Dimarzio pickups - am I the only one..

[ld100]

As the one who don't like how pickups with ceramic coils sound, I feel pissed off, that such established and well-known company as Dimarzio uses ceramic magnets exclusively in their 7-string pickups.

 

[BabUShka]

Damn guys, now I have super high expectations for the D Activators.

 

[Matt08642]

Damn guys, now I have super high expectations for the D Activators.

Wish I had a guitar to try them in, Mattias Eklundh uses them in a ton of his guitars as well

 

[EdgeCrusher]

I agree with a lot of the responses here; just a matter of matching the pickups to the guitar and your playing style. I used to have the Tone Zone/Air Norton combo in my RG570 and I found them too dark and bassy as many people do. If I was using it for a standard tuned jack of all trades guitar, it would have worked, but not for a tight metal tone. I swapped them for a D-Sonic and Humbucker From Hell and love it! I may try something higher output in the neck position at some point though; I'm thinking PAF Pro or Gravity Storm neck.

My favorite sounding Dimarzio I've tried so far is the D-Sonic 7 in my RG7621. It's very tight and cutting with great clarity. Perfect for staccato Fear Factory style riffing, but also amazing for Petrucci style leads. Downside is it picks up a lot of electromagnetic interference, so can be noisy if you are in front of a computer or other electronics. No issue for me when playing through my amp as long as I am facing away from it. may be a bit stiff feeling for some, but I like it. I actually bought an Alnico Nailbomb for this guitar back in the day due to all the BKP hype. Tried it for a few days, then swapped the D-Sonic back in and sold the BKP.

I have the Air Norton 7 in the neck and want to swap it for something less dark at some point, but I'm not in a hurry as it does still sound good for leads when playing in higher registers. Middle split position sounds great with this combo as well!

The D-Activator is nice; I've had them in a Xiphos 7, and basswood RG 6 and 7's. The bridge pickup is fairly balanced sounding with good output and clarity. Works really well for deathcore style chugs, but is still versatile. Had more of a broad compressed sound compared to the D-Sonic which is more focused and cutting. I actually have a spare D-Activator 6 bridge pickup that I want to put in 6 string for drop C.

I would never buy a new set of BKP's for the price they go for personally. That being said, I did buy a used set of Holy Divers for my RG8, as I was able to get them for the same price as a new set of Dimarzios. I really like them, but do also really want to try the D-Activator 8 string set.

 

[dspellman]

.. Not liking them? Ive read a lot of reviews and listened to demos. Seems promising and sounds great in demoes.

A DiMarzio was the first aftermarket pickup I ever used. I've got a Super Distortion on a relatively new Agile AL-2000 Floyd that's powering a Fernandes Sustainer. I really don't understand someone trashing an entire brand, and *definitely * not on the basis of "reviews and demos."

I've learned not to rely on YouBoob for anything involving sound quality, and I'm pretty sure I've got a lot more experience than most of the reviewers out there who are trying desperately to troll views.

 

[Chad]

I've owned several. Some I like. Some I don't. Also, depends on the guitar they are going in. Pretty much just like experiences with any other pickup brand. I seem to especially like their newer offerings: 36th Anniv, Transition bridge, Titan bridge, etc. Air Zone was okay. Tone Zone not really a big fan. Gravity Storm bridge....decent.

 

[Wusthof XIII]

To the OP…you mentioned Bare Knuckle. I install them in every bridge position of my guitars. They are built by hand and the quality shows. The current ones I use are:

-Warpig
-Silo
-Brute Force
-Aftermath
-Juggernaut

They are all AMAZING for different reasons. The Aftermath is probably my favorite though. It’s flaming hot but also clear and precise across all frequencies. You can’t go wrong with any Bare Knuckle pickups.

 

[WarMachine]

I'll be picking up another D Activator X for my bridge very soon and a standard D Activator for the neck shortly after to go in my new Razorback. Before I install them ill do some recordings so show the comparison. I used to think the D Activator set was the best but after pairing the X in the bridge and the D Activator in the neck ill never willingly go with another combo lol. The bridge is super sharp and the neck has tones of sharp output. Its hard to describe other than bad-fucking-ass.

