Larry DiMarzio and Paul Gilbert are genius! DiMarzio makes my favorites pickups and Paul Gilbert played in my favorite band (Mr. Big) and is one of my favorite guitarists. Keep well guys!
I tell ya. I love Dimarzio pups. About 1/3 the price of the competition, and every bit of sound. I switched from Duncan's a few years ago and never turned back. Interviews like this with Larry make you like them even more.
I've been playing DiMarzios since 1986. I learned early on in my career as a guitar player that they simply sound better, and are also very well made and reliable. DiMarzio innovates, all the other companies copycat, and do a very bad job. DiMarzio are light years ahead of the competition.
Paul's sound is mostly about many years of practice, as well as knowing how to get the sound he wants from his gear. There's no way to no the cause of your difficulty getting a similar sound without seeing you play or knowing what your gear is.
I've been a fan of Paul since I was thirteen. I went to see him playing with Racer X in L.A. back around '86-'88. They were really THE band to see. Paul's skill on guitar was mind-blowing. He's evolved wonderfully over the years and knows how to get great tones, has great feel. And he plays the best pickups in the world.
Good folks at Dimarzio,called them the other day and couldnt be more impressed with the customer service.Purchased the PAF Joe for the neck position in my Ibanez RG and love it.Going to purchase Fred,Mo Joe,or Steves Special for the bridge next.Dimarzio listens to and cares about its customers,and thats rare these days.Thanks Larry !
Hi Larry, I've been an avid user and endorser of DiMarzio pickups since '95. I'm so grateful to have known such a great company that has provided my tone for 15 years and counting. Thanks!
i could sit there watching you two guys talk pop-culture, guitar-playing and the difference between al di meola and ace frehley the whole day. this video shows alot about the greatness of pg: he's entertaining, a good person and an insanely great guitar player. thanks for posting!
They're just chillin. Nice interview - This shows Larry is a great listener, that's why his pickups are great too. DiMarzio pu's demystified what was under those chrome covers & simultaneously created intrigue.. and gave us what we asked for. Thanks Larry D
hi larry.. just wanted to tell you after years of trying noiseless pickups,, your VV heavy blues 2 are amazing, love the warmth and the way they preserve clarity with distortion .. AMAZING PICKUPS .. and the most quiet noiseless I've tried
I love the way that guitar sounds, and the way Paul plays it. Very awesome! You just can't even some close to this on keyboards, which is what I play, using the STAC
I have a DiMarzio in every single one of my guitars. They sound amazing. If anyone else is looking for high quality pickups, DiMarzio and Bareknuckles are amazing. Can't go wrong with either! Plus, Dimarzios come with these little cool schematics to show you how to wire things yourself. It's great.
Coolest part is at 2:00 when he takes off with Ace frehley lick, I don't care what anyone says Ace was a major force in guitar in the 70's, Cheers to Ace from Texas!!
Paul Gilbert is such a fun guy and so is his music. His new guitar sure is a radical departure from an RG. I love how he has so much fun in life but takes his music seriously. Larry is just an electronics genius! Havent ever seen Larry except youtube so thanks for this! I love my Tone Zone bridge pickup set in mahogony.
I am sorry, but we do not make mint-green humbuckers. The colors we offer are based largely on player demand, and requests for mint-green humbuckers are very rare. All of our colors are molded into the bobbins, so we cannot offer one-of-a-kind colors.
Yo Larry! I've always loved the Dimarzio Paf pro & humbucker from hell.. I just tried the Evo2 and it's truly one of the best bridge pickups I've heard. Thank you for the creative works, and more power to you & all the staff at Dimarzio. \m/
i am amazed by your pickups I have the tone zone, evolution ,which came with my charvel, so i ordered the crunch lab and liquifier set I love them and the way they blend blows my mind.and has given me more inspiration to play guitar, thanks.
@SeTorsken F-spaced pickups work with any guitar with string spacing that's wide enough to call for them. This includes your guitar. You said you liked Paul's sound as well as Buckethead's, so I recommended a set of pickups that might be able to do something similar to both.
Paul has played many different guitars, but you can usually identify his playing within a couple of notes. Good guitars can be more fun to play, but the sound always starts with the player.
