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The Pickup Place / Re: Options to replace Air Norton neck on mahogany J.Custom?

« on: September 12, 2022, 05:58:30 AM »

Already replaced. The Gravity Storm neck is a keeper at this J.Custom! It has a special character and the harmonics easily come out of nowhere at the slightest touch of the right hand thumb when picking. None of that was present with the Air Norton. It did not sound bad at all (requiring some surgical EQ to make it shine), but just a "correct" pickup without special sauce

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The Pickup Place / Re: New Tone Charts!?!

« on: September 08, 2022, 08:39:57 PM »

I definitely cannot understand how they arrived at 1.5 bass for the Humbucker from Hell. That thing has as much bass as any PAF out there (at least when used in the neck spot) so to my ears that is definitely off the mark.

That is interesting. I was considering purchasing a Humbucker from Hell to replace the Air Norton neck, but I discarded it after I saw these charts because they indicate that has little bass at all and too much treble. On the opposite extreme of what I want to achieve.

How much can we trust these charts?

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The Pickup Place / Re: Options to replace Air Norton neck on mahogany J.Custom?

« on: September 08, 2022, 08:39:40 PM »

Hopefully I haven’t led you back to the same terrain you were trying to escape! 

For what it’s worth: I’ve owned a lot of guitars that arrived with an Air Norton in the neck, and I always end up replacing them with a Bluesbucker or one of the other pickups I mentioned, for the same reasons you mentioned. I replaced an AN/TZ set in a 24 fret guitar with a Gravity Storm set, then ended up selling the GSs after deciding I preferred lower output pickups. But I did prefer the GS neck to the Air Norton.

All that being said, the AN can make for a great bridge pickup. I just never understood Ibanez and other brands deciding that it was the only Dimarzio they liked in the neck position.

No problem  If the Gravity Storm it is not what I want for that guitar, I can use it on a S540FM. And I may also try the Air Norton at the bridge of that S540FM

I do love the Bluesbucker neck. It has a very interesting P90ish tone. I have it installed on a RG550LTD with the 3 position switch (series/split/parallel). But I want something different for this j.custom

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The Pickup Place / Re: Options to replace Air Norton neck on mahogany J.Custom?

« on: September 07, 2022, 05:23:00 AM »

I've found a Gravity Storm neck for a good price on Reverb I've already pulled the trigger

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The Pickup Place / Re: Options to replace Air Norton neck on mahogany J.Custom?

« on: September 07, 2022, 01:22:42 AM »

Thank you for the suggestion.

I had a Gravity Storm bridge on a RG550LTD, but never had the neck version. I did like it, so it can be a good option for the neck. I am going to consider it.

Theoretically, it has less highs and it is more prominent at the bass than all the ones I was considering, even more than the Air Norton. But maybe that is not much relevant for the final result.

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The Pickup Place / Options to replace Air Norton neck on mahogany J.Custom?

« on: September 06, 2022, 11:00:14 PM »

 I am looking for something with less congested bass and more harmonic-friendly. On the bridge I have a Satchur8, which I love.

From the Vintage Output options I am considering:

DP103 PAF 36th Anniversary
DP190 Air Classic,
DP156 Humbucker From Hell
DP213 PAF Joe

Any suggestion?

The Air Norton is practically flat, while all the above mentioned are compensated with lower bass and higher treble.
Air Norton:

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The Pickup Place / Re: Confused about North and South poles on Ibanez HSH wiring diagram

« on: August 29, 2022, 12:53:50 AM »

Hello,
if you tap on the Coils with the screwdriver in positions 2 and 4, is it the Screw Coil or the Slug Coil being active? It should be the Slug coil (North) according to the schematic.
Regards,
Jörg

Thank you for your reply, Jörg

If I tap the coils on pos 3 and 4, the active coil is the slug type. As intended

So, shall I assume that the Screw side is always the South and the Slug the North?

I think that now I understand my confusion: I thought that the North Pole was always at the top, and the South at the bottom. But it seems like that it is inverted for the neck pickup, since the slug poles are at the bottom

This is my guitar:


Now I am going to replace the Tone Zone (bridge) with a Satchur8 DP273FBK that doesn't have screw/slug. All poles are adjustable with hex key. Shall I assume that the North (black/red wires) is at the top when I orient the wires output towards the control cavity?

Thank you and regards,
Manuel

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The Pickup Place / Confused about North and South poles on Ibanez HSH wiring diagram

« on: August 28, 2022, 11:33:53 AM »

My J.Custom with AirNorton / True Velvet / Tone Zone and VLX91 switch is wired like this:

• I understand that with Dimarzio pickups Red/Black are North, and Green/White are South
• In positions 2 and 4, White/Black are connected to Ground, and Red to volume pot
• Therefore, it is theoretically using the North coil. But it should be the South coil!

If I tap the coils with a screwdriver on pos 2 and 4, it is actually using the South coil, as intended.

What part of my assumption is wrong?
I've seen other schematics where Black goes to ground, Red/Green are together, and White is used as hot. That makes more sense to me.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Microphonic problem with Satch Track on JS2450

« on: July 12, 2019, 06:17:26 AM »

wow! I've been playing several hours without the plastic cover and, for the first time, I feel like I have a pro guitar.

I've already had this guitar for about a year and I always enjoyed the playability but I never liked the sound, so I always returned to the Strat or the old RG550LTD with Gravity Storm pups. It seems like capturing all these resonances was negatively affecting the tone. And the inability to play loud or with high gain was despairing.

Would you recommend waxing before applying the hot glue between the rails?

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The Pickup Place / Re: Microphonic problem with Satch Track on JS2450

« on: July 12, 2019, 03:38:38 AM »

Dimarzio Technical Service has kindly replied to my message. They say that the hot glue they normally use between the coils of the pickup to minimize feedback problems is entirely missing. They can fix it if I return it, but I am in Thailand, so I may try to fix it myself.

Does anyone has a picture of a similar pickup with the cover removed? I would like to see how the hot glue is applied.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Microphonic problem with Satch Track on JS2450

« on: July 11, 2019, 08:42:19 PM »

After dismounting the DP425 neck pickup, I believe that I've found the offender: the pickup cover!

If I remove it, the micropohnic noises and the squeals are gone. If I put it back, the nightmare returns.

What would you recommend? Some foam inside the cover? Wax-potting with the cover attached?

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The Pickup Place / Re: Microphonic problem with Satch Track on JS2450

« on: July 11, 2019, 07:50:05 PM »

There is a 330 pf capacitor at the volume pot, but it is only activated when it is pulled up (hi-pass filter).

The pickup does not have metal mount rings. Other rings (for pots and switch) are properly tightened.

I am going to dismount the Satch Track pickup and connect it directly to the amplifier, for testing

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The Pickup Place / Microphonic problem with Satch Track on JS2450

« on: July 11, 2019, 09:12:19 AM »

My JS2450 is the most microphonic guitar that I've ever had, specially with the Satch Track at the neck. It captures all the clicks and unwanted mechanical noises from the switch, potentiometers... even clicking at the body with the pick. And not only playing with high-gain, it also happens with medium-low gain settings.

I had to put thermo-retractable tubes on the springs because their noise was unbearable.
 
It also gets nasty feedback coupling from the speakers very easily, even at low volume. And muting the strings doesn't cut the feedback. I am more problematic than the singer when he points his mike to the PA. I cannot go to rehearsals with this guitar anymore, not to mention gigs.

Is that happening to all of you, or do I have a faulty Satch Track?  I don't think that this is happening to Joe, because he plays x10 times louder than me!

Should I wax it?