Larry Dimarzio remembers EVH

[Rdodson]

Don't trust everything you read.

 

[Jeff Hilligan]

The EBMM EVH's toggle switch has a mini PCB on it. But it's totally redundant and can be removed. I have replaced the toggle switch in a few of my EBMM EVHs and left the PCB on them. But in my Axis guitar, since the two I have now no longer have the stock pups, I had them rewired for coil splitting and removed the PCBs from the toggle switches.

In one Axis I have a Tone Zone in the bridge and an Air Norton in the neck. I can't hear much difference between them and the ones in my EVHs, but then that Axis weighs a good pound more than the EVHs. I just got another Axis that's getting some TLC from my tech now. I'm having him wire up an AT-1 in the bridge and Air Norton in the neck, both with 4 conductor wire, so I can coil split them with a push/pull pot.

BTW, I have some black Tone Zones and Air Nortons for sale.

I'd be interested in one

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

There was so much new in those stories I had never seen before. I didn't realize Ed only used the Custom-Custom in the neck position OR that the JB was the pickup in the 5150 guitar. I thought it was a SD '59. I wonder at what point the coil on the JB broke and if it was the pickup originally installed in the 5150 guitar when he built it.

Maybe I read wrong but I thought the custom custom was a pickup he also really liked in the bridge AND then also what he wanted for the neck. It seems like a lot of people hear the Alnico 2 in the bridge on a lot of albums after the VH1 and 2.

 

[harddriver]

So anyone use a tone zone pu here?

Despite the relatively close frequency analysis, the Tone Zone I tried was muddy mess compared to an actual EBMM EVH Axis pickups that was in my 2001 EBMM Axis.

I'm not sure why that is the case... but my ears told me there was a big difference.

I have read the Dimarzio AT-1 might be closer but I am pretty happy with all my EVH pickups at this time.

 

[Devin]

I love the Tone Zone

 

[Findthetone1]

That was great. Thanks for posting!

 

[grooveHT]

Don't trust everything you read.

I mean, if you hypothetically had to guess, which parts would you treat with more suspicion? ?

 

[charvelstrat81]

Maybe I read wrong but I thought the custom custom was a pickup he also really liked in the bridge AND then also what he wanted for the neck. It seems like a lot of people hear the Alnico 2 in the bridge on a lot of albums after the VH1 and 2.

Yeah you definitely read it wrong. The Custom-custom was in the neck only of one of the EBMM evh guitars and a damaged JB in the bridge.
The pu's that wound up being the ones that went into Ed's EBMM sig guitar and the EBMM axis guitars modeled from the Duncan CC and that damaged JB. Did eddie ever have it in the bridge at some point before? who knows buy it is likely.
The way it reads is eddie was digging the CC for the neck spot and the "damaged" JB in the bridge.
even though that JB was said to be damaged it still worked normal but had more solid mids and was more focused sounding according to the guy who tested it (Steve Blucher Dimarzio's main designer at that time).
I have a EBMM evh and a older axis and the bridge dimarzio sounds a lot like a JB alnico II and the Neck is super close to a air norton from off the shelf.
Dimarzio's AT-1 is really close as well for the bridge spot but has less output and less bass than the Custom wound VH one.
The AT-1 was designed after andy timmons JB alnico II pickup he used for years.
What i am suspicious of is it seems like EVERY p'u Eddie had looked at is damaged? When Fender remade His frankenstrat that p'u was said to read zero and shouldn't have even worked but sounded great according chip ellis? The Fender/EVH frankenstein pickup wound by duncan is supposed to be that pu.

 

[Purpleibby]

So anyone use a tone zone pu here?

