Who here has tried the Dimarzio Imperium 7 string pickups?

[Matt08642]

I recently put the PAF7 back in my RG752fx (replaced a Titan, which replaced a Crunch Lab, which replaced the PAF I just put back in lol) and it's gotten me curious about lower output 7 string pickups. Taking a look on the Dimarzio site, I saw that the Imperium 7 is the lowest output 7 string bridge pickup Dimarzio makes, aside from the PAF7.

I want to try more pickups (because why not), but all I can find on YouTube seems to be one clip from Dimarzio that sounds like it was recorded on a phone, and a few clips of people noodling, but nothing like an actual pickup demo (DIs, description of anything, etc)

Anyone here have any experience with it?

 

[Noisy Humbucker]

I had the 6 in my Charvel, and Dave wanted the two versions to be as close together as possible.

If your tone is all about your technique and amp then it may be a good fit. I’d say they excel at two things:
1. Heavily overdriven “prog thrash”
2. Super clean tones (not so much sparkly as just clean)

I prefer a pickup that pushes a bit harder so that I don’t need to have my amp nearly maxed to get the solid punch I want, but can cover a lot of ground if I relax my attack. The Imperium pickups just didn’t have the “grunt” I wanted, whereas something like the Illuminator bridge is a little too hot for my taste.

All of that said Dave definitely knows what works for him - the last two albums from Revocation are sick.

 

[AkiraSpectrum]

 

[Chris Bowsman]

I recently replaced the pickups in my 7621 (neck)/7321 (body) mutt. I’ve swapped out dozens of 6 string pickups over the last 25 years, but this was my first time using aftermarket 7s.

Got a PAF7 for the neck, Imperium for the bridge. The Imperium is my favorite bridge pickup I’ve ever used. It’s not super hot, but doesn’t feel weak like a PAF at all. It’s super thick and clear, and sounds and feels great from B down to F#, and any tones from sterile compressed cleans to death metal heavy. Harmonics jump off, and the heavy PH riff in “Cemetery Gates” is effortless.

This is the first time I’ve ever been one and done with pickups. It pairs very well with the PAF7, but I want to get the neck model too.

 

[Matt08642]

I had the 6 in my Charvel, and Dave wanted the two versions to be as close together as possible.

If your tone is all about your technique and amp then it may be a good fit. I’d say they excel at two things:
1. Heavily overdriven “prog thrash”
2. Super clean tones (not so much sparkly as just clean)

I prefer a pickup that pushes a bit harder so that I don’t need to have my amp nearly maxed to get the solid punch I want, but can cover a lot of ground if I relax my attack. The Imperium pickups just didn’t have the “grunt” I wanted, whereas something like the Illuminator bridge is a little too hot for my taste.

All of that said Dave definitely knows what works for him - the last two albums from Revocation are sick.

I recently replaced the pickups in my 7621 (neck)/7321 (body) mutt. I’ve swapped out dozens of 6 string pickups over the last 25 years, but this was my first time using aftermarket 7s.

Got a PAF7 for the neck, Imperium for the bridge. The Imperium is my favorite bridge pickup I’ve ever used. It’s not super hot, but doesn’t feel weak like a PAF at all. It’s super thick and clear, and sounds and feels great from B down to F#, and any tones from sterile compressed cleans to death metal heavy. Harmonics jump off, and the heavy PH riff in “Cemetery Gates” is effortless.

This is the first time I’ve ever been one and done with pickups. It pairs very well with the PAF7, but I want to get the neck model too.

Hmm, interesting.

I like the tonal characteristics of the PAF7, and basically want to avoid something that just spikes the output level with jacked djent mids to shape the tone.

I might give this a try in the bridge at least (and leave the other PAF7 in the neck for now) based on what you said. I also don't need the pickup to push very hard, since I have a 6505mh + TS9 if I need it

 

[KnightBrolaire]

unholy necrobump. I recently got a WR7 with imperiums loaded in it and they sound quite good.

Bridge pickup is very thick and growly on the low end but not to the point where you lose clarity. Mids are a bit forward but not JB/Juggernaut wah or vocal esque. High end is very sharp and cutting in the WR7 which helps with overall clarity too. Cleans and split sounds are good but not exceptional for the bridge pickup. Output is decently hot.

Neck pickup is warmer on the high end comparatively and has better cleans tbh. Split sound is better as well. I prefer it for lead work over the bridge pickup as that roundness to the high end works better for sweeps and adding that extra sweetness/a bit of that vocal quality to single notes.

Some clips of the imperiums through my Peters FSM. I used my typical setup (torpedo reload/wall of sound with greenback 4x12 IR blend). I plan on doing a more in depth demo later on but this should give you a decent taste of what the imperium can do.
https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/dimarzio-imperium-peters-fsm-wankery

https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/letranger-rough-take

 

[MASS DEFECT]

unholy necrobump. I recently got a WR7 with imperiums loaded in it and they sound quite good.

Bridge pickup is very thick and growly on the low end but not to the point where you lose clarity. Mids are a bit forward but not JB/Juggernaut wah or vocal esque. High end is very sharp and cutting in the WR7 which helps with overall clarity too. Cleans and split sounds are good but not exceptional for the bridge pickup. Output is decently hot.

Neck pickup is warmer on the high end comparatively and has better cleans tbh. Split sound is better as well. I prefer it for lead work over the bridge pickup as that roundness to the high end works better for sweeps and adding that extra sweetness/a bit of that vocal quality to single notes.

