Dimarzio pickups VS Gibson pickups. HELP

Colwarter

New member
Which Dimarzio bridge humbucker compares to the bridge humbucker in a Gibson SG Standard, which is a 498T Alnico magnet humbucker? I played on a Gibson SG standard and the tone was amazing. I want the same tone for my Gibson SG special faded so I'm gonna replace it with a Dimarzio. Thank you!
 
If you want the same tone, get the same pickup. The Dimarzio Breed Bridge and Tone Zone will be similar, as will the Seymour Duncan JB (the most popular after market pickup by far, by which I mean it probably out sells all the others - combined - 2:1).

All of this is based purely on specs, mind you. If you want it to sound like the Gibson, buy the Gibson.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
The stock pickups in a Gibson SG Standard are no comparison to the tone you'll get out of a Seymour Duncan pickup. Besides Gibson pickups are overpriced and overrated. I like Dimarzios as well, but if you want the same type of sound from that SG standard pickup just in a better sounding aftermarket pickup Seymour Duncan makes the best hotrodded-PAF style pickups. The JB as was Light's suggestion is an extremely popular pickup but IMO will be way too bright and harsh in a guitar like an SG. I have an SG standard myself (and replaced the bridge pickup quickly, neck pickup will be replaced asap) and darker pickups tend to work better with that guitar because it is thin and the bridge pickup is closer to the bridge than in most guitars.

If you really want a dimarzio and don't want a classic rock tone at all then please inform us as to what qualities you're looking for. Regarding Seymour Duncan pickups for a classic rock tone I'd suggest the alnico 2 pro neck and Custom Custom bridge for a loose smooth feeling overdrive. For more of an edge while retaining a classic hard rock sound I'd suggest the pearly gates neck and the Custom bridge. Let me know what kind of music you want to play and what kind of amp or other equipment you'll be using and I'll help you pick the best set for your needs. Also inform us of what qualities you seek from each the bridge and neck pickup, some people like a really matched set and some people like the bridge pickup to be way hotter. For more info feel free to check out the Seymour Duncan forum and run a search on pickup suggestions for SGs, there's a ton.
 
ibanezrocks said:
The stock pickups in a Gibson SG Standard are no comparison to the tone you'll get out of a Seymour Duncan pickup..... please inform us as to what qualities you're looking for........ Also inform us of what qualities you seek from each the bridge and neck pickup,
He wants the sound of the stock SG standard. He should get the pickup from that they put in a stock SG standard.

It would seem that to him, the sound of the stock SG standard pickup IS the best tone. Getting a Duncan would be a mistake because neither Duncan nor Dimarzio make the Gibson pickup that he wants the sound of.
 
Or he's just not used to using anything better the cheap pickups in his Gibson Faded and the Standard pickups seem so much better. I'm simply trying to help him out by telling him that there are much better pickups out there than that. IMO those Gibson pickups are never the best option.
 
ibanezrocks said:
IMO those Gibson pickups are never the best option.
Would you put duncans in a '57 les paul gold top?

He knows what he is after. You telling him that the sound he is looking for isn't any good (without hearing it, mind you) is just arrogant bullshit.
 
Along that I am also thinking of upgrading my SG Special (not faded), and had been considering a dimarzio. I have an old peavey with a Dimarzio that I love the tone of. If I am looking along those lines for something that will give me a very clear tone when using alot of overdrive, in the vein of uncle Tupelo, would that be a good way to go?
 
Farview said:
Would you put duncans in a '57 les paul gold top?

He knows what he is after. You telling him that the sound he is looking for isn't any good (without hearing it, mind you) is just arrogant bullshit.

If someone was making an informed decision to buy Gibson pickups and thats what they preferred then thats fine. From the overall tone of his post I'd guess he hasn't tried too many pickups and I'm trying to educate him. Even from the fact that he was thinking of Dimarzios as a comparison for the SG standard pickup you could tell that he isn't a pickup expert. It's like if someone thinks an Epiphone is the best guitar they've ever played because they've never played anything else, mind you in this case the anything else is roughly the same price and is widely accepted as better. The reference to a 57' gold top is just stupid, the pickups in a '57 can't be compared to the crap they throw in an SG standard. We're not talking about burstbuckers or vintage Gibson pickups, we're talking about replacing cheap-ass Gibson faded pickups with slightly less cheap-ass Gibson pickups. My post may have been arrogant, but thinking that we shouldn't even inform him of the fact that SG standard pickups are widely regarded as crap, even if they're slightly better than the faded pickups, is just lazy. Ordering those pickups won't be cheap, and for that kind of money its worth the time to find out what your best option is.
 