Yup, love the Air Zone and the Tone Zone...no tone pot as well.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Yeah you definitely read it wrong. The Custom-custom was in the neck only of one of the EBMM evh guitars and a damaged JB in the bridge.
The pu's that wound up being the ones that went into Ed's EBMM sig guitar and the EBMM axis guitars modeled from the Duncan CC and that damaged JB. Did eddie ever have it in the bridge at some point before? who knows buy it is likely.
The way it reads is eddie was digging the CC for the neck spot and the "damaged" JB in the bridge.
even though that JB was said to be damaged it still worked normal but had more solid mids and was more focused sounding according to the guy who tested it (Steve Blucher Dimarzio's main designer at that time).
I have a EBMM evh and a older axis and the bridge dimarzio sounds a lot like a JB alnico II and the Neck is super close to a air norton from off the shelf.
Dimarzio's AT-1 is really close as well for the bridge spot but has less output and less bass than the Custom wound VH one.
The AT-1 was designed after andy timmons JB alnico II pickup he used for years.
What i am suspicious of is it seems like EVERY p'u Eddie had looked at is damaged? When Fender remade His frankenstrat that p'u was said to read zero and shouldn't have even worked but sounded great according chip ellis? The Fender/EVH frankenstein pickup wound by duncan is supposed to be that pu.

Great info thanks. A CC I can't imagine in the neck ..soft city no attack but hey what do I know. What I do know is that my JB2 is the perfect pickup. Digs in, crunchy , not too bright for leads. I have an AT-1 and it is a cool pickup but more contained than the JB. Air zone is nice, have one too, I should hook it back up and try it with no tone pot. I think the demartini pup is also just a JB with alnico 2 is it not ? ( While we are on the topic of better JB)

 

[Mr. Willy]

Very cool article. Thanks for posting! I remember seeing that magazine cover with Ed on the shelves back in the day when it was brand new. They talk about his studio and house in the Hollywood hills. If any of you are Andy Griffith Show fans, that lake they used in the show is just on the other side of the mountain not too far from where the 5150 studio is. I thought that was interesting. I’m probably the only one though. ?

 

[charvelstrat81]

Great info thanks. A CC I can't imagine in the neck ..soft city no attack but hey what do I know. What I do know is that my JB2 is the perfect pickup. Digs in, crunchy , not too bright for leads. I have an AT-1 and it is a cool pickup but more contained than the JB. Air zone is nice, have one too, I should hook it back up and try it with no tone pot. I think the demartini pup is also just a JB with alnico 2 is it not ? ( While we are on the topic of better JB)

The Duncan demartini is based on the JB-J warren used in his Charvels but he had seymour wind it more to his
tastes with more output(it is 18K not 16K like a regualr JB) and the highs are softer.
I always loved the JB with the A2 magnet because what it does is makes a brand new JB like a 40 year old one
The magic of those old JB's is the magnet, years ago duncan used a roughcast not a polished one like he does now.
these sounded a little different and of course a pu from 30 years ago will have lost some of its magnetic strength.
Using the A2 is like a very old weakened A5, Dimarzio uses a air gap in some of their A5 pu's(air zone,air norton,36th paf) instead of using a A2.
The air gap gets the same A2 tone The result is the same plus Less magnet pull/strength.
I have a very old JB from 1979 and it sounds a lot different than any new one.
One duncan i really like is the 59/custom hybrid with a A2 magnet, it comes stock with a 5.
with the A2 that thing has a great VH style tone. real stringy, great harmonics and medium output
tonally it is dead center of the 59 and the customs.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

The Duncan demartini is based on the JB-J warren used in his Charvels but he had seymour wind it more to his
tastes with more output(it is 18K not 16K like a regualr JB) and the highs are softer.
I always loved the JB with the A2 magnet because what it does is makes a brand new JB like a 40 year old one
The magic of those old JB's is the magnet, years ago duncan used a roughcast not a polished one like he does now.
these sounded a little different and of course a pu from 30 years ago will have lost some of its magnetic strength.
Using the A2 is like a very old weakened A5, Dimarzio uses a air gap in some of their A5 pu's(air zone,air norton,36th paf) instead of using a A2.
The air gap gets the same A2 tone The result is the same plus Less magnet pull/strength.
I have a very old JB from 1979 and it sounds a lot different than any new one.
One duncan i really like is the 59/custom hybrid with a A2 magnet, it comes stock with a 5.
with the A2 that thing has a great VH style tone. real stringy, great harmonics and medium output
tonally it is dead center of the 59 and the customs.