Some clips of the imperiums through my Peters FSM. I used my typical setup (torpedo reload/wall of sound with greenback 4x12 IR blend). I plan on doing a more in depth demo later on but this should give you a decent taste of what the imperium can do.
https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/dimarzio-imperium-peters-fsm-wankery

https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/letranger-rough-take

How do they fare against the Dominions? Seems like they have the same boosted mids profile.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

How do they fare against the Dominions? Seems like they have the same boosted mids profile.

I would say the bridge isn't as mid forward as the dominion bridge tbh. Bass response isn't quite as fast either.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Couple more clips of the Imperium 7 set. First one is mostly clean riffs with my MI Beta. Second is mostly higher gain stuff with the Peters Body hammer.
https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/imperium-7-set-clean
https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/dimarzio-imperium-7-peters-bodyhammer

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Tried the WR7/imperiums through the pittbull CL today:
https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/dimarzio-imperium-7-vht-pittbull-cl100

 

[MASS DEFECT]

They sound a bit like cleaner/drier Invaders.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Ran the imperiums through my Mesa MK3 today. Used my typical greenback 4x12 sm57/beyer160 IRs.
https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/imperium7-mesa-mk3

 

[Thomas Mims]

Ran the imperiums through my Mesa MK3 today. Used my typical greenback 4x12 sm57/beyer160 IRs.
https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/imperium7-mesa-mk3

I absolutely love greenbacks in this context. I’ll check it Out when I get off work

 

[BabUShka]

Sounds great!
Im thinking of swapping out a Crunch lab i my EBMM JP6. It's probably a combination of wood and pickup, but i think it sounds dark, muddy and a little bit too warm for my liking.

Would the Imperium be a good fit, or should i consider a brighter pickup ? I want it to be more definined, raw and a bit brighter - not too much bass . From what i hear, the imperium sounds very nice. Other candidates are Transition, Fred and Evo2. Tried the Tone Zone, didnt like the bassy bottom. Im also considering titan, but afraid it would be too compressed.

 

[Thomas Mims]

Sounds great!
Im thinking of swapping out a Crunch lab i my EBMM JP6. It's probably a combination of wood and pickup, but i think it sounds dark, muddy and a little bit too warm for my liking.

Would the Imperium be a good fit, or should i consider a brighter pickup ? I want it to be more definined, raw and a bit brighter - not too much bass . From what i hear, the imperium sounds very nice. Other candidates are Transition, Fred and Evo2. Tried the Tone Zone, didnt like the bassy bottom. Im also considering titan, but afraid it would be too compressed.

Hey man I’m actually making a small demo of the Imperiums vs the Duncan Solars in my (Alder) Solar A1.7 and the Imperiums vs the Nazgul in a (Swamp Ashe) Km7. I have almost everything done just have to record one more take. If you’re interested let me know!

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Sounds great!
Im thinking of swapping out a Crunch lab i my EBMM JP6. It's probably a combination of wood and pickup, but i think it sounds dark, muddy and a little bit too warm for my liking.

Would the Imperium be a good fit, or should i consider a brighter pickup ? I want it to be more definined, raw and a bit brighter - not too much bass . From what i hear, the imperium sounds very nice. Other candidates are Transition, Fred and Evo2. Tried the Tone Zone, didnt like the bassy bottom. Im also considering titan, but afraid it would be too compressed.

It's hard to say without knowing other parts of your rig. Certain speaker/amp combos can really change the sound of guitars tbh.
The imperiums are definitely clearer and brighter versus the crunch lab though ime. The low end definition is pretty good but there are better options if you really need extreme clarity. I wouldn't really call them "raw" sounding but the bridge does have a nice throaty/growly quality that shines through in most of my clips.
Here's another clip of the imperiums, but through my MI Audio Beta this time.
https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/dimarzio-imperium-7-mi-audio-megalith-beta

 

[BabUShka]

Hey man I’m actually making a small demo of the Imperiums vs the Duncan Solars in my (Alder) Solar A1.7 and the Imperiums vs the Nazgul in a (Swamp Ashe) Km7. I have almost everything done just have to record one more take. If you’re interested let me know!

Thats nice, Im interested
I am stuck to Dimarzios because of the direct pickup mount in the JP6, but im familiar with the Nazgul and it would be good to hear a comparison.

 

[BabUShka]

It's hard to say without knowing other parts of your rig. Certain speaker/amp combos can really change the sound of guitars tbh.
The imperiums are definitely clearer and brighter versus the crunch lab though ime. The low end definition is pretty good but there are better options if you really need extreme clarity. I wouldn't really call them "raw" sounding but the bridge does have a nice throaty/growly quality that shines through in most of my clips.
Here's another clip of the imperiums, but through my MI Audio Beta this time.
https://soundcloud.com/knightbrolaire/dimarzio-imperium-7-mi-audio-megalith-beta

Thanks. I use different equipment. Have a Madamp American high gain tube amp
Blackstar HT and HX Stomp where i use a the Engl amp a lot.

But im thinking about the general imoression. I think the crunch lab sounds OK, but the JP6 is an expensive high end guitar, and I want to make the most out of it. Most of my guitars have different Seymour Duncans, Im not that familiar with Dimarzio pickups.

 

[Thomas Mims]

Thats nice, Im interested
I am stuck to Dimarzios because of the direct pickup mount in the JP6, but im familiar with the Nazgul and it would be good to hear a comparison.

Hey brotha I never got back to you and I made that video but I never linked you LOL I'm sorry, it's been months so you're probably not looking to try the pick up now but here's that link

 

[BabUShka]

Hey brotha I never got back to you and I made that video but I never linked you LOL I'm sorry, it's been months so you're probably not looking to try the pick up now but here's that link

Thanks! I went for the BKP Nailbomb instead, but I think the Imperium sounded nice in the video.