Dimarzio Satchur8 Review

[fdesalvo]

So, my older Warmoth Superstrat has been through a few pickups from the Dimarzio camp and now has the Sathur8 sitting in the bridge.  Other pickups included the Gravity Storm and Breed.

Of all the pickups that have found themselves in this guitar, the Gravity Storm was the best fit, as it excelled at organic leads and rhythm work.  It had some of that Dimarzio vowel effect in the mids, but it was just the right amount to make it a fun ride.

The Breed and Satchur8 have very similar characteristics (in this guitar,) despite the A8 mag in the latter.  In my mind, the Breed is a very nondescript and flavorless humbucker that does everything well.  The Satchur8 is much more of the same, having greater output and a broader, more muscular tone.  It doesn't split as well as the Breed or GS and it's quite bland in this guitar.  It's just fat and THERE.  Midrange is very broad and prevalent in the center-mids.  Highs are subdued.  Not a screamer.  Just a wall of indistinct midrange beef.  Reckon my guitar is tonally balanced afterall.

If I keep this guitar, it's going to go back to the Gravity Storm for good.  I have a guitar purposed for modern tones, this one for stratty things, and one in the works that will pull other Superstratly duties in a more organic way.

FWIW, my $.02, one man's opinion, your mileage may vary, effects not typical..

 

[rgand]

It's nice to zero in on what works best for you. You say if you keep it you'll go back to the Gravity Storm for good. Are you going to go back to that to make the decision?

 

[fdesalvo]

It's nice to zero in on what works best for you. You say if you keep it you'll go back to the Gravity Storm for good. Are you going to go back to that to make the decision?

Truth!  I'll know what to do once Undead Fred is assembled  :laughing7:.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I still think that the original Fred is the nicest overall Satch model.
It splits well, and had plenty of heft when pushed through my ADA MP-1.

 

[fdesalvo]

I still think that the original Fred is the nicest overall Satch model.
It splits well, and had plenty of heft when pushed through my ADA MP-1.

I keep hearing about the Fred - color me curious, brother!  I can't wait to get my MP-1 out of storage!

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I still think that the original Fred is the nicest overall Satch model.
It splits well, and had plenty of heft when pushed through my ADA MP-1.

I keep hearing about the Fred - color me curious, brother!  I can't wait to get my MP-1 out of storage!

If the PAF Pro took the PAF to new heights, I felt the Fred went further than the PAF Pro.  In Fact, the attached video is my old block heel RG550 loaded with Fred's in Bridge/Neck with an HS-3 in the middle pumped through my MP-1.

Disregard the mullet, this was 28 years ago....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX7tdoURToE

 

[fdesalvo]

I still think that the original Fred is the nicest overall Satch model.
It splits well, and had plenty of heft when pushed through my ADA MP-1.

I keep hearing about the Fred - color me curious, brother!  I can't wait to get my MP-1 out of storage!

If the PAF Pro took the PAF to new heights, I felt the Fred went further than the PAF Pro.  In Fact, the attached video is my old block heel RG550 loaded with Fred's in Bridge/Neck with an HS-3 in the middle pumped through my MP-1.

Disregard the mullet, this was 28 years ago....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX7tdoURToE

First of all, thanks for the great vid - great playing and tone.  Sounds very much like the GS.  Secondly, never ask me to disregard a mullet.  I come from a land where neck capes reigned supreme.  Every other car was an 80s trans-am with the t-tops out.  Mullets are good nostalgia for this guy. 

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I still think that the original Fred is the nicest overall Satch model.
It splits well, and had plenty of heft when pushed through my ADA MP-1.

I keep hearing about the Fred - color me curious, brother!  I can't wait to get my MP-1 out of storage!

If the PAF Pro took the PAF to new heights, I felt the Fred went further than the PAF Pro.  In Fact, the attached video is my old block heel RG550 loaded with Fred's in Bridge/Neck with an HS-3 in the middle pumped through my MP-1.

Disregard the mullet, this was 28 years ago....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX7tdoURToE


Neck Capes!!!
:laughing3: :laughing3: :laughing3: :laughing3: :laughing3:

 

[fdesalvo]

:laughing7:

 

[zebra]

If I keep this guitar, it's going to go back to the Gravity Storm for good.  I have a guitar purposed for modern tones, this one for stratty things, and one in the works that will pull other Superstratly duties in a more organic way.

Just out of curiosity, that being the case - what pickups do you have in the guitar purposed for modern tones?

 

[fdesalvo]

If I keep this guitar, it's going to go back to the Gravity Storm for good.  I have a guitar purposed for modern tones, this one for stratty things, and one in the works that will pull other Superstratly duties in a more organic way.

Just out of curiosity, that being the case - what pickups do you have in the guitar purposed for modern tones?

Bare Knuckle Juggernauts

 

[fdesalvo]

It's nice to zero in on what works best for you. You say if you keep it you'll go back to the Gravity Storm for good. Are you going to go back to that to make the decision?

