One last check... (Dimarzio on my Ibby)

[Rick Pierpont]

before I order my pups for my RG7621. The neck was easy - Air Norton 7. However, I've done a fair amount of wafflling on the bridge. My choices were down to the Blaze Custom, Blaze Bridge, or D-Sonic. It would be so much easier if I could try out all three, but that's not realistic, so I've had to mainly rely on the marketing material as well as some early advice up here.

I've mostly been leaning on the Blaze Custom for its fat singing lead tone and it seems to be the most similar to the bridge pup in my MM JP6. The Blaze Bridge keeps pulling me with its claims to really make the B clear, and of course the D-Sonic sounds good on paper and Petrucci is now using them. The Blaze Custom is supposed to use its "dual resonance design to add some crispness to the low end" which leads me to believe that it may be a great balance of singing lead tone, crunchy dirty rhythms with crisp B string response, and *clean* clean tones. The stock pickup is definitely not crisp in the low end nor is it clean. I can make this guitar sing no problem so that hasn't been an issue.

I've actually really been enjoying this guitar a LOT. I think I've played more since I got this thing 2 weeks ago then I have in a long while! My shredding has greatly improved in that time too. Imagine that - practice and get better. I finally broke one of the strings and switched it up to 10-58. I readjusted the action and fine tuned the intonation. This thing plays great! I have to add just a touch of relief in the neck, but then I think it will be dialed in perfectly.

So basically, I'm making one last check before I order these parts today. Am I right for leaning towards the Blaze Custom? In a way it seems silly to be this picky about it since I know any of the 3 pups would be a HUGE improvement. However, I'm also not into monkeying around with my guitars all the time -- I just want to play them. So I want to get the pickup that's closest to meeting my taste.

 

[jacksonplayer]

From personal experience, the Blaze Custom absolutely slays in a 7621. For your style, I think it would be the best choice. You'll be impressed by how much difference it makes in the sound over the crappy New-7 pickup. The regular Blaze has more of a pronounced mid-scoop, and I don't care for it that much.

I'm kinda surprised that Petrucci has gone with the D-Sonic, though I have to admit that it sounded damn good in the JP6 I played at GC recently.

 

[ibznorange]

keep in mind, he plays the dsonic with the bar towards the neck. that makes it has a crunch.
blaze custom = humassive blaze. id take the blaze custom or the dsonic.
in a 7620, im gonna say blaze custom

 

[eaeolian]

I hated the Blaze Custom in my H207, which means that it might work very well, indeed, in a basswood RG7621.

 

[Rick Pierpont]

From personal experience, the Blaze Custom absolutely slays in a 7621. For your style, I think it would be the best choice. You'll be impressed by how much difference it makes in the sound over the crappy New-7 pickup. The regular Blaze has more of a pronounced mid-scoop, and I don't care for it that much.

I'm kinda surprised that Petrucci has gone with the D-Sonic, though I have to admit that it sounded damn good in the JP6 I played at GC recently.

Thanks! Awesome to hear that it slays in the RG7621 and its from personal experience. For my style, eh? Hmmm... Judging by the fact that you are from Arlington, I guess you may have seen me play a few times at Jaxx? I'm in a different band now, but same basic style, but heavier and not so much on keys. I'm sure it will be a huge difference and I'll wonder what took me so long. Yeah, I was a bit worried about that pronounced mid-scoop with my lead tone.

I haven't played one with a D-Sonic yet, but I caught DT in Philly back in August and he sounded awesome (as always). Although I'm sure he'd sound awesome through the stock pups.

keep in mind, he plays the dsonic with the bar towards the neck. that makes it has a crunch.
blaze custom = humassive blaze. id take the blaze custom or the dsonic.
in a 7620, im gonna say blaze custom

Shit, I thought he had the bar towards the neck. Alright, I just went up and checked up at his site and it appears from the pictures that he has it towards the neck on his 6s and towards the bridge on his 7s - so we were both right.

OK, thanks! So far that's two votes for Custom!

I hated the Blaze Custom in my H207, which means that it might work very well, indeed, in a basswood RG7621.