Edit: the comparison will be in a Dean ML, not the Razorback as I have e a dimebucker in it now that is just fucking gross...

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I'll be picking up another D Activator X for my bridge very soon and a standard D Activator for the neck shortly after to go in my new Razorback. Before I install them ill do some recordings so show the comparison. I used to think the D Activator set was the best but after pairing the X in the bridge and the D Activator in the neck ill never willingly go with another combo lol. The bridge is super sharp and the neck has tones of sharp output. Its hard to describe other than bad-fucking-ass.

Edit: the comparison will be in a Dean ML, not the Razorback as I have e a dimebucker in it now that is just fucking gross...

I need to try the D Activator-X.

 

[jl-austin]

SD seems to have a problem supplying pickups lately. I bought a set of DiMarzio's, I decided to start with their most popular pickup (or so it seems that way), the Super Distortion. I love it. So that is my basis for all the comparisons on their website now.

I have used a Tone Zone in the past, maybe 10 years ago, it was okay, nothing to jump up and down about, the way I remember it.

I have a Pink D-activator waiting to go in a Jackson I ordered seemingly a lifetime ago (it's the blue Dinky with the pink pickups).

It seems to me that a lot of the solo artist pickups like Vai and Sat aren't the best for grinding metal, that isn't what they are made for. The same can be said with Duncan, I wouldn't want to try to get a grinding metal sound from a Pearly Gates (I'm sure it's possible with enough gain and EQ, but I stick with my statement of it not being the best choice).

 

[efiltsohg]

^ Pearly Gates actually rules for metal

 

[Accoun]

^ Pearly Gates actually rules for metal

Joe Duplantier used Dimarzio PAFs for Gojira before his signatures (that are still PAF-based), so why not Pearly Gates?

 

[KnightBrolaire]

SD seems to have a problem supplying pickups lately. I bought a set of DiMarzio's, I decided to start with their most popular pickup (or so it seems that way), the Super Distortion. I love it. So that is my basis for all the comparisons on their website now.

I have used a Tone Zone in the past, maybe 10 years ago, it was okay, nothing to jump up and down about, the way I remember it.

I have a Pink D-activator waiting to go in a Jackson I ordered seemingly a lifetime ago (it's the blue Dinky with the pink pickups).

It seems to me that a lot of the solo artist pickups like Vai and Sat aren't the best for grinding metal, that isn't what they are made for. The same can be said with Duncan, I wouldn't want to try to get a grinding metal sound from a Pearly Gates (I'm sure it's possible with enough gain and EQ, but I stick with my statement of it not being the best choice).

Uhh the evo and satchur8 are excellent for metal ime. The Evo has been used by shit loads of metal bands.

 

[Themistocles]

FWIW I don't like how the Tone Zone sounds from what I've heard and also didn't like the Crunch Lab 7 I tried.

That being said, I think the Blaze set are the best 7 string pickups I've ever heard, and love how the DiMarzio/IBZ pickups sound (They're apparently based on a Super 3 or something? Not sure but definitely DiMarzio)

I really love the Tone Zone 7 in my alder neck through Carvin DC 747 with a thick maple top and Koa sides. It was just too thin before in the bridge position and now its my favorite guitar and favorite position on that guitar. Second is series with the TZ7 split + middle single coil and neck humbucker. Its a screaming lead machine in that position and a chewy option in just the bridge. So it depends.

I have an evolution in my Ibanez RG 6 string and it does all I want there but yeah that's not a subtle pickup at all. I generally like the presence I find in most dimarzios but I like the TZ7 and Titan 7 best atm. Everything revolves around context.

 

[elkoki]

SD seems to have a problem supplying pickups lately. I bought a set of DiMarzio's, I decided to start with their most popular pickup (or so it seems that way), the Super Distortion. I love it. So that is my basis for all the comparisons on their website now.

I have used a Tone Zone in the past, maybe 10 years ago, it was okay, nothing to jump up and down about, the way I remember it.

I have a Pink D-activator waiting to go in a Jackson I ordered seemingly a lifetime ago (it's the blue Dinky with the pink pickups).