Update. I have to keep this guitar.  It plays and sounds so great!  Will swap out the humbucker and take it from there.

 

[rgand]

It's nice to zero in on what works best for you. You say if you keep it you'll go back to the Gravity Storm for good. Are you going to go back to that to make the decision?

Update. I have to keep this guitar.  It plays and sounds so great!  Will swap out the humbucker and take it from there.

A keeper is just that. A keeper. :icon_thumright:

 

[fdesalvo]

It's nice to zero in on what works best for you. You say if you keep it you'll go back to the Gravity Storm for good. Are you going to go back to that to make the decision?

Update. I have to keep this guitar.  It plays and sounds so great!  Will swap out the humbucker and take it from there.

A keeper is just that. A keeper. :icon_thumright:

Yes!  Trying to learn to keep them instead of the eternal replacement cycle. 

 

[fdesalvo]

Pre-caffeinated ramble -

Alright!  The guitar is def staying in the flock.  The Satchur8 is out and a Gravity Storm is going back in.  Until I get to hear the Transition bridge I have in my current build, this takes the title as my favorite bridge humbucker of all time and space.  I've learned a lot in this 20yr pickup journey.  I don't like severely overwound/hot humbuckers.  I like medium output styles with offset coils. 

Now that I have access to high gain pedals/amps, I have zero need for a pickup to overwhelm my amp's input.  I love the dynamics and interaction medium to lower output pickups have with my current rig.  I've been setting the amp up with light breakup and then hit it with a Barber Tone Press right after the tuner, then on to a Tumnus and/or Maxon OD808, blues/rock.  I have  MI Crunchbox V2 for the heavy stuff. 

I found myself replacing the bridge in the brown strat (BBQ Floyd) with hotter and hotter models until I utterly ruined what I loved about the thing in the first place.  I'm telling you, the Gravity Storm is such an impressive pickup - had the set in another Ibanez and it was hugely dynamic and balanced.  All the split sounds are to die for and it manages to pull off low-high gain like a damn boss without losing feel or dynamics.  There was no dark or ugly area for the pickup selector to land on and I felt like I could knock it into any position while performing and be inspired.  It played so well with the Area 67 middle, but in an HSS config, the #2 position was a little noisy, so the one going into BBQ Floyd will get it's mag flipped to hum cancel in that position. 

Now my anxiety comes in the form of a question - will the Transition blow out the GS?  Even if it is an amazing pickup, it's going into another guitar, so it will be nice to have access to another sweet and organic tone generator.  We will learn soon.

 

[bagman67]

Thanks for the ongoing reports from the front lines of the pickup wars, Frank.  Heads up:  I am participating in the recessed no-fine-tuners Floyd experiment, and once I get the body I've committed to in that context, I plan to load it with a Kiesel Lithium bridge pickup.  I will gladly offer up said axe to you for experimentation.

 

[fdesalvo]

Thanks for the ongoing reports from the front lines of the pickup wars, Frank.  Heads up:  I am participating in the recessed no-fine-tuners Floyd experiment, and once I get the body I've committed to in that context, I plan to load it with a Kiesel Lithium bridge pickup.  I will gladly offer up said axe to you for experimentation.

Hey, Ian.  How do, how do? 

My pleasure to report back.  I'm going to end up going the NFT route on the next build.  Haha that means that one of the other guitars will have to go on the block.  I'd be honored to test drive aforementioned axe, but feel like it's similar to adultery (and I wouldn't want to accidentally damage it!). 

 

[bagman67]

The good news is I tend to finish my own axes anymore, so they come into the world pre-damaged.  Which was a real relief when my then-toddler boy took after my green Tele with a wooden toy mallet.  Let's just say a pre-verbal child can accelerate the relic'ing process at low cost and with dramatic results.


Plus you play way better than I do and it'd be great to hear any of my axes put through its paces by an actual competent musician.

 

[fdesalvo]

The good news is I tend to finish my own axes anymore, so they come into the world pre-damaged.  Which was a real relief when my then-toddler boy took after my green Tele with a wooden toy mallet.  Let's just say a pre-verbal child can accelerate the relic'ing process at low cost and with dramatic results.


Plus you play way better than I do and it'd be great to hear any of my axes put through its paces by an actual competent musician.

:toothy12: I swear, I used to just wax and clan my warmoths and keep em on their hangars.  Now I am starting to appreciate the worn look (not that I want to accelerate the process haha.  Well, I'd be honored and flattered to take her for a spin! 

 

[Cagey]

Now that I have access to high gain pedals/amps, I have zero need for a pickup to overwhelm my amp's input. 

That's true. Modern overdrives or "amp in a box" pedals, or even just modern amp designs are so good they've pretty much negated the need for pickups that have output levels you could weld with. They let you use pickups that have character and definition, which is just better no matter how you look at it.