I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....

  • 16 Replies
  • 23304 Views

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

*

Offline cayle_6

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 104
  • 1
    • View Profile
I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« on: March 24, 2010, 11:11:39 AM »
Once again, i fiddled with the pickup height of my Tone Zone. It was said that the pickup has to be adjusted to find that "zone"...

My current rig sounds bassy, and figured the planet waves cable was the culprit. Dimarzio cables pawn the Planet Waves cable. Cleans were big and boomy, middy and crunchy. So i lowered the Tone Zone's height....

raised it again....lowered....raise....raise....lowered....BOOM! I found the spot. It took me almost 20 mins to find this spot. Cleans were good enough. Bass was not boomy anymore. I also got rid of some of the crunch. Distorted....man, that's were it really shines. Tight, defined, and clear. Before adjusting the height, it sounds huge, loose, bassy, middy, but has that sweet lead tone. After adjusting, it still has the lead tone, but the rhythm....Tighter and more defined notes.   :madness:

Right now, it's set low...away from the strings...but it doesn't lose that high output compression. Thinking of a neck pickup to pair with it...Air Norton perhaps? of should i go for PAF Pro?

Waiting for my Lava cable, then i'll adjust the pickup height again...   :D
« Last Edit: March 24, 2010, 11:16:40 AM by cayle_6 »

*

Offline slugworth

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1137
  • 67
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2010, 11:29:56 AM »
20 minutes of adjustment is probably quick.  I've heard people around here say it can take a week of play and tweaking to really dial it in, and I tend to agree.  Well maybe not a whole week, but dialing in the TZ is worth taking some time, using your ears, and making slight adjustments.  The results are  :madness:
DIMARZIO MODELS CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY OWNED: 68 TOTAL

*

Offline CityofBlindingLights

  • *Site Supporter*
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 3358
  • 87
  • THIS IS MADNESS
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2010, 12:59:42 PM »
Yeah, 20 minutes is quick... First time I tried a Tone Zone it took me two weeks to find the damn spot. But that being said, you KNOW when you've found the right height for your playing. It just hits you in the balls (in the good way).

As for a neck pickup... lots of people like the Air Norton, but it isn't for everyone. What kind of sound are you looking for exactly?

I personally like an Air Zone in the neck.

*

Offline KH Guitar Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 844
  • 5
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2010, 02:55:25 PM »
Personally, I've tried a whole different bunch of settings, and I still prefer the recommended distance between the pickup poles and the underside of the strings by Dimarzio the most...

*

Offline cayle_6

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 104
  • 1
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2010, 11:08:55 PM »
Actually, it took me 20 mins during that day. But....I've had this pickup for almost a year now...Been fiddling with the height since it was installed..  :D

I got lucky with the tweaking, i guess. And it matched my current rig.

For the neck pickup, something for blues, jazz, great cleans, searing lead tones, while can still handle high gain without getting flubby or muddy.

*

Offline CityofBlindingLights

  • *Site Supporter*
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 3358
  • 87
  • THIS IS MADNESS
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2010, 11:34:53 PM »
Actually, it took me 20 mins during that day. But....I've had this pickup for almost a year now...Been fiddling with the height since it was installed..  :D

I got lucky with the tweaking, i guess. And it matched my current rig.

For the neck pickup, something for blues, jazz, great cleans, searing lead tones, while can still handle high gain without getting flubby or muddy.

If you like thick and warm, you want an Air Norton. It matches all of those. I'm just not a fan of its clean tone, it's a bit too thick for my tastes.

An Air Zone also matches that description.

*

Offline cayle_6

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 104
  • 1
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2010, 08:12:59 AM »
I'll look at Air Norton and Air Classics...Air CLassics look interesting.

*

Offline KH Guitar Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 844
  • 5
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2010, 08:45:00 AM »
Actually, it took me 20 mins during that day. But....I've had this pickup for almost a year now...Been fiddling with the height since it was installed..  :D

I got lucky with the tweaking, i guess. And it matched my current rig.

For the neck pickup, something for blues, jazz, great cleans, searing lead tones, while can still handle high gain without getting flubby or muddy.

If you like thick and warm, you want an Air Norton. It matches all of those. I'm just not a fan of its clean tone, it's a bit too thick for my tastes.

An Air Zone also matches that description.

You could also try coil splitting the Air Norton. Give a nice single coil tone...

*

Offline buddroyce

  • *Fake VIP*
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 2903
  • 95
  • Founder
    • View Profile
    • BRL Guitarworks
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2010, 10:24:16 AM »
Really glad to hear that you managed to find the sweet spot for your tone zone. Once you find it, it's MAGIC.

As for the neck pickup, the Air Norton Split (slug side active) produces a very nice single coil tone. The Paf Pro, Air Classic, and PAF 36th are also good options.
Founder - DiMarzioForum.Com
Follow me on Twitter

*

Offline cayle_6

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 104
  • 1
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2010, 11:30:51 AM »
Really glad to hear that you managed to find the sweet spot for your tone zone. Once you find it, it's MAGIC.

As for the neck pickup, the Air Norton Split (slug side active) produces a very nice single coil tone. The Paf Pro, Air Classic, and PAF 36th are also good options.

Thanks Bud. I'm still waiting for some more gear to arrive (cables, pedals, etc..) then i think i might have to find the spot again. Really diggin the Air Classic right now. I hope it won't get muddy under high gain.

*

Offline kefka84

  • Newbie
  • *
  • 7
  • 0
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2017, 05:55:49 AM »
7 years later, I got a Tone Zone too on a RG652 bridge...
It would help us if someone tells us how to adjust the height of that pickup. Please.
« Last Edit: May 29, 2017, 09:55:37 AM by kefka84 »

*

Offline DarthPhineas

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 707
  • 20
    • View Profile
    • Darth Phineas Guitar Gear Reviews
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2017, 11:30:30 AM »
With those screws on either side of the pickup.
Gear Reviews   |  Facebook   |   Twitter   |   Instagram

*

Offline KH Guitar Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 844
  • 5
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2017, 04:09:07 AM »
With those screws on either side of the pickup.

I think he knows how to physically alter the pickup height. He probably just wants pointers as to how to set it up measurement wise to get the perfect height and thus the best tone

*

Offline darkbluemurder

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1590
  • 52
    • View Profile
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2017, 04:22:24 AM »
I would suggest to start at about 3mm from the 6th string and 2mm from the 1st string and tweak from there. Really, there is no hard and fast rule to set it as it depends on the guitar, the player and his rig. The only hard and fast rule is that you don't want it so close to the strings that the magnet pull grabs them since this could cause out of tune overtones and loss of sustain. A starting point is helpful if you get lost.

Good luck,
Stephan
Area 67, Area 58, Area 61, VV Pro 54, Injectors, VV HB2, Virtual Solo, SDS-1, Area T, Area Hot T, Area T 615, Virtual Hot T, Chopper T, Bluesbucker, Breed set, Air Norton, Super Distortion, DLX+ set, DLX-90, DP240, DP198, DP168, VPAF b, AT-1, Mo' Joe, FRED, Super 2; GS b

*

Offline DarthPhineas

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 707
  • 20
    • View Profile
    • Darth Phineas Guitar Gear Reviews
Re: I just lowered the height of my Tone Zone....
« Reply #14 on: May 31, 2017, 07:25:30 AM »

I think he knows how to physically alter the pickup height. He probably just wants pointers as to how to set it up measurement wise to get the perfect height and thus the best tone


I think so too.

Yet, it's still something that depends on the end user. Adjust them until they sound good to you. End of story.
Gear Reviews   |  Facebook   |   Twitter   |   Instagram