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Hey guys, I'm interested in experimenting with pickups, and these two have caught my interest. How do you guys like these, especially how do they sound in comparison to a Seymour Duncan JB?
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
not to get you off topic but i would look into the SD custome custome and the EVH.
(i'm not going to bother metioning the emg factor cause i think everyone knows what they sound like; and after everything i try i always end up going back to them.) -
Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
Hey Boxcar! thanks for the book, it showed today. I owe you one. What kind of difference are you looking for from your pickup compared to the JB..
the JB sounds smooth and thin with plenty of output, and great harmonics
the Super distortion sounds raunchy and grumbly. tons of lower mids, the harmonics are about half as good as the JB, but the pickup has more of that gutteral MESA sound. the pickup puts out so much in the lower mids, that you have to play very precise to keep the string noise out.
Tone Zone, I don't know about....
If you are looking for a JB on crack, order a Bill Lawrence XL500. Those kill.
[ February 19, 2003, 05:46 PM: Message edited by: oklaSTAR ]Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
I would agree with Oklastar about the Super Distortion.
The Tone Zone is kinda like a JB, hot and lotsa harmonics... It also seems to be very clear, no muddiness. I dig it in my RG3120.Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
I'm using a Tone Zone in the bridge and a JB in the neck of my RG770. The tone pot has been removed and the pups are screwed directly into the body.
The two pups are well balanced in output, compliment each other in sound. The TZ has good definition, it's hotter than the stock Ibanez.
The TZ cleans up pretty well when rolled back and is as diverse for many styles as the JB. I just started using this.. but the highs and mids and lows all seem boosted but still have good clarity.. I'm pretty happy with the setup.Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
No prob about the book, Oklastar. What I'm looking for is something crisp and clear, but without a whole lot of gain. I think the Tone Zone sounds like it's it so far. As far as the JB, there's nothing really wrong with it, I just have one in both my main guitars, and I want something different in my Rhoads.Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
Maybe a Norton? I've been thinking about one of those. It's not as bassy as a Tone Zone, has better harmonics. It's like a cross between a Fred and a Tone Zone. The JB I think is kind of thin sounding and needs a little more bass, even in a mahogany body. Just my opinion.I feel my soul go cold... only the dead are smiling.Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
I would say a Norton, or have you tried a J50 Jackson? They can be had for pennies, and they sound like a hot PAF. Good sounding pickups.Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
I just pulled the Tone Zone out of my strat and put another JB in it. The Tone Zone sounds OK, but it has no attitude or bite. Its very smooth and thats what I didn't like about it. Kind sterile sounding. It had a tendency to vanish in the mix.
It was in an alder bodied maple board strat with a Floyd.Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
Well in my experience i put a Super Distortion in the bridge of my Les Paul and was really pleased with the sound i got, the sound origionally was a typical muddy noise, but this brightened things up and pushed my TSL that one bit further into proper overdrive, obviously especially at loud volumes.
The best thing you can do is find a decent shop that will go that extra mile to help you test out each pickup you wish to play and make sure your happy with your descision. I was allowed to borrow a whole set of pickups for a few days to try em out, and that really helped.Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm with Chuckracer on this one. I had one in an alder strat style guitar, and it did very little for me. It is a high gain pickup by the way - like the JB. Why don't you try another Duncan? Like a Custom, or a Pearly Gates, maybe a Full Shred (which some people think is a high gain pickup, but isn't)? Hey - why not a Screamin' Demon?Originally posted by Chuckracer:
I just pulled the Tone Zone out of my strat and put another JB in it. The Tone Zone sounds OK, but it has no attitude or bite. Its very smooth and thats what I didn't like about it. Kind sterile sounding. It had a tendency to vanish in the mix.
It was in an alder bodied maple board strat with a Floyd.
I'm not a big fan of Dimarzio, but of all the pickups they have, the PAF Pro is probably my favorite.Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
I put a Tone Zone in my PRS (mahogany body) and it was a mid range nightmare for me. Waay too many mids for my taste.
The JB is a tricky pickup, in some guitars it sounds great, in others it sounds "wooley" at high volumes. You really have to experiment with both of them.
I am selling my tone zone if you want to buy it
[email protected]Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
I have a Tone Zone in an Alder bodied, maple neck/fret board, Floyd guitar. I think it sounds great. I don't agree with the other guys who said it sounds sterile or doesn't cut through well. I disagree completely. I also have a Soloist with a JB in the bridge, and that sounds great too. The Tone Zone and JB are both very high output, but that's where the similarities end. The Tone Zone has a lot more low mids and bass, where the JB has emphasis on the high mids and treble. Personally I think the Tone Zone cleans up very well and sounds fantastic when split. The JB sounds fairly well clean, but not as nice to my ears. Both are great pickups, just voiced different.
You also might look into the Air Zone by Dimarzio if you are interested in the Tone Zone sound. The Air Zone is basically eq'd the same as a Tone Zone, but with slightly less output. It also has a little less sting pull for better sustain and control.
[ February 20, 2003, 10:24 AM: Message edited by: jem777az ]Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
if your looking more of an "airy" mid sound, the TZ might not be your pickup, Nortons are popular as are Duncun Customs. The Custom Custom, I always thought more suited for the neck..but it's been eons since I tried it again in the bridge. The TZ definitely has more bottom end to it..punch.. which I would find good for some heads that may lack enough low end at lower volumes.
I don't find it to be muddy, but for some things you might find the definition to not be to your liking, but when I muted notes, it had enough punch to sound gutsy while still having a growl.
Being that both pups are directly into the body, they are about a 1/4" from the strings but still have plenty of output.
It really is up to what you personally demand from a pickup and some guys change them out of boredom or a new application which requires a different tone.
I had to job for the weekend tuned down a half step, so I chose a guitar that I seldom used except as a occasional backup. So I've only used this setup for one weekend. I didnt RE-EQ any of my rack settings as I didnt have time, but I wasnt going "oh man, this isnt going to do it" and it wasnt unworkable for me, if I needed more cut thru the mix, I used a wah or my Vox boost. There's sound bytes of the pickups on the Dimarzio website.
[ February 20, 2003, 01:49 PM: Message edited by: charvelguy ]Comment
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Re: DiMarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion
FYI: The Tone Zone both has VERY high mid and bass spikes on the tone charts. You may want to check out the website
http://www.dimarzio.com/f_main.htmlComment
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