DiMarzio Forum
DimarzioForum.Com => The Pickup Place => Topic started by: Guitar74 on March 10, 2021, 12:17:14 PM
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I haven't seen much on it on this forum. I was just curious of anyone opinions on it. What kinds of wood it balances well in, etc.
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It used to be a very popular choice around here. Basswood and Mahogany have both been pretty good. Although I do find that it works better with brighter woods to help balance it out.
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I still like it a lot. I have it in a Basswood Ibanez RG with a Paf Pro neck, and also in a Mahogany PRS SE with a 36th Anniversary neck. Good all-round pickup with a lot of sustain, and a good balance of highs/lows/mids.
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May have to try one in the 'ole RG. I kind of like a5 pickups anyhow.
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I was thinking of using this pickup in the bridge of my alder HH Tele which is inherently bright. I was thinking of the Tone Zone, but want a pickup that is a little more vintage sounding and a little less hot.
Is this the right choice?
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Exactly the right choice. Doesn't have those odd frequency bumps the TZ has, sounds far more like a fatter vintage pickup. If you could fit 12k of 42ga wire on a PAF (you can't), that's kind of what it sounds like.
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Alright. Based on what I have heard, I am going Air Zone w a 36th neck. I will also be doing a 5 way superswitch for split 5 (bridge, bridge split, inner coils together, neck split, neck). The guitar was a freebie from my brother in law (old RG 220) that he got for free from a mutual friend that owns a pawn shop. I have a real Floyd in the box that is going on it.
I think this one was either bought for a kid or for a beginner electric because there is NO fret wear. Oh well, a cheap guitar, but also free from two friends (my brother in law was my bassist/keyboardist before I married into the family).
Weird. I never bought an Ibanez, but have four that came to me as gifts. They're perfect for my playing, so I really have no idea why I haven't dropped dime on an Ibby.
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On a super switch you might want to consider:
1) Bridge Series
2) Bridge + Neck both split
3) Bridge Series + Neck series
4) Neck parallel
5) Neck.
Keeps you noiseless in all positions, gives you the very useful both buckers on postion, and still a couple stratty sounds.
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Ooh. That DOES sound good. Thanks for the heads up. I think that's the way I'll go.
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On a super switch you might want to consider:
1) Bridge Series
2) Bridge + Neck both split
3) Bridge Series + Neck series
4) Neck parallel
5) Neck.
Yes, that is a good one. However, as a tele freak I always miss the bridge parallel option if the guitar does not have it so I do
1) Bridge coils in series
2) Bridge coils in parallel (with a load reducing resistor)
3) Bridge series + neck series
4) Bridge parallel + neck series
5) Neck.
All positions are humcancelling.
Bridge parallel + neck series sounds similar to both humbuckers split, and definitely brighter than position #3.
Cheers Stephan
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On a super switch you might want to consider:
1) Bridge Series
2) Bridge + Neck both split
3) Bridge Series + Neck series
4) Neck parallel
5) Neck.
Keeps you noiseless in all positions, gives you the very useful both buckers on postion, and still a couple stratty sounds.
This is ibanez HH 5 way switching! You can buy this switch directly from ibanez too.
Then just follow their diagram and good to go.
Parallel neck is a bit thin usually. I love the ANs in parallel. But then, it's a 12k dark pickup. The parallel mode is very stratty. I suspect a brighter humbucker would be thinner.
Inner coils is a fender sound. Halfway between n/m and b/m. An guitar with a neck rails/ bridge bucker combo split to inner coils parallel adds some Tele vibe to that middle in between sound mentioned above (I love this sound).
This switch is super versatile. You get a neck single coil, a strat in between sound and 3 different ripping humbucker sounds. Even a strat can't do that!
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I really didn't like the Air Zone. I put it in an ash RG421 which was probably the brightest electrics I have ever played and it turned into a mud fest. I guess if you gain out your amp and EQ it to sound like a bees nest it would be OK.
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A bright ash-bodied guitar with a maple neck, and the Air Zone turned into a mud-fest? Sounds more like user error to me...
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Every guitar and set of ears are different. Dimarzio has a range of pickups (and a purchase exchange program) to account for this alleged “user error” of individual preference. For what it’s worth, the most pervasive user error in this dead community is in prescribing pickups on the basis of wood species, rather than consideration of the ideal the player is striving to realize.
e.g. “Bright guitar thickened up a bit too much from the Air Zone? Did you want to try a pickup of similar output, but voiced a bit brighter? Check out the posted EQs for other pickups on the medium and high output pages of the Dimarzio site, and see if the product descriptions seem like they’d be a better fit. And in case you want to try a lower output pickup with a similarly warm voicing (that may not emphasize the “mud” quite as much), the Breed neck and Al Dimeola bridge pups have been reported to similarly mellow and fill out brighter/thinner guitars.”
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I tend to agree with this. The most important questions to ask are "what do I not like about my current pickup" and "what do I want the pickup to have more/less of". The information about the guitar and wood is also important but it does not prevail over the other two considerations.
Cheers Stephan
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On a super switch you might want to consider:
1) Bridge Series
2) Bridge + Neck both split
3) Bridge Series + Neck series
4) Neck parallel
5) Neck.
Keeps you noiseless in all positions, gives you the very useful both buckers on postion, and still a couple stratty sounds.
Or, you can purchase a ibanez 5 way switch that they use in their HH rgs and such.
It does the same as above, but without the complexity of a super switch.
This wiring is tits too!
Inner coils parallel is very stratty
Neck parallel is also very single coil sounding too.
I like this setup with higher output pickups. The air norton s works well in this case. Fat in series and surprisingly good in parallel.
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I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing that the reason people mentioned wood species in conjunction with pickups in this thread was because that is exactly what the person who started the topic asked about...
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Around 20 years ago, Steve Blucher sent me an Air Zone and an Air Norton for my Peavey Wolfgang. (The Wolfgang with the carved maple top) That guitar sounded amazing after I installed those pickups.
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I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing that the reason people mentioned wood species in conjunction with pickups in this thread was because that is exactly what the person who started the topic asked about...
Possibly. Although different woods do alter the characteristics of the pickup a bit so it's not uncommon to see folks talk wood and pickups together. It's far from the full picture as pedals and amps also affect the final tone.
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Around 20 years ago, Steve Blucher sent me an Air Zone and an Air Norton for my Peavey Wolfgang. (The Wolfgang with the carved maple top) That guitar sounded amazing after I installed those pickups.
I actually really like the arched top Peavey Wolfgang guitars! I wish they were still around.