Dimarzio Equivalent Of The Duncan Custom Custom?

[elduave]

Thanks!

[atquinn]

I've used about 10 times more Dimarzio pickups that I have Duncans, so unfortunately I can't answer this one. I've asked at the Duncan forum for you though, maybe they can come up with something.

-

Austin

[ZR]

Thanks!

Those are both favorites of mine...

To me a Tone Zone was always a fairly equal pickup as far as the end results.

The TZ uses a (some would consider) brighter AL V magnet instead of the AL II of the CC and wound hotter with a higher resistance too. But, I believe the over-winding of the TZ tames the brighter sound to where it is balanced w/ a little high end off the top. The CC isn't as hot but is warmed up with the AL II mags.

The TZ would probably have a little more beef on the bottom than the CC, but both PU's accent the mids and shave a litle off the top. YMMV.

[elduave]

Thanks men. ZR, I decided on the Tone Zone after studying! Thanks for the confirmation!

[ZR]

Thanks men. ZR, I decided on the Tone Zone after studying! Thanks for the confirmation!

That's cool. I like the Rio Grande BBQ for the same applications as the other two. All 3 are good ones.

[zenmindbeginner]

The guys over at the Dimarzio forum all complain about the Tone Zone's heavy bass output. Most of those guys hate it. Curiously, the pickups that Dimarzio made for the Musicman Axis are supposedly a Tone Zone coil and an Air Norton coil. Eddie sure liked the way that they sounded... on paper, they seem like Dimarzio's ultimate pickup. It's too bad that they never sold them, but you can still get them on the used market. I would be curious to see how they sounded as compared to the Eddie Van Halen Duncan Custom or even the EVH brand pickups that Eddie is hawking now. The Peavey Wolfgang pickups are supposed to be identical to the Dimarzio Axis pups and they can be found on the used market as well.

Just my two cents, I hope the Tone Zone works out for ya.

[GaryT]

I like the PAF Pro for a bridge also. But for a P-90 replacement as a humbucker I think the Tone Zone is very good.

[BubbaVO]

The guys over at the Dimarzio forum all complain about the Tone Zone's heavy bass output. Most of those guys hate it. Curiously, the pickups that Dimarzio made for the Musicman Axis are supposedly a Tone Zone coil and an Air Norton coil. Eddie sure liked the way that they sounded... on paper, they seem like Dimarzio's ultimate pickup. It's too bad that they never sold them, but you can still get them on the used market. I would be curious to see how they sounded as compared to the Eddie Van Halen Duncan Custom or even the EVH brand pickups that Eddie is hawking now. The Peavey Wolfgang pickups are supposed to be identical to the Dimarzio Axis pups and they can be found on the used market as well.

Just my two cents, I hope the Tone Zone works out for ya.

Or the EHV that guitarfetish is selling...

[atquinn]

I've played the Tone Zone in a couple guitars (both Diablos) and didn't think it sounded much like a CC at all, although I did think it sounded good. A few guys on the Duncan forum are suggesting the Air Zone (the vintag-ized Tone Zone).

-Austin

[elduave]

Thanks again, y'all.

I like the PAF Pro for a bridge also. But for a P-90 replacement as a humbucker I think the Tone Zone is very good.

I didn't understand the TZ to have anything to do with P90's.

[Guest JackButler]

E, give the TZ a try.. and if you want it just a tad darker and reserved.. little less of that beef on the bottom.. give that Air Zone a try.. the Air pups have the mag physically set lower/further away in the pup it self.. thus creating the "air".. reducing some of that pull from the magnet and taking a little of the heat off of it.

[Brooks]

what's it going in? i've had best results w/ TZ's on floyded guitars (not too much bass).

[GaryT]

Thanks again, y'all.

I like the PAF Pro for a bridge also. But for a P-90 replacement as a humbucker I think the Tone Zone is very good.

I didn't understand the TZ to have anything to do with P90's.

Theres not. And I apologize didn't mean to re-route your thread. All I'm saying is while I didn't care for the Tone Zone as a humbucker. DiMarzio also makes it in a P-90 size as a humbucker. Its a totally different sounding pup that IMHO sounds much better. Clear, Bright and Clean with a very balanced Tone from highs to lows.

But ya the thread has nothing to do with P-90s. I just though inject that because those P-90 humbuckers come up often.

what's it going in? i've had best results w/ TZ's on floyded guitars (not too much bass).

