I've decided to try out a Dimarzio Bluesbucker

toneboy · #1 03-03-2007, 12:02 AM

I just bought a Gibson Les Paul Classic Premium Plus so I ordered a couple of new pickups for it. I opted for a Norton in the bridge (I've been dying to try one out) and a Bluesbucker in the neck. I love the Humbucker From Hell in the neck so I figured it would be worth trying out another single-coil sounding humbucker in the neck position. Not many people here have used them but I think I'll like it.

Single coil sounding humbuckers are great for all styles for music. They sound bubbly with lots of distortion but they don't get muddy and they always sound good clean.

I won't have the pickup until the last week of this month so I probably won't have in installed until the end of the month. I'll post an update after I get in the guitar and try it out.

slugman · #2 03-07-2007, 08:18 PM

Look forward to your review, I also looked through DiMarzio's site for all SC like HBs. Not really popular on jemsite...

waylay00 · #3 03-07-2007, 09:48 PM

Yeah, most on Jemsite are too narrow-minded when it comes to tone/guitars. The "if it doesn't have a Floyd, then I'm not playing it" attitude is rampant here...

toneboy · #4 03-08-2007, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waylay00

Yeah, most on Jemsite are too narrow-minded when it comes to tone/guitars. The "if it doesn't have a Floyd, then I'm not playing it" attitude is rampant here...

Heh, I have the attitude of "If it has a Floyd, I don't want to play it."

I've owned guitars with locking trems and they're just not for em.

I'm just trying to find different sounds that work for me. On the other hand, if I like the sound of a pickup that everyone uses, that won't stop me from using it. I've used Tone Zones since they first came out and I've got them in my 2 Ibanezes.

What it really comes down to is I've found that humbuckers with more treble and less mids and bass work best for me with my set-up. As I stated before, I love the Humbucker from Hell. It's probably the most misunderstood and underrated humbucker that Dimarzio makes. It's also not that common in production guitars (only 3 discontinued guitars come to mind - the PGM400, the PGM500 and some high RG I can't remember the model name of) so people don't get an opportunity to try before they buy.

Anyway, I should have the Bluesbucker installed at the end of this month. I'll post my findings after I've played with it for a few days.

zEr0 · #5 03-08-2007, 10:30 AM

I'm having a Humbucker from hell installed in the neck position of a set neck guitar I recently bought. I like fat sounding pick-ups (not necessairly high power ones) in bright sounding guitars, do you think I'll like it? Here's the guitar it'll go into:

http://www.watkinsguitars.com/estore_5.htm

toneboy · #6 03-08-2007, 10:42 AM

zErO, I can't say whether or not you'll like the HFH. The guitar you're having it installed in is different from the one I have it in (a PGM301). The HFH has a fat single coil-esque kind of sound so it's very clear and articulate very with a lot of distortion.

King Knall · #7 03-08-2007, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waylay00

Yeah, most on Jemsite are too narrow-minded when it comes to tone/guitars. The "if it doesn't have a Floyd, then I'm not playing it" attitude is rampant here...

Maybe because that's how they like it? I don't think most on Jemsite are narrow minded because of that.

toneboy · #8 03-08-2007, 11:14 AM

King Knall, I believe the point that wayl00 is making is that a lot of people choose pickups from a vary small subset. For example, most folks pick Tone Zones and Air Nortons, Evolutions or Breeds.

Now, while this set of pickups deliver the tones that most players like, there are quite a few more pickups from Dimarzio that can give some very good and usable tones.

Some folks want to replicate the sounds of their favorite artists while others are searching for something a little different they can call their own. There is no right or wrong as long as you can get a sound that inspires you to play.

King Knall · #9 03-08-2007, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toneboy

King Knall, I believe the point that wayl00 is making is that a lot of people choose pickups from a vary small subset. For example, most folks pick Tone Zones and Air Nortons, Evolutions or Breeds.

Now, while this set of pickups deliver the tones that most players like, there are quite a few more pickups from Dimarzio that can give some very good and usable tones.

Some folks want to replicate the sounds of their favorite artists while others are searching for something a little different they can call their own. There is no right or wrong as long as you can get a sound that inspires you to play.

I see, yet I don't see the narrow-mindedness.

toneboy · #10 03-08-2007, 11:43 AM

What it comes down to is some folks are willing to or can take risks on pickups. Since the term "narrow minded" has a negative connotation to it, I would say most folks are more "conservative" in their pickup choices.

We all know that it's always a gamble as to whether or not you will like a pickup in a given guitar unless you are able to try it out yourself. Some of us don't mind or can afford to buy a pickup we may not like. I completely understand how others cannot or will not take that risk.

waylay00 · #11 03-08-2007, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Knall

I see, yet I don't see the narrow-mindedness.

Many people here simply refuse to try anything that doesn't say Ibanez or doesn't have a Floyd on it. Truthfully, if you do that, you are missing out on a plethora of other tones and sonic possibilties. This is why many on here are narrow minded. Plain and simple...

Dee · #12 03-08-2007, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toneboy

As I stated before, I love the Humbucker from Hell. It's probably the most misunderstood and underrated humbucker that Dimarzio makes.

Agreed. Amazing pickup!

King Knall · #13 03-09-2007, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waylay00

Many people here simply refuse to try anything that doesn't say Ibanez or doesn't have a Floyd on it. Truthfully, if you do that, you are missing out on a plethora of other tones and sonic possibilties. This is why many on here are narrow minded. Plain and simple...

Really? I haven't come across a lot of people like that here (some, yes). But if there are, then they truly are missing out.

toneboy · #14 03-09-2007, 08:13 AM

I think part of the reason why so many folks like the Air Norton as a neck pickup is because of how they EQ their sound.

If you reduce your mids, the pronounced midrange in the Air Norton flattens out your tone. However, I for example do not reduce the mids in my sound. As a matter of fact, I boost them 4 dB. That makes the Air Norton a little too "honky" to me. Now, using the HFH, the boosted mids in my preamp help to fatten out the sound and the predominance of treble in the HFH maintains clarity with high gain settings.

Anyways, just a guess.

Dee · #15 03-09-2007, 08:26 AM

I'm with you, Matt, most guitarists cut the mids, as did I back in the day, but not anywhere near as much these days. I think it's the Holdsworth influence coming out in me...