DiMarzio EVH Custom for Mark IV?

[chris_EIT]

Hey guys, my friend just gave me his spare EVH from a Music Man axis and well I wanted some pickup advice.

1. I use an EMG 81 in my custom guitar. Sounds like ***** to me in the mark iv
2. I have a george lynch in my King V jackson, sounds better but seems a little thin, dont know how to explain really
3. I have a DiMarzio EVH ex-axis pick up im yet to put in AND
4. I have Seymour Duncan Invader coming along also

Which do you guys think will give me the most well, rounded sound.
Sorta medium/ higher output but smooth for rhythm work on the lead channel with Geq. I mainly solo with my front pickup but i would solo with this too but i really want a nice rhythm pickup

If anyone can give me some suggestions I would REALLY apreciate it
Thanks

P.S: Guitar body is ALDER, with Maple neck and Rosewood board

 

[Konstantine]

an EMG 81 and mark iv is too much treble and saturation imo

i believe that the EVH will be better suited for you..

no experience with with the GL or the invader

also an EMG85 in bridge position sounds fuller, bassier, a bit softer and has sweeter highs than the EMG81, especialy in alder guitars, and its easy replacment

konstantine

 

[Boogiebabies]

an EMG 81 and mark iv is too much treble and saturation imo


also an EMG85 in bridge position sounds fuller, bassier, a bit softer and has sweeter highs than the EMG81, especialy in alder guitars, and its easy replacment

konstantine

Absolutely, the 85 is a perfect match for the MK IV. The EVH has a very high 17K impedence, but the output seems on the lower side of the spectrum. It may be better for you since it will be adjustable. My reference is a 1991 EBMM EVH and the pickup does not move. Even so, it has decent output and a very nice fat, broad spectrum of tones.
All of the high impedence, high output pickups were designed mainy in the era before an amp had cascading preamp gain so they were intended to slam the amp with as much input as possible. For some high gain amps, this just does not make a good match. Matching pickups to a guitar and amp can really suck. I put $ 225 Fralin's in my 58 LP and they were lifeless. I bought a D-Sonic for the EBMM JP6 and have yet to put it in. I though the stock DiMarzio was a bit muddy and after 5 years of owning the guitar the tone came to me, so I have a D-Sonic in the box. I have just ordered a Duncan Custom Shop EVH/78 model for the LP, so we'll see. I have a box in my closet with JB's, EMG's, Barden's, Lawrence and DiMarzio's and hopefully they will find a sould mate some day. In most cases, a 9-10K pickup with good output will allow the best range of tone. They will give the amp a little kick and then it will take over. The pickup that I have had the most success with is the Tone Zone. It seems to mate well with many guitars, has a resonably high output, but is voiced very nicely so it does not give the ice pick or mushed out problems. I think the Invader may be overkill, but you never know how everything will mate.

 

[chris_EIT]

Well thanks for that enlightening response guys, i believe i will try the EVH in a week then
My mates coming over soon with a Jackson kelly with an invader in it so ill try that with the mark iv today!@
Thanks again guys

 

[chris_EIT]

BUMP ~~ hehe, i need more advice still,
tried the invader today, not too bad really did think it complimented the mark iv weel, next week evh, anymore suggestions guys?

 

[GMello]

Try the Seymour Duncan Custom Custom (TB4). It sounds great with the Mark Iv (or any other mark series amp).

 

[srf399]

I've tried quite a few pickups and you may have to do the same before you find the one's you like... the wood and bolt on neck/set neck make a difference as well. I ended up with Dimarzio Breeds. They sound unbelievable in my strat through my MKIV. These pickups also split really well... I get a really nice hot strat single coil sound out of them. then hit the push/pull and it screams. But like I said you may have to trial and error for awhile to get a set that match your guitars wood frequency and resonance. Good luck.... the search will be worth it when you find them.

 

[chris_EIT]

Yeh, I get you exactly, I played through heaps of guitars with HEAPS of different pickups, but this is my hand made guitar and so I'm much more fussy about it
I'm sure I'll get there one day
So a quick poll
Duncan or DiMarzio????

 

[themisfit138]

Duncan and if you need proof listen to Lamb of God. they use a JB and a MarkIV. But as you can tell from my sig I am a fan of EMG81's. I am thinking of switching the pickups in my V to Duncans. you also might try the Duncan Livewires.

 

[srf399]

I wouldn't worry about who makes them as much as what they sound like. Like I said... my quest for the right pickup took me though the lands od Bill Lawrence, Seymour Duncan and Dimarzio (I'm too poor to travel to Bare Knuckle land although I have heard it is beautiful there ). And like I said before the guitar and to a lesser degree your am will decide which is the best to YOUR ears. Ears are imperfect and what you like might not be what others like but you're the one who has to like what you hear. Then you'll get some soundman who screws it up though the mains or buries you in the mix! LMAO I found the Bill Lawrence pickups too thin in my guitar... and the Duncans felt like they couldn't open up... like Dimarzios with the volume knob on 7 or 8. The Dimarzios I ended up with are smoother and full bodied when compared to the Duncans in my particular guitar. The Dimarzios I have have this little edgy click when picked that I like,,, not as round as Duncans. If I took my pickups out of my axe and put them in yours it might sound awful!... and you might not like the sound of my guitar as it is. It's subjective.

The point is don't worry about brand or model # let your guitar tell you which are the best for it. Try as many as you can.

 

[ursinus]

I would like to recommend Suhr Pickups. I have a SSH (13k) in two of my guitars in the bridges, and a DSH+ in another, but I recently switched the DSH+ (17k) for a more vintage 10K ohm pup (DSV+) and I'm in tone heaven with both my MKIV and Stilletto.

 

[chris_EIT]

YAY. I just put the DiMarzio in the Bridge and it sounds WICKED!
I would have to say it DESTROYS the EMG in every single way.
Thanks for all the advice guys

 

[BOOGIE-MAN63]

You guys should check out Kevin Smiths pickups(SMITSPARTS.COM) I have a pair in my LP and a custom 11k in a strat.They are amazing.Very breathy and tight.I have used Duncans,DiMarzio,EMG's and about any other pickup you can think of in the last 30 years and these have been the best thus far.They are hand wound(or guided) so they are scattered and it brings out a killer tone.I still have guitars with other pickups,but I am slowley changing them out as these have the tones I like.They are also the most cleanest looking pickup I have seen.

 

[Nordhauser]

DiMarzio is the way to go.