The perfect Dimarzio HSH set

[Ghwar]

Im searching for the perfect HSH set for a versatile axe. I'm looking to go Dimarzio on this , as I have several guitars already with Duncans. My favorite Duncan setup is Custom (B) and 59'(Neck)

Looking for something similar on the Dimarzio line. Bridge pickup should be fat and powerful, awesome for metal riffs yet still got some mojo and character and decent clean tone, just like the custom does. And I want the neck pickup to be thick and juicy and creamy, great for both distortions and beautiful cleans. like how the 59' is.

I'm not looking for clones of those pickups I mentioned, more like, functional cousins.

So far I'm intrigued by the Tone Zone for the bridge, or maybe the Air Zone. A third option that caught my eye was the Steve's Special.

For neck, the air Norton looks like it would do what I'm looking for, but also considering the PAF pro.

Basically what I'm looking for in tonal character is as much power as I can get while still getting a tiny bit of that PAF-ish mojo. To give an idea of what I play, my favorite lead guitarist is Marty Friedman (and I'm into all his tones - clean, distorted, and in between.) And my favorite rhythm guitarist is Dave Mustaine. But I also really like playing clean stuff too.

I am pretty confident that either the Tone Zone/Air Norton , Tone Zone/PAF Pro, (or Air Zone/Air Norton , Air Zone/PAF Pro) are what I'm looking for but just looking for input, advice, experience with those.

Then there's the problem of the middle pickup, i really don't know where to go there. I want glassy (but powerful) Stratty sounds in the split positions and middle position so I'm thinking a True Velvet would be what I'm after, wonder if that will play well with the others?

Thx for any input, I really wanna nail this one

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

 

[Blille]

The perfect Dimarzio HSH set

Can’t help with the rest but the true velvet in the middle is a good choice for strat like sound with the others split. I would not say it will be powerful really but stratty and glassy yes.

 

[Guitarmusic]

Re: The perfect Dimarzio HSH set

Im searching for the perfect HSH set for a versatile axe. I'm looking to go Dimarzio on this , as I have several guitars already with Duncans. My favorite Duncan setup is Custom (B) and 59'(Neck)

Looking for something similar on the Dimarzio line. Bridge pickup should be fat and powerful, awesome for metal riffs yet still got some mojo and character and decent clean tone, just like the custom does. And I want the neck pickup to be thick and juicy and creamy, great for both distortions and beautiful cleans. like how the 59' is.

I'm not looking for clones of those pickups I mentioned, more like, functional cousins.

So far I'm intrigued by the Tone Zone for the bridge, or maybe the Air Zone. A third option that caught my eye was the Steve's Special.

For neck, the air Norton looks like it would do what I'm looking for, but also considering the PAF pro.

Basically what I'm looking for in tonal character is as much power as I can get while still getting a tiny bit of that PAF-ish mojo. To give an idea of what I play, my favorite lead guitarist is Marty Friedman (and I'm into all his tones - clean, distorted, and in between.) And my favorite rhythm guitarist is Dave Mustaine. But I also really like playing clean stuff too.

I am pretty confident that either the Tone Zone/Air Norton , Tone Zone/PAF Pro, (or Air Zone/Air Norton , Air Zone/PAF Pro) are what I'm looking for but just looking for input, advice, experience with those.

Then there's the problem of the middle pickup, i really don't know where to go there. I want glassy (but powerful) Stratty sounds in the split positions and middle position so I'm thinking a True Velvet would be what I'm after, wonder if that will play well with the others?

Thx for any input, I really wanna nail this one

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

The Steve Special is a bit more useable than the tone zone from my experience. the tone Zone can break up a bit more on clean tone than the steve special. The steve special has a mid scoop in the EQ but with enough power to still kick ass. Its clean tone and distorted tone are both very killer.

The tone zone is sweet but the pickup height makes a difference. The main problem being it might be difficult to dial in a tone that is good for both clean and distorted tones.

the air norton neck pickup is highly regarded as one of the best for heavier music with shredding but the main difference between the air norton and the PAF PRO is the the PAF Pro has crisper highs and a slightly more glass top end. the PAF Pro was designed in the 1980s when people were using a lot of effects. Guitar players wanted something that had the "openess" of a PAF but with enough highs and presenece in its EQ to cut through a mix. The Air norton maintains more body and beef in the highs when shredding on the upper frets, not as much presence.

