Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

[Dave Locher]

This just occurred to me last night as I was reading about pickups. (We all do that, right? Right??)
I really like the Dimarzio Super Distortion except for a weird spanky treble thing it has going on. I really like the Dimarzio Super 3 except it's just a bit too muffled, not enough treble.

Would a hybrid of the two pickups yield something with more sparkle than the Super 3 but tighter bass and less treble than the Super D?
If so, which coil would make the most sense closest to the bridge (the "screw" coil) and which one farthest (the "slug" coil, even though neither pickup has slugs)?

Or would I just end up with something that is dull like the Super 3 but with mushier lows and messy mids?

 

[Cynical]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

You'd probably end up with something like the Evo but more mid-rangey.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

You'd probably end up with something like the Evo but more mid-rangey.

Does the Evolution have the coils wound with two different gauges of wire? The Super D is 13.68K ohms and the Super 3 is 25K ohms so obviously the Super 3 has much thinner wire. The Evolution Bridge is 13.84k ohms. I would assume a Super/Super 3 hybrid would be somewhere around 19.34k ohms (half of 13.68 + half of 25)?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

Yes, the Evo has asymetrical coils.

IIRC, the Duncan blog entry about making hybrids recommends not to use wire gauges that are too far apart. Otherwise, you end up with too much phase comb filtering and a nasal/undesirable tone.

 

[Cynical]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

The Evo is a SuperD coil and then a 44 AWG coil with the same number of turns.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

Interesting. That is not the sound i was hoping for. Thanks.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

Yes, the Evo has asymetrical coils.

IIRC, the Duncan blog entry about making hybrids recommends not to use wire gauges that are too far apart. Otherwise, you end up with too much phase comb filtering and a nasal/undesirable tone.

That is absolutely correct.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

This just occurred to me last night as I was reading about pickups. (We all do that, right? Right??)
I really like the Dimarzio Super Distortion except for a weird spanky treble thing it has going on. I really like the Dimarzio Super 3 except it's just a bit too muffled, not enough treble.

Would a hybrid of the two pickups yield something with more sparkle than the Super 3 but tighter bass and less treble than the Super D?
If so, which coil would make the most sense closest to the bridge (the "screw" coil) and which one farthest (the "slug" coil, even though neither pickup has slugs)?

Or would I just end up with something that is dull like the Super 3 but with mushier lows and messy mids?

I've seen a number of posts from guys who swapped mags in SuperDistortions and liked the results. IFIRC there was an interview where EVH talked about putting an old PAF mag into a SuperD back in the day. Somebody really liked an A5 in one too. I think the stock SuperD mag is double thick ceramic and glued in, so there would be some effort involved. But it might still be simpler than making hybrids.

If you like the overall tone except for those spanky highs, an A8 might smooth the treble a bit. And they're available in double thickness; I recently got some from cermag, along with some double thick A5s.

http://www.cermagmagnets.co.uk/alnico-bars-for-hb-double-width---62mm-x-65mm-x-125mm-39-p.asp

 

[orpheo]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

the mag of the super distortion is indeed double thick and epoxy'd in. You can, indeed, hybridize the SD with other pickups but it takes an effort.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

I didn't know it was epoxy- that's pretty tough stuff. Apparently people have been able to mag swap various ceramic mag DiMarzios (AFAIK only the ceramics are glued in, but I could be wrong) though, using heat and/or simple leverage.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

Just replace the brass baseplate with a nickle steel baseplate from Mojotone. That will clear up the midrange, make the bass more resonant and sharpen the treble. As for the glued in magnet just use an EXACTO blade to get under the magnet and pry it off. The glue isn't super durable.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

And what about Super2?

This is an interesting direction you are going in here IMO. Not that I don't love the SuperD as-is.

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

Yes, the Evo has asymetrical coils.

IIRC, the Duncan blog entry about making hybrids recommends not to use wire gauges that are too far apart. Otherwise, you end up with too much phase comb filtering and a nasal/undesirable tone.

That’s never stopped DiMarzio. The Steve’s special if I recall used one coil wound with 42, and the other with 46.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Super Distortion/Super 3 hybrid = goldilocks?

Maybe double thick A5, or double thick A8 which will be closer in output to the ceramic. I recently tried double thickness A5s in a Distortion set and it worked really well. Lower output and a much sweeter voice.