EBMM axis/EVH pickups...several questions

[flitemedic13]

1. is there a way to verify if pickups are what people say they are? Anything indistiguishable about the pickups that would let you know they came from an axis/evh/petrucci or any other specific guitar?

2. Also are the EVH and axis pups the same? Ive read where the EVH production model and Ed's EVH guitars didnt have the same pickups.

3. if i cant find a axis/evh pickup is the Dimarzio tone zone / air norton the closest thing out there to them or would you go with the new EVH wolfie pickups instead and how do OLP's pups fair with the name brands?

[beej]

Generally speaking, any pickup that's commonly available will have the model # on it. The Petrucci guitars have had different pickups over time, I believe all of them are commonly available (Dimarzio).

For the EVH, Dimarzio custom made pickups just for Music Man. Ed's guitars had the same pickups as the production models. (That's the approach MM takes with artist guitars- you get the same thing the artist is playing, exactly, including string gauge, etc.)

Yes, the EVH and Axis pickups are the same (the Axis have extra wires so they can be coil split, but other than that they're the same). These same pickups are also on the 25th Anniversary, Reflex and HH Albert Lee models. Again, they're just made for Music Man so you can't buy them on their own.

On that last question- lots of guys seem to think the TZ/AN combo is close, not the same, but close. No idea about the other ones you'd mentioned.