Thanks Mike. Yeah, it seems the Dimarzio's are recommended for basswood (which is the same as my JP6), so it makes sense.

It looks like his new BFRs are using different woods though.

Check this out: The Official John Petrucci Web Site

Man, I those quilted tops! Those are some purty gee-tars!

 

[djpharoah]

Dude I think I would go with the Blaze Custom. Its got more mids than the blaze bridge (bridge pup I could never into) and mids =

Also - doesn't a thread like this go in the Pickups & Electronics forum??

 

[jacksonplayer]

Thanks! Awesome to hear that it slays in the RG7621 and its from personal experience. For my style, eh? Hmmm... Judging by the fact that you are from Arlington, I guess you may have seen me play a few times at Jaxx? I'm in a different band now, but same basic style, but heavier and not so much on keys. I'm sure it will be a huge difference and I'll wonder what took me so long. Yeah, I was a bit worried about that pronounced mid-scoop with my lead tone.

Oh yeah, I've seen you a few times at Jaxx. Actually, Ron from Division introduced us back when you did the DVD shoot at Jaxx. If I hadn't gotten my head into jazz-fusion mode lately, I'd probably be angling for your old gig.

I'm not familiar with Mystic Force, but I checked out the Myspace and their old stuff sounds pretty good. You've certainly got the chops for the gig.

As for the Blaze Custom, I've had them in both a 7620 and a 7621. It's really the way to go with those guitars. The regular Blaze works great in a UV, but the 762x guitars sound really different than the UVs for some reason, and they need a pickup with more 'attack'.

Personally, though, I'm not so into basswood guitars. The EBMM Petruccis sound great, though. If I hadn't ordered a KXK, I'd probably own a JP7.

 

[TomAwesome]

I'm going to put another vote in for the Blaze Custom. I'm surprised! Usually I'm defending the BC on my own! I have a 7421 with a BC/AN set and another one with Blazes, and I generally prefer the BC/AN set. I find the BC to actually be a lot more clear sounding than the Blaze if that helps any. I've tuned down to low Eb with it, and it stays pretty punchy and clear even in that extreme low range.

 

[Rick Pierpont]

Dude I think I would go with the Blaze Custom. Its got more mids than the blaze bridge (bridge pup I could never into) and mids =

Also - doesn't a thread like this go in the Pickups & Electronics forum??

Cool. Thanks! It looks like a clean sweep for the Custom! Time to order!

Sorry about that. I'm pretty new and there are so many sub-forums, it is almost confusing. Plus, it seems like people talk about everything related to 7s here.

 

[The Dark Wolf]

Moved.

Yep, this belongs in the pickup forum.

 

[Rick Pierpont]

Oh yeah, I've seen you a few times at Jaxx. Actually, Ron from Division introduced us back when you did the DVD shoot at Jaxx. If I hadn't gotten my head into jazz-fusion mode lately, I'd probably be angling for your old gig.

I'm not familiar with Mystic Force, but I checked out the Myspace and their old stuff sounds pretty good. You've certainly got the chops for the gig.

As for the Blaze Custom, I've had them in both a 7620 and a 7621. It's really the way to go with those guitars. The regular Blaze works great in a UV, but the 762x guitars sound really different than the UVs for some reason, and they need a pickup with more 'attack'.

Personally, though, I'm not so into basswood guitars. The EBMM Petruccis sound great, though. If I hadn't ordered a KXK, I'd probably own a JP7.

OK, then you do understand exactly what I want. Awesome!! No shit!! Probably why you do look familiar. BTW, Ron is actually the guy who brought me out of retirement when he started working with me. We played in a prog metal cover band for a couple years before it fell apart. He joined Divison shortly afterwards and I joined Odin's Court a few months later. I had a BLAST at our DVD shoot too. Dude, you should go for it. I listened to your stuff on MySpace and your playing would fit. Plus, there is even a more jazzy direction with the new CD (I just finsihed my parts a couple weeks ago). The keyboardsit is a jazz performance major and is a MONSTER!! Not to say that there aren't other issues.

