Dimarzio Pickups Comb.

[Waldorph]

Guitar: Epiphone Explorer 1958 Goth

Pickups I want to change to: Dimarzio Crunch lab (Bridge), Dimarzio At-1(neck)

Do you guys think this is a great combination for a sound with heavy crunch on neck, and warm, clear neck?

 

Pickups:

http://dimarzio.com/pickups/humbuckers/high-power/crunch-lab

http://dimarzio.com/pickups/humbuckers/dimarzio-1

 

[Bluemans335]

Not a good idea. Those are both high out bridge PU's. In the neck slot they're going to be very dark and even louder (more string energy). Neck HB's are usually 7 to 9K, a few are 10K. When you go above that you gradually lose treble and clarity, and get dark and muddy. What you're looking at for a neck PU is 16K, which is hotter then the vast majority of bridge HB's. It may overpower whatever you put in the bridge slot.

 

If you want a powerful neck PU, a much better choice is a DMz Fred, a Duncan Full Shred, or a Gibson 496R, all of them are around 10K and still have some tone and clarity in the neck slot.

[BaZie]

Neck HB's are usually 7 to 9K, a few are 10K.

There are some examples:

Tesla Plasma-3 neck - 16 K

Entwistle Dark Star - 16 K

Entwistle Nemesis - 10.5 K

but generally speaking, you're right.

 

When you go above that you gradually lose treble and clarity, and get dark and muddy.

Not always. Nemesis (in ceramic-only version) gives very sharp sound, but I found it a little soul-less, mayba I'm too used to hear Alnico-based pickups.

 

If you want a powerful neck PU, a much better choice is a DMz Fred, a Duncan Full Shred, or a Gibson 496R, all of them are around 10K and still have some tone and clarity in the neck slot.

I think each of them is different from the others. Look at the tone chart (Bass/Middle/Treble): Full Shred - 4/4/8, Fred - 5/6/5.5. I don't know of any Gibson tone chart, but 496 is ceramic-based, while Fred and Full Shred are Alnico 5.

Recently I installed Tonerider Generator (Alnico 5, neck abt. 8K, bridge abt. 16K) in Explorer, and that's more or less what I've been looking for - warm, but powerful, however, not a killer sound.

[Waldorph]

There are some examples:

Tesla Plasma-3 neck - 16 K

Entwistle Dark Star - 16 K

Entwistle Nemesis - 10.5 K

but generally speaking, you're right.

 

 

Not always. Nemesis (in ceramic-only version) gives very sharp sound, but I found it a little soul-less, mayba I'm too used to hear Alnico-based pickups.

 

 

I think each of them is different from the others. Look at the tone chart (Bass/Middle/Treble): Full Shred - 4/4/8, Fred - 5/6/5.5. I don't know of any Gibson tone chart, but 496 is ceramic-based, while Fred and Full Shred are Alnico 5.

Recently I installed Tonerider Generator (Alnico 5, neck abt. 8K, bridge abt. 16K) in Explorer, and that's more or less what I've been looking for - warm, but powerful, however, not a killer sound.

 

As long as the neck PU's tone is fat,warm, on the lower strings, any PU is OK

[Waldorph]

What about DiMarzio PAF 36th

http://dimarzio.com/pickups/humbuckers/paf-36th-anniversary

Would this one work, and give me the sound?

[bigneil]

Pickup choice is sooooooooooo subjective...It's also very difficult to know what a pickup will sound like just by looking at the specs; at best only sweeping generalizations can be made.

 

 

I have developed a preference for lower output pickups; with a tendency for clear and articulate sounds. .. I can still put a nice booster in the signal chain when I want to simulate high output and drive the amp hard.

[Bluemans335]

What about DiMarzio PAF 36th

http://dimarzio.com/pickups/humbuckers/paf-36th-anniversary

Would this one work, and give me the sound?

 

Much better choice.