The liquifire is a cool upgraded Air Norton where "Its treble response is warmer and smoother while bass response is tighter and brighter. The total sound has a more focused voice which works equally well for highly overdriven solos and complex, clean chords."(taken from the dimarzio website)

A lot of the the Ibanez S body types come with the Tone Zone/Air Norton/true velvet single coil combination and they sound cool. the Ibanez S body doesn't have as much body wood so the tone Zone beefs up the low end and the Air Nortons give body to the notes in the higher register.

 

[Ben1962]

Re: The perfect Dimarzio HSH set

1st off, I am nowhere near an expert. That being said, I love the Breed set. Juicy, thick, all the overtones are smooth. Crank the gain and mids and never sounds bad. The Breed neck could even make a killer bridge PUP with a lower output neck.

 

[justFred]

Re: The perfect Dimarzio HSH set

Put a Duncan Invader in bridge...Dimarzio humbucker from Hell neck...SSL-6 middle...the bridge is punishingly aggressive...the middle is way hot for that position...the neck is milder and works great for a down shift from the blazing b & n...for me it is great balance with broad spectrum of tone and output....

 

[OsvyRock]

Re: The perfect Dimarzio HSH set

Im searching for the perfect HSH set for a versatile axe. I'm looking to go Dimarzio on this , as I have several guitars already with Duncans. My favorite Duncan setup is Custom (B) and 59'(Neck)

Looking for something similar on the Dimarzio line. Bridge pickup should be fat and powerful, awesome for metal riffs yet still got some mojo and character and decent clean tone, just like the custom does. And I want the neck pickup to be thick and juicy and creamy, great for both distortions and beautiful cleans. like how the 59' is.

I'm not looking for clones of those pickups I mentioned, more like, functional cousins.

So far I'm intrigued by the Tone Zone for the bridge, or maybe the Air Zone. A third option that caught my eye was the Steve's Special.

For neck, the air Norton looks like it would do what I'm looking for, but also considering the PAF pro.

Basically what I'm looking for in tonal character is as much power as I can get while still getting a tiny bit of that PAF-ish mojo. To give an idea of what I play, my favorite lead guitarist is Marty Friedman (and I'm into all his tones - clean, distorted, and in between.) And my favorite rhythm guitarist is Dave Mustaine. But I also really like playing clean stuff too.

I am pretty confident that either the Tone Zone/Air Norton , Tone Zone/PAF Pro, (or Air Zone/Air Norton , Air Zone/PAF Pro) are what I'm looking for but just looking for input, advice, experience with those.

Then there's the problem of the middle pickup, i really don't know where to go there. I want glassy (but powerful) Stratty sounds in the split positions and middle position so I'm thinking a True Velvet would be what I'm after, wonder if that will play well with the others?

Thx for any input, I really wanna nail this one

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

I see you're a fan of the SH-5 + 59' combo as myself. The Super Distortion would be "the Custom" of the Dimarzio realm. I'm still trying to figure out which one would be the 59' of the Dimarzio world: the PAF59, the PAF36 DP103, the PAF Pro...

For the single, check the Area Pickups or even the Injectors.

 

[Aceman]

Re: The perfect Dimarzio HSH set

Oooh - Fun topic! I'm gonna go WAY outside here:

Neck - PAF Pro - great neck bucker! With a split, for fun.
Middle - Fast Track 2 wired for a split. Nice Humbucker tones, not bass, not to trebly. Ideal hotness.
Bridge - X2N wired for Series/Parallel/Split. Scorching distortion, Parallel clean but PAF hot, or Texas hot style single tone!

Two mini switches and a mini on/on/on would make it happen. UBER-versatile tones. everything from a quiet Neck single, to quack, to in-your-face over the top.

Option 2 - lower per classic combos
Neck - PAF
Middle - Cruiser
Bridge - Superdistortion

Or
Neck - Air Norton
Middle - Fast Track w/ Split
Bridge - ToneZone. (Maybe w/ Split to calm it down or in parallel for clean vibe.)