Preference.

 

well you seem to be after quite a specialised metal/high gain tone, but the tone zone is a pickup with versatility, the jack of all trades cliche is showing why you dont want it!!

 

You are probably right. The Tone Zone reminds me of Duncan JB, only about 85% as hot as the JB though.

You are right, I do prefer a hot tone for rock/metal.

 

I agree about the Tone Zone having a bit of a JB vibe.

For me it's not suited for hyper-distorted metal rhythms, but it's great for that Dream Theater "Images & Words" chunk or getting close to the Satch "The Extremist" rhythm tones without having to spring for a JS or install a FRED. Compared to, say, an EMG active humbucker, you really have to put in more effort with phrasing.

 

How does it compare to a PAF pro??

 

A lot brighter than tone zone, The tone zone is the most versatile pickup ever, and hard to get pinch harmonic out of it ?! :roll: It's got to be one of the easiest pups that can do that

 

Way different to a PAF Pro. To me the PAF Pro sounds a little rough around the edges, and a little hollow. I seems to emphasise string noise, to a degree. The TONE Zone is kind of the inverse of that.

 

Is the Tone Zone really similar to a JB ? I use the JB a lot because it's sparkling and hot at the same time, while retaining a tight low end, and I love it. Never had a look at Tone Zone. But I use a super 3 in one of my guitars wich is already pretty dark and bass heavy and I heard people saying that the Tone zone extends those characteritics even further. I also read a few comments on this board about it mudding out (is there a word like that?) quite a bit. Is there any "clear" trebly sound left with the tone zone?

 

ah, interesting, a tone zone thread. I have an EMG81 on the bridge of my basswood RG570 and thinking about replacing it. pretty hot for metallica stuff, but starts to feedback very fast :/ I've been testing different amps because i'm lookig for a new amp, and my EMG81 (new battery btw) starts sqeeking rightaway on a high gain channel with the volume around 2/10 (so far from "that" loud) when I open the volume pot on the guitar. And it really needs to be opened to get that fat palm mute chunk.

How about an Evolution ? beside a Tone zone that is what the Dimarzio website pivkup finder advises with parameters : Modern amp, basswood, metal tone, and anything you would like to do about is (fatter, more harmonics, whatever). I've read good things about the basswood/Tone Zone combo on several places.

I heared an EMG81 in an Iceman, dang, that sounded really fatter compared to my RG570. don't know if it was the mahogany or the fixed bridge being responsible for that result.

 

One weird thing I did notice with the Tone Zone, very difficult to get pinch harmonics with it. It just muddies up pinch harmonics when none of the other pickups I tried did that.

 

You're kidding???? I get pinch harmonics even when I DON'T want them with the TZ!

At least for me (and I don't play metal or hard rock, so my view is probably different to a few people in this thread) the Tone Zone just seems to deliver a huge, full juicy tone that sounds for all the world to me like Robben Ford from the "Talk to your Daughter" era, which is a pretty cool tone IMHO. I can understand why some people find the TZ a bit muddy in the bass range, however with my amp setup I dial out the bass anyway to suit the sort of music I play.

 

I don't personally like the TZ at all, in 6 or 7 string flavors. It only seems like everyone loves it

 

I had a TZ in an Rg once. I liked it for distortion but didn't care for it clean.
I've only once played a Jem and it was an older pink one. I'm asuming it had PAF PRO's in it. They sounded amazing. Could have something to do with the guitar too I guess.

 

I think the TZ does well clean, but you really have to turn down the volume.

I really like them, personally. But that's just my opinion. The original post in the thread rates the V8 as better than the V2, but I would disagree with that, so it really is all a matter of taste.

 

The original post in the thread rates the V8 as better than the V2, but I would disagree with that, so it really is all a matter of taste.

I agree, the V2 was and is still one of the best sounding pickups for 80s metal

 

I have the JB/59 combo going on RG and having never used DiMarzios before, I was thinking TZ/AZ for the other RG, but I don't want to end up with the DiMarzio version of what I already have.

I wish DiMarzio's site had real sound clips, instead of that halfass crap.

