D activator bridge model in neck instead of Evo neck model?

Yamadron · #1 07-29-2009, 02:36 AM

Hello Folks

I have changed my mind a lot about what guitar pickups to decide to fit my style of music. I play Thrash/Heavy Metal as well as some Hard Rock too. I think i finally made decision. I was happy until I found that problem. First of all, my guitar is an RG370DX. I decided to install X2N in the bridge position and an Evolution Neck model in the neck position and leaving the Single coil as stock for the moment. I went to my local guitar shop and F-Spaced pickups is causing me a headache as I begin to know about them. The Seller told me better not to take that Evo because it is not F-Spaced as the High E and Low E strings won't align. So I searched for a pickup similar to the tine of the Evo neck model and I found the D Activator bridge model

Well I though of that
Evo neck model has a :
Treble : 6.5
Mid : 6
Bass: 6
and its output is 294 mV

That is the same characteristics for D Activator bridge position -I found it F-Spaced- but the output is 470 mV. I am not worried as X2N is higher (510 mV). But the output of the D Activator bridge model compared to the Evo Neck model is quite high. So I don't know if I that would be fine or the sound will be so distorted. I just have 1 master volume knob. So guys any advice about that ?

reguv760 · #2 07-29-2009, 02:55 AM

go for neck versions of the D-Activator or perhaps a D-Activator X [for that dual blade pickup look \m/].... wouldn't advise putting the bridge version there as the D-activator's were designed to be "louder" than their rated mV.
It's neither right or wrong to have the neck pickup to be F-spaced; generally, neck position pups are usually NON F-spaced.

Reg

Yamadron · #3 07-29-2009, 03:18 PM

Thank you Reg.
I've contacted DiMarzio Tech Support on the way many yesterday and they replied to me. Unfortunately, the told me I should use an F-Spaced pickup in the neck position if my nut with is 43 mm or more. I think X2N just solved the F-spacing problem in the bridge. Well, About D activators neck models, I can't find D activator X neck model here, only the Bridge model. For D Activator, I found both Bridge and neck models, but they are not F-spaced as well. It seems F-spaced pickups are not popular like Standard ones. I found PAF Joe F-spaced. Any one has experience with it against Evolutions ?

Thanks guys

nsabino · #4 07-29-2009, 06:59 PM

hi, with regards to f-spacing don't worry much about it in the neck position, I've even heard to not worry much about it in the bridge also... well i personally use trembuckers, sd equivalent of a dimarzio f-spaced in the bridge. One thing I will advise is for you to take into consideration that a bridge pickup generally yields more output than a neck pickup, due to less string vibration in the bridge as opposed to the neck so, if you want a balanced output try to get about half the output for the neck as you would have for the bridge, imho that's basically the rule I use, I have an SD-Jazz in the neck (8,5 Ohms + -) and an SD distortion (16 Ohms + -) in the bridge and I get a pretty well balanced output from my guitar. P.S I love duncans and would suggest you try them out instead of dimarzios.

Good luck and regards,
Nelson

Yamadron · #5 07-29-2009, 09:23 PM

Hello Nelson. Thanks for your advice. Well, yea. I am on knowledge that the vibration of the strings is more on the neck than the bridge so I need a lower output pickup.
About your theory about having neck pickup of half the output than the the bridge pickup, there ins something unclear for me here.
You just said, let the neck pickup has almost half the output of the bridge pickup, but you are showing me that the neck pickup has almost half the resistance of the bridge pickup not the output.

Also, Pickups Resistance are in Kilo Ohms so i think you mean 16 Kilo Ohms and just not 16 Ohms. As far as I know, the output of the pickup (milli Volt) is not directly proportional to the Resistance of the pickup ( Kilo Ohms). So I think your bridge pickup might not almost the half of the output, It could only be the resistance. P.S : Yea, that could happen that resistance of the neck pickup is half he resistance of the bridge pickup as well as the outputs as well. That could be just a coincidence.

An Example;
*X2N has an output of 510 milli volts and resistance 15.83 Kilo ohms.
*Steve More neck model has an output of 250 milli volts and resistance 21.00 Kilo ohms.

*Both bridge Models and Bridge Evos for example are relatively have close Resistance(just 0.8 Kilo ohms difference -bridge than neck-) but much different output.