So technically if a person wants to make an off the shelf JB sound like the older "better" models, the magnet swap is the way to go. (or get a reissue rough cast) It honestly to my ears does everything well. I am like a broken record on it but the crunchiness is there, the tightness is there, yet it still squishes and is rounded in tone. Great harmonic squealies too. The AT-1 sounds weaker and not as big. I love A2 but they have to be just right. To date the other standout for me are the duncan APH-2. Those are fantastic pups and a bit of a sleeper. Slash's tone was always bitey and those are a big part of the sound because they allow you to use a treble heavy crunchy preamp and get away with it.

 

[Speeddemon]

I have a custom custom (assuming this is the SH-11) in one of my strats and I find it dark and "soft" sounding. Never understand what Ed liked in it. Honestly, if he liked the JB that was messed up so much, he should just have tried an alnico 2 in his JB. That is the best pickup right there. Now that said, if the AT-1 is the better bet over the TZ, that's made to more or less sound like a more favourable JB so there is always that....

My findings match yours. Didn't care one bit for the SH-11...way too spongey, mellow and lacking in beef.
I have the AT-1 in a Les Paul now, where previously there was a Norton in the bridge. Judging on what you're going for, you should definitely give the Norton a try.

Compared to the AT-1, the Norton is wilder, more harmonics, a tad less low-end, but it's very tight sounding, and a nice present high end, without ice-pick.

As @Racerxrated also did, I yanked the ToneZone out of my Charvel So-Cal; too flubby low-end. I did put that TZ in my Ibanez S540, where it matches well. Thinner bodied guitar, so the TZ's low-end balances out better.
That Charvel now also has a Norton in the bridge; it's my "Adrian Smith" guitar, although I know Adrian uses a Super Distortion, but since I use a lot of coil-split tones and wanted a bit more 80's shreddy/versatile pickup, the Norton has proven to be the better choice. The Super Distortion's split-tone is quite thin and lacklustre, whereas the Norton's (and Air Norton's!!!) split tone is very nice. And while plenty of shredders used Super Distortions, to me, the Norton's harmonics run circles around the Super D's, which is more of a sledgehammer than a sword.
To me, the Norton in some guitars seems to do, what you sort of expect the JB to do, if it wasn't such a slouch every now and then.
Don't get me wrong, in the right guitar a JB can be magic, but too many times I pulled it out of a guitar, as I found the low-end too loose and the highs kinda borderline screechy (with 500k pots, as I don't care for 300k ones in a HB only guitar).
I still have the stock JB in my Kramer SM-1, and it's staying there, as there it works. Great, shreddy guitar.

 

[GreatRedDragon]

To date the other standout for me are the duncan APH-2. Those are fantastic pups and a bit of a sleeper. Slash's tone was always bitey and those are a big part of the sound because they allow you to use a treble heavy crunchy preamp and get away with it.

I love that pickup. I have one in a Les Paul copy but I want to try it in a super strat sometime.

 

[Donnie B.]

If any of you are Andy Griffith Show fans, that lake they used in the show is just on the other side of the mountain not too far from where the 5150 studio is. I thought that was interesting. I’m probably the only one though.

I eat this kind of obscure trivia shit up! Very cool.

Is this the article where Eddie had the interviewer listen to some new demos
with him on cassette out in his car?

 

[Fiesta Red]

Are the actual MM EVH pickups finally available for sale to the public ?

Pariah makes one called the Poundcake

 

[Fiesta Red]

So the Dimarzio EVH pickups are made to sound like a damaged JB?

 

[Fiesta Red]

I always loved the JB with the A2 magnet because what it does is makes a brand new JB like a 40 year old one
The magic of those old JB's is the magnet, years ago duncan used a roughcast not a polished one like he does now.
these sounded a little different and of course a pu from 30 years ago will have lost some of its magnetic strength.

Taking a new JB and putting a rough cast A5 in it will make it sound like a 'new' vintage JB?

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I love that pickup. I have one in a Les Paul copy but I want to try it in a super strat sometime.

For sure, bit of a sleeper in a world of alnico 2 VH tone chasers... no reason it couldn't do as good of a job as putting an alnico 2 in a 59' etc