Calling Dimarzio Junkies / Ducanites need not apply

[Skully]

I'm looking to replace the stock pups in my Custom Shop Strat (Ash body) and I'm looking at the JYM's for the middle and neck positions but am undecided about the bridge. They recommend the HS-3 but I'm a big Super Distortion fan for my humbuckers and wonder how the Super Distortion S would be with the YJM's. Anybody have experience with the HS-3 or the Super Distortion S?

Thanks

 

[Dersu Uzala]

Used to love HS-3 when I played thru them. They should pair nicely with YJMs since that's what YJM used to play before they made him signature pickup (which are based on both HS-2 and HS-3). Of course, he was pairing it with HS-2 back then.

I don't think I played SD in the past 20 years. Loved it in the seventies, that whole Ace Frehley/Les Paul/Super Distortion/Marshall trip back then.


Oh and, middle pickup? I'm not paying attention these days, but back in the heyday YJM never used middle pickup. He would either leave the original pickup in place or replace it with HS-2, but never used it anyway.

 

[scottkahn]

You may also want to check out Yngwie's first DiMarzio of choice -- the ToneZone. You can get it in a stacked single coil if your Strat isn't a HSS configuration.

 

[Rocky]

You may also want to check out Yngwie's first DiMarzio of choice -- the ToneZone. You can get it in a stacked single coil if your Strat isn't a HSS configuration.

....where did you hear that the Tone Zone is Yngwie's Dimarzio of choice.

I can guarantee this one.....it is NOT his pickup of choice.

Also, the Tone Zone S is not a stack, the coils are side by side.

 

[scottkahn]

By "first pickup of choice," I meant that the Tone Zone was possibly the first DiMarzio pickup Yngwie used in his strats to replace the stock Fender stuff back in the early 80s. This was years before he got an endorsement deal and eventually his own signature pickups.

 

[Rocky]

By "first pickup of choice," I meant that the Tone Zone was possibly the first DiMarzio pickup Yngwie used in his strats to replace the stock Fender stuff back in the early 80s. This was years before he got an endorsement deal and eventually his own signature pickups.

No it wasn't The Tone Zone didnt even exist when Yngwie started up in the early 80's. He was using the HS pickups back in the day.

Yngwie considers a full sized humbucker in a strat complete blasphemy.

 

[scottkahn]

Hmmm... Not sure why I'm remembering it that way. Maybe it was Frank Gambale using the Tone Zone in his 540S guitars?

 

[Rocky]

Gambale used Super Distortions in his Ibanez guitars.

THe first 2 users of Tone Zones were John Petrucci and Paul Gilbert

 

[scottkahn]

I'll respectfully disagree with you on Petrucci, there -- not that he didn't use it, but that he was one of the first "big" users of it. The Tone Zone came out in 1991, just a year before Images and Words was released. DT hadn't really "made it" yet.

I remember back then playing the Ibanez 540S and "everyone" was replacing the bridge pickup with the Tone Zone. It may have been Paul G., though, because back then Racer X and Mister Big were well known to serious players.

 

[Rocky]

When they broke with 'Pull Me Under' didnt he already have an Ibanez sig model ? I can't remember. I know he was using US Rg guitars for a while too.

Been a while.....

 

[RJ2213]

When they broke with 'Pull Me Under' he had an Ibanez sig model already. Pretty significant.

and i believe that sig model was using a Steve's Special, unless that was changed later on.

 

[scottkahn]

I wouldn't debate any issues with Rocky, because he knows everything definitively , but it is indeed fact that the Ibanez JP100 signature models featured a Steve's Special in the bridge and an Air Norton in the neck.

The first Music Man JP6s had a Steve's Special before switching to the D-Sonic, and the neck pickup is based on the Air Norton but modified for use in the JP6.

 

[Rocky]

and i believe that sig model was using a Steve's Special, unless that was changed later on.

Mine had a Tone Zone, as did the first models....at least I am pretty sure the first run had Tone Zones. I am nearly 100% positive that Images and words is all Tone Zone/Air Norton. Seems to me that he shifted to a Steve Special a little later on. There is probably a thread or two on John's forum about the TOne Zone and the JPM guitar.

I actually preferred the Tone Zone to the SS....more mids.

 

[Rocky]

I wouldn't debate any issues with Rocky, because he knows everything definitively , but it is indeed fact that the Ibanez JP100 signature models featured a Steve's Special in the bridge and an Air Norton in the neck.