It seems to me that a lot of the solo artist pickups like Vai and Sat aren't the best for grinding metal, that isn't what they are made for. The same can be said with Duncan, I wouldn't want to try to get a grinding metal sound from a Pearly Gates (I'm sure it's possible with enough gain and EQ, but I stick with my statement of it not being the best choice).

Joe Satriani has a good amount of heavy songs, his pickups can easily be used for metal with a high gain amp, same with the Evolutions... Pearly Gates is another story, it's an alnico 2 pickup that was voiced to be "spongy" sounding and vintage. Satch and Vai's pickups are usually designed to be all around solid pickups because their songs vary ,they shred, play clean, play heavy, etc..

Satch's pickups are usually medium output but as we've all come to know many metal guys actually use lower output pickups. Like the guitarist of Gojira and his fortitude pickup. Then there's also pickups like the Pegasus

 

[Themistocles]

Joe Satriani has a good amount of heavy songs, his pickups can easily be used for metal with a high gain amp, same with the Evolutions... Pearly Gates is another story, it's an alnico 2 pickup that was voiced to be "spongy" sounding and vintage. Satch and Vai's pickups are usually designed to be all around solid pickups because their songs vary ,they shred, play clean, play heavy, etc..

Satch's pickups are usually medium output but as we've all come to know many metal guys actually use lower output pickups. Like the guitarist of Gojira and his fortitude pickup. Then there's also pickups like the Pegasus

Agreed, Ive found I prefer Dimarzios like the Titan and tone zone 7 when positioned as far away from the strings as possible... it just breathes better... I tend to prefer power amp distortion to pre amp distortion. Lots of variables but I prefer Dimarzios to SD in general. Every solid brand makes solid pickups because that's how they stay around.

I try not to get to caught up in gear... its a tool and the question is how does it preform? Obviously Dimazios can deliver.

 

[Grindspine]

I have played many Dimarzio pickups. I kinda almost like the Evo at the bridge and do think that the LiquiFire is a great neck pickup. Between D'activators, Titans, Fusion Edge, and PAF 7s that I have had in my guitars, I keep going back to Seymour Duncans. Dimarzio does make very high quality pickups, they are just not wound to my preferences in how I want my guitars to sound. I can say good things about ones that I have had, they have just not been my personal favorites.

 

[Andii]

I feel like every Dimarzio I tried, none of them were perfect. Most of them were bad. There seems to always be one aspect of each one that I felt was a flaw. EQ curve, low end tightness, attack characteristics, dynamics, harmonic content, feel, clarity. Boutique pickups are expensive, but once they go in and you've picked the right ones, they stay in the guitar and never come out. With Dimarzio I felt like the pickup swapping could go on forever and there would never be one that I was in love with. Maybe there would be, but I had zero confidence that it was possible after my experience and moved on.

 

[Themistocles]

I feel like every Dimarzio I tried, none of them were perfect. Most of them were bad. There seems to always be one aspect of each one that I felt was a flaw. EQ curve, low end tightness, attack characteristics, dynamics, harmonic content, feel, clarity. Boutique pickups are expensive, but once they go in and you've picked the right ones, they stay in the guitar and never come out. With Dimarzio I felt like the pickup swapping could go on forever and there would never be one that I was in love with. Maybe there would be, but I had zero confidence that it was possible after my experience and moved on.

many Dimarziosdo have a vocal upper midrange spike that I like so perhaps that's what doesnt gel with you? Would be fun to put a spectrum analyzer on your favorite guitar tones and least favorite ones and find out what is and isnt present in both? It is the sort of thing that can really help one save a lot of time, money and headaches. If you find you hate/love spikes in 2.5k then you can avoid it. Problem is with most pickup manufacturers they dont provide such things (when they easilly could) and its left as this pseudoscience and emotional thing. Still most companies do have sound examples and run through a spectrum analyzer it would be helpful. Me I need to find time to drop that new pickup in (I hate soldering and havent installed easy swapping options into that guitar). I generally dont switch pickups more than once per guitar. Part of it is doing research and I know I generally like dimarzios and find SD's ok but, eh. Not life changing. I use my ears, which ive developed as an experienced sound engineer.

 

[Hoss632]

^ Pearly Gates actually rules for metal

Pretty under valued pick up IMO. Some of my favorite high gain tones I've heard on albums have been from a pearly gates.