I hate people that diss DIMARZIO pu's. They are ICONIC to the music industry regardless of what some may say(mostly duncanites) My first replacement pu was a Super distortion cause guys like Al Dimeola, ace frehley,tom scholz used them. Since those early days Dimarzio has produced even more incredible models like the TONE ZONE,PAF PRO,FRED, NORTON. man i just realized i would be typing their whole catalog here! LOL
I totally agree. DiMarzio pioneered the aftermarket pickup with the Super Distortion, and have continued to pioneer right to this day. They keep it fresh, new, moving forward. I love the essential vintage sounds we've come to know and love, but I've always leaned in the direction of innovation as a player both stylistically and sonically, and DiMarzio has always been a staple for me. I remember the 80s in L.A. where I was a part of the shred guitar scene as a teenager. I was always buying, selling and trading guitars. I made sure they ALL had DiMarzios, from the Super Distortion, the Double Whammy, the PAF Pro, MegaDrive, and Tone Zone. They have always helped me get the best out of every guitar. I was always a stalwart DiMarzio defender. When shops tried to push Duncans on me I'd tell them NO! DiMarzio all the way. Period. The top players have always prefered DiMarzio because they simply perform better. They are designed to capture the sonic elements that define the electric guitar and make it sing. I worked very hard in the woodshed to become the best player I could be. I saw it as an olympic sport, and I loved every minute of it. I still do. I often compare DiMarzios to high end mics, like a $30,000 Sennheiser vocal mic you'd see at one of the world's top studios. Just as that Sennheiser is designed to capture the innate dynamics of the human voice, a pickup must capture the playing dynamics inherent to electric guitar. It's the pickup, after all, that makes an electric guitar electric in the first place. As a player who was never big on effects, besides a fuzzbox, chorus, flange and delay, my pickups are paramount to my sound. This is why DiMarzio is an absolute giant in the world of guitar. They get me heard loud and proud. I've been playing DiMarzio since 1986. I'll play them forever. They're the best.
They're amazing, and they make something for everybody, arguably more than any other pickup company. If anyone ever told me Dimarzio's suck my first response would be "...all of them?"
Hi, A most of the noise in coming from Pauls pedal board. There was a ton of gain added by some of the distortion effects. Hope that helps, Larry DiMarzio
tone zone, d sonic, or d activators would probably be your best bet for bridge pickups they all get good harmonics and can handle drop tunings really well. for neck pickups i'd recommend paf pro or air nortons, it all depends on what style you're shooting for but it sounds like you're playing metal so my personal opinion/preference would be a tone zone in the bridge and paf pro in the neck the d activators have almost emg like tone but get kinda sterile sounding like too clean and the d sonic
My absolute favorite neck humbucker pup of all time for both 25.5 and 24.75 scale length. I wish they would make this pup with a vintage style 2 lead wire.
@whitelotus808 You might check out a standard-spaced D Activator neck model in the neck and an F-spaced D Activator bridge model in the bridge position. The fact that the body is semi-hollow doesn't mean the guitar behaves like a typical semi-hollow, because the air chambers in the body are sealed.
@chemfolks The problem isn't that the Air Norton would be muddy. It's that it will probably too loud to balance well with an Injector in the bridge. It's almost always a good idea to avoid a situation where the neck pickup is louder than the bridge pickup.
It does matter, but the answer also depends on the sound you want and the type of amp you play. If your amp has a lot of gain, low output pickups will have better dynamics and a more open sound than hotter pickups.
@LarryDiMarzio Hi Larry (wow, I feel so "cool" calling you Larry :D) Could you tell me if it's possible to change the plastic cover on pickups like the Area 61 and the Area 58? Thanks a lot!
@guitargod1598 I'm not sure I want to know what a 'Sexplorer' looks like, but a D Activator bridge model in the bridge position and a LiquiFire in the neck should be a good set to try first.
@magicthunder666 The Tone Zone and Air Norton can be ordered with black polepieces and the Chopper comes with black blade poles, but we only have one shade of green, and we can't do custom pickup colors on one-of-a-kind orders.
Hey i have tried many pickups and i have been drawn to DiMarzio specifically the Tone Zone for the bridge and Air Norton for the neck. Although i don't have them yet i am hoping to get them for my Ibanez Rg Prestige.
