I've got an alder HH Tele which the Dimarzio pickup selector recommends a Tone Zone, Air Zone, Super Distortion or AT-1 in the bridge depending on some of the variables you input.
This is a bright guitar and I need a pickup that emphasises the bass and mids over the treble. I play more rhythm than lead, so I like a pickup that still has reasonable string separation.
I play into a clean amp using pedals for various levels of gain.
Is the Tone Zone too hot a pick up for this application, even though it has the EQ that I probably need to counter the bright nature of the guitar? Am I better to go for a lower output like the AT-1, or even a Norton? Or can I just roll back the volume on the Tone Zone to help clean up the signal going into my pedals and amp? I've tried PAFs in this guitar but they are too bright for my tastes, so I don't think the low output route will work as those kind of pickups always seem to have an EQ lacking in the bass and particularly the low mids.
I play mainly 60 - early 90s pop and classic rock. Only the occasional metal tune like Metallica Enter Sandman, Judas Priest Turbo Lover, or Motörhead's Killed by Death etc. 95% of the time I'd be in the gain range of edge of break up, low gain 70s classic rock and higher gain 80s classic rock.
Which bridge pickup will work in this situation? I don't mind going for a more high output pickup like the Tone Zone as long as it will do lower gain through my pedals, or by turning it down it still retain its EQ and dynamics but not punch the pedals so hard. If it needs to be at 100% to really be its best, then what lower output pickup in the Dimarzio range would you recommend?