[Speeddemon]

Tonezone results vary on p/u height placement. Too much bottom end for most applications, might be good in alder body maple neck/board with floating trem?

Alas,
it came stock in my 2010 (or 9?) Charvel So Cal's bridge position. Had this loose low-end thingy going on; subtle, but I wanted something tighter still (and keeping the lovely harmonics), even though it's an alder bodied, FR-trem equipped, quartersawn maple neck (maple FB) guitar. That would say bright, right?
My pup swaps have been described on this forum ad nauseum, but long story short; there's a Norton in there now. Much better.

[mesa0131]

I recently picked up a Suhr SSH+ bridge pickup after seeing a TZ/SSH+ comparison on YouTube, and it is a huge improvement over the TZ. No flub or overpower bass frequencies and still has all the power and harmonics you could want in a pickup. Great split sounds as well 

[mertay]

I recently picked up a Suhr SSH+ bridge pickup after seeing a TZ/SSH+ comparison on YouTube, and it is a huge improvement over the TZ. No flub or overpower bass frequencies and still has all the power and harmonics you could want in a pickup. Great split sounds as well 

I found the video, very different is how I would describe.

The ssh+ seems to have chopped highs with less high-mid.s compared to the TZ. It was thick and tighter than the TZ, to me this means a little better/stable cleans and better for powerchords compared to TZ. I'd say its more flexible but less shreddy than tonezone. Must mention TZ's main problem is being too shreddy for most who can't put in words.

Side note; If anyone using TZ has an eq pedal, try to increase around 2-3 khz and decrease around 6 khz basically giving a mid. boost right before the distortion. I like it both with and without the eq.

[Hugo77]

There've been quite a few over the years. Guess it greatly depends on who pays them in combination with what kind of guitar they're in and of course the amp. If you hear PG's demo of the Paf Masters and compare that to some other vids on the same pu's. Huge difference I'd say.

But I'd like to throw in a few I don't like.
* Seymour Duncan JBjr. Too thin sounding and it doesn't help if a "guitar-tech" puts in a 250k volume pot for a 3hb Strat. But even with a 500 it didn't live up to my expectations.
* SD Full Shred. used it ages ago, but very brief. Weird sounding pup, mids al around.
* DM Illuminators. To my ears sound absolutely horrible in an otherwise great instrument (MusicMan Majesty). Very thin. Bridge pu always makes me check if the Wha is on So nasal. They're gonna be replaced in the near future with Transitions (I hope).
* EMG 57 but only for the amount of emi I get which is completely ridiculous. Sound is great though, much better than the 85 I have in there now.
* Also the pickups that were on a early Jem flower pattern ('89?) I owned. Put me off from DiMarzio's for two decades. I'm reliving that experience now with the Illuminators, haha. Karma is a bitch.

[eggman]

Howdy,

 Seymour Duncan SH-1 '59s. Difficult to dial in on my 335. Either too trebly or too bassy.

[Orkhan Julfa]

DiMarzio chopper.
I didn't find nothing like single coilish humbucker. Just very weak dark humbucker with lack of attack and overtones. May be I tried it with wrong guitar. Replaced it with VVHeavy Blues 2. And loved. It is in neck position and better matches with Evo 2.

[darkbluemurder]

DiMarzio chopper.
I didn't find nothing like single coilish humbucker. Just very weak dark humbucker with lack of attack and overtones. May be I tried it with wrong guitar. Replaced it with VVHeavy Blues 2. And loved. It is in neck position and better