Petrucci DiMarzio's

[Allen Garrow]

John's 7 strings in the past had Blaze p/u's,,,, does he still use blaze? The MM 7's list specs as "special made for John". Does he have his own custom p/u's and are they available or are there close suiters like the Air norton 7 or Tone zone 7?

~A

[The_Grindfiend]

I believe his bridge pickup is close to the Steve's Special, and the neck close to the Air Norton.

[Two hands31]

Originally Posted by The_Grindfiend

I believe his bridge pickup is close to the Steve's Special, and the neck close to the Air Norton.

Too bad there's no Steve's Special 7-string model as far as I know.

[The_Grindfiend]

The Blaze bridge is close. That's the pickup it was based on.

[Allen Garrow]

Right on, I thought that was what he used,,, but information was hit and miss at best.

I'm trying to find a sound for a 2 second 7 string that isn't 180 degrees different than my old UV777GR. I want big and warm tones, that are rich harmonically.

~A

[The_Grindfiend]

Well, since you said big, warm, and harmonically rich, I can't help but tell you to try out a Tone Zone. That describes it perfectly. There are some other alternatives, though, if you don't want to go quite that far with it.

[Allen Garrow]

Yeah that's totally what I'm thinking. Tone 7 Zone specs are very appealing. Man I wish those thing were available in colors other than black, and zebra.

[The_Grindfiend]

I know what you mean about the colors. I guess black and white do match everything but....

[Allen Garrow]

Neon green in available in the Evo and Blaze models. I do like the blaze models though,,, don't no man,,, it's gonna be ruff. First and formost it is about the tone,,, style and unigueness is a must as well. I guess I need to get signed by DiMarzio and do something great that would allow that option of telling them,,, "I want this pickup in this color". I posed the question of special order to the Di rep and he said it wasn't cost friendly for them or me to make a special color for a pickup at this point. I guess I don't understand the bobbin theory,,, they make the bobbins for the other 7 models in colors. Granted the PAF 7 and the Tone zone 7 don't have the pulls as the Evo and blazes. Evo and blaze use Allen style, the others use a screw and post style,,, reminds me of Semour Duncans....

~A

[The_Grindfiend]

I like the Allen heads better. I think they look way cooler.

[The Dark Wolf]

Originally Posted by The_Grindfiend

I like the Allen heads better. I think they look way cooler.

Yeah, they do. But the screw/slug p.u. looks cool with the allen polepieces p.u. in combo, like the AN7 and the Blaze Bridge combo, like I have. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but since they're both chrome/nickel, it looks really good.

BTW, Grindfiend, you're right on about the TZ7. Big, warm, harmonically rich, that's the TZ7 exactly. It's very "round", as well, as opposed to cutting and smooth, like the Blazes, so, if that's your thing... it's got a nice sound, though.

Here's some Dimarzio comments about the Petrucci pickups.

The MM neck pickup is a little louder and noticeably warmer (more lows and mids, less highs) than the AN7. The MM bridge model is also louder than the Blaze bridge, and has less scooped mids. It's actually closer to the Blaze Custom (DP703) than to the Blaze Bridge. I don't know if it's good or bad, but the guitar overall will have a heavier sound than it would with the AN7/Blaze bridge setup.

E-Mail Quote from a Dimarzio tech.

[The_Grindfiend]

While I know what you're saying about the TZ being round, Wordwolf, I believe that the mahogany guitar you had yours in contributed a bit to that, as mine does smooth very well, but I also get some vicious cut in the bridge with it. I don't understand it, because it is so warm and dark, but it's super-crisp.

[The Dark Wolf]

Originally Posted by The_Grindfiend

While I know what you're saying about the TZ being round, Wordwolf, I believe that the mahogany guitar you had yours in contributed a bit to that, as mine does smooth very well, but I also get some vicious cut in the bridge with it. I don't understand it, because it is so warm and dark, but it's super-crisp.

You're probably right on about this, Grindfiend. We'll know in a few days when I get my new electronics put in, how the TZ7 sounds in basswood for me!

I don't EXACTLY agree with you on the vicious cut comment, at least with my experience, but I think I know where you'rre going with it. I found the TZ, while having a dark, punchy/middy kind of sound, to never, ever get muddy. It's strange... it didn't really have much treble to speak of, yet it was always crisp and articulate. The Blaze has tons of treble (I love that and smokes on clarity and defintion, yet even though the TZ and Blaze sound completely different from each other(apart from a certain 'richness' and musicallity that Dimarzios seem to posses) the Blaze isn't heads or tails above the TZ with a certain, I'll say it, 'cut.' It's a nice pickup, for sure (that's why I'm keeping it, just not in my RG2027 ).

[The_Grindfiend]

Perhaps my experience is different from yours beacuse the red channel of my Dual Rec can get pretty bright. TONS of presence, so that probably helps it out quite a bit.

[Praetorian]

So what would you guys recommend for basswood? I'm going to be getting an RG1527 this summer, and I was thinking TZ, but then again the Blaze Custom sounds really cool, as well as the Evos. So far it's between the TZ and the Blaze Custom, but I'm just not sure. I know in mahogany, I'd pick the standard Blazes or Evo's, but in basswood I think I'll be needing more mids. Which ones have that sort of PAF Pro sound to them? Hmm...and I'm not even sure if I want that, I may just go with the TZ. Unless somebody wants to vouch for the Blaze Custom, of course.