thoughts on Tone Zone S?

[appar111]

I just scored a Tone Zone S (strat sized 'bucker) today for a good price. I was looking for something inexpensive to help give some balls to a Squier Affinity Strat that my in-laws gave me as a gift for Christmas. It actually stays in tune really well and has really nice action (I actually had to raise it a little bit as it was almost too low!).

Is it as finicky as the full-size one is with regard to pickup height? Should it do the job to beef up the bridge position on this guitar? Maple neck, slightly thinner alder body, stock trem.

I didn't want to have to upgrade too many parts on this since it's just an inexpensive Squier, so I thought a new bridge pickup would be the best use of a minimal amount of funds to get it to sound as good as it plays.

 

[IanBallard]

Re: thoughts on Tone Zone S?

The Tone Zone S is great! It will definitely give your Strat balls. The body of my guitar is an alder Affinity and I used it in both bridge (in series) and the neck (parallel) and it sounded awesome both ways. Thick and punchy in series and like a thick Strat pickup in parallel. It is very lower-mid heavy with nice, tight bass. The high-end is rounded off a bit, which is also a plus in a Strat. If you get a coil=split switch, you can also get the great parallel sounds it has. It's a smooth pickup too and, to me, never got harsh or sizzly.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: thoughts on Tone Zone S?

The Dimarzio Fastrack II is a great bridge pickup. Paired with a JB Jr neck it's a shredders dream.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: thoughts on Tone Zone S?

Yup, It'll definitely give your guitar some balls. It's nowhere near as finicky as it's big brother. The main reason I was disappointed in it was that it really lacks that unique TZ "aw" sound and articulation. I'm thinking about getting rid of mine, but Ian above me there mentioned wiring it in parallel. I've still gotta try that.

Anyways, I think you'll dig it. For what it's worth it sounds good, but if you're expecting it to sound and act like a full-size TZ I'd look for something else.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: thoughts on Tone Zone S?

The Dimarzio Fastrack II is a great bridge pickup. Paired with a JB Jr neck it's a shredders dream.

Yup, I had a FTII and it's a beastly little thing for sure. I had to get rid of it for something a little more versatile in my middle though.

 

[appar111]

Re: thoughts on Tone Zone S?

The Dimarzio Fastrack II is a great bridge pickup. Paired with a JB Jr neck it's a shredders dream.

That was a candidate too, as was the Super Distortion S (I have the "T" version in my tele and it rips!).

But a new, but opened, Tone Zone S with a white and a creme cover for $38 shipped was too good to pass up.

Since I won't be using both the tone knobs on the strat, I'll probably relegate one of them to a push/pull to do series parallel on the Tone Zone.

 

[appar111]

Re: thoughts on Tone Zone S?

Yup, It'll definitely give your guitar some balls. It's nowhere near as finicky as it's big brother. The main reason I was disappointed in it was that it really lacks that unique TZ "aw" sound and articulation. I'm thinking about getting rid of mine, but Ian above me there mentioned wiring it in parallel. I've still gotta try that.

Anyways, I think you'll dig it. For what it's worth it sounds good, but if you're expecting it to sound and act like a full-size TZ I'd look for something else.

I wonder if that's simply because the spread between the coils isn't as big on the "S" version.

I've never used a full size Tone Zone before, and didn't have a specific sound in mind for the bridge on this guitar, just something that handles distortion really well and rocks like a mofo.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: thoughts on Tone Zone S?

I wonder if that's simply because the spread between the coils isn't as big on the "S" version.

Thats one of the reasons yes. The S versions dont get to read as much of the string length. But beyond that even the coil size, pole pieces and other factors arent the same. I think any of the S or Lil versions of humbuckers should be sonically evaluated on their own and not by their namesake.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: thoughts on Tone Zone S?

It's a great strat pickup. I just ordered one after trying one out that was installed in one of those cheap Lace guitars. I have a blizzard pearl, rosewood neck American strat that it's going into. I can't wait. I have an Air Norton S going in the neck. I ordered them both in a cool red color.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: thoughts on Tone Zone S?

Thats one of the reasons yes. The S versions dont get to read as much of the string length. But beyond that even the coil size, pole pieces and other factors arent the same. I think any of the S or Lil versions of humbuckers should be sonically evaluated on their own and not by their namesake.

Exactly. In most cases they're putting ceramics in place of A2/5s. Nowhere near the same character.