Tone Zone/Air Norton or Crunch Lab/Liquifire

[GlassMoon26]

Hey guys, I have a JP6 with the old D-sonic/Custom combination and a LTD with EMGs which I'm looking to get rid of in favour of passive pickups as I'm starting to dislike the artificial, sterile sort of tone I'm getting. But I'm stuck between the Tone Zone/Air Norton combo or the new Crunch Lab/Liquifire combo. I play mostly progressive stuff like Dream Theater (obviously), Opeth, Rush etc but I'm starting to play simple heavy metal less and less. That, combined with me already having the JP6 with similar pickups is making me think twice about going for the CL/L combo.

Which do you guys recommend?

 

[GoKart Mozart]

If it was me, I'd probably go with AN/TZ combo. I like to have a little diversity between instruments. After all, what's the fun in all of them sounding the same?

 

[GlassMoon26]

So I'm right in thinking that the CL/LF pickups are to some extent just upgrades of the previous set? Or at least set up to sound like improved versions of the same thing?

 

[Lou]

To my ear they are pretty similar to the old set. The LF is an improvement in the neck for sure.

 

[jam3v]

I owned an Ibanez with a ToneZone in it, and I really did not like how it sounded. However, I replaced that ToneZone with a CrunchLab and it sounded nothing like the JP6 I owned at the time which also had a CL in it...

The tone woods and construction of different manufacturers make a big difference. Your LTD will likely sound different than your JP6, especially if it's not made of basswood.

 

[shredhed]

I have a JP and just could not get the sound I like from the bridge pup ( I forget which is which - CL LF) so I dropped a TZ in there.

TZ in basswood is perfect IMO, but then again I'm a closet metalhead from the 80s

 

[whitestrat]

The crunchlab is the killer pup in the new combo. It's big and creamy. Vocal-like. If you want something cool, try airnorton with the crunchlab. The d sonic isn't even close.

 

[hbucker]

I have never liked the Tone Zone. Air Norton is o.k. TZ is too hot, too muddy, and has very little character IMO.

I'd go with anything else...

 

[Josh O]

I just dropped the CL/LF combo into my JP6 today. The CL is definitely more focused than the D-Sonic but the big grin on my face is from the LF, man what an improvement overall, much more vocal/clearer/larger sounding than the original neck pickup. Great upgrade.

I will say, I do like the TZ too although I've never tried one in a JP. I put one in the bridge position on a TCM Empress I used to have and it woke that guitar up.