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56K views 74 replies 52 participants last post by  bammbamm 
#1 · (Edited)
I don't get it. Everyone swaps out the stock bridge pickups on RG's for Tone Zones. Ibanez uses the Tone Zone on quite a few upper end RG's. Why?

I took all my Ibanez guitars today and did a little comparison, back to back, to see what's what with the pickups. Here's what my ears heard:

Ibanez V2: Really poor, weak pickup with poor definition
Ibanez V8: Pretty darn good pickup, good range and definition, hot
DiMarzio Tone Zone: Better than a V2 but not as hot as a V8, kind of muddy
DiMarzio Super Distortion: Very hot, great definition, awesome crunch
DiMarzio MegaDrive: Super hot, awesome crunch, metal pickup all the way

I have a Tone Zone in a bolt-on USA Jackson and never really cared for it. I didn't hate it, just wasn't that impressed with it. It's the same deal in the Ibanez RG, it's OK but with so many other better, hotter, more defined pickups out there, what's the attraction ? I would personally prefer a DiMarzio Super Distortion, Lawrence L-500, Duncan Distortion, EMG 81 or 85 over the Tone Zone any day.
 
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#5 ·
I agree about the Tone Zone having a bit of a JB vibe.

For me it's not suited for hyper-distorted metal rhythms, but it's great for that Dream Theater "Images & Words" chunk or getting close to the Satch "The Extremist" rhythm tones without having to spring for a JS or install a FRED. Compared to, say, an EMG active humbucker, you really have to put in more effort with phrasing.
 
#8 ·
Is the Tone Zone really similar to a JB ? I use the JB a lot because it's sparkling and hot at the same time, while retaining a tight low end, and I love it. Never had a look at Tone Zone. But I use a super 3 in one of my guitars wich is already pretty dark and bass heavy and I heard people saying that the Tone zone extends those characteritics even further. I also read a few comments on this board about it mudding out (is there a word like that?) quite a bit. Is there any "clear" trebly sound left with the tone zone?
 
#9 ·
ah, interesting, a tone zone thread. I have an EMG81 on the bridge of my basswood RG570 and thinking about replacing it. pretty hot for metallica stuff, but starts to feedback very fast :/ I've been testing different amps because i'm lookig for a new amp, and my EMG81 (new battery btw) starts sqeeking rightaway on a high gain channel with the volume around 2/10 (so far from "that" loud) when I open the volume pot on the guitar. And it really needs to be opened to get that fat palm mute chunk.

How about an Evolution ? beside a Tone zone that is what the Dimarzio website pivkup finder advises with parameters : Modern amp, basswood, metal tone, and anything you would like to do about is (fatter, more harmonics, whatever). I've read good things about the basswood/Tone Zone combo on several places.

I heared an EMG81 in an Iceman, dang, that sounded really fatter compared to my RG570. don't know if it was the mahogany or the fixed bridge being responsible for that result.
 
#12 ·
You're kidding???? I get pinch harmonics even when I DON'T want them with the TZ!

At least for me (and I don't play metal or hard rock, so my view is probably different to a few people in this thread) the Tone Zone just seems to deliver a huge, full juicy tone that sounds for all the world to me like Robben Ford from the "Talk to your Daughter" era, which is a pretty cool tone IMHO. I can understand why some people find the TZ a bit muddy in the bass range, however with my amp setup I dial out the bass anyway to suit the sort of music I play.
 
#13 ·
I had a TZ in an Rg once. I liked it for distortion but didn't care for it clean.
I've only once played a Jem and it was an older pink one. I'm asuming it had PAF PRO's in it. They sounded amazing. Could have something to do with the guitar too I guess.
 
#14 ·
I think the TZ does well clean, but you really have to turn down the volume.

I really like them, personally. But that's just my opinion. The original post in the thread rates the V8 as better than the V2, but I would disagree with that, so it really is all a matter of taste.
 
#15 ·
I have the JB/59 combo going on RG and having never used DiMarzios before, I was thinking TZ/AZ for the other RG, but I don't want to end up with the DiMarzio version of what I already have.

I wish DiMarzio's site had real sound clips, instead of that halfass crap.
 
#18 ·
I like it becuase if you spell it backwards, it spells e noze not.

good pickup though, rich sounding.
Lmao, that is excellent.

While Tone Zone does have good pinch harmonics, I find it to be more picky about where you strike the string (rt hand), seems to want them around the neck pickup on my USRG. The Evolution however gets them absoultely everywhere, and is also really versatile imo, (I use 250k pots w/ Evo).

Both awesome pups.
 
#22 ·
I tend to blame the mahogany on that one, not the TZ by itself... I wish i had kept my 3120 longer to tweak it more, but still, i remember hating the Paf Pro on it way more than the TZ...

If anyone has trouble with it mudding up, back it away from the strings, maybe more so than other pups...

And yeah, pinch harmonics are unbelievable on this sucker...
 
#20 ·
after trying dozens of pickups i finally found my place with the TZ. my fave pickup ever. it's got fat basses to fill up Ibanez typical dry sound, and it's got smoothened trebs, thanks God. it doesn't sound muddy at all, neither at the neck, and it delivers tons of harmonics and pinch harmonics. i can't really get how ppl can't get those out of it.
 
#24 ·
I don't quite like the Tone Zone too. Its too middy/bassy for my liking and lacks the upper brightness. I disagree that it sounds like a JB, coz the JB is much brighter sounding, and has less bass and low mids. I ended up choosing a D Sonic, which is like a JB but has better bass and a warmer/fuller sound. As I mentioned before, the D Sonic is like a cross between a Steve's Special and a Tone Zone. Very nicely balanced pickup and well defined. It sounds good clean too, even with the volume max.
 
#25 ·
i had the tone zone in a few different guitars. i actually liked it in the rg3120tw i used to own. it wasn't my dream tone, but definitely great for metal. i found that i didn't like it's tonal characteristics when i turned down the volume knob a third or halfway. it became real muddy then. i also had it in an alder bodied rt450 and it sounded horrible. very muddy in that guitar with very high output. screwing the pickup down to the body helped, but it still sounded subpar. i'm thinking it was wired incorrectly, because it didn't sound anything close to the way it sounded in the rg3120.

but even in the rg3120, i found it to be a little too bass heavy. great for full on distorted rhythms and leads, but not much else.

the duncan jb sounds completely different than the tone zone imo. those 2 pickups emphasize different frequencies. the jb is more upper midrange and has a more 'flabby' bottom end (which to me sounds more vintage) and slightly more highs. the jb also seems less compressed and more raw sounding. i find the jb to be more versatile of the two, but it really boils down to personal preference.

and i also agree about the v8, it is a very decent pickup with balanced eq, high output and clarity. my friend uses it in his rt650 and i think people would be very surprised that he is able to squeeze so much tone out of that pickup.
 
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