The first part of his post reads: "Which Dimarzio bridge humbucker compares to the bridge humbucker in a Gibson SG Standard". This indicates that he doesn't want a gibson pickup, he wants a pickup that sounds like one. In this case a Seymour Duncan will be the closest match. There is nothing arrogant about giving the advice that was asked for in the first place. Farview I believe that you meant well but you seem a bit too critical of Ibanezrocks advice. We all have different opinions which is a good thing.
 
His post sounded to me like he had already made the desision that he wanted the sound of the SG standard and didn't consider just getting that pickup.

The fact that they are regarded as crap will actually make it easier to find all the ones that people are replacing for cheap.
 
For what it is worth, my recomendations were based on listed specs for magnet type (alnico V) and DC resistance (ie: output, which is high) I found listed on the internet. I couldn't find a listing on the Gibson pickup or the Dimarzio's for the resonant peak. But based on the stuff I had avalible, the ones I recomended will be close (and for a given number of wraps of wire, magnet, etc. - the resonant peaks can only be so different).



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
For what it is worth, my recomendations were based on listed specs for magnet type (alnico V) and DC resistance (ie: output, which is high) I found listed on the internet. I couldn't find a listing on the Gibson pickup or the Dimarzio's for the resonant peak. But based on the stuff I had avalible, the ones I recomended will be close (and for a given number of wraps of wire, magnet, etc. - the resonant peaks can only be so different).
That is true, by the specs the SG standard bridge pickup does seem similar to a JB, overall its noticeably muddier than the JB but eq-wise they are atleast close; I think the JB is a little brighter if not in the treble range than certainly it has more upper mids. IMO if a pickup is bright and muddy at the same time its just not made/designed well, although the JB is bright it will be a lot more articulate than the stock SG pickup. Either one of those pickups will be really bright in an SG and need to be backed off the strings a pretty good amount to tame the treble. It is not an easy task choosing a bridge pickup for an SG because the pickup is closer to the bridge and the guitar is naturally bright. That design can give any pickup some edge. I was a little bit quick to denounce the JB for his guitar considering its not very far from the stock pickup, but I did find the stock pickup to be pretty bright. I'm certainly not doubting the JB's reign as the most popular pickup, but it definitely wasn't designed for a guitar like an SG.

Still waiting to hear from Colwater as to what exactly he's looking for in a pickup. I hope he's atleast running some searches in a few forums, like the Seymour Duncan forum and the EverythingSG forum.
 
ibanezrocks said:
I'm certainly not doubting the JB's reign as the most popular pickup, but it definitely wasn't designed for a guitar like an SG.


Well, no, it was designed for a Les Paul (a Custom, if I recal), but it sure works well for a lot of other guitars.

But I'm certainly not an expert in which pickup to use with an SG. My dad's the SG fan, not me (he likes the simplicity of it).



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
If I remember correctly the JB was designed to give a Les Paul the same bite as a Tele. A couple of months ago on the Seymour Duncan forum a representative of the company posted the origins of the JB as a direct quote from Seymour himself.

"Hi Evan, here's my info...I designed the JB for several reasons...1st it was to give more output in the bridge position for players using thinner gauge strings when bending...The original P.A.F. Humbucker was designed to be used with heavy 12-13 gauge high E strings and wound G. Basically the Duncan Custom was designed to be used with 10-11 gauge High E strings...I wanted to get more output and keep the tone smooth while bending and not too harsh...almost like a steel guitar pickup that has a higher DC resistance when used near the bridge...The JB keeps the sustain, harmonics and fat full output without sounding too harsh. It works especially well when using volume swells and keeps the sustain while hitting harmonics. The 2nd reason was to give Jeff the output and tone when using a Marshall head that can be pretty clean when plugged directly in. 3rd, I wanted to make something special to give Jeff a distinctive sound that he used on "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" on the "Blow by Blow" Album produced by George Martin that also got Jeff Beck a Grammy.

Best regards,

Seymour W. Duncan"

Theres the info on the JB. Or view the thread here
 
Regardless of which pickup YOU like the most

I would've read it the same way Farview did. For some reason this guy doesn't realize you can buy the actual Gibson pickup. Maybe because he's never seen them in his local stores, who knows? The obvious thing would've been to ask him all the pertinent questions right off the bat.

Was he playing the SG through his amp? Maybe not. In which case, the whole discussion in terms of his application is somewhat akin to Chessrock's opinion of mic shootouts. Relatively pointless.
 
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