D-sonic/Paf pro or TB-6/SH-1

[habba1]

Hi guys,

Currently, I am planning to purchase a ibanez s470. However, I want to change the bridge and neck pickups. So currently, the two options in my head:

1. Dimarzio D-sonic/Paf pro

2. Seymour duncans TB-6/SH-1

I want to have a bridge pickup for heavy rffing something like metallica, LOG kind. However, the pickup must be versatile enough to cover punk rock as well.

For the neck, I want something that is crisp and melodic something like vai and satch style. I plan on venturing into blues and lead stuff


I know that the bands and artist I just mentioned above seems just like an average mainstream fanboy (please forgive me for that). But thats the kind of tone I want to attain.

Please advise.

Thanks

 

[oRGasmic]

I have a D Sonic in the bridge and an Air Norton in the neck of my RG1527, and they can do exactly what you're describing.

 

[astm]

I have a D Sonic with the bar facing the bridge and an Evo neck in the neck. Sounds killer! Personally, I don't like too much the Paf Pro. Why don't you try with the Breed neck instead?

 

[habba1]

I have a D Sonic with the bar facing the bridge and an Evo neck in the neck. Sounds killer!

Yeah. That was one of the combo I wanted to go for at first, however, I am afraid that the EVO neck will darken the sound of my guitar as it has mahogany body wood. Will this happen?

Please advise.

Thanks

 

[sleepy502]

The Dsonic will darken more than anything, this pickup works best in basswood/alder. EVO's work with mahogany better than a dsonic will.

If you want a dimarzio pickup thats high gain, get a d'activator. Seymour Duncan offers a lot more that will work with mahogany. The Custom-5, JB, full shred will work well with mahogany. Hell if you want a quick fix, get EMGs or Blackouts.

For the styles you mentioned, I have a Custom5/Jazz combo in my h-401fm and it works amazingly for everything. I can go from high gain death metal to playing John Mayer in a second.

 

[habba1]

So Seymour Duncans are better with mahogany as compared to dimarzios?

I will look into the custom 5/jazz combo as that is a combo I have not thought about.

How does the SH-1 fare on the neck?

What do you think of TB-6 or TB-4 or invader on the bridge?

Please advise.

Thanks

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

Both SDs and Dimarzios are good in mahogany. I'd love to get a PAF Joe/D-Sonic combo on a mahogany guitar one day... though I do agree that the D-Sonic is very dark, but PAF Joe is an amazing pickup. IMO I'd go that over the PAF Pro.

For SDs, you can't go wrong with a JB on the bridge. That pickup can do anything. Though if you want something a little more evened out EQ, go for the Custom 5. As for neck, either Jazz or 59 are great. There's a reason why Jazz/Custom 5 or 59/JB or Jazz/JB are factory standard pickups on many many production guitars, as well as signature series. They're all just winning combinations.

 

[sleepy502]

So Seymour Duncans are better with mahogany as compared to dimarzios?

I will look into the custom 5/jazz combo as that is a combo I have not thought about.

How does the SH-1 fare on the neck?

What do you think of TB-6 or TB-4 or invader on the bridge?

Please advise.

Thanks

I just find more pickups from SD are suited to mahogany, while dimarzio has more pickups suited towards other body woods such as alder/basswood. That's just me.

 

[habba1]

Ok guys.

After some research, these are the few options I have thought of. I can seem to choose between them so I hope you can help me with it.

1. D-sonic/Paf pro

2. D-sonic/Evolution

3. JB/59


The guitar that I am installing in is a Ibanez s470, mahogany body, rosewood neck. I have a metalzone pedal and I may be getting a boss ME-25.

Types of songs are: A7X, BFMV, Metallica, Lamb Of God, Sum 41.

However, I am venturing into new areas such as instrumental and I am hoping to get a sound something like Steve Vai, Satch and Gilbert.

Please advise.

Thanks

 

[Winspear]

I have a D Sonic in the bridge and an Air Norton in the neck of my RG1527, and they can do exactly what you're describing.

My D Sonic is reversed, which puts selector positions 2 and 4 out of phase. The cleans in those positions are godly, to the point that in 1, 3, and 5, I now consider the cleans to sound like utter crap and unplayable.

 

[habba1]

Guys, I will like to make a slight correction to my above post after further research.

There are a few options in my head now:

1. D-sonic/Paf Pro

2. D-sonic/Evolution

3. JB/Pearly gates

4. Duncan distortion/Pearlygates.


Please advise.


Thanks

 

[habba1]

Please ignore my post above. My optioins are still: 1. D-sonic/Paf pro 2. D-sonic/Evolution 3. JB/59 Sorry

 

[sh4z]

What about an evo bridge / something else ?

How does the evo bridge compare to d-sonic ?

 

[habba1]

Personally I felt that the EVO bridge is quite bright. Thus it cant give the heavy crunchy riffs like D-sonic. However, this is all based purely on hearsay and the dimarzio website. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Another information is that, Duncans here are cheaper, Dimarzios are quite expensive. 1 dimarzio pickup with installation cost about USD$300. Though I have not checked the duncans pricing, the local store assistant asured me that it will be much cheaper. Hence, I am looking at both dimarzios and duncans now.

So please advise.

Thanks

 

[stuglue]

I would agree with one of the previous posters when he said Dimarzio pickups tend to be suited more to alder and basswood where the wood isn't as dark as mahogany. Dimarzio seem to have more bass than mids or treble.
I don't know enough about Seymour Duncans to help you.
I would also like to know peoples thoughts on the Duncan SH4 as that is a popular pickup

 

[sleepy502]

I have a D Sonic in the bridge and an Air Norton in the neck of my RG1527, and they can do exactly what you're describing.

Yes, this is true - if his guitar was made out of basswood, but his is made out of mahogany. The Dsonic is nowhere near suited for mahogany.

 

[sleepy502]

Please ignore my post above. My optioins are still: 1. D-sonic/Paf pro 2. D-sonic/Evolution 3. JB/59 Sorry

Out of these combinations, go for the JB/59. It's one of the more versatile pickup combinations out there, in many production guitars.

You can basically get any tone out of them.

Honestly, until you get a better amp that can help define your sound a lot more, chill on this decision.

Forget about the Dsonic, trust me, it sounded like ass in my S. Sounds great in anything basswood/alder, awful in mahogany. Don't buy a pickup because it has a famous persons name on it. If you are going to get ANY dimarzio for a mahogany body, get a d'activator. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Dead Undead]

For mahogany, PAF Pro is fantastic. I just ordered one for the neck position to use with a Norton in the bridge position on my X-35.

 

[habba1]

Out of these combinations, go for the JB/59. It's one of the more versatile pickup combinations out there, in many production guitars.
If you are going to get ANY dimarzio for a mahogany body, get a d'activator. You won't be disappointed.

In other words, the JB in the bridge will suit the mahogany more than the d'activator?

Ok note taken.

Thanks

 

[Dead Undead]

In other words, the JB in the bridge will suit the mahogany more than the d'activator?

Ok note taken.

Thanks

Well the D-Activator is a rather transparent pickup, so you can put it in nearly any guitar and it'll sound like a D-Activator. Not that they aren't great pickups, it's just they don't capture the tonal characteristics of your body/neck materials.