But ya this is the issue I've found with the TZ. I haven't heard it on a FR. But the lows annoyed me with it. Thats how I wound up with a PAF. I wanted to try the Classic or Anniversary. But the Pro and Joe were already in stock The Joe I thought was so-so in the neck. So I went with dual PAF-Pros. They are decent as a set. Have to play with the heights though because they are EQ'd almost identicle. But hey that how it was back in the day.

[KH Guitar Freak]

The Tone Zone is arguably one of the most sensitive to pickup height adjustment. But once you've found the sweet spot, you are gold. The Air Zone is good too, but I found it to be a little too tame compared to the Tone Zone. Also, the Tone Zone sounds pretty good split, somewhat similar to a P90 type of tone...

Also, the general rule is that Dimarzio sound best closer to the strings, whilst the Duncans further away from the strings...

Also, I wouldn't really trust Duncan forum users to give a proper equivalent to the Duncan Custom Custom, as the hate for Dimarzios there seem pretty high, and some even beyond the point of retardiness...

[elduave]

Thanks again, y'all.

I like the PAF Pro for a bridge also. But for a P-90 replacement as a humbucker I think the Tone Zone is very good.

I didn't understand the TZ to have anything to do with P90's.

Theres not. And I apologize didn't mean to re-route your thread.

But ya the thread has nothing to do with P-90s. I just though inject that because those P-90 humbuckers come up often.

Oh, you can interject whatever you want, I just didn't undertand what the hell you we're saying.

[ZR]

Good Point Brooks,

I have the TZ in a floyded CHap Custom...all flame maple no less, so I think that's a perfect match there. I had the CC and BBQ in there b4 and probably could have been happy with either but the TZ just had that certain something. Maybe that SD CCC (with AL V) would be close to the TZ?

Oh, you can interject whatever you want, I just didn't undertand what the hell you we're saying.

[atquinn]

...Also, I wouldn't really trust Duncan forum users to give a proper equivalent to the Duncan Custom Custom, as the hate for Dimarzios there seem pretty high, and some even beyond the point of retardiness...

Most of the Dimarzio hatred comes from Dimarzio ridiculous double-cream trademark, but I find the Duncan forum is good for pickup info on all brands, not just Duncans. I can't think of any forum out there that has so many people interested in all sorts of pickups.

-

Austin

[hamersandstrats]

The Tone Zone has way more bass, and a much tighter sound overall than the Custom Custom. For leads, I like the CC better. If I were playing a lowered tunings, the TZ would be ideal, but there's just something special about the CC.

The Air Zone is probably closer in character to the CC, but also has a pretty tight bottom end. I've been using an Air Zone for years, and its one of my favorite bridge pickups ever.

[Lockbody]

The Air Zone is probably closer in character to the CC, but also has a pretty tight bottom end. I've been using an Air Zone for years, and its one of my favorite bridge pickups ever.

I'm really digging the Air Zone I dropped into my 2xHB Strat. Good, strong output without being overly aggressive.

[proxmax]

interesting thread!

can s.o. compare the tone zone to the suhr aldrich?

[atquinn]

interesting thread!

can s.o. compare the tone zone to the suhr aldrich?

Actually, now that I think of it, they're not completely dissimilar. Going from memory (of the Tone Zone), the Aldrich is less "hyped" and less compressed.

-Austin

[HamerHokie]

The Tone Zone has way more bass, and a much tighter sound overall than the Custom Custom. For leads, I like the CC better. If I were playing a lowered tunings, the TZ would be ideal, but there's just something special about the CC.

Although I haven't A-B compared them before, to my ears the Custom Custom has the same midrange fatness as the Rio Grande BBQ Bucker, although the BBQ Bucker isn't as snappy and has bigger bass.

[hamersandstrats]

The Tone Zone has way more bass, and a much tighter sound overall than the Custom Custom. For leads, I like the CC better. If I were playing a lowered tunings, the TZ would be ideal, but there's just something special about the CC.

Although I haven't A-B compared them before, to my ears the Custom Custom has the same midrange fatness as the Rio Grande BBQ Bucker, although the BBQ Bucker isn't as snappy and has bigger bass.

I think the BBQ is fatter than the Custom Custom, and slightly darker. They may be similar output wise, but that Rio BBQ is fatter than most Duncans.

[Armitage]

The closest DiMarzio to a Custom Custom I'd think is a PAF.

It sounds nothing like a Tone Zone.

[proxmax]

It sounds nothing like a Tone Zone.

positive ment?