What’s up guys, loooong time lurker, finally signed up today. Thought this would be a cool first post, for the people out there looking for pickup options. This is from the view of a metal player who went from using the highest output pickups a while ago, over to less powerful ones over time, all in search of tone.
I’ve been a fan of Dimarzio pickups since I started to play guitar in my teens in the 90s. I primarily play extreme metal (technical thrash, death metal etc.) but enjoy all kinds of music and listen to many styles of guitar players. I’ve used all brands of pickups but have always had at least one guitar with Dimarzios in it. In time, I have now changed out all my pickups to Dimarzios as I seem to prefer them the best.
Here are my thoughts on all the Dimarzios I have played throughout the years… these were all on basswood (99% Ibanez) or alder (99% Jackson) guitars with hardtails or locking trems on them. These are tuned from standard B, C, C#, D, D# all the way up to standard E. This is from the viewpoint of trying to get a good, hi-definition but clear and articulate saturated gain tone for more technical kinds of metal. A tone you can use both for rhythm or leads interchangeably.
I found my magic number for pickup output ratings to be between 375 mV and 435 mV. This lets me boost the amp with a Tubescreamer type pedal, use a good amount of the amps gain, and still have a tight articulate but highly saturated gain tone. I also use a BOSS GE-7 in the loop with slight cuts at 100 Hz and 800 Hz and take out some 400 Hz.
X2N: I used this pickup for many years plugged straight into the front of many high-gain solid-state or tube amps. However when I got hooked on boosting my signal with a Tubescreamer, X2N became just too much output for me. It defeated the whole purpose of using an X2N. It is great for heavier styles, going from AC/DC to Napalm Death. The sound of an X2N slamming some preamp tubes is pure rock ‘n’ roll. But you need to consider if you really need all that output. It’s got a very friendly EQ curve, and the sound you get is highly dependent on the character of your guitar. Unlike the Invader which seems to add tons of bass and mids to your tone... unlike an active pickup, when you’re speed picking and digging into riffs, you can really “feel” the X2N working with the amp when you’re playing. It’s really cool.
D-Activators: I prefer the regulars over the “X” versions because they have more treble (which I like), and less output – but even the regular D-Activators were too hot for me. I liked their general tone, tightness and clarity, yet they were just too much power, and I had to end up using less amp gain than I wanted, changing the whole feel of the tone. I’d like to try these again but experiment with lowering the pickup to reduce signal strength and see if I can keep the tone I wanted intact. For such a hot pickup these have a very good clean tone (they do sound just like EMGs.) It’s another pickup with very friendly EQ curve, definitely good for metal.
Tone Zone: For me this is an “all-rounder” pickup which is great for rock, jazz rock, hard rock, early metal, shred and fusion. TZ is one of my favorite Alnico-based pickups. Add a Tubescreamer into the mix, and it will thrash like Sepultura with no problem. I like the overall EQ curve of this pickup, it’s just warm enough, has a good amount of treble, but it’s not a “tight” pickup by any means. It’s very sensitive to pickup height.
Super 3: Some of my favorite metal recordings were done on the Super 3. On paper, it seems like a great idea for a pickup catered to metal players. However, I like my treble, and this pickup has little of it. When I turn up the highs on my amp, it’s not the same. But the mids! Loads of mids, too much for my taste. I struggled to get a sound I liked from the Super 3, everything was always too warm and “congested.” The output is right on the borderline for me as well. It reminds me a lot of a Tone Zone - but hotter and much less high end than I like. A great example of how pickups can alter your tone. I was surprised I preferred the TZ to Super 3. It’s just not for me, I’ll leave others to do cool things with this pickup.
Super Distortion: Not as tight as Super 3… but here’s an EQ curve I can work with. This is a very good pickup that has just the right amount of treble. There’s enough output where you can dirty-boost it with a Tubescreamer up to a decent setting without getting a mushy muddy mess. The amount of bass and mids is pleasing and it proudly shows that “old school metal” flavor, but there are a lot of players in newer styles like metal-core (Whitechapel for example) that use, or have used the Super D. What I like about this pickup is it lets you depend on your hands and the amp! Sure it’s not as “tight” as some of the other Dimarzios but it’s definitely worth looking into for every kind of rock or metal. Randy Rhoads used it, so you have to check it out
Evolution: My favorite Dimarzio pickup I have tried thus far. I have replaced all my X2Ns with Evolutions. The amount of output is perfect for boosting an amp with a Tubescreamer to get into extreme metal territory – better dynamics and, less hot than D-Activators, but it sure doesn’t sound like it. There is enough bass to have control over the bottom end, and always remain TIGHT. There seems to be more treble than a Super Distortion but just enough to where the tone is always clear and crisp. Along with that special midrange, Evolution cuts through better than any Dimarzio I have yet tried. If you know “technical” metal bands like Suffocation, Cryptopsy, Deeds Of Flesh, Coroner, Necrophagist etc., you know how they switch from rhythms to leads on a dime, and how even some of the rhythm parts are like solos in themselves? This pickup is just perfect for that style of tight and aggressive metal playing. Great cleans as well.
I still want to try the D-Sonic, Steve’s Special, and Crunch Lab.
One of these days I’ll also compare EVO 2 to the Tone Zone.
Quick neck pickup for metal rundown, of the neck pu’s I have used:
Air Norton: Great match for a not-that-high output pickup like Tone Zone, but PAF Pro has that tone that I prefer more, with more output juice.
Breed Neck: Used to be my main neck pickup when I used the X2N. I love this pickup, it’s so fun to play. Under a lot of gain in fast playing it has a cool overwhelming “bassy” note blurring effect. I tend to prefer PAF Pro or EVO neck more nowadays as I need less output.
D-Activator neck: Great for shredding too, but like the fatter Breed neck tone better. Has a strange compressor-like squashing effect under too much gain, but it’s still awesome. The “X” version does not have enough treble to satisfyingly cut through IMO.
Super 2: Very good tone, however even more output than D-Activator neck, and with too much gain it feels out-of-control during solos like all the dynamics are gone. Again it’s a question of how much output you need.
Liquifire: Definite Petrucci vibe, if you like his tone get this. You can hear there are more mids, less bass and treble than the usual neck pickup, sure it’s good, but not as aggressive tone for me as I like for the neck to be.
PAF Pro: Great treble cutting tone, a classic shredder pickup, only second in favorite to the next one on the list.
EVO Neck: It’s right in the middle of the PAF Pro and Breed Neck, just enough output to facilitate easy shredding and is more tight and articulate on high gain than PAF Pro and Air Norton. Just like the EVO bridge it’s an addictive soloing pickup and does clean great.
Hope that was informative for you guys on the hunt for pickups
