-ish, crunchy and high output are what I like, which is how I hear it described. I might have to try one sometime.

 

[mustaine-who?]

Re: Liquifire

CL is an awesome PuP. Its a more refined Full Shred that is less nasally and has more beef...with the bar towards the neck.

 

[soundgardener75]

Re: Liquifire

UberMetalDood: I have the Washburn's bar magnet face the bridge because I figured since I detuned a whole step down, the maple body and the bright pickup should correct any definition loss from lower tunings.

I don't use it for br00tz, I rock Motley Crue tunes on it. :lol: