[marytakesadrag]

Hey guys.  Do you think the EVO 2 is too warm / does not have enough treble for a mahogany body / wenge & ebony neck (kinda similar to mahogany + maple & rosewood)? 

I like the cut to be pretty high in the EQ spectrum considering all the layers that I record.  A JB's cut is too low - its more upper-mids with smooth highs.  Sounds great for 1-2 guitar situations but not enough cut for 2-3 guitars + keys + strings/etc.

A good example of high end cut would be the Duncan Distortion but I do not like its general scratchy tone.  Plus, I prefer Dimarzio's vocal half-cocked wah tone for leads.

So I was thinking either EVO 2 or Evolution.  What are your guys thoughts?  Any experiences?  Is the EVO 2 bright enough in the highs or is it rather chopped / rolled off / smooth?

[DarthPhineas]

There is how the Evo and the Evo2 look on paper, but a wood like mahogany can be a different story. Mighty help to know more about what you have going on?

You mentioned the JB and DD. Have you used both those in this guitar?  If so, are your descriptions of them based on how they sounded in this mahogany?

What type of amp and cabs and speakers are you using?

Is this strictly a matter to be heard in a dense mix?  How much have all the guitarists in the band worked together on what range of the space their guitar will occupy?  Also, check out the Rig Rundown on the Alice Cooper band from a few years ago, as that very thing is touched on...as well as getting an idea of what rigs they use to compliment each other.

[marytakesadrag]

There is how the Evo and the Evo2 look on paper, but a wood like mahogany can be a different story. Mighty help to know more about what you have going on?

You mentioned the JB and DD. Have you used both those in this guitar?  If so, are your descriptions of them based on how they sounded in this mahogany?

What type of amp and cabs and speakers are you using?

Is this strictly a matter to be heard in a dense mix?  How much have all the guitarists in the band worked together on what range of the space their guitar will occupy?  Also, check out the Rig Rundown on the Alice Cooper band from a few years ago, as that very thing is touched on...as well as getting an idea of what rigs they use to compliment each other.

Hey thanks for the response! 

I am but a mesely bedroom guitarist.  I do all the recording on my own in my room including bass, keys, etc.  There's usually only 2 guitars, rhythm and lead, if not only 1 guitar at a time, but the keys / atmospheric stuff, can make the mix rather dense.

With that said, I cannot get a decent recording tone from my budget-friendly amp and SM57... plus probably has a lot to do with the room itself (not treated, etc).  So I use  LePou and S.Gear digital amps.  I also have Recabinet but don't use it at all anymore.  Was thinking of snatching BIAS too.

The music is progressive metal / metal-rock / idk... just whatever is fun at the moment lol.

Yes, strictly a matter of being heard in a dense mix.  I have 4 guitars to pick from.  1st in C-standard, my main rhythm guitar.  2nd in E-standard, my Strat which I usually use for cleans and overdriven leads.  3rd guitar I don't use for recording much since it's a PAF classic rock machine / a bit honky sounding (I'm a big Stones fan - even though its not a Tele that I'm talking about...).  And the 4th guitar, the guitar in question, that seems a bit unnecessary.  But due to personal significance value, I don't want to sell it.

I noticed my Strat doesn't have the aggressiveness for high gain leads that I want.. and my C-standard guitar sounds OK for lead but honestly, the main reason, I hate playing lead on its massive 13 gauge strings.  I prefer leads of any kind w/ 10 gauge strings in E-standard. 

So I figured I can gear my 4th guitar to something specific: high-gain lead.  But at the same time, I want it to excel in overdriven tones too, if possible.  I do more emotive play than speed since I'm not as technically talented.  Gilmore, Claudio Sanchez, and Andy Timmons are some of my fave when it comes to lead play.

Anyway, I will definitely check that Rig Rundown of Alice Cooper band!  I love Alice Cooper. Plus their new guitarist, Nita Strauss I think, is pretty cool too!

Thanks!

[corypheus]

Hi,

Evo 2 is my favorite DiMarzio... I used to be a SuperD fanatic but with years of playing I figured Evo2 does everything. I’ll put it into perspective — I use Evo2s in most of my Les Pauls, and most of my alder Superstrats. Evo 2 sounds better in guitars with harder heavier woods, and imho allows a guitar to give back some of its own sound imprint as well. Evolution is a better shredding pickup because it has an innate boost in central and lower mids, giving better sustain, is slightly more sensitive due to more magnetic pull (no air tech in original Evo) and more of a cocked wah sound... but it trades that for sweeter too end, tighter bottom, more dynamics and a better overall balance and better recorded sound in case of Evo2. To me, it’s too much of a trade of for a practical boost in soloing, as Evo2 with a slight boost can achieve the same solo sound but sounds better virtually everywhere else. Evo2 is considerably more versatile as well, you can play blues on it and it will sound right, rock on it sounds right, funk on it sounds right, metal rhythm on it sounds right, shred on it sounds right — it’s a super versatile pickup, whereas original Evo is more of a one trick pony.

Perhaps the only scenario I slightly prefer Evolution to Evo2 is in light basswood or Agathis bodies - because it overrides guitar natural tone, or lack thereof in case of very cheap guitars.

So in your case, yes Evo2.

[Orkhan Julfa]

Evolution and Evo 2 are my favorite bridge humbuckers. I've tried them on mahogony, alder and basswood. With mahogany and alder they can sound a little bit too much in your face. Just set Evos not too close to the strings. Closer to the strings more beefier tone. Far from strings - thinner sound. Try to find a balance and they will sound perfect! They are very sensitive to height adjustment. Especially Evo 2.

[buddroyce]

I love both but I do find the Evo2 to be more my thing. My playing is too sloppy to really make the most out of the Evolution.