The first Music Man JP6s had a Steve's Special before switching to the D-Sonic, and the neck pickup is based on the Air Norton but modified for use in the JP6.

I dont know everything but I have a good memory for guitar specs.

The EBMM JP6 guitars actually had a special design bridge pickup that was based on the SS but had more mids. My guess would be that the mod was either an Alnico 5 magnet or a smaller ceramic magnet.

 

[RJ2213]

and i believe that sig model was using a Steve's Special, unless that was changed later on.

Mine had a Tone Zone, as did the first models....at least I am pretty sure the first run had Tone Zones. I am nearly 100% positive that Images and words is all Tone Zone/Air Norton. Seems to me that he shifted to a Steve Special a little later on. There is probably a thread or two on John's forum about the TOne Zone and the JPM guitar.

I actually preferred the Tone Zone to the SS....more mids.

funny, i remember you mentioning in past that of the dimarzio's you thought the SS was actually a good pickup. and i dont recall you ever saying anything good about the TZ. but you know me, i could be remembering wrong.

 

[Rocky]

and i believe that sig model was using a Steve's Special, unless that was changed later on.

Mine had a Tone Zone, as did the first models....at least I am pretty sure the first run had Tone Zones. I am nearly 100% positive that Images and words is all Tone Zone/Air Norton. Seems to me that he shifted to a Steve Special a little later on. There is probably a thread or two on John's forum about the TOne Zone and the JPM guitar.

I actually preferred the Tone Zone to the SS....more mids.

funny, i remember you mentioning in past that of the dimarzio's you thought the SS was actually a good pickup. and i dont recall you ever saying anything good about the TZ. but you know me, i could be remembering wrong.

THe SS is a good pickup. In a bright guitar Tone Zones are nice pickups.....I am really into mids these days.

 

[Botch]

I really like the Tone Zone in my Les Paul, but when it was in my SG it didn't sound quite as good. Maybe the brightness of the maple cap on my LP compliments the Tone Zone a little more than the thin mahogany body of the SG did?!

 

[Dersu Uzala]

They (HS-3) should pair nicely with YJMs since that's what YJM used to play before they made him signature pickups (which are based on both HS-2 and HS-3). Of course, he was pairing it with HS-2 back then.

...but back in the heyday YJM never used middle pickup. He would either leave the original pickup in place or replace it with HS-2, but never used it anyway.

I guess people don't bother reading.

 

[BTC-Ax20]

By "first pickup of choice," I meant that the Tone Zone was possibly the first DiMarzio pickup Yngwie used in his strats to replace the stock Fender stuff back in the early 80s. This was years before he got an endorsement deal and eventually his own signature pickups.

No it wasn't The Tone Zone didnt even exist when Yngwie started up in the early 80's. He was using the HS pickups back in the day.

Yngwie considers a full sized humbucker in a strat complete blasphemy.

This is correct. I've seen YJM in several interviews stating that he doesn't like the sound of humbucking pickups. He prefers the "natural" sound of the single coils. It's more geared towards his classical style of playing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qeplu0eeupU


I guess he likes brittleness. I couldn't disagree more with as I always prefer the fatter thick tone produced by humbuckers in the bridge.

Getting back to the point though. My RG3120 has a Tone Zone in the bridge and I love it. I've always been curious about the Super Distortion and the X2N though. Ever consider the Breeds or Evolution of Vai's models? Those generally have hotter mid sections.

 

[zenabI]

By "first pickup of choice," I meant that the Tone Zone was possibly the first DiMarzio pickup Yngwie used in his strats to replace the stock Fender stuff back in the early 80s. This was years before he got an endorsement deal and eventually his own signature pickups.

No it wasn't The Tone Zone didnt even exist when Yngwie started up in the early 80's. He was using the HS pickups back in the day.

Yngwie considers a full sized humbucker in a strat complete blasphemy.

He used the FS-1 back in the ealy 80's. Alcatrazz etc. Then he changed to HS-3 for Rising Force I believe.

HS-3 and YJM is not a true singlecoil and doesn't sound like a true singlecoil. It's definitely not "brittle" or "harsh". it's the opposite, it's very round and "warm". The FS-1 that he used for the Alcatrazz CD is a real singlecoil and has much more output and has more "click" sound when you pick.


Ontopic:

Well I think balancing the output between the HS-3 or YJM and a SD can be a little difficult but as far as sound I think they would match well.