Dimarzio Super Distortion and Tone Zone

[rxtech]

Can I get some opinions on these pickups? I'm considering a P90 sized version, but I'll take opinions of full size or P90 size. I like everything from blues, AC/DC, to old VH style distortion. I play a Marshall AVT 20. I don't need any NU metal sounds, 80's hair metal, or smooth high gain sounds. I want clean to CRUNCH. Would the Tone Zone be to boring sounding? Thanks all!

 

[blackspy]

I've used a ToneZone in one of my favorite guitars for years now. It has a really kickass low-mid kick to it, with some higher mids smoothed out, and smooth high end. If that makes sense I really like it. It is probably not the best pickup for clean sounds though, as it is fairly high output. It does almost any rock sound very well though.

It does sound similar, not identical, to the Axis bridge pickup to me, or at least through my equipment.

 

[rxtech]

blackspy...

Thanks for the info. Anyone else?

 

[Colin]

It does sound similar, not identical, to the Axis bridge pickup to me, or at least through my equipment.

Dimarzio actually say that's the closest sounding pickup available to the EVH/Axis

 

[joe web]

i prefer the tonezone since 5 years now.
it´s a great sounding PUP with a lot of lowend, a lot of mids and a nice highend.
i never regret buying a TZ.

 

[fbecir]

Hello

I use a Tone Zone in a "home-made" guitar I built 3 years ago (mahogany body & neck).
It is a hot pickup (hotter for instance than the Steve Morse Humbucker). If you play with a valve amp, you need to lower a bit the volume pot of your guitar to have a clean sound otherwise the sound is crunchy.
For overdrive & distortion, it is a very good pickup. On my guitar, the neck pickup is an Air Norton and the 2 pickups are working well together.

I hope that helps ...

 

[hbucker]

I know DiMarzio says the Tone Zone / Air Norton pickups are the closest to the corresponding pickups in the EVH / Axis, but I find them to be not similar at all. I absolutely love the DiMarzios in my EVH. The Air Norton is also a decent pickup but I dont' like the Tone Zone.

I'm glad the others here like the Tone Zone but I've had two now in 3 different guitars. I find them to be way too hot and pretty sloppy sounding; not a lot of definition and really flabby low end. After about 9 years of dealing with this pickup and trying to adjust everthing to make it good, I finally gave up and replaced it. I'm happy with the replacement and have never looked back.

Again, if others like it that's great, but I find it to be nothing like the bridge pickup in my EVH and couldn't recommend the Tone Zone to anyone but my worst enemy.

I don't have experience with the Super Distortion.

good luck.

 

[rxtech]

I know DiMarzio says the Tone Zone / Air Norton pickups are the closest to the corresponding pickups in the EVH / Axis, but I find them to be not similar at all. I absolutely love the DiMarzios in my EVH. The Air Norton is also a decent pickup but I dont' like the Tone Zone.

I'm glad the others here like the Tone Zone but I've had two now in 3 different guitars. I find them to be way too hot and pretty sloppy sounding; not a lot of definition and really flabby low end. After about 9 years of dealing with this pickup and trying to adjust everthing to make it good, I finally gave up and replaced it. I'm happy with the replacement and have never looked back.

Again, if others like it that's great, but I find it to be nothing like the bridge pickup in my EVH and couldn't recommend the Tone Zone to anyone but my worst enemy.

I don't have experience with the Super Distortion.

good luck.

Thanks hbucker, and everyone else, too

 

[Colin]

I know DiMarzio says the Tone Zone / Air Norton pickups are the closest to the corresponding pickups in the EVH / Axis, but I find them to be not similar at all.
good luck.

That's interesting, cause I remember reading an interview with Ed and Dimarzio offered him the Tone Zone first and he didn't like it all. Maybe Dimarzio is using a little creative license to sell pickups?

 

[hour9]

I have an f-spaced tone zone that has been in and out of several guitars that I have owned over the years and I now own an Axis SS. I think I like the sound of the tone zone better than the bridge pup in the Axis. I like that the tone zone empasizes the lower mids, it keeps it from sounding shrill.
I've never tried a super distortion so I can't comment on that but the tone zone is a great pickup. I highly recommend it.
I also think the tone zone sounded pretty good clean as well.

 

[CudBucket]

This is such a subjective thing. I've been meaning to try a Tone Zone for a while. I put an Air Norton and Steve's Special in my DIY guitar and they're both warm sounding in it.