That's cool, thanks! They have been one of favorites for a long time, so I'm pumped about joining them. I can safely say the new stuff will be decidely different. Heavier, more technical, but still song-oriented. We are working on the CD right now! Thanks for the props!

Cool. Is the Universe a different wood?

I've never really cared much about what the wood was or anything else for that matter. I just tried guitars and if I liked them, I bought them. In participating up here, I've been getting a crash course and paying attention to what I actually like about the guitars I've chosen. I would've gotten the JP7 too if it didn't cost so much. I LOVE my JP6. The RG762x guitars are pretty similar in composition, so I suspect that is the reason I like it. I checked out Dave's KXK a while back and it is indeed a very nice guitar. Mike's CS Jacksons are very nice too!

I'm going to put another vote in for the Blaze Custom. I'm surprised! Usually I'm defending the BC on my own! I have a 7421 with a BC/AN set and another one with Blazes, and I generally prefer the BC/AN set. I find the BC to actually be a lot more clear sounding than the Blaze if that helps any. I've tuned down to low Eb with it, and it stays pretty punchy and clear even in that extreme low range.

Cool. Thanks. The Custom is definitely taking all the votes making my decsion much easier. I tuned down to Eb in my old band (with my JP6) and it handled the clarity very well. I think the AN/BC combo is supposed to be very close to the combo in my JP6.

Moved.

Yep, this belongs in the pickup forum.

Thanks! I'll try not to screw up again.

 

[jacksonplayer]

OK, then you do understand exactly what I want. Awesome!! No shit!! Probably why you do look familiar. BTW, Ron is actually the guy who brought me out of retirement when he started working with me. We played in a prog metal cover band for a couple years before it fell apart. He joined Divison shortly afterwards and I joined Odin's Court a few months later. I had a BLAST at our DVD shoot too. Dude, you should go for it. I listened to your stuff on MySpace and your playing would fit. Plus, there is even a more jazzy direction with the new CD (I just finsihed my parts a couple weeks ago). The keyboardsit is a jazz performance major and is a MONSTER!! Not to say that there aren't other issues.

Thanks for the compliment. That material is getting a bit old, and I need to update my site. My new ideas are pretty freeform and wacky and probably better represent my playing capabilities. I'll have to think about the Odin's Court thing, because definitely an area of metal that I'm into. It's mostly a question of whether I want to get involved with a band at all at the moment.

That's cool, thanks! They have been one of favorites for a long time, so I'm pumped about joining them. I can safely say the new stuff will be decidely different. Heavier, more technical, but still song-oriented. We are working on the CD right now! Thanks for the props!

Have you guys found a singer yet? That's always the difficulty with prog metal. There are only so many Geoff Tates/Ray Alders lurking out there. But it sounds like some cool stuff coming up.

Is the Universe a different wood?

No, but the electronics are front-loaded, which makes the body a lot different, and I suspect that Ibanez reserves the higher quality basswood for the Vai guitars. Their tone seems snappier and livelier than the other RGs, which is true of the EBMM JP guitars also.

I've never really cared much about what the wood was or anything else for that matter. I just tried guitars and if I liked them, I bought them. In participating up here, I've been getting a crash course and paying attention to what I actually like about the guitars I've chosen. I would've gotten the JP7 too if it didn't cost so much. I LOVE my JP6. The RG762x guitars are pretty similar in composition, so I suspect that is the reason I like it. I checked out Dave's KXK a while back and it is indeed a very nice guitar. Mike's CS Jacksons are very nice too!

Oh yeah, getting to play Mike's Jackson is both an enlightening and a jealousy-inspiring experience. Playing Dave's own KXK and the prototype KXK superstrat-7 that Dave got to try for awhile was what convinced me to order one for myself. My own Jackson CS 7 is one I got on eBay. It's cool, but probably not specs I would have ordered.

I only got picky about guitar specs once I started hanging out on boards like this. I had about a zillion guitars before that with no idea about what made them tick.

 

[Rick Pierpont]

Thanks for the compliment. That material is getting a bit old, and I need to update my site. My new ideas are pretty freeform and wacky and probably better represent my playing capabilities. I'll have to think about the Odin's Court thing, because definitely an area of metal that I'm into. It's mostly a question of whether I want to get involved with a band at all at the moment.

