EBMM JP6, replacing the Dimarzio Crunch Lab with Dimarzio ____?

[Marked Man]

Yes, so have I. However, I suspect that the DA bridge model would be bright and lean enough for the OP, compared to the Crunch Lab. It seems a bit extreme to go for the even brighter neck model in the first instance. Crunch Lab is one of the darker DiMarzios, while the D Activator neck is at the opposite end of the spectrum, so the optimal solution is likely to be somewhere in the vast middle ground.

FWIW I find the JP pickups (bridge and neck models) and Tone Zone / Air Norton far too dark, but love D Activators.

One thing to consider about Petrucci is that he has basically lived on stage for the last ~35 yrs, and Mesa Marks become very bright and cutting at stage volume. So he is naturally going to want pickups that work at stage volume using his live rig.

The magic wall for Marks is somewhere around master volume 3 and higher. Above that is Tone Valhalla, but most people can't enjoy it much at home since the neighbors would call the police....

I have a Tone Zone in one of my Charvels with a tone knob bypass toggle (max treble) and it sounds GREAT at high volume, although a bit mild on the top end at lower volumes. The Air Norton is pure awesome at the neck.

Overall, I'm sold on the DAs as the best DiMarzio has made in years. I'd take the DA set over any Petrucci set I've heard.

 

[kamello]

the DiMarzio Illuminator IMO corrected all the things I didn't like about the Crunchlab while retaining a similar vibe (good ammount of compression without getting ridiculous like a D-Activator, less bass than the Crunchlab)

The DiMarzio Titan I had also felt really balanced while having less output/compression compared to Petrucci's signature stuff.

Any of those would be a solid pick IMO

 

[sell2792]

the DiMarzio Illuminator IMO corrected all the things I didn't like about the Crunchlab while retaining a similar vibe (good ammount of compression without getting ridiculous like a D-Activator, less bass than the Crunchlab)

The DiMarzio Titan I had also felt really balanced while having less output/compression compared to Petrucci's signature stuff.

Any of those would be a solid pick IMO

I enjoyed the Illuminators in my JP15 significantly more than the CL/LF in every other JP I’ve owned. That being said, they still did this weird thing with the mids that I didn’t love. It sounded great for lead playing, almost a single coil like property. For heavy riffs though it wasn’t the best. The SD Alpha/Omega set in my JPX7 solved all of that.

 

[sell2792]

the DiMarzio Illuminator IMO corrected all the things I didn't like about the Crunchlab while retaining a similar vibe (good ammount of compression without getting ridiculous like a D-Activator, less bass than the Crunchlab)

The DiMarzio Titan I had also felt really balanced while having less output/compression compared to Petrucci's signature stuff.

Any of those would be a solid pick IMO

I enjoyed the Illuminators in my JP15 significantly more than the CL/LF in every other JP I’ve owned. That being said, they still did this weird thing with the mids that I didn’t love. It sounded great for lead playing, almost a single coil like property. For heavy riffs though it wasn’t the best. The SD Alpha/Omega set in my JPX7 solved all of that.

 

[kamello]

I enjoyed the Illuminators in my JP15 significantly more than the CL/LF in every other JP I’ve owned. That being said, they still did this weird thing with the mids that I didn’t love. It sounded great for lead playing, almost a single coil like property. For heavy riffs though it wasn’t the best. The SD Alpha/Omega set in my JPX7 solved all of that.

ohhh it's hard to explain but I definitely get what you mean. Most of my compositions are Mark Holcomb/John Browne rip offs so I really enjoy that character for rhythm playing

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

I enjoyed the Illuminators in my JP15 significantly more than the CL/LF in every other JP I’ve owned. That being said, they still did this weird thing with the mids that I didn’t love. It sounded great for lead playing, almost a single coil like property. For heavy riffs though it wasn’t the best. The SD Alpha/Omega set in my JPX7 solved all of that.

Thanks for the feedback.

Got my Dimarzio Titan to throw in. Hopefully take it to my tech in the next week or two.

 

[sell2792]

ohhh it's hard to explain but I definitely get what you mean. Most of my compositions are Mark Holcomb/John Browne rip offs so I really enjoy that character for rhythm playing

I’m borderline autistic so I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not. The previous owner installed the Alpha/Omega set and having previously owned multiple models with the CL/LF set stock, I greatly prefer these. They don’t have that weird mid thing going on plus they’re more aggressive sounding and tighter.