Larry, PLEASE. PLEASE tell me what pickups Richie Kotzen uses in his Japanese Stratocaster Model... I don't now exactly, and it's been like a itchy to me to know that... HAHAHA! Anyway, you're amazing. Keep doing the good work, John Quint
@ermonski I notice we've already replied to your email, and written the following: You might try an F-spaced LiquiFire (DP227F) or Breed neck model (DP165F) in the neck position and an F-spaced Super 3 (DP152F) in the bridge position.
@JPGuitarGuyFutrell There's no single answer that works for everyone, but a 36th Anniversary PAF bridge model should be a wise choice in the bridge position. It will also work well with an Air Classic neck model in the neck spot.
@GrungeUntitled The Super Distortion S isn't quite as loud as the full-size Super, but the tone is very similar & it should be good if you have an amp with a reasonable amount of gain.
@thricefit The Mo' Joe was designed for the bridge position. It might be OK in the neck, but I don't think it (or any other pickup) will produce more sustain. In terms of tone, you might try a LiquiFire. I think it will be a bit better.
very nice video thanks. but i would like to know why Paul's guitar makes a base noise while he is playing? is it because of the wiring or the shielding or anything like that? what could be done in order not to have that noise?
@AstriBlair I'm sorry, but there is no way to know what the problem is without seeing the guitar. You might want to have a guitar tech look at the guitar to see how well it is set up and adjusted.
@gitarrmicke73 Yes, if you have an amp that's able to produce the different sounds you need. You will need an amp that has at minimum one channel for clean sounds and one channel for overdriven sounds.
Great video¡¡ I only use DiMarzio picks, but if i´m allowed to say something, the DiMarzio sound in this video gets a little dirty because of the string through the microphone sound. Thanks
How do you feel about mounting pickups in neck thru or deep neck tenon guitars? Specifically mounting them really tightly, without screws but having to tap them in gently because the tolerances are so tight. Will it alter the sound? Also thanks alot. Nearly 20 years ago I purchase your Brian May pickups and Steve B actually got on the phone with me to answer some specific BM questionsI had at the time. From that point on you had a customer forlife. Thanks for being the best pickup maker ever!!!
An Evo 2 might be a good choice if you find the TZ to be too muddy. It won't automatically give you more harmonics, because this has to do with the exact guitar and the amp you use.
@jedailprod A Super should be good in the bridge position (depending on the sound you're looking for, of course). The bridge pickup should be F-spaced. It looks like the neck pickup could be either spacing - I can't be certain without knowing the nut width.
@dougiscool77 Hi, There are no plans for any new pedals form DiMarzio this year or next. I liked the "Very Metal" but it was difficult to get dealer support and we dropped it after a few years. Hope that helps, Larry DiMarzio
@ilDePalma You can change the covers, but they'll need to be our direct replacements, because the dimensions aren't identical to vintage single-coil covers.
hows it going larry? Ive just purchased and recieved the evo dp159 f spaced for my strat and it sounds excellent. people say that theres not too much bass, but its tight and has a great response. just stopping by to say that its a great model. you and steve did a great job designing it. and also, if im looking for a total metal sound that sounds closxe to emgs, which model would you suggest for a les paul ultra2, which is a semi-hollow body? would the body effect the tone greatly?
I'm really thinking of the PAF Pro. I like when Paul Gilbert plays with the ToneZone but it too "muddy". Looks like I can't play "hot" stuff only heavy stuff. But comparing to the Evo2, which should give me what I'm trying to get and also give me MORE harmonics?
@SeTorsken Neither player uses a guitar that's really similar to yours, so it's only possible to offer an informed guess. You might try an F-spaced D Activator bridge model in the bridge position and an Evolution neck model in the neck position.
Larry, I'm looking for a bridge pickup (output level doesn't matter) that has a bit of a rounder top end and doesn't thin my sound out when I play leads. If it was good for Metal rhythms, that would be great too! I have a alder Jackson with a maple neck/fretboard and locking trem. Thank you for making the best guitar pickups!
Hello Mr. DiMarzio, I have an sss strat style guitar but I would love the neck pickup to sound super warm like a hollowbody jazz style humbucker, can you recommend something single coil sized that would get me closest to that sound and still be dynamically responsive?
