X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

[Aceman]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

The X2n has less bass, and has a more prominent high midrange, whereas the Super is low and low midrange focused.

I don't know that I agree on the bass. It has a lot of everything to me...but perhaps. Spot on on the SuperD vs X2n though overall.

 

[Aceman]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

The X2N is currently sitting in my Kramer V project waiting to be finished up. I gotta say that after reading this thread, most notably Aceman's post about the series/split/parallel, I'm actually thinking about giving it one more chance because there has to be some good tones deep down inside it's ceramic soul...

I spent a lot of time with that guitar not in full on beast-mode. Some very very hip sounds you would not expect. And of course, at the flick of a small switch, it could just knock my Fender Pro Jr. clean over!

Play it through your boo-teeky tubular amps in parallel or split. You'll be amazed.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

Yeah, it just doesn't sound like my thang. But neither does the L500XL and I have one of those sitting on my bench waiting for me to finish my current build so I can try it out. And of course I still have yet to find a good deal on a used Duncan Custom trembucker. So many pickups, so little time... (mainly because I'm too cheap to buy new pickups unless they're under $60).

 

[dave74]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

Woops sorry guys. I could have sworn Nuno had x2n in some of his older sigs, but I stand corrected.
Well there's still Buckethead!

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

Can anyone think of any other pickup in the world built around a samarium cobalt magnet like the X2N?

Since when did they start doing that? It was always ceramic magnets.

[edit]

They don't use SC mags:

"Specs
Wiring: 4 Conductor
Magnet: Ceramic
Output mV: 510
DC Resistance: 15.83 Kohm
Year of Introduction: 1979
Patent: n/a"


But yeah, the Bill Lawrence designed SCN, his own Microcoils (top half of an SCN) and the Rickenbacker humbuckers.

I've been using similar neodymium magnets since 2005. [emoji6]


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[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

Set properly IMO the x2n sounds like an EMG81 that's been decompressed while actually being juicier.
Takes that extra fizz away that an 81's preamp creates and also keeps the lows from getting as softened-up.

I have to disagree here. I had both an X2N and an 81 in this guitar.

The X2N was very bassy sounding. And this guitar has lots of low end. And of course no sparkly highs.

The 81 is wound like a regular slightly hot humbucker. But the two coils are wired kind of in parallel (well it's not in series) into the preamp. It's a differential setup; one onto the (+) and one into the (-) input on the op amp. So it's a bright sparkly pickup.

The only reason it seems compressed is the limited current draw on the preamp. I used to use a compressor with the X2N but stopped with the 81. If you run it on 18v you get more dynamic range.

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[ICTGoober]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

Since when did they start doing that?

If you can find an old copy of Guitar Player magazine with an X2N ad, it will say samarium cobalt.
The magnets used to be shiny silver back in the 80's when I put 3 of them in my Les Paul
Now they are flat back.... maybe those are ceramics?

 

[dave74]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

I have to disagree here. I had both an X2N and an 81 in this guitar.

The X2N was very bassy sounding. And this guitar has lots of low end. And of course no sparkly highs.

The 81 is wound like a regular slightly hot humbucker. But the two coils are wired kind of in parallel (well it's not in series) into the preamp. It's a differential setup; one onto the (+) and one into the (-) input on the op amp. So it's a bright sparkly pickup.

The only reason it seems compressed is the limited current draw on the preamp. I used to use a compressor with the X2N but stopped with the 81. If you run it on 18v you get more dynamic range.

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I hate the 81 at 18v. lol
Just too dried-out for me.

x2n plays about as easily (evened-out picking response) as an 81 at 9v. but IMO it sounds bigger in the lows while being cleaner in the lows as well. It's only cleaner in the lows compared to an EMG, not much else.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

I hate the 81 at 18v. lol
Just too dried-out for me.

x2n plays about as easily (evened-out picking response) as an 81 at 9v. but IMO it sounds bigger in the lows while being cleaner in the lows as well.

It's bigger in the lows alright. But how much lows should be in your tone? Many guitarists set up a tone that sounds good in their bedroom but with a band fills up too much space. You need to leave room for the bass and drums.

Most of the time when guitarists think their tone is too thin, it's because of the way they fret notes. That "plinky plinky" sound. So they go for a darker tone to try and smooth things out.

I stopped using the X2N because it lacked top end and really only sounded good distorted. Obviously that's the intention. But especially on that guitar wth only one pickup, its tonal pallet was far too limited.


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[dave74]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

^^^Yeah that isn't exactly your typical x2n guitar lol, but wired for split/parallel it might have surprised.
I'm confused how you get more versatility out of an standard 81 in it though?

With a floyd bridge it's sometimes good to not have the highs open-up as much.

 

[STLMTLHD79]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

I played one of those BC Rich Chuck Schuldiner import models from about 10 years ago. It had a stock X2N (Chuck's pickup of choice) and i thought it sounded ok-a bit on the bright side with tons of output. Nothing really special but it works for the Death tone.

