What are your favorite DiMarzio pickups and why?

  • Thread starter Thread starter JakeAC5253
  • Start date Start date
My favorite DiMarzio is all of the ones I have removed and replaced with a Duncan's over the years. :yes:

I do remember 70's Super Distortions as sounding cool but haven't played one in 25 years.
 
Chubtone":23oce5i4 said:
I do remember 70's Super Distortions as sounding cool but haven't played one in 25 years.
Click to expand...
The new ones sound cool!

Steve
 
I like the D-Activator and Air Norton. I have been using the Norton for about 13 years. The D-Activator is just a powerful pickup. It does sound well balanced and cleans up pretty nice. I am using it in a basswood body. Playing leads on it just sings. I have an Screamin Demons in my ESP and they just sound small and weak maybe because it is a maple body.
The Air norton seems to give a nice singing lead and almost horn like. I don't mean nasily, but is clean sounding with sustain. I really do not like front hum. I hate Slash's solos when he plays leads. It is just awful. His tone that is. Any pickup that sounds like that to me I just cannot handle.
 
Chubtone":pqfr4z0u said:
My favorite DiMarzio is all of the ones I have removed and replaced with a Duncan's over the years. :yes:

I do remember 70's Super Distortions as sounding cool but haven't played one in 25 years.
Click to expand...

This could just as well have been my reply, even regarding the 70's SD.
 
So far I like the Steve Morse and Fred, but I'm still experimenting. I want to try Andersons next.

The Morse is pretty cool, it splits fairly well. Still doesn't sound like a single coil when split, to me. The Fred is nice, with pretty good harmonics, but not too high output. They both clean up decently when I lower my volume knob.
 
Oh yeah, I should mention what I dislike. I HATED the D sonic. It had a "raspy" quality.Overbearing. And I strongly disliked the Evolution. Shrill no matter how you EQ it.
 
tonezone, X2N, air norton, area 58, HS-3, evo single coil (center pickup pos), super distortion, and both the neck and bridge pickups in the original wolfgangs (made by dimarzio)

seymour duncan - SH-6 and duckbucker (center pickup)

a clear dimarzio fan :rock:
 
Steve's Special. Sounds awesome in every guitar I've heard it in, really clear, really musical.

In fact, I have an Anderson H3+ that I'm thinking of swapping out for a Steve's Special in my Jackson soloist. Know anyone that might be up for a trade?
 
I'm a recoving DMZ fanboi. I was obsessed.

So, after falling in love with Suhr,Duncan, and MCP, here's how my DMZ experience shaves out.


LOVE:

Breed
D-Activator
X2N
VV VirtuAL 2
HS3
IBZ F1

like:

Evo
Double Whammy
VV '54
HS2
Paf Classic
Air Classic
super III (almost too hot and focused)
IBZ F3(same as super 3)

neutral:

Paf Pro
Super Distortion
fast track 1
chopper
ibz F2

Hate:

Tone Zone
Fred
Paf Joe
VV Heavy Blues
Paf 36th anniversary ( I don't understand how this pup can emphasize ALL of the wrong frequencies in guitars I loved with other pups, while at the same time I really liked the paf classic. the 36th anni paf is doomed to roam the inferno with traitors, hypocrites, and the Lynch Screamin' Demon.)
 
I like the Tone Zone, Paf pro (neck), Double whammy, Evolution, HS-3, Air Norton

I don`t like the Steve`s special

The Fred is a little too polite, but if I played nothing harder than regular, radio-playable rock, it sounds nice.

The Tone Zone is in a Floyd basswood guitar (Lag the Beast Custom)

I wouldn`t want to use it in a Les Paul. It would be too much.
 
Like: Air Zone, Breed, EVH Axis custom jobs, EVO2, Area '67, HS2 and HS3
 
Faves: old PAFs (new ones are very different), Rick Derringer Sig (now a custom order), Tone Zone (only in certain guitars)

Likes: Evos, Super 3, PAF Pro (only in certain guitars), Steve's Special

Not a fan of: X2N, Super 2, Super Dist (although I've liked them in a few guitars), new PAFs
 
Air Norton is my current favorite neck pickup for leads (warm, buttery, smooth lead tone), but I'd really like to try the new LiquiFire.
 
None. I've yet to play any that I liked. Well, I guess the Blue Velvet single coil sounded cool for clean tones, but I hate their humbuckers.
 
I'm not a fan of Dimarzio humbuckers, never heard one I really wanted, but I really like the Virtual Vintage Strat pickups...particularly the '54, & '54 bridge (discontinued?), the Blues and the Solo models. If you use 1meg ohm pots for the tone controls, you get this huge sweep from all lows to full (in the case of the bridge position, almost jagged) highs 1-10. If you do the Eric Johnson tone mod (middle pickup disconnected, leaving neck/bridge controls), you can get some absolutely killer Strat tones. :thumbsup:

For 'buckers, I love the Duncan Custom and CCs - and since that wind seems to do well with many magnetic variations, will soon be trying a C8. :rock:
 
As a whole, I'm not a big fan of Dimarzio bridge pups. However one of my favorite pups of all time in a Les Paul bridge is a real sleeper............the Norton (not the Air Norton). It is medium/hot and rides a perfect balance between vintage and modern and can cover just about everything. I currently have one in my Explorer and its not working as well in there. Still good, but sounds better in a Paul. I'm surprised you don't hear more about them. Some pretty big players have/are using them.

When it comes to neck buckers, I really love the Humbucker from Hell and Air Norton.

And though not my first choice, I can live with the Super Distortion and Breed in the bridge.

Some I can't stand........D-Activator, Tone Zone, Evolution

The Virtual Vintage singles are really cool too
 
I've had great success with the Air zone, the Steve's special, and the Air norton. So far, my favorite combo is the Steve's special in the bridge, and the Air Norton in the neck. They combine really well, and each is well suited to the respective positions. The Steve's Special has a nice grind to it, without being too over the top. I tend to like a good crunch in my pickups, but I also like to be able to control them a little more than some of the hotter pickups i've used, especially some of the hotter duncans. The Air Norton, has a huge sound, and is great for single note leads. It tends to be a little too much in full humbucking mode for me, but when spilt / combined, it really shines for clean chords.

As for Single coils, I really like the Virtual Vintage heavy blues in the neck position. It more closely resembles my ideal strat sound (my custom shop set neck strat w/ Texas Specials) but without the noise. It's not perfect, but it gets close. The rest of the singles I've used, are OK, but nothing to write home about.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top