Storytellers I'd suggest the injector pups. They are awesome. They still have that single coil sound but have a warmer sound. I'd also suggest that if you are going for a warmer sound... as I interpret being less harsh, less present sound... try experimenting with some 300k ohm pots or see if you can get some hand metered 500k pots between 450-500k ohms and roll your to e pot back a touch to roll off that tip top sparkle. I have a strat with injector neck area 67 mid injector bridge and it couldn't be replaced in my arsenal. Good luck! Not Mr. Dimarzio
Hi Larry, I have a 2005-2006 Ibanez RGA321F, Mahogany Body, Flamed Maple Top, Rosewood fretboard guitar that came with and still has in it, the stock DiMarzio/IBZ pups.Running through a JSX head. I've actually come to grow quite fond of them. I have another guitar I need pickups for and would like to know which pickups I can get that are very similar to those. Also which pickups would be the DiMarzio equivalent of a Seymour Duncan SH2 Jazz and SH4, these lack the DiMarzio low end beef I need.
What would you guys recommend for a Les Paul, a pair of air classics, ac neck and 36th bridge or ac neck and sd bridge. I'm playing Gary Moore, AC/DC, ZZ Top, kiss, Zeppelin etc. Thank you!
@LarryDiMarzio Oh I see.I'm very inexperienced with pickups,because i think my guitar pickup has problems.When i pick the high strings on my guitar using the bridge pickup,it doesnt sustain as muck when i bend it and when I alternate pick it,it sounds very choppy and its clarity is reduced.But when you use the neck pickup.everything seems to be fine.What do you think is wrong with the bridge pickup Mr.D?
@oblivion0815 It's pretty similar to a Steve's Special but with a little brighter tone and alittle less power. The wiring is our standard 4-conductor humbucking.
Hey Larry, I'm looking to put a set of DiMarzio's in a les paul-type guitar. it'll be used in both high gain and clean settings. I've been looking @ the air classics (neck and bridge) as my main option, would the air classic neck do well in instrumental rock and sustain well with high gain on the higher ranges of the guitar? Any feedback will be appreciated!
@AshFromCan It's a Japanese exclusive guitar. The PGM FRM 2, made of mahogany instead of Korina. No pickguard, and Air Classics. A wicked sweet guitar if you ever get a chance to play it in Tokyo.
@MrUnseenBucket They're good choices, but they're not a lot hotter than the stock pickups. If you're interested, you might consider a Heavy Blues 2 (DP409) in the bridge position for more power.
![Rig Rundown: Mr. Big's Paul Gilbert and Billy Sheehan [2017]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/B8I5pNnvNgY/mqdefault.jpg)
Man. Paul seems like he's the nicest guy to work with. He's gracious and humble in every interview I've seen. Plus he's a monster player.
Larry DiMarzio and Paul Gilbert are genius!
DiMarzio makes my favorites pickups and Paul Gilbert played in my favorite band (Mr. Big) and is one of my favorite guitarists.
Keep well guys!
I tell ya. I love Dimarzio pups. About 1/3 the price of the competition, and every bit of sound. I switched from Duncan's a few years ago and never turned back. Interviews like this with Larry make you like them even more.
I've been playing DiMarzios since 1986. I learned early on in my career as a guitar player that they simply sound better, and are also very well made and reliable. DiMarzio innovates, all the other companies copycat, and do a very bad job. DiMarzio are light years ahead of the competition.
Paul's sound is mostly about many years of practice, as well as knowing how to get the sound he wants from his gear. There's no way to no the cause of your difficulty getting a similar sound without seeing you play or knowing what your gear is.
I've been a fan of Paul since I was thirteen. I went to see him playing with Racer X in L.A. back around '86-'88. They were really THE band to see. Paul's skill on guitar was mind-blowing. He's evolved wonderfully over the years and knows how to get great tones, has great feel. And he plays the best pickups in the world.
I was waiting for PG and Larry to talk, and now its here. Awesome.
Larry DiMario, the Renaissance-Man of Rock & Roll - thank you so very much for all your work, cool videos, awesome PickUps and everything in-between.
Good folks at Dimarzio,called them the other day and couldnt be more impressed with the customer service.Purchased the PAF Joe for the neck position in my Ibanez RG and love it.Going to purchase Fred,Mo Joe,or Steves Special for the bridge next.Dimarzio listens to and cares about its customers,and thats rare these days.Thanks Larry !
Hi Larry, I've been an avid user and endorser of DiMarzio pickups since '95. I'm so grateful to have known such a great company that has provided my tone for 15 years and counting. Thanks!
