Dimarzio Tone Zone Humbucker

[tomroffey666]

Wondering if anyone has used one of these pups? How do they sound? Would you recommend them for hard rock/metal/shred? I have a Dimarzio X2N in my custom explorer and its just too heavy haha

 

[rockskate4x]

Paul Gilbert uses them, but he's more shred than metal, so I dunno...

 

[yyz2112]

I use Tone Zones in almost all of my guitars. Very versatile, can go from slightly twangy clean to full out saturation and not lose definition. Slightly too fat for shred, but it will do in a pinch. Works great for metal and punk, old school hard rock is a no brainer, kills there.

 

[tomroffey666]

Ok cool thanks for that. Yeah i need something that will handle metal and clean up very well and also sound great coil tapped. Any other Dimarzio's you guys would suggest, if not i'll just roll with the tone zone!

 

[mullyman]

The tone zone is one of the best pups I've ever used

 

[dNA]

everything I've heard is that it kills in trem-equipped alder or basswood guitars, but i've heard so many other people talking about how terrible it sounded in pretty much any other kind of guitar.

 

[tomroffey666]

Hmm well i'm going to be using it on a mahogany body with a tom bridge if that helps. arty07:

 

[dNA]

Hmm well i'm going to be using it on a mahogany body with a tom bridge if that helps. arty07:

well i'm just going on what i've heard over the years, and I don't get the impression that'd be a good mix. I think you'd probably wanna go for something more open sounding.
Just wondering: what led you to the tone zone originally?
I'd be curious to know what tuning you play in and what kind of amp you're using.

 

[mullyman]

Well, if you want an idea of what the TZ sounds like listen to anything played on an Ernie Ball Music Man EVH model. I was told that the Tone Zone was the closest you could get to getting the actual pup they use in that guitar. I believe it was a DiMarzio rep that told me that.
MULLY

 

[tomroffey666]

Ok cool i'll check that out, although music shops in australia suck balls and dont ever stock any good guitars haha

 

[dNA]

Well, if you want an idea of what the TZ sounds like listen to anything played on an Ernie Ball Music Man EVH model. I was told that the Tone Zone was the closest you could get to getting the actual pup they use in that guitar. I believe it was a DiMarzio rep that told me that.
MULLY

But isn't the EBMM EVH a basswood guitar, 25 1/2" scale length, with a trem on it? That's gonna sound so far and away from an Explorer, particularly in the lows

 

[mullyman]

Well, if you want an idea of what the TZ sounds like listen to anything played on an Ernie Ball Music Man EVH model. I was told that the Tone Zone was the closest you could get to getting the actual pup they use in that guitar. I believe it was a DiMarzio rep that told me that.
MULLY

But isn't the EBMM EVH a basswood guitar, 25 1/2" scale length, with a trem on it? That's gonna sound so far and away from an Explorer, particularly in the lows

Yes it is, All I was trying to convey is that the Tone Zone is the advised replacement for an EVH Music Man. I just said if the person wants to hear an example of a Tone Zone.
MULLY
thinks the stock pups in an Explorer suck.....at least they did in the one I used to have. HAHAHA!!!!!

 

[mullyman]

Speaking of which, doesn't DiMarzio's home page have a pickup finder where you can put in different info and it will generate a list of recommended pups? I'm too lazy to go look at it myself. hehe!
MULLY

 

[dNA]

Yes it is, All I was trying to convey is that the Tone Zone is the advised replacement for an EVH Music Man. I just said if the person wants to hear an example of a Tone Zone.
MULLY

I'm just saying that it would be misleading to listen to samples of that pickup in a very different kind of guitar. Which essentially isn't going to help, because it gives little idea of how the Tone Zone will sound in his guitar

Speaking of which, doesn't DiMarzio's home page have a pickup finder where you can put in different info and it will generate a list of recommended pups? I'm too lazy to go look at it myself. hehe!
MULLY

that they do!

 

[tomroffey666]

Hmm well i'm going to be using it on a mahogany body with a tom bridge if that helps. arty07:

well i'm just going on what i've heard over the years, and I don't get the impression that'd be a good mix. I think you'd probably wanna go for something more open sounding.
Just wondering: what led you to the tone zone originally?
I'd be curious to know what tuning you play in and what kind of amp you're using.

The tone zone interested me because paul gilbert use to use it and has great cleans/distortion and it sounded what i kind of wanted but may not be heavy enough. But i usually play from D standard to Standard tuning. I play through a Laney GH100L hooked up to a Laney cab with vintage 30's in it. Also the wood i will be putting it in is a mahogany soloist with a tom.

 

[mullyman]

I'm just saying that it would be misleading to listen to samples of that pickup in a very different kind of guitar. Which essentially isn't going to help, because it gives little idea of how the Tone Zone will sound in his guitar

Well, in all fairness, it would be misleading listening to any sound samples as the samples they usually put up are of recordings of people like Paul Gilbert and God only knows what effects and studio magic is on those recordings. Not to mention it's Paul Gilbert. He could make a 5 dollar guitar from K-Mart sound killer. Hehehehe!!
MULLY

 

[dNA]

Well, in all fairness, it would be misleading listening to any sound samples as the samples they usually put up are of recordings of people like Paul Gilbert and God only knows what effects and studio magic is on those recordings. Not to mention it's Paul Gilbert. He could make a 5 dollar guitar from K-Mart sound killer. Hehehehe!!
MULLY

Good point.

Anyway, I think there's a lot of options - but I'd generally say go with something brighter like the Evo, D-Sonic. I also think the Norton is a kickass pickup - it's more of a beefed up PAF than a real distortion class pickup.