You're welcome. Yeah, what the hell's your problem making me listen to your old shit? I don't blame you one bit, sometimes being in a band can drive one nuts!

Have you guys found a singer yet? That's always the difficulty with prog metal. There are only so many Geoff Tates/Ray Alders lurking out there. But it sounds like some cool stuff coming up.

We have a few leads and one in particular is looking extremely solid! SO I think the answer is YES! He's amazing and I don't expect to hear any complaints about this singer.

No, but the electronics are front-loaded, which makes the body a lot different, and I suspect that Ibanez reserves the higher quality basswood for the Vai guitars. Their tone seems snappier and livelier than the other RGs, which is true of the EBMM JP guitars also.

OK. There's more routing done for front-loaded, right? Which I guess would leave less wood to resonate which changes the sound? My JP6 pickups are mounted the same way as my RG.

Oh yeah, getting to play Mike's Jackson is both an enlightening and a jealousy-inspiring experience. Playing Dave's own KXK and the prototype KXK superstrat-7 that Dave got to try for awhile was what convinced me to order one for myself. My own Jackson CS 7 is one I got on eBay. It's cool, but probably not specs I would have ordered.

I wasn't too crazy about 7s before playing theirs. Jasun Tipton's (from Zero Hour) Manne is really nice too! The feel of that guitar is amazing! Definitely crunches really nice and his rhythms are intricate, yet clear.

I only got picky about guitar specs once I started hanging out on boards like this. I had about a zillion guitars before that with no idea about what made them tick.

Sounds all too familiar.

Oh yeah, I just got done placing my order for an Air Norton and Blaze Custom. Also order my strap locks for the RG. I found a place on eBay that has really good prices for this stuff. I'm saving about $70 on the pickups over getting them from Guitar Center.

Check out his store. Here's the link to the Blaze Custom. You get to the rest of his stuff from there. DiMARZIO HUMBUCKING PICKUPS BLAZE CUSTOM DP703 - (eBay item 200121195282 end time Nov-15-07 16:35:25 PST)

 

[jacksonplayer]

OK. There's more routing done for front-loaded, right? Which I guess would leave less wood to resonate which changes the sound? My JP6 pickups are mounted the same way as my RG.

Actually the opposite. There is indeed more routing for the electronics on a front-loaded JEM/UV as compared to an RG (which has a very small control cavity compared to Jackson etc.), but the effect should be to make it more resonant, since hollow chambers typically have that effect (think ES-335 etc.). However, my guess is that it has more to do with the quality of the basswood used, since the JP guitars also sound livelier to my ears than most RGs and are similarly constructed, as you say. Ibanez has pumped out a lot more RGs from the Hoshino plant over the years than they have JEMs/UVs, so it would stand to reason that they can afford to be a lot pickier about the woods on the Vai guitars.

I wasn't too crazy about 7s before playing theirs. Jasun Tipton's (from Zero Hour) Manne is really nice too! The feel of that guitar is amazing! Definitely crunches really nice and his rhythms are intricate, yet clear.

That dude's insanely good!! Mike and Dave also said that his Manne was an amazing guitar. Wish I had the $$$ for something like that.

Oh yeah, I just got done placing my order for an Air Norton and Blaze Custom. Also order my strap locks for the RG. I found a place on eBay that has really good prices for this stuff. I'm saving about $70 on the pickups over getting them from Guitar Center.

I almost always buy pickups online nowadays. I'm such a cheapskate that I'll spend an inordinate amount of time trolling eBay for used ones, just to save $10 or so.

 

[Rick Pierpont]

Actually the opposite. There is indeed more routing for the electronics on a front-loaded JEM/UV as compared to an RG (which has a very small control cavity compared to Jackson etc.), but the effect should be to make it more resonant, since hollow chambers typically have that effect (think ES-335 etc.). However, my guess is that it has more to do with the quality of the basswood used, since the JP guitars also sound livelier to my ears than most RGs and are similarly constructed, as you say. Ibanez has pumped out a lot more RGs from the Hoshino plant over the years than they have JEMs/UVs, so it would stand to reason that they can afford to be a lot pickier about the woods on the Vai guitars.