Hi,
I am happy that you enjoyed our videos. You are right, Paul is a one of the nicest people in the business.
All the best,
Larry DiMarzio
i could sit there watching you two guys talk pop-culture, guitar-playing and the difference between al di meola and ace frehley the whole day.
this video shows alot about the greatness of pg: he's entertaining, a good person and an insanely great guitar player. thanks for posting!
They're just chillin. Nice interview - This shows Larry is a great listener, that's why his pickups are great too. DiMarzio pu's demystified what was under those chrome covers & simultaneously created intrigue.. and gave us what we asked for. Thanks Larry D
hi larry.. just wanted to tell you after years of trying noiseless pickups,, your VV heavy blues 2 are amazing, love the warmth and the way they preserve clarity with distortion .. AMAZING PICKUPS .. and the most quiet noiseless I've tried
Thanking you for my Jem single coil and my PAF pros. Best pickup config iv ever come across
I love the way that guitar sounds, and the way Paul plays it. Very awesome!
You just can't even some close to this on keyboards, which is what I play, using the STAC
Hi,
Paul is great and sitting around and talking to him is always a good time.
All the best,
Larry DiMarzio
I have a DiMarzio in every single one of my guitars. They sound amazing. If anyone else is looking for high quality pickups, DiMarzio and Bareknuckles are amazing. Can't go wrong with either! Plus, Dimarzios come with these little cool schematics to show you how to wire things yourself. It's great.
Coolest part is at 2:00 when he takes off with Ace frehley lick, I don't care what anyone says Ace was a major force in guitar in the 70's, Cheers to Ace from Texas!!
Paul Gilbert is such a fun guy and so is his music. His new guitar sure is a radical departure from an RG. I love how he has so much fun in life but takes his music seriously. Larry is just an electronics genius! Havent ever seen Larry except youtube so thanks for this! I love my Tone Zone bridge pickup set in mahogony.
I am sorry, but we do not make mint-green humbuckers. The colors we offer are based largely on player demand, and requests for mint-green humbuckers are very rare. All of our colors are molded into the bobbins, so we cannot offer one-of-a-kind colors.
Awesome videos never stop! XDXD thanks!
Yo Larry! I've always loved the Dimarzio Paf pro & humbucker from hell.. I just tried the Evo2 and it's truly one of the best bridge pickups I've heard. Thank you for the creative works, and more power to you & all the staff at Dimarzio. \m/
i am amazed by your pickups I have the tone zone, evolution ,which came with my charvel, so i ordered the crunch lab and liquifier set I love them and the way they blend blows my mind.and has given me more inspiration to play guitar, thanks.
Paul Gilbert and Larry DiMarzio: Two legends of the industry.
@SeTorsken
F-spaced pickups work with any guitar with string spacing that's wide enough to call for them. This includes your guitar. You said you liked Paul's sound as well as Buckethead's, so I recommended a set of pickups that might be able to do something similar to both.
Paul has played many different guitars, but you can usually identify his playing within a couple of notes. Good guitars can be more fun to play, but the sound always starts with the player.
Hi, Thanks for the kind words and I hope you had a good holiday.
All the best,
Larry DiMarzio
so awesome.
I hate people that diss DIMARZIO pu's.
They are ICONIC to the music industry
regardless of what some may say(mostly duncanites)
My first replacement pu was a Super distortion cause guys like Al Dimeola, ace frehley,tom scholz used them.
