|
DiMarzio Gravity Storm
|
Steve described the sound he wanted from his new Gravity Storm ? Bridge pickup as ?a thundering cloud of ice cream?. He didn?t say what flavor he likes, but this one has both bite and sweetness. -
-
Recommended For: Bridge -
-
Tech Talk: -
A high-impact pickup doesn?t need a tremendous output level to make its point. Where the Evolution? Bridge Model is about power and sharp-edged tone, the Gravity Storm? is more about depth and warm highs and mids. It?s very much a plug ?n play pickup ? it doesn?t require a lot of tweaking to get a great sound. Because the highs are very fat, it?s possible to increase treble response on your amp without losing tone and sustain on the high frets. -
-
Wiring: 4-conductor -
Magnet: Alnico 5 -
Output: 340mV -
DC resistance: 15.19Kohms -
Year of introduction: 2012 -
Patent # 5,908,998 & 5,399,802
|
Searched DiMarzio Gravity Storm in Reviews
Big fat heavy tones, while still providing plenty of scream when needed 
| Comments |
I loaded the Gravity Storm Bridge into my Ibanez RG550 20th Anniversary, with a basswood body, maple neck and fretboard, and original Edge bridge loaded with a Floyd Upgrades brass sustain block.
The Gravity Storm Bridge is quite a bit different from the popular Evolution Bridge model. Loaded with an Alnico 5 magnet, and a lower output of 340mV, but a higher resistance of 15.19K it provides quite a different tone and feel. The Gravity Storm Bridge is a much fatter sounding pickup, with enhanced bass and mid-range frequencies. It's hot, but not quite as hot as the Evolution, and probably a little friendlier. That's not to say that the Gravity Storm cannot scream, because it can.
Plugged in to my Blackstar HT-5 and dialed in on the dirty channel, the Gravity Storm is big, fat and juicy sounding. The treble frequencies are much more rounded off when compared to the Evolution. I found that the Gravity Storm reminded me quite a bit of the Super Distortion, albeit with a more modern sound, and clarity. Big rock chords sound phenomenal, with heaps of chunk and grind. Single note work just sings, and is perfect for long sustained notes with heaps of vibrato.
The Gravity Storm works just as well for fast runs, and the big fat bass and mid-range frequencies ensure that notes higher up the fretboard never get too piercing. Harmonics pop out and scream, just as you would hope from a signature Vai pickup, although they probably take a little more work to achieve compared to the Evolution bridge. You can clean up the tone by rolling the guitar's volume back and picking softly, but the Gravity Storm still has a little dirt when you do so.
On the clean channel the Gravity Storm feels quite a bit like a Super Distortion on a clean setting. It's big and brash when the strings are hit hard, and it sweetens up with a softer touch. The Gravity Storm is nice and warm and friendly, with a soft attack when you are gentle. The harder hits beef up the attack, and the tone cuts through a lot more.
Split with my DiMarzio-made IBZ/USA single in the middle, the Gravity Storm is capable of getting some pretty nice stratty tones, with lots of twang and bite.
Overall the DiMarzio Gravity Storm bridge is a great humbucker that is definitely not just for Vai wanna-bes. It's big and bold like a Super Distortion, which is fantastic for any rock guitar really. There is enough articulation for complex lead guitar work, and the Gravity Storm is fat enough that notes high up the fretboard will never get piercing. If you are after big fat and juicy guitar tones, whether it be for rhythm guitar work, super fast shredding, or anything in-between, the Gravity Storm bridge is definitely worth a look.
|
| Liked about it |
Big fat heavy crunchy organic tones.
* Still articulate enough for searing shred/
* Cleans up reasonably enough for a bridge pickup.
|
| Didn't like |
Some may find it a little too bassy in some guitars.
|
|
| Overall satisfaction: |
|
4.5 |
Was this review helpful to you?
Report this review
|
New Steve Vai Signature Pickups Pack a PUNCH!
| Comments |
I just received the unreleased DiMarzio Gravity Storm pickup set. They will be released at NAMM.
The specifications for this bridge model are:
Wiring: 4 conductor
Magnet: Alnico 5
Output: 340mV
DC resistance: 15.19Kohms
Year of introduction: 2012
Output Treble Middle Bass
340 4.5 9 7.5
As always--DiMarzios are easy to install and come with box candy: extra mounting screws and springs.
They'll also be available in the usual palate of colors--I ended up with a purple set...imagine that..lol.
I installed my gravity Storm set into my Ibanez RG620X. For the review and audio clips, I first ran the guitar through my Dime Blacktooth 20 watt combo and into my multitrack deck. After I played and recorded it through the Blacktooth--I ran in straight into my recording deck and used an amp sim.
|
| Liked about it |
I love the highly boosted mids. The treble is rolled off to 4.5 and there is plenty of bottom end at 7.5
This bridge model has a really nice natural grind to it. When driving the crunch channel of my amps--it really growls. In split mode--it retains that same grind and bite while producing a more Strat-like tone.
When I rolled back my volume pot, it cleaned up quite a bit. I know Steve likes his amps and pickups to respond this way, so it was no real surprise. I like high output humbuckers, and these deliver the goods with 340mV output and DC resistance of 15.19Kohms.
While the Gravity Storm is an awesome rock/metal pickup--it cleans up very nicely, too. When running through my amp's clean channel, it produces sparkling cleans--very jazzy. Whn in split mode through the clean channel--it's very Strat-like.
This is probably the most versatile DiMarzio I've ever heard. I'm sure this model will please many different types of guitarists.
|
| Didn't like |
Nothing--really!
I've always loved the organic tones of DiMarzios--and this one doesn't disappoint.
|
|
| Overall satisfaction: |
|
5.0 |
Was this review helpful to you?
Report this review
|
New Vai Voices
| Comments |
The differences between them and evos are tiny, like I said in my clip, if you don't have Vai's amp, you won't hear big differences cause they were developed to match Vai's amp tonal characteristics, if you use modellers or other tube amps brands, results will be different.If you have evos and play with modellers, I don't see any point in swapping them.
Gravity Storm review (video)
|
| Liked about it |
1- Just like evos, they have a cool midrange tone.
2- Less annoying mids.
3- A little beat clean in low mids around 400KHz which gives them a less "in the box" tone.
|
| Didn't like |
Nothing bad.
|
|
| Overall satisfaction: |
|
5.0 |
Was this review helpful to you?
Report this review
|
internal use: spec66 spec356
|
|
