I played a TZ and liked but...

[kotornut]

I played a J-Custom RG8470 the other day and the tone was great. The DiMarzio Tone Zone sounded great to my ears. Not muddy, not wooly-just right, if you know how to EQ that is. But, because of the love/hate reviews of the pickups I'm worried that if I get one and put it into my RG560 (basswood not mahogany like the JC was), that it won't give me the results I'm looking for.

To make it simple:

1.Do they change anything for the J-Custom setup with the pickup?

2.Is basswood going to adversly effect the sound of the pickup?

[jazzedout]

I have a Tone Zone in my RG550 and I like it very much!!

[rastachild]

it's definitely going to sound differently in basswood as opposed to mahogony. i had a rg3120 that had a stock tz in it and it actually sounded pretty good. but every other guitar i've had the tz in has been too muddy for my ears.

[-Rhaab]

I never had a problem with muddiness, at first i didnt like it at all
But i gave it another chance and boom, i like it a lot, and I figured the first time i tried it and didnt like it is because i must have not set it up properly (string height)
I tried it in both Basswood (Rg570) and Mahogany (S470)
And to be honest I like it more in the mahogany just cause I'm not a big fan of Basswood. One day I will put it back in the Rg to make sure.

[elcid]

Originally Posted by rastachild

it's definitely going to sound differently in basswood as opposed to mahogony. i had a rg3120 that had a stock tz in it and it actually sounded pretty good. but every other guitar i've had the tz in has been too muddy for my ears.

I found the exact opposite. I had an RG3120DR and I almost didnt buy it because the Tone Zone sounded so muddy to me.

[kotornut]

See this is what I'm tlaking about. Even though I tried a TZ it still up in the air. I hate it.

I know it will sound different in basswood, but isn't mahogany darker than basswood? So it should sound abit brighter than it did in the RG8470.

But with what people say I realize that you just can't know wen it comes to the TZ.

[rty13ibz98]

seeing as i have tried both. the tone zone is my favorite pickup...in mahogany. i cannot stand it in basswood. to my ears it just doesn't sound lively enough and feels like the low end is forced. in mahogany, i absolutely love it. so much in fact i have it in (currently) 11 of my mahogany ibanez's. as far as my basswood rg's go, i have a super 3 in each of them(currently 3). my love for the tone zone doesn't stop there, i actually have it in 2 alder bodied axes and it shines in those as well. imo, i feel that due to basswoods extremely flat eq, i have to get a pickup that is so hot and exaggerated to make the tones pop out, just to keep up with a tone zone in mahogany.

rich

[kotornut]

Hmm. Thanks Rich I see what you mean. It makes a lot of sense in that respect. I love Paul Gilberts playing but when ever he's playing any rythm it's just farty and muddy to me and he uses a TZ in basswood.

I think I'm just going to get a Mo' Jo pickup in the bridge. I love Satch's tone and it seems versatile enough so I guess I'll have to go try it out. Hey the JS is basswood and so is my RG so at least I can get a sense of it. Actually , it would be the Fred in the JS but DiMarzio says the two pickups have very similar tone.

If I was playing a lot of metal these days I would try that Super 3 but my band is just rock and I am starting to see that even my solo stuff is getting a bit lighter.

[Roadstar]

heres the deal with the TZ and me
at first when i first fire it up and play i love it for the first hour or so of playing then it starts to annoy me after that?

[southpaw_lefty]

Originally Posted by kotornut

I think I'm just going to get a Mo' Jo pickup in the bridge. I love Satch's tone and it seems versatile enough so I guess I'll have to go try it out. Hey the JS is basswood and so is my RG so at least I can get a sense of it. Actually , it would be the Fred in the JS but DiMarzio says the two pickups have very similar tone.

That sounds like a good plan. I'm thinking about doing the same thing in my 1570. I'm getting bored with the Evo I've got in it.

[buddroyce]

Originally Posted by kotornut

1.Do they change anything for the J-Custom setup with the pickup?

2.Is basswood going to adversly effect the sound of the pickup?

1. No, it's just a direct mounted Tone Zone. They might have fine tuned the positioning of everything but I highly doubt it.

2. Yep.. It doesn't sound that bad but I like the sound of the Tone Zone in mahogany personally.

[kotornut]

Ahhhhh! Why can't they just have every Pickup in a guitar so you can try them before you buy them!!!!!

[XcitR]

Too bad you're not in the States. Dimarzio has an exchange program if you're not satisfied.

If you are a U.S. resident and you are not satisfied with the performance of your DiMarzioŽ pickup for any reason, DiMarzioŽ, Inc. will exchange it within thirty days of original purchase for any other DiMarzioŽ pickup having an equal or lesser manufacturer's suggested retail price. If you want to exchange it for a higher priced pickup, you must include the difference in the listed retail price with your exchange.

You could always try one out, and if you're not satisfied, sell it on the 'bay or trade it here in the classifides(?)

[RSVampire]

if you're worried about the Tone Zone being too muddy in basswood maybe you should buy a Norton or Air Norton. It's a mix between a Tone Zone and a Fred so it's a little tighter sounding and not as high output.

[mi2tom]

I love tone zone, EQing at the the amp is important, any branded pickup can sound great if you know how to EQ at the amp.