DuaLeaD Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 As some of you know, I am a HUGE Tom Scholz/Boston fan. I wouldn't be playing guitar today if it wasn't for that signature sound and a few epic rock concerts. I looked into some of his gear (yes, I know it's custom largely) and I saw he uses Super DiMarzio pickups in his 1968 Les Paul Goldtop (his signature guitar). My Les Paul Supreme is using the Alnico 498T/490R pair which has a sweet, rich, airy sound (could be more due to the guitar and the chambering though I am not an expert). Can anyone who is familiar with both Alnico and DiMarzio advise me? I was told by the guy at Dietz that DiMarzios were high-gain. I could use any insight you can give me and I'm quite nervous about messing with my Supreme. I may try it on my Epiphone first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Not all Dimarzio pickups are high output but I'd be will to bet that the one Scholz used is. After a little Googling, it looks like the full name of the pickup is a Super Distortion which, says to me, high output. Keep in mind that most high output pickups tend to have a heavier emphasis on mid and low frequencies so I would imagine it's going to be a bit different than the stock pups in your LP. Probably a bigger component to his sound is all that outboard gear he used. When I worked in a music store, we had a display of a bunch of Rockman effects plugged into a set of small monitors; if you turned on everything it seemed like no matter what guitar you plugged into the display it came out sounding like Boston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 dimarziio super distortion is ceramic the norton is a very nice mid-range Pup, and sounds good, the virtial hot PAF, and the PAF clones are very nice dimarzio is probably the best big time Pup maker compared to gibson, and seymour duncan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreedomStain Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I have yet to find a DiMarzio I liked. I'm a SD humbucker and Lace single coil guy. However if you want to sound exactly like Scholz I'd say get the ones he has. Personally I'd just drop them in the Epi. just because I believe your best guitar should sound like it should. That could either be stock or a personal tone (not exactly like someone else's signature tone). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Wasnt alot of Bostons sound moulded by solid state amplification?...and that Rocktron whatever it was he used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I think I remember reading he got his distortion from LEDs instead of tubes in his homemade stuff and in the Rockman. Sounds awfully thick on that first album though for LEDs! Methinks there were some Marshalls in that studio! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibis Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I have a Virtual PAF in use and its a good pickup. The site says their new PAFs are even better. As jesse says the Norton is a good halfway house between vintage and balls out modern. Some players like the SD JB or the DM ToneZone for high gain alnico. As soon as you get into high gain Ceramics you get a much harsher top end that metallers love with scooped out amp eq's. In the 70's the DM SuperDistortion and the SD Distortion were the main way to get your amp to distort more. Nowadays, amps are all singing, all dancing affairs and you should be able to dial in a good tone like Tom Scholz almost (sometimes maybe not) always without resorting to guitar surgery. I'd leave your guitar alone and play with your amp settings. Failing that get a pedal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I'd leave your guitar alone and play with your amp settings. Failing that get a pedal. yea that is what you should do =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod B Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I have a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge position of my '76-manufactured 1960 LP Special reissue (along with the original P-90 at the neck). The DiMarzio just kicks *** in that guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Scholz got his distortion by cranking the piss out of a Marshall and using a power attenuator. He also used some outboard gear before the preamp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I may be wrong, but I think Ace Frehley was one of the first rockers to use aftermarket pups on his Les Paul. Dimarzio Super Distortion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cudamax2343 Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 Dp 100 super distrotion and the dp 151 in the neck blows away the stock gibbys and will sound completely different in a epipy try them in your main axe, you will love them, just use the 500 ohm pots and the 50's wiring so as to be able to have-em both on with the neck at about 5 or 6 (so as to not loose all your tone and punch when turned down, like the stock gibbys) and the bridge wide open. Scholtz was a studio genius and no one will ever do it like he did in his basement studio, you may come close, it took him 7 years on that album you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 In general, I'm not a big fan of Dimarzio pickups. They always sound somewhat "processed" to me. But the Super Distortion is a great pickup! It's not as hot as the name suggests. Don't forget this pickup has been around for 25+ years. It works just as well in a Les Paul as it does in a Strat, always sounds punchy and full bodied. I'm thinking about installing a couple of cream Super Distortions in my Goldtop. Super Distortion + Les Paul = Ace Frehley. His sig was one of the best sounding, best playing Lesters I've ever layed my hands on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 I'm not so crazy about the PAF Pro as a neck pickup. I've had it in several guitars, and it always sounds dull to my ears. Muffled, for lack of a better word. It is a pretty good bridge pickup though, great in a bright sounding guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovyjud00 Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 I know it no comparison but ive got a norton air in my neck and a super distortion in the bridge on my sh*t** les paul copy and its sounds immense tbh you couldnt get a much worse sound out of the pickups that were already in it ! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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