 

I like it becuase if you spell it backwards, it spells e noze not.

good pickup though, rich sounding.

 

I like it becuase if you spell it backwards, it spells e noze not.

good pickup though, rich sounding.

Lmao, that is excellent.

While Tone Zone does have good pinch harmonics, I find it to be more picky about where you strike the string (rt hand), seems to want them around the neck pickup on my USRG. The Evolution however gets them absoultely everywhere, and is also really versatile imo, (I use 250k pots w/ Evo).

Both awesome pups.

 

I had a TZ in my RG3120 and I couldn't get it out of there quick enough. I found it very muddy.

 

I tend to blame the mahogany on that one, not the TZ by itself... I wish i had kept my 3120 longer to tweak it more, but still, i remember hating the Paf Pro on it way more than the TZ...

If anyone has trouble with it mudding up, back it away from the strings, maybe more so than other pups...

And yeah, pinch harmonics are unbelievable on this sucker...

 

after trying dozens of pickups i finally found my place with the TZ. my fave pickup ever. it's got fat basses to fill up Ibanez typical dry sound, and it's got smoothened trebs, thanks God. it doesn't sound muddy at all, neither at the neck, and it delivers tons of harmonics and pinch harmonics. i can't really get how ppl can't get those out of it.

 

Maybe muddy isn't the right word, but it was definately way too bassy for my liking.

 

...but I love me some Mahogany

 

I don't quite like the Tone Zone too. Its too middy/bassy for my liking and lacks the upper brightness. I disagree that it sounds like a JB, coz the JB is much brighter sounding, and has less bass and low mids. I ended up choosing a D Sonic, which is like a JB but has better bass and a warmer/fuller sound. As I mentioned before, the D Sonic is like a cross between a Steve's Special and a Tone Zone. Very nicely balanced pickup and well defined. It sounds good clean too, even with the volume max.

 

i had the tone zone in a few different guitars. i actually liked it in the rg3120tw i used to own. it wasn't my dream tone, but definitely great for metal. i found that i didn't like it's tonal characteristics when i turned down the volume knob a third or halfway. it became real muddy then. i also had it in an alder bodied rt450 and it sounded horrible. very muddy in that guitar with very high output. screwing the pickup down to the body helped, but it still sounded subpar. i'm thinking it was wired incorrectly, because it didn't sound anything close to the way it sounded in the rg3120.

but even in the rg3120, i found it to be a little too bass heavy. great for full on distorted rhythms and leads, but not much else.

the duncan jb sounds completely different than the tone zone imo. those 2 pickups emphasize different frequencies. the jb is more upper midrange and has a more 'flabby' bottom end (which to me sounds more vintage) and slightly more highs. the jb also seems less compressed and more raw sounding. i find the jb to be more versatile of the two, but it really boils down to personal preference.

and i also agree about the v8, it is a very decent pickup with balanced eq, high output and clarity. my friend uses it in his rt650 and i think people would be very surprised that he is able to squeeze so much tone out of that pickup.

 

i don't feel like reading the whole thread so pardon me if i repeat anyone else's sentiments.

i have a TZ in my Mahogany JC and it's really rich sounding...but then again, that's in mahogany. it might be a different animal in basswood.

 

Still sounds great in basswood .

Regards

André

 

That seems to be the exact opposite of what was previously said about Mahogany

 

exellent pup, I use it in the bridge for big chord "British" overdrive - really awesome for that - not much good for lead but I like using it for rhythm.

 

theres gotta be something wrong man, screw it in deeper... i just cant believe a Tone Zone that doesnt scream...

 

I hate the tone zone.

it takes the weirdness of a fred, then bumps up the bass and volume. It's terrible.

I'll take

Evo
JB
super D
Super 3
Paf PRO
J-90C
IBZ F1
IBZ F2
Breed
'59
Air Classic

etc.

any day of the week over the tone ZOne.

 

I dont have a lot of experience with pickups but I do prefer the tone zone over the stock inf4 and v8 bridge pickups. they are pretty hot and i think the tone zone has more of a defined sound