Crunchlab PU's

[tjjmon]

I really want to try this pickup with my Mark V and Ibanez RG2550. I see quite a few people have tried them in mahogany guitars but I'm curious as to how it sounds in a basswood guitar. Anyone tried it with this setup?

 

[eudaimonia02912]

I have one in my JP6. Compared to the D-Sonic that came with it, the Crunch Lab is fatter, more mid-focused, and has a smoother top end. Though it's not a screamer, it has a serious harmonic content, and its easy to generate pinch harmonics. It has some of the good characteristics of the Tone Zone. It's one of the few bridge pickups I've tried (the Super Distortion and Tone Zone being the only 2 others) where I find that I like it both for riffing and for soloing on the high notes (though I still prefer to use a neck pickup for soloing most of the time).

The Crunch Lab is a great fit for the Marks in part because it was designed to be used with them.

 

[Hendog]

They are so **** high output (I think thats what you would call it) that if you dont have total control of the strings at high gain levels, they ring out.

This is good and bad. Precise shreadding and clear chording is amazing, but you must have control.

Perfect for Petrucci.

 

[fjk1138]

I have these in a Schecter. The Crunch Lab is interesting because it has a bit of bite, but as already stated it is not a screamer. However, you can crank the drive up very high and it stays pretty clean and does not get muddy. On the JP guitars, the Crunchlab and LiquiFire sound absolutely fantastic and have to be some of quietest and cleanest (as in, no extra noise, etc) pickups I have ever tried. Very precise as Hendog said, so expect to practice a bit more with them.

 

[tjjmon]

Hmmmm.. I like the way they sound but now I'm not sure if they're right for me. Any suggestions for alternatives? I want some Dimarzios that would sound wicked on channel 3.

 

[eudaimonia02912]

Super Distortion and Tone Zone: big, fat, rich, but more forgiving. Can be muddy or boomy if you don't set the heights just right.
Air Zone: Tamer version of Tone Zone
Breed: Kind of flat, but full
Norton: Rich, harmonically complex, way underrated

 

[mystidream]

Hmmmm.. I like the way they sound but now I'm not sure if they're right for me. Any suggestions for alternatives? I want some Dimarzios that would sound wicked on channel 3.

Try the Crunchlab/Liquifire set. They sound killer and I doubt you'd be disappointed. You could always try them for 15-20 days in your guitar and if you don't like em' you can send them back to DiMarzio for different pups.

 

[Hendog]

I have 2 EBMM Petrucci models and I also have the pickups in my Ibanez 7 string.

I certainly recommend them for what you are describing.

 

[Anonymous]

I really want to try this pickup with my Mark V and Ibanez RG2550. I see quite a few people have tried them in mahogany guitars but I'm curious as to how it sounds in a basswood guitar. Anyone tried it with this setup?

lots of excellent adviced here....... just remember that some pup's can be muddy in mahagony and the same pup's will be excellent for basswood (maple top or not)

i tried the liquifire/crunchlab set on my suhr basswood maple top body and 1 piece maple neck.

the crunchlab is a great crunhy pup, very balance at any volume....... it come down to what feels right for you.

i ended up with the dimarzio AT-1 in the bridge (this a medium output pup). i was looking for warm/fat sound ( i do not play much metal).


you can also try the dimarzio forum for more advice.

good luck :wink:

 

[mejoshee]

I really want to try this pickup with my Mark V and Ibanez RG2550. I see quite a few people have tried them in mahogany guitars but I'm curious as to how it sounds in a basswood guitar. Anyone tried it with this setup?

lots of excellent adviced here....... just remember that some pup's can be muddy in mahagony and the same pup's will be excellent for basswood (maple top or not)

i tried the liquifire/crunchlab set on my suhr basswood maple top body and 1 piece maple neck.

the crunchlab is a great crunhy pup, very balance at any volume....... it come down to what feels right for you.

i ended up with the dimarzio AT-1 in the bridge (this a medium output pup). i was looking for warm/fat sound ( i do not play much metal).


you can also try the dimarzio forum for more advice.

good luck :wink:

yeah, comes down to what you're trying to sound like--petrucci? i think it probably does more than that, but they designed the pickups for his use with the bfr mahogany block guitars, so you may find them too middy or bright even. try asking dimarzio tech support, try the pickup finder, read the john petrucci forum for some stuff.

what are you running right now, tjjmon?

 

[tjjmon]

I'm using the stock Dimarzio IBZ pups.

 

[germangallardo]

I have the previous combo with the D sonic in the bridge and the custom in the neck on my 2007 basswood JP7. I've been curious if its worth it to upgrade the pickups to the Liquifire/Crunchlab.

Any comments?

 

[eudaimonia02912]

I have a 2008 JP6 limited edition. It came with the Air Norton/D-Sonic combo. I just switched to the Liquifire/Crunch Lab combo. I like them both better.

Quick review:

Liquifire: It's like you take what the Air Norton does and make it go further. It's an Air Norton on 11. More mids, softer highs, fuller soloing/lead tone. Good for jazz and leads, or very full cleans.

Crunch Lab: Also sounds more midrange-focused than the D-Sonic. The highs are sweeter and no longer harsh. Despite the smooth top end, the pickup is harmonically active, and it's easy to get pinch harmonics. (In fact, easier than on the D-Sonic.) It has some of the good characteristics of a Tone Zone. The bass is full and tight. Stays clear under heavy distortion. I'd say the D-Sonic is a better choice for straight low-note metal riffing, but the Crunch Lab is a better pickup overall.

Split position (middle position): Sounds snappier, fuller, livelier. There's less of a volume drop now.

 

[nyeguy]

Not to jack the thread too much, I really love the Dimarzio Air Zone in the bridge of my '90 PRS custom through the MkV! Does any one here have experience with both the Air Zone and the Crunch Lab? I have a substantial amount of pickups that I have aquired for various guitar and amp combinations and found the Air Zone in just about any guitar sounds amazing! But, as usual I'm lookin for the next piece of my tone puzzle and was wondering the differences between the two!

 

[eudaimonia02912]

^^^^^^^^^
I have experience with the Tone Zone and Crunch Lab, but not the Air Zone, in the Mark V. I haven't had them in the same guitar, though, and different guitars sound different even with the same pickups. Still, the Tone Zone has worked nicely with the Mark V, and I haven't found it too flubby or boomy. So I suspect the Air Zone would be great as well.

 

[tjjmon]

Going to try the Crunchlab Liquifire setup. I keep going back and forth on what to use. What the heck, if I don't like 'em I can always try something else. Gotta start somewhere! I'll post my thoughts when I get them. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Mauler]

Try them out, I like them best of all the pickups in my guitars that have DiMarzios (PAF Pro, Breed neck and Bridge, Fred, CL?LF).

 

[tjjmon]

Finally had time to install the pups last night. To be honest I thought I would notice a bigger difference in sound. What I did notice is that the clean channel stays a lot cleaner before it starts breaking up. Both sound warmer than the stockers. I'm getting more sustain in channel three. The harsh treble spike is no longer present The family is going out tonight so I'll get a chance to turn it up and see what happens. So far I'm pleased.