 

[akio]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

Bright, dark, bassy, trebly.... What's happening is the X2N makes your guitar sound.... just MORE. If you've got a lot of lows from wood or construction or whatever, you're going to get more with an X2N. Maple neck-through? Get ready for some more upper mids and high end. I hated it in my Gibson (all mahogany, short scale), but it's just right in my Ibanez (maple/walnut neck through, dbl locking trem). Basically, you simply won't KNOW until you try it in the specific instrument.

 

[dave74]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

Bright, dark, bassy, trebly.... What's happening is the X2N makes your guitar sound.... just MORE. If you've got a lot of lows from wood or construction or whatever, you're going to get more with an X2N. Maple neck-through? Get ready for some more upper mids and high end. I hated it in my Gibson (all mahogany, short scale), but it's just right in my Ibanez (maple/walnut neck through, dbl locking trem). Basically, you simply won't KNOW until you try it in the specific instrument.

Yep. It's balanced in a balanced-toned guitar like maple/mahogany.
It wouldn't be my choice with the Chuck specs though, nor would an 81.
For the Chuck guitar I'd rather have the superD if I was going Dimarzio,,,,or even the super3.
From Seymour I'd go Invader with maple/alder/ebony.

 

[freefrog]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

Here is a sum up of my own encounters with these models:

--X2N: mid blurry notes and mid blurry tones… Did I say blurry? Fun to play, though, when it comes to obtain the dirtiest sound from the cleanest amp...
-SuperD: I’ve not compared directly old and new models but in my memories, they don’t sound the same. Old ones were honky, raucous, high mid focused (whereas the X2N from the same era delivered a rounder bassier midboost ).
Although it’s wired to a no load tone pot, the recent iteration that I’ve in a guitar is rounder and more generic sounding, without much character. I’d like to find a vintage SuperD in order to check if there’s actually a tonal difference between old and new ones.

And I've still to buy a new X2N in a vain attempt to come back to my youth. :-/

In any case and to answer to some posts above, I’ve not found high inductance Bill Lawrence’s less powerful than the mentioned DM’s: I’ve compared once directly a X2N to a first generation L500 (= equivalent to a current L500XL) and in this test, the BL had bigger bass, although it was also clearer. In the same way the vintage L500 that I've currently in a guitar sounds bigger than my current SuperD...

FWIW (= my two cents of personal experience). YMMV.

 

[shredi]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

I have been exploring the sort of "classic" high output passive humbuckers. Like the Super Distortion and the Super 3, just okay with the JB and Tone Zone.
Can anyone tell me from personal experience how the Dimarzio X2n sounds and feels compared to a Super D? I am curious as heck but have yet to find a used one for less than $50 (my cutoff for just-to-try-this pickups) and as always internet reviews are all over the map and YouTube clips are mostly useless.
Is it like a Super D only "more," or something totally different? And is the magnet pull just too strong to be practical?

I tested out several pickups including the SD, S3 and X2n in my caparison horus FXAM, basically a lightweight ash/maple body superstrat with 24 3/4 inch scale.
The X2n was quite close to the Super 3 in terms of brightness. Quite a smooth and thick sounding pickup. It's not a middy/honky pickup, just kinda dark and flat. To my surprise the low end was tight enough for quick stacatto riffs (drop D).
HUGE low-end. This pickup in the bridge put out the same amount of bass as my neck position (a DMZ chopper), but still tight, not boomy or loose.
My other guitar with a DMZ crunch lab sounded "pinched"/narrow in comparison, as if it has a hi pass filter. I've never heard anything like that before.
Sounded very nice split and combined with the neck pickup in parallel.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

The X2N does not have as much high end as a Super Distortion. It can’t because of the amount of wire wound on it. But it has a more pronounced upper midrange peak which makes it sound bright to some people (a Tele is bright. An X2N is not). It’s not too bad in parallel if you are looking for some actual high end. It has a nice drive with distortion in series.


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[Dave Locher]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

If you can find an old copy of Guitar Player magazine with an X2N ad, it will say samarium cobalt.
The magnets used to be shiny silver back in the 80's when I put 3 of them in my Les Paul
Now they are flat back.... maybe those are ceramics?

You put three of them in one Les Paul?! My two immediate thoughts are 1) how did the strings move at all with that much magnetism? And 2) You are my new hero.

 

[Demanic]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

Silver corrodes from shiny to black.

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[Demanic]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

You put three of them in one Les Paul?! My two immediate thoughts are 1) how did the strings move at all with that much magnetism? And 2) You are my new hero.

Lot's of right hand attack.

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[ICTGoober]

Re: X2N vs Super Distortion? (Or any X2n experience?)

You put three of them in one Les Paul?! My two immediate thoughts are 1) how did the strings move at all with that much magnetism? And 2) You are my new hero.

Yes, I did. The pickups caused some serious warbling and wolf tones until I lowered the neck and middle pickups a bit. It even altered the way the guitar sustained. And frankly, it only sounded good with the bridge and middle pickups in series. The sound was so fat it walked all over the other guitarist in the band. I recommend X-2N's only for power trios playing some really corrosive metal tunes. They just can't sound sweet or nice. It's just full blown AAARRGGGHHHH all the time.