Both of these pickups are each company's "chunky pickups" designed for riffs like those at 3:30. I haven't tried a Tone Zone, but many players will agree the Custom 5 has a huge mid scoop. You can really hear it at 3:55. The Tone Zone has more body for that riff. That said, the Custom/Custom 5 both have a variety of sounds if split/used in parallel with a Triple Shot, so they are very flexible. The Custom 5 is more defined and tighter, but the lack of mids also give it a thin quality. The Tone Zone has more body and is thicker in the low mids, but has less clarity. It really depends on the context of the song and the riff.
I like both pickups and own both, including the rest of the Customs and a number of DiMarzios. I find the lack of beef in the mids of the Custom 5 make it less optimal for me than the Tone Zone. I find the lower mids and big bass response make the Tone Zone balance out better for me, especially with high gain. The high end has a lot of body and the mids are full and cut through very well. But you have to use a different setting for both of these pickups to get the best possible tone. They are just EQ'd differently. I can't say one pickup is better. I just know which one works better for me. You can get away using the Custom 5 in a wider range of guitars than the Tone Zone because the Tone Zone favors bright, thin, stratty sounding guitars because it can balance out as it beefs them up and adds more sustain. The Custom 5, being brighter with more treble, can work better in mahogany set-neck guitars because it brightens up dark, mid-heavy instruments.
Custom 5 has loads more presence and definition, sort of the quintessential alnico humbucker. Tone Zone gets pretty muffled in several of these.
Tone zone clearer, custom 5 less muddy that custom compared to the tz.
Both of these pickups are each company's "chunky pickups" designed for riffs like those at 3:30.
I haven't tried a Tone Zone, but many players will agree the Custom 5 has a huge mid scoop. You can really hear it at 3:55. The Tone Zone has more body for that riff.
That said, the Custom/Custom 5 both have a variety of sounds if split/used in parallel with a Triple Shot, so they are very flexible.
The Custom 5 is more defined and tighter, but the lack of mids also give it a thin quality. The Tone Zone has more body and is thicker in the low mids, but has less clarity.
It really depends on the context of the song and the riff.
I like both pickups and own both, including the rest of the Customs and a number of DiMarzios. I find the lack of beef in the mids of the Custom 5 make it less optimal for me than the Tone Zone. I find the lower mids and big bass response make the Tone Zone balance out better for me, especially with high gain. The high end has a lot of body and the mids are full and cut through very well. But you have to use a different setting for both of these pickups to get the best possible tone. They are just EQ'd differently. I can't say one pickup is better. I just know which one works better for me. You can get away using the Custom 5 in a wider range of guitars than the Tone Zone because the Tone Zone favors bright, thin, stratty sounding guitars because it can balance out as it beefs them up and adds more sustain. The Custom 5, being brighter with more treble, can work better in mahogany set-neck guitars because it brightens up dark, mid-heavy instruments.
This came out right on time for me! I was considering both of them for a future HSS build.
I have a Tone Zone and Air Norton going in my Kiesel Aries tomorrow