OK, I gotcha. I was thinking more wood, more resonance. It will be interesting to see how my RG compares to my JP6 after I get these pickups installed.

That dude's insanely good!! Mike and Dave also said that his Manne was an amazing guitar. Wish I had the $$$ for something like that.

You aren't kidding! He's a freakin' machine! I got the luxury of playing his Manne right in my living room last year when we did a little tour with them! It feels amazing! I have no idea how much one goes for though. I never asked him. I also got the luxury of using his Dual Rec head when we did a festival together out in San Fran last May too. That thing crunches great! You know his technique has to be impeccable with all that gain under his fingers.

I almost always buy pickups online nowadays. I'm such a cheapskate that I'll spend an inordinate amount of time trolling eBay for used ones, just to save $10 or so.

Hell, I buy a LOT of stuff online and hit eBay whenever I can get a better deal. The crazy thing is that the savings I quoted was with new pickups! GC just marks their stuff up WAY too high!

 

[jacksonplayer]

I also got the luxury of using his Dual Rec head when we did a festival together out in San Fran last May too. That thing crunches great! You know his technique has to be impeccable with all that gain under his fingers.

I was amused at the Jaxx show they did, in this age of gear overload, that Jasun's live rig consisted entirely of his Dual Rec and its simple footswitch. And his sound was fantastic. I actually don't think his sound is all that gainy, but I tend to go a bit overboard that way.

 

[eaeolian]

I was amused at the Jaxx show they did, in this age of gear overload, that Jasun's live rig consisted entirely of his Dual Rec and its simple footswitch. And his sound was fantastic. I actually don't think his sound is all that gainy, but I tend to go a bit overboard that way.

That was actually a Single Rec, believe it or not. Jasun got it from one of his students for a STUPID price, and it's lighter than a Dual, so it came across the country...

 

[Rick Pierpont]

I was amused at the Jaxx show they did, in this age of gear overload, that Jasun's live rig consisted entirely of his Dual Rec and its simple footswitch. And his sound was fantastic. I actually don't think his sound is all that gainy, but I tend to go a bit overboard that way.

Indeed! And as Mike stated, that was a Single Rec. What an awesome Boogie 4 x 12 he was using at that show.

Another thing I found amazing is that he was here, he only brought his one Manne. Apparently he feels confident enough in that guitar to not worry about a spare!

What really amazed me is that when I was out there in his territory, the only difference for him was that he used his Dual. Still no effects or any other nonsense. I'm not an effects nut, but I do like to at least sweeten up my clean tone. So it was an interesting adjustment for me to use his dry setup too.

As far as his level of gain, I don't know how much you use, but his guitar is pretty hot and going into a Dual Rec, its more gain than many people can handle quietly. The true master at ultra high gain to me is Ia Eklundh from Freak Kitchen.

That was actually a Single Rec, believe it or not. Jasun got it from one of his students for a STUPID price, and it's lighter than a Dual, so it came across the country...

Exactly!

 

[jacksonplayer]

Indeed! And as Mike stated, that was a Single Rec. What an awesome Boogie 4 x 12 he was using at that show.

As far as his level of gain, I don't know how much you use, but his guitar is pretty hot and going into a Dual Rec, its more gain than many people can handle quietly. The true master at ultra high gain to me is Ia Eklundh from Freak Kitchen.

That's right, I do remember now how we were all marveling at the sound he got out of a Single Rec. Of course, he doesn't use a lot of "wooomph" on the bottom end, so a Triple Rec would probably be overkill for him.

As far as gain, I agree about Eklundh. My current approach has a lot of the same legato features he uses (not that I'm nearly in his ballpark!!), so that's probably why I like so much gain. My favorite all-time gain monster is probably Frank Zappa during the late '70s. He cheated a bit, though, by combining clean and heavily distorted amps to get a very unique lead sound.

 

[7 Strings of Hate]

for what its worth, i have a d-sonic in the bridge of my 1527 and its mud city, of course i do dropped a on it in addition to haveing super loose strings, not the greatist combo