Try different pickups you will find some apply your rule and some not

Thanks for sharing your idea, Nelson. I hope the explanation above contains no offense for you at all. I am just illustrating my theory as well. Resistance is not directly proportional to the voltage (output) as Current is not a constant value here.

Sorry for the elongation.

_FR0D0 · #6 07-30-2009, 12:39 AM

yamadron, just go for it....

Yamadron · #7 07-30-2009, 02:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _FR0D0

yamadron, just go for it....

Not just like that. I like to make researches first and take other members opinions to be safe and ofc to be relaxing

callen3615 · #8 07-30-2009, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yamadron

Not just like that. I like to make researches first and take other members opinions to be safe and ofc to be relaxing

Me too.

_FR0D0 · #9 07-30-2009, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yamadron

Not just like that. I like to make researches first and take other members opinions to be safe and ofc to be relaxing

OK, I'll take that...

DiMarzio Super Distortion (425mv) is usually used as a neck pickup, so I think D Activator should be also save and will balance with your X2N

Yamadron · #10 07-30-2009, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _FR0D0

OK, I'll take that...

DiMarzio Super Distortion (425mv) is usually used as a neck pickup, so I think D Activator should be also save and will balance with your X2N

Nice, I will take that into consideration as well.. but its bass is a little bit over to my playing especially in the neck position. If it was in the bridge, it was gonna be appropriate.

Thanks FR0D0 for contributing

nsabino · #11 07-30-2009, 07:15 AM

No offense taken, and although my typo with regards to the Ohm and KOhms is obvious, I can assure you that although not directly proportional the resistance does play a major factor with regards to output... Like I stated thats my rule of thumb, and it's definetely worked for me.

good look in finding your sound, retgards,
Nelson

nsabino · #12 07-30-2009, 08:32 AM

Just for the sake of curiosity I decided to educate myself a little, here it is

http://www.gibson-talk.com/forum/arc...php/t-243.html

Regards, P.S. peace

Nelson

dsss guitars · #13 07-30-2009, 08:44 AM

Go for the stevie vai hummies, evolution and breed, sounds fantastic

Yamadron · #14 07-30-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsabino

Just for the sake of curiosity I decided to educate myself a little, here it is

Regards, P.S. peace

Nelson

Thanks Nelson for the link and your advices. I know some of what have been mentioned in the thread ( Taken at school

). But some things is still not clear...

I am sure that resistance affects the output. Probably some pickups doesn't the rule; More Resistance = Hotter Pickup. Damn Physics...Whatever

I have something regarding the last post in your link, the guy said

"Beside of DC that could be pretty high (more than 14kOhm, output 500mV) you could be unsatisfied with sound that could appear muddy or too bright, with too much treble"

That applies on the X2N as well as D Activator X (Bridge), Would you think I may face any problems with muddiness of the sound ?

nsabino · #15 07-30-2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yamadron

Thanks Nelson for the link and your advices. I know some of what have been mentioned in the thread ( Taken at school

). But some things is still not clear...

I am sure that resistance affects the output. Probably some pickups doesn't the rule; More Resistance = Hotter Pickup. Damn Physics...Whatever

I have something regarding the last post in your link, the guy said

"Beside of DC that could be pretty high (more than 14kOhm, output 500mV) you could be unsatisfied with sound that could appear muddy or too bright, with too much treble"

That applies on the X2N as well as D Activator X (Bridge), Would you think I may face any problems with muddiness of the sound ?

I many years ago used DiMarzio's, none that you are mentioning were available at the time though, and I felt that there was always something missing, couldn't put my finger on it. A friend of mine at that time upgraded his guitars bridge pickup to a SD Screamin' Demon, mind you that buy SD's standards this is a medium output pup, and I just said wow great open sound, definition and nice bite. I believe that although SD's pups differ from one another something I believe is certain, their pups all all very defined compared to the DM's I had at hand. This is also very subjective because I may love my tone and you may find that it sucks or maybe not going that far but you may say, hey this guy needs to boost his mids or whatever.... I've also heard that if you live in the U.S. you can send DM back a pup if you don't like it.... I don't know if SD does the same though...

I know this probably left you more confused but one thing IMHO also applies,if you have a nice amp or some kind of good distortion device you don't need to have the hottest pickup to get a desired sound...

Good luck in your quest, regards
Nelson