Since those early days Dimarzio has produced even more incredible models like the TONE ZONE,PAF PRO,FRED, NORTON. man i just realized i would be typing their whole catalog here! LOL
I totally agree. DiMarzio pioneered the aftermarket pickup with the Super Distortion, and have continued to pioneer right to this day. They keep it fresh, new, moving forward. I love the essential vintage sounds we've come to know and love, but I've always leaned in the direction of innovation as a player both stylistically and sonically, and DiMarzio has always been a staple for me. I remember the 80s in L.A. where I was a part of the shred guitar scene as a teenager. I was always buying, selling and trading guitars. I made sure they ALL had DiMarzios, from the Super Distortion, the Double Whammy, the PAF Pro, MegaDrive, and Tone Zone. They have always helped me get the best out of every guitar. I was always a stalwart DiMarzio defender. When shops tried to push Duncans on me I'd tell them NO! DiMarzio all the way. Period. The top players have always prefered DiMarzio because they simply perform better. They are designed to capture the sonic elements that define the electric guitar and make it sing. I worked very hard in the woodshed to become the best player I could be. I saw it as an olympic sport, and I loved every minute of it. I still do. I often compare DiMarzios to high end mics, like a $30,000 Sennheiser vocal mic you'd see at one of the world's top studios. Just as that Sennheiser is designed to capture the innate dynamics of the human voice, a pickup must capture the playing dynamics inherent to electric guitar. It's the pickup, after all, that makes an electric guitar electric in the first place. As a player who was never big on effects, besides a fuzzbox, chorus, flange and delay, my pickups are paramount to my sound. This is why DiMarzio is an absolute giant in the world of guitar. They get me heard loud and proud. I've been playing DiMarzio since 1986. I'll play them forever. They're the best.
They're amazing, and they make something for everybody, arguably more than any other pickup company. If anyone ever told me Dimarzio's suck my first response would be "...all of them?"
SUCH FREAKING DELICIOUS TONE! T_T I want it!
Hi, I'm glad you like the VV and thanks for your kind words.
All the best,
Larry DiMarzio
@rollaflip Thanks for your kind words and support, both DiMarzio and I will continue to try our very best.
Best regards,
Larry DiMarzio
Hi,
A most of the noise in coming from Pauls pedal board. There was a ton of gain added by some of the distortion effects.
Hope that helps,
Larry DiMarzio
Paul currently uses Area 67s in the 3-pickup and Air Classics in the 2-humbucker guitar.
loool paul is so funky in the photoshoot !!
@LarryDiMarzio Ok..thanks for the time Mr.D.more success to your pickups and products!
I like Paul's delay at 4:29 a lot. What kinda delay is it? Interesting interview.
"Paul Gilbert talks sound while Larry DiMarzio listens" :P
tone zone, d sonic, or d activators would probably be your best bet for bridge pickups they all get good harmonics and can handle drop tunings really well. for neck pickups i'd recommend paf pro or air nortons, it all depends on what style you're shooting for but it sounds like you're playing metal so my personal opinion/preference would be a tone zone in the bridge and paf pro in the neck the d activators have almost emg like tone but get kinda sterile sounding like too clean and the d sonic
I don't think this is true for either good or bad pickups, but I do believe a good guitar will improve with age if it's played and taken care of.
epic tone!
@ermonski
They're both perfectly good choices. Both the neck and bridge pickups should be F-spaced for best results.
My absolute favorite neck humbucker pup of all time for both 25.5 and 24.75 scale length. I wish they would make this pup with a vintage style 2 lead wire.
I stared at those pics in the guitar mags too.
@whitelotus808
You might check out a standard-spaced D Activator neck model in the neck and an F-spaced D Activator bridge model in the bridge position. The fact that the body is semi-hollow doesn't mean the guitar behaves like a typical semi-hollow, because the air chambers in the body are sealed.
@chemfolks
The problem isn't that the Air Norton would be muddy. It's that it will probably too loud to balance well with an Injector in the bridge. It's almost always a good idea to avoid a situation where the neck pickup is louder than the bridge pickup.
It does matter, but the answer also depends on the sound you want and the type of amp you play. If your amp has a lot of gain, low output pickups will have better dynamics and a more open sound than hotter pickups.
@LarryDiMarzio
Hi Larry (wow, I feel so "cool" calling you Larry :D)
Could you tell me if it's possible to change the plastic cover on pickups like the Area 61 and the Area 58?
Thanks a lot!
@guitargod1598
I'm not sure I want to know what a 'Sexplorer' looks like, but a D Activator bridge model in the bridge position and a LiquiFire in the neck should be a good set to try first.
@SeTorsken Merry Christmas to you too.
All the best,
Larry DiMarzio
Wow I love these pick ups it would be amazing to have a menu of what pick up you want and what sound your seaching for.
shawn lane used air classics too :) i want air classics now
@magicthunder666
The Tone Zone and Air Norton can be ordered with black polepieces and the Chopper comes with black blade poles, but we only have one shade of green, and we can't do custom pickup colors on one-of-a-kind orders.
Hi, Thanks for the kind words, we try our best.
