Question about Dimarzio and Zebra bobbins....

[sambencuda]

I just got pics of my custom shop (it's sweet). It will be here sometime next week or early the week after.

My question is, I ordered it with a Super 3 in the bridge abd a HBFH in the neck, both with zebra bobbins. I thought that they would come like SD's with the cream coils on the outside. It didn't. It came with the cream coils on both pickups facing the neck. Is this normal for Dimarzio? I looked on the Dimarzio site and they mention nothing about zebra coils or reverse zebra coils. It looks to me like the bridge pickup is reverse zebra and the neck is normal.

It just doesn't make sense to me that both coils would have the cream on the top (facing the neck). thoughts?

[toejam]

Re: Question about Dimarzio and Zebra bobbins....

I think that is normal for DiMarzio. You'd need to either go through a dealer to order or contact DiMarzio direct to specify what color you want which bobbin otherwise.

[sambencuda]

Re: Question about Dimarzio and Zebra bobbins....

Thats kinda what I thought. I was thinking about Duncans. I just guess it different for Dimarzio. I'll post a few pics in the USA Jackson section.

[toejam]

Re: Question about Dimarzio and Zebra bobbins....

Cool. Can't wait to see the pics! [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[DonP]

Re: Question about Dimarzio and Zebra bobbins....

The correct way for zebras (to me), going back to how Gibson first put out zebras in the late 1950s, is that the slug coil is white, and the screw coil is black. This was simply because the white coils got delivered to the guy putting slugs into the coils, the the black bobbins got delivered to the screw guy - most of the time.

(to me) Seymour Duncan has it backwards. Their "Reverse" zerba is a normal zebra to me, and their "normal" zebra is reversed.

DiMarzio, not sure if they have a standard.

My Gibson 496R/500T are reverse, and I've been tempted to try and swap the coils/screws slugs.

[Jackson-Charvel]

Re: Question about Dimarzio and Zebra bobbins....

I agree with DonP. I've always thought the zebra "standard" was a black screw coil and a white or cream slug coil. One of the earlier Seymour Duncan zebras in US Kramers back in the day were what they call now as "reverse zebra" and yet that was one of their first versions of a zebra, so I would like to know why they considered it "reverse"? I have asked this on the Seymour Duncan forum but never received a definitive answer.

[sambencuda]

Re: Question about Dimarzio and Zebra bobbins....

I agree with both of you on the origin, but what is screwed up to me is that Dimarzio does not seem to have it either way for what ever reason. SD may have it backwards, but at least if you purchase a set of zebra pickups, the outer coils(screws) match and the inner(slugs) coils match. With Dimarzio, they don't. Although the pickups I got have screws in both coils. Man this can give you a headache.

To me, a normal setup would be that the outer coils match and the inner coils match. Thats what I have always seen and it just struck me funny to see my guitar with two identical zebras. It just looks wierd.

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: Question about Dimarzio and Zebra bobbins....

Jim, you can also reverse the neck pickup and it sounds great too.
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[shreddermon]

Re: Question about Dimarzio and Zebra bobbins....

Duncan chart on zebras:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/reversezebra.htm

Dimarzio's take on turning your pickup around:

"Most humbuckers are symmetrical and their sound does not change at all when installed backwards, but some have a slightly different sound if you install them in the opposite direction from normal. It’s not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of taste for such a subtle difference, if you can hear the difference at all. Those models include the Air Norton™, Air Zone™, Evolution® neck, bridge and 7-string, FRED®, Humbucker from Hell™, DLX Plus™ neck and bridge models, Virtual P-90™, Blaze™ neck and bridge models and Tone Zone 7™.

The Steve’s Special™, the Bluesbucker® and the MegaDrive™ have distinctly different sounds if you turn them around, and there is no ‘right’ installation direction. The Bluesbucker® is brighter-sounding with the adjustable screw coil towards the bridge, while the MegaDrive™ is brighter-sounding with the adjustable screw coil towards the neck. The Steve’s Special™ is brighter-sounding if the coil on the pickup’s cable exit side is toward the bridge."

(From their "Pickup FAQ" - sorry, couldn't link it directly.)