Dimarzio Tone Zone: Sad and Confused

nightofthelivingshred · #1 11-08-2007, 09:24 PM

Anyone know anything about this pickup? From everything I've read, it's supposed to sound great. PG has used it, and he has some great tones.

Well I just installed one in my guitar...the usual deal, basswood RG550 with a pickguard...and it sounds...

like ****.

It's in the bridge position. I have it set pretty low with the pole pieces raised high like I've read it good to do. And it sounds so god damn muddy and bassy, no bite or cut. Am I doing something wrong?

**elcid** · #2 11-08-2007, 09:27 PM

I had one in my RG3120 and found the same thing. Im not a fan of that pickup

rgr · #3 11-08-2007, 09:31 PM

It is a very hit or miss pickup to me, some of the guitars I've tried it in have sounded like your description, it's worked in some others. I currently have one in my RG550XX. I've also heard that PG wired the pickups in some of his guitars in parallel, so it sounds more like a humbucking single coil.

If it is new, I would use the DMZ exchange policy and get a Norton, that really worked well in the guitars that were muddy with the TZ for me.

isida.d · #4 11-08-2007, 09:52 PM

i liked the tonezone in my RG570, but i liked the D sonic better :P

David McCarroll · #5 11-08-2007, 09:53 PM

Sounds stellar in my JEM BFP. Set as close to the strings as possible, polepieces basically flat - fat, sassy, tons of harmonic richness - sort of everything I was finding lacking in the PAF Pro.

Coincidentally, being so happy with the TZ, I then went on to replace the neck pickup with an Air Norton - flat, lifeless, generic boring sounding pickup - nowhere near as nice as the PAF Pro!

So, it's in the ears of the beholder - works for me, doesn't work for yourself or Cid.

MadRyan · #6 11-08-2007, 10:07 PM

IMO, the Norton or Air Norton works much better in most guitars as a bridge pup. Either one is killer, and the AN is my favorite in a Les Paul.

David McCarroll · #7 11-08-2007, 10:11 PM

Yeah, I might try it in the bridge position of my PRS Custom 22 - currently a Duncan Pearly Gates lives there, and it is sort of sizzly and trebly - trouble is of course the Air Norton is.... blue .........

nightofthelivingshred · #8 11-08-2007, 10:23 PM

Ok, so let me state I'm coming from usually playing EMG 81's, so what would you all suggest? Still a norton pickup? Or maybe a super iii?

Analog_Kid · #9 11-08-2007, 10:49 PM

You might want to try the D Activator for the bridge position. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the clarity and tone of it. I have both the neck and bridge models in one of my guitars and I love 'em! Plenty of bite and harmonics but very well balanced too.

IbanezFreak777 · #10 11-08-2007, 11:04 PM

Nothing beats the paf pro in the neck position, dare I say best PUP ever made as far as neck position is involved

**jaxadam** · #11 11-08-2007, 11:37 PM

The only thing I can say here is that I've had (and have) a TZ in a variety of guitars, and I think they've all sounded great.

I'm wondering if people EQ their amps to suit a specific pickup's sound? I've noticed that can be the big deal breaker. I had a pickup situation that I wasn't very happy with one time, and I adjusted the setting of my amp pretty dramatically, and it made all of the difference in the world.

You would be surprised at what you can get with one pickup if you adjust the settings of your amp.

P.S. I EQ my amp to EMG81's with 18V mod, and the TZ gets pretty damn close, a little more open and less scooped, but pretty close.

**elcid** · #12 11-09-2007, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxadam

I'm wondering if people EQ their amps to suit a specific pickup's sound? I've noticed that can be the big deal breaker.

Nope, I never change my amp settings with my guitar. I dont think I ever really played around with my Orange since I brought it home, it sounded perfect right off the floor.

David McCarroll · #13 11-09-2007, 01:12 AM

.............. EQ ...............?

What's that - hasn't that got something to do with intelligence?

MadRyan · #14 11-09-2007, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IbanezFreak777

Nothing beats the paf pro in the neck position, dare I say best PUP ever made as far as neck position is involved

I really dig the Humbucker from Hell in the neck myself.

The Breed neck pup makes a killer bridge pup also.

People equate pickup output with gain, which at one time was partially true, but that was the days before the Boogie Mark series amps. Now everything has way more gain that you need, and if you don't have enough gain you boost. Super high output pups just trash a guitars dynamic response IMO. All the sudden, it doesn't matter if you pick hard, or pick soft, it all sounds pretty much the same. Contrast this with lower-mid output pups and you get much livelier response and use your amp for gain. I use fairly low output pups and can dial in stupid amounts of gain but if I play softly, every note jumps out. It's almost like a dirty clean sound, while I can pick harder and get more of a smooth sustain effect.

If you want to play downtuned "chugga chugga" music it's cool. Get yourself some EMG's or a Super-D or whatever you want and go for it. If you want tonal nuance you need something with a bit more "feel" than that.