Best Regards,
Larry DiMarzio
Hey i have tried many pickups and i have been drawn to DiMarzio specifically the Tone Zone for the bridge and Air Norton for the neck. Although i don't have them yet i am hoping to get them for my Ibanez Rg Prestige.
WTF was going on when it started to make that "siren-sound" during his lil' run?? That was insane!!
Shout-out to Larry, you RULE buddy!
it's funny me too, those air classic man, they really sound good!!!
Larry, PLEASE. PLEASE tell me what pickups Richie Kotzen uses in his Japanese Stratocaster Model... I don't now exactly, and it's been like a itchy to me to know that... HAHAHA! Anyway, you're amazing. Keep doing the good work,
John Quint
It's usually good to have a little louder & warmer pickup in the bridge position such as an Area 61.
@AstriBlair
The stock pickups were not ours. Sorry, but I don't know what Ibanez model they are.
@ermonski
I notice we've already replied to your email, and written the following: You might try an F-spaced LiquiFire (DP227F) or Breed neck model (DP165F) in the neck position and an F-spaced Super 3 (DP152F) in the bridge position.
Larry, Do the Air Classics have to be F-Spaced to be dropped into a Strat? just heard this example of the Air's, really like it!
@JPGuitarGuyFutrell
There's no single answer that works for everyone, but a 36th Anniversary PAF bridge model should be a wise choice in the bridge position. It will also work well with an Air Classic neck model in the neck spot.
@GrungeUntitled
The Super Distortion S isn't quite as loud as the full-size Super, but the tone is very similar & it should be good if you have an amp with a reasonable amount of gain.
this man hasn't missed a note in 20 years.
@thricefit
The Mo' Joe was designed for the bridge position. It might be OK in the neck, but I don't think it (or any other pickup) will produce more sustain. In terms of tone, you might try a LiquiFire. I think it will be a bit better.
very nice video thanks. but i would like to know why Paul's guitar makes a base noise while he is playing? is it because of the wiring or the shielding or anything like that? what could be done in order not to have that noise?
@AstriBlair
I'm sorry, but there is no way to know what the problem is without seeing the guitar. You might want to have a guitar tech look at the guitar to see how well it is set up and adjusted.
With a Tone Zone in the bridge position, a BC-1 in the neck position and a Chopper in the middle would be pretty similar to the BC signature.
@gitarrmicke73
Yes, if you have an amp that's able to produce the different sounds you need. You will need an amp that has at minimum one channel for clean sounds and one channel for overdriven sounds.
I enjoy your PAF's DP103 (both neck and bridge position) over my custom mahogany Strat since many years right now and that's it.
Thanks, Larry.
Great video¡¡ I only use DiMarzio picks, but if i´m allowed to say something, the DiMarzio sound in this video gets a little dirty because of the string through the microphone sound.
Thanks
ROCK!
How do you feel about mounting pickups in neck thru or deep neck tenon guitars? Specifically mounting them really tightly, without screws but having to tap them in gently because the tolerances are so tight. Will it alter the sound?
Also thanks alot. Nearly 20 years ago I purchase your Brian May pickups and Steve B actually got on the phone with me to answer some specific BM questionsI had at the time. From that point on you had a customer forlife. Thanks for being the best pickup maker ever!!!
Yes, it should be good. Make sure the Super is F-spaced (DP100F).
An Evo 2 might be a good choice if you find the TZ to be too muddy. It won't automatically give you more harmonics, because this has to do with the exact guitar and the amp you use.
@jedailprod
A Super should be good in the bridge position (depending on the sound you're looking for, of course). The bridge pickup should be F-spaced. It looks like the neck pickup could be either spacing - I can't be certain without knowing the nut width.
@dougiscool77 Hi, There are no plans for any new pedals form DiMarzio this year or next. I liked the "Very Metal" but it was difficult to get dealer support and we dropped it after a few years.
Hope that helps,
Larry DiMarzio
@ilDePalma
You can change the covers, but they'll need to be our direct replacements, because the dimensions aren't identical to vintage single-coil covers.
hows it going larry? Ive just purchased and recieved the evo dp159 f spaced for my strat and it sounds excellent. people say that theres not too much bass, but its tight and has a great response. just stopping by to say that its a great model. you and steve did a great job designing it. and also, if im looking for a total metal sound that sounds closxe to emgs, which model would you suggest for a les paul ultra2, which is a semi-hollow body? would the body effect the tone greatly?
It will work in the bridge position, and it should be F-spaced (DP152F).
I'm really thinking of the PAF Pro. I like when Paul Gilbert plays with the ToneZone but it too "muddy". Looks like I can't play "hot" stuff only heavy stuff. But comparing to the Evo2, which should give me what I'm trying to get and also give me MORE harmonics?
I really like the sound of the Fireman with the area 67s. Do you know if that guitar has a 250 or 500 pot? What do you perfer for the 67's? Thanks.
There's no way to be certain in advance, but it does make sense, and it might work perfectly well.
Can someone tell me the song name at the beginning? Also Larry your Rock!
@SeTorsken
Neither player uses a guitar that's really similar to yours, so it's only possible to offer an informed guess. You might try an F-spaced D Activator bridge model in the bridge position and an Evolution neck model in the neck position.
Larry, I'm looking for a bridge pickup (output level doesn't matter) that has a bit of a rounder top end and doesn't thin my sound out when I play leads. If it was good for Metal rhythms, that would be great too! I have a alder Jackson with a maple neck/fretboard and locking trem. Thank you for making the best guitar pickups!
Hello Mr. DiMarzio, I have an sss strat style guitar but I would love the neck pickup to sound super warm like a hollowbody jazz style humbucker, can you recommend something single coil sized that would get me closest to that sound and still be dynamically responsive?
Storytellers
I'd suggest the injector pups. They are awesome. They still have that single coil sound but have a warmer sound. I'd also suggest that if you are going for a warmer sound... as I interpret being less harsh, less present sound... try experimenting with some 300k ohm pots or see if you can get some hand metered 500k pots between 450-500k ohms and roll your to e pot back a touch to roll off that tip top sparkle. I have a strat with injector neck area 67 mid injector bridge and it couldn't be replaced in my arsenal. Good luck!
Not Mr. Dimarzio
paf pro and tone zone great for bridge. also, ever tryed air norton in the bridge? awesome
Hi Larry, I have a 2005-2006 Ibanez RGA321F, Mahogany Body, Flamed Maple Top, Rosewood fretboard guitar that came with and still has in it, the stock DiMarzio/IBZ pups.Running through a JSX head. I've actually come to grow quite fond of them. I have another guitar I need pickups for and would like to know which pickups I can get that are very similar to those. Also which pickups would be the DiMarzio equivalent of a Seymour Duncan SH2 Jazz and SH4, these lack the DiMarzio low end beef I need.
Sorry for the confusion. The PGM401 has 2 Air Classics.
It's a Fast Track 1 (DP181).
Larry's a lucky man. He gets all the free Dimarzio pickups he wants!
What would you guys recommend for a Les Paul, a pair of air classics, ac neck and 36th bridge or ac neck and sd bridge. I'm playing Gary Moore, AC/DC, ZZ Top, kiss, Zeppelin etc. Thank you!
@LarryDiMarzio Oh I see.I'm very inexperienced with pickups,because i think my guitar pickup has problems.When i pick the high strings on my guitar using the bridge pickup,it doesnt sustain as muck when i bend it and when I alternate pick it,it sounds very choppy and its clarity is reduced.But when you use the neck pickup.everything seems to be fine.What do you think is wrong with the bridge pickup Mr.D?
@oblivion0815
It's pretty similar to a Steve's Special but with a little brighter tone and alittle less power. The wiring is our standard 4-conductor humbucking.
Hey Larry, I'm looking to put a set of DiMarzio's in a les paul-type guitar. it'll be used in both high gain and clean settings. I've been looking @ the air classics (neck and bridge) as my main option, would the air classic neck do well in instrumental rock and sustain well with high gain on the higher ranges of the guitar? Any feedback will be appreciated!
hi larry im looking at to buy a set of dimarzios which will give me the best paul gilbert tone he changes pickups so often
@AshFromCan It's a Japanese exclusive guitar. The PGM FRM 2, made of mahogany instead of Korina. No pickguard, and Air Classics. A wicked sweet guitar if you ever get a chance to play it in Tokyo.
@MrUnseenBucket
They're good choices, but they're not a lot hotter than the stock pickups. If you're interested, you might consider a Heavy Blues 2 (DP409) in the bridge position for more power.
nice video here :)