Suggestions on Dimarzios for Alder Super Strat ?

Emg77

Emg77

Well-known member
Looking for suggestions for my Ernie Ball Jason Richardson. Alder body, maple neck and ebony board.

Im kind of limited to Dimarzio based off the depth of the pick up route. Have to use a PCB back plate in order to squeeze it into about 5/8" total pickup height. Not looking to route it out, yet.

Dimarzio isn't my first choice. I already ordered and installed a Super D. Unfortunately its a bit fatter pickup and sits max of where I would have the pickup height. The pickup is alright, but there is a notch at the high mids that seems to be annoying me and is a bit compressed. Looking for something chunky, with mid content with a tighter low end, not anemic! or super compressed. Breed? Tone Zone? Help a brother out!


Thanks,
 
I just swapped out a 36th anny in the bridge of an alder HH Jazzmaster and installed a Norton--I'm very impressed. I'm a rock/hard rock guy, not a chugger tho.

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@Racerxrated and @tallcoolone made very good suggestions.

The EVO 2 (DP215) is another great pickup. I had one in a similar guitar and it slayed. That pickup can do anything and do it very well. I'm surprised that it isn't more popular.
 
JohnnyGtar said:
@Racerxrated and @tallcoolone made very good suggestions.

The EVO 2 (DP215) is another great pickup. I had one in a similar guitar and it slayed. That pickup can do anything and do it very well. I'm surprised that it isn't more popular.
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Looked at the Evo2- I’m needing to stay away from their ceramics as the pickups are bit fatter because oversized magnet! Thanks though.
 
Emg77 said:
I think I may give this one a try.
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I dig how that guitar looks and feels but it’s kind of a dog tone wise—part of the game with partscasters I’ve put together a bunch. The 36th lacked depth, sounded thin—I bet it shines in the right guitar but as I said, this body is not the most resonant piece of wood.

Norton absolutely rips. Top end still there but fatter than the top end of the 36th with zero mud. I am pretty sensitive to excessive low end on pickups but this is lean but still fat and grindy in the midrange.

My old go to for partscaster/bolt on bridge humbuckers was the Duncan Custom Custom—it’s been only 2 days but I like this much better.
 
FWIW, the Tone Zone is more compressed than the Super Distortion.

Lower output does not always equal more dynamic, IMO.
 
tallcoolone said:
Correct—I tried an Air Norton and found it flat and dark
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I tried the Air Norton once in the bridge of a Les Paul standard, pretty cool sound, especially for classic rock. But it ended up in the neck position with an AT-1 in the bridge.
For the alder Strat I second (or third) the regular Norton as well. Very curious about the Evo2. I found the original Evo too bright.
 
Emg77 said:
Dimarzio isn't my first choice. I already ordered and installed a Super D. Unfortunately its a bit fatter pickup and sits max of where I would have the pickup height. The pickup is alright, but there is a notch at the high mids that seems to be annoying me and is a bit compressed. Looking for something chunky, with mid content with a tighter low end, not anemic! or super compressed.
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Reading your OP again, the Norton would definitely be the ticket!
I had a SuperD in my alder Charvel So-Cal (Superstrat) and indeed it was a tad much. Originally it came with the ToneZone, which was ok-ish, but a tad loosey-goosey in the low-end. After taking out the SuperD, I went with the Norton and it was tight, nice prominent mids, without becoming nasal (like a PAF Pro would), articulate, not very compressed, but plenty harmonics (does EVH quite easily)...
Only recently I went back to the SuperD, because it's an Adrian Smith-ish guitar anyway and I play him in a Maiden Tribute, so it matches the original better... But overall, yeah, the Norton is the nicer choice. Also splits a lot better/nicer than the thin and anemic tone of a split Super D.
 
Speeddemon said:
Reading your OP again, the Norton would definitely be the ticket!
I had a SuperD in my alder Charvel So-Cal (Superstrat) and indeed it was a tad much. Originally it came with the ToneZone, which was ok-ish, but a tad loosey-goosey in the low-end. After taking out the SuperD, I went with the Norton and it was tight, nice prominent mids, without becoming nasal (like a PAF Pro would), articulate, not very compressed, but plenty harmonics (does EVH quite easily)...
Only recently I went back to the SuperD, because it's an Adrian Smith-ish guitar anyway and I play him in a Maiden Tribute, so it matches the original better... But overall, yeah, the Norton is the nicer choice. Also splits a lot better/nicer than the thin and anemic tone of a split Super D.
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Thanks for the follow up. Sounds like it will work for me ! I will place my order Monday.
 
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