I have a Charvel coming tomorrow with one in the bridge. I dont have any experience with these pickups so I was wondering what to expect. I am stoked to be going back to passives though as I have grown to really dislike actives.
Whats everyone think of the Dimarzio Tonezones?
- Thread starter K Odell
- Start date
ACCKKK, hate it - had it in the bridge of my old neck-thru maple Ibanez with mahogany wings (IOW a ridiculously bright guitar), and it was still muddy and woofy as all hell. Are you getting one of the San Dimas reissues? I'm so jealous, those things are a shredder's wet dream 
pifos_2
des scoubidoubidous wha !
you'll see if you like it, I am not sure you will .
BUT don't think all passives are like that one... Try a SD SH4 or a SD Custom or DM DSonic.
I tried the passives but it ain't for me... And now I'll have to sell this Jackson COW 7.
I love SD JBs but I wanted to give the tonezones a try atleast. And yes its the Socal model they have out. I am stoked on it. I love Jackson,Fender, and Charvel. Best companies to work with ever.
MetallyGuitarded
He whom thou art not
I have the ToneZone in the neck of my guitar.
Per DiMArzio 'It's got tremendous bass and low-mid response to reinforce the bottom end and make the overall sound bigger. The highest single notes have depth, and chords sound huge. Patented dual-resonance coils reproduce more overtones than you’d expect from such a fat-sounding pickup.
Recommended For: Bridge position in all solid body guitars.'
I thought I read somewhere they said NOT to put it in the neck position because it would be too bassy. They specifically say it's for the bridge. I tried it in the bridge and it was just too bright and not enough low-end punch compared to the Evolution. In the neck, it's awesome. Pristine, lots of harmonics, etc. Even as close to the strings as I can get it it's still a little light on the bass. This polar opposite sound from what DiMarzio describes can only be chocked up to the fact that mine is a >very< early production. Otherwise it just defies logic.
I put the Evolution ( the bridge version I should add ) in the neck position when I first tried the ToneZone in the bridge. The Evo bridge pu was WAY too bassy in the neck position. Even about 1/2" from the strings!! I know my guitar doesn't have a Bermuda Triangle of Sound Frequencies going on so I don't know what the hell is up with my ToneZone but I love it where it is. Maybe it was modded or something? Either way, the definition, harmonics and musical nature of the DiMarzios removed any doubt about my trepidation towards going from all EMG to passives.
Per DiMArzio 'It's got tremendous bass and low-mid response to reinforce the bottom end and make the overall sound bigger. The highest single notes have depth, and chords sound huge. Patented dual-resonance coils reproduce more overtones than you’d expect from such a fat-sounding pickup.
Recommended For: Bridge position in all solid body guitars.'
I thought I read somewhere they said NOT to put it in the neck position because it would be too bassy. They specifically say it's for the bridge. I tried it in the bridge and it was just too bright and not enough low-end punch compared to the Evolution. In the neck, it's awesome. Pristine, lots of harmonics, etc. Even as close to the strings as I can get it it's still a little light on the bass. This polar opposite sound from what DiMarzio describes can only be chocked up to the fact that mine is a >very< early production. Otherwise it just defies logic.
I put the Evolution ( the bridge version I should add ) in the neck position when I first tried the ToneZone in the bridge. The Evo bridge pu was WAY too bassy in the neck position. Even about 1/2" from the strings!! I know my guitar doesn't have a Bermuda Triangle of Sound Frequencies going on so I don't know what the hell is up with my ToneZone but I love it where it is. Maybe it was modded or something? Either way, the definition, harmonics and musical nature of the DiMarzios removed any doubt about my trepidation towards going from all EMG to passives.
Kazrog
Kazrog, Inc.
John Petrucci used the Tone Zone as his bridge pickup on "Images and Words" and "Awake" as far as I know, with an Air Norton in the neck. In my n00b years, because of this, I got this combination of pickups put in my agathis body BC Rich Bronze Series Warlock in 2000 (I bought it for $150 at Guitar Center because it looked cool and was cheap.) It still sounded like a shitty guitar after that - in fact it sounded exactly like the stock pickups to me. Sold the guitar subsequently for more than the price of the pickups + the guitar on eBay!
This experience taught me that tone woods matter, but taught nothing about these pickups. They did look nice, in the nice-looking guitar that sounded woofy and horrible. I figure John Petrucci's track record with them says something in their favor, I'm sure they're great pickups.
This experience taught me that tone woods matter, but taught nothing about these pickups. They did look nice, in the nice-looking guitar that sounded woofy and horrible. I figure John Petrucci's track record with them says something in their favor, I'm sure they're great pickups.
I think Petrucci used the Steve's Special Kaz, though maybe not originally...
And Metally, that is pretty bizarre - no clue as to why that's been your experience, but as always, the sound is what matters! I'll say this, though, the Dimarzio description is spot on to my experiences, except that there was just WAAAAAAAYYY too much lows.
And Metally, that is pretty bizarre - no clue as to why that's been your experience, but as always, the sound is what matters! I'll say this, though, the Dimarzio description is spot on to my experiences, except that there was just WAAAAAAAYYY too much lows.
Temps
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I had a Charvel So Cal with the Tone Zone. Really, really liked that guitar.. especially like the bridge pickup. I didn't think it was muddy at all, through my old Stiletto and the Invader. I really liked the chug it had and thought it had some awesome note definition - it was just an awesome, ballsy, tone. Never even considered replacing it.. returned the guitar to the store though as it developed a neck warp issue. I'm going to hold out for the next batch of colors, I really want another one.. am hoping for a So Cal in pearl white!
well the neck warp issues weirds me out as I will be using this as my main guitar in B standard.
Temps
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Well "warp" might not be the right word for it. It was playable, but not as playable as I would like... the tongue on the neck, from roughly the 16th fret up, started to curve upwards. So you couldn't take the action down very low, and if you did, all the notes in the upper register would get deadened and had metallic overtones because they were buzzing against the frets.
Its a problem 95% of cheap (meaning non-custom, non high end) instruments have to varying degrees, my 2077XL has it so bad it made the guitar unplayable.. my old Dean doesn't have it all, and neither do my Jacksons.
Its a problem 95% of cheap (meaning non-custom, non high end) instruments have to varying degrees, my 2077XL has it so bad it made the guitar unplayable.. my old Dean doesn't have it all, and neither do my Jacksons.
MetallyGuitarded
He whom thou art not
J.DavisNJ
\m/
Was this one of the new SoCals???
I ask, because they are 1/4 sawn Maple and should be the least likely neck to warp. Maybe the neck on yours just needed a truss rod tweak.
-Joe
I ask, because they are 1/4 sawn Maple and should be the least likely neck to warp. Maybe the neck on yours just needed a truss rod tweak.
-Joe
Temps
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Truss rod doesn't help that high on the neck. And we tried that, for sure.. I really liked how the guitar sounded, loved the shape of the neck & the finish on the frets, and didn't want to let go of it at all.
nope.. it happens on any guitar. My tech pulled out a set neck with a bad tongue lift as an example, and I guess I wasn't totally accurate, because my white SLS3 has a very minor case of it. Its a natural tendency of the wood.. maybe has something to do with the fretboard having a bunch of lines cut into it for the frets? Not entirely sure.
