Jackson J85 to Dimarzio Tone Zone Upgrade ?

[Spectrum]

Hi I decided to try a Dimarzio Tone Zone I had around installing it in my '94 Jackson Dinky Reverse which originally had a Jackson stock J85 (the one with the two blades). I left the other stock jackson pickup in the neck untouched ( a j80).
Anyone who tryed both J85 and Tone Zone that could tell me if the Tone Zone is really an upgrade ? (not in terms of taste, which is personal, but in terms of cheap quality vs professional pickup). Is the j85 supposed to be a cheap quality and the Tone Zone a high quality one ?

By the way, I loved the look of my guitar with the j85 stock pickup that gave the guitar that particular look...Now with the Tone Zone it seems a normal "two humbucker" guitar.. One thing I noticed is that the j85 was way more mid scooped and trebly while the tone zone is more full of bass and mids.

[toejam]

The TZ definitely has more bass and low mids, a great pickup that many people use. Nothing wrong with the J85, just it's more scooped and trebly sounding, which some people also like.

[Spectrum]

Yes...what i'd like to know is if the j85 is considered a poor pickup or not.. Usually stock pickups are cheap and if you want a great guitar you change them to something like dimarzio or duncan. I know some jackson came with seymour duncan from factory, some others with duncan designed and other with jackson branded pickups like mine...

[Spectrum]

Some jackson of thae same era of mine (1994) came with the duncan designed pups from the factory. How do you compare the j85/j80 to the duncan designed pair ?

[Matt_B]

Yes...what i'd like to know is if the j85 is considered a poor pickup or not.

Do you like the sound of the pickup or not? If you don't then it's a poor pickup. If you do then it's not.

[Spectrum]

Do you like the sound of the pickup or not? If you don't then it's a poor pickup. If you do then it's not.

I want to be honest, I ended up reinstalling the original J85 mainly cause I found the look of the guitar way more interesting with it on. Di Marzio has a great tone too (different, more modern) but I don't know, even if it is an humbucker, the feeling on the strings was like I was playin' a single coil.. With the j85 I have a more class metal sound a la Dokken... and I have to say a more appropriate sound for a Jackson, to me

[toejam]

If the sound of the Tone Zone was like a single coil, then you wired it wrong.

[Iceberg794]

I went from a j85 to a tone zone on my Jackson strat.
Nothing wrong with the j85. It's a very well balanced pickup. Very crisp and natural.
The tone zone felt a little hotter and has more of a bottom end.
Both pickups are great.

[Newc]

If the sound of the Tone Zone was like a single coil, then you wired it wrong.

Following Duncan's diagrams and color coding? It's been done before.


But then I didn't care for the TZ in my SoCals. Sounded a bit like a hot single to me, but was wired correctly.

[Spectrum]

Following Duncan's diagrams and color coding? It's been done before.


But then I didn't care for the TZ in my SoCals. Sounded a bit like a hot single to me, but was wired correctly.

Yes exactly what was my impression. I wired it correctly.
I was referring to the feeling of the fingers on the fretboard while playing the instrument not to the sound that was leavin' the amp. The sound was of course of a humbucker but I was having that fenderish feeling with my left hand...I don't know how to explain it better...

[toejam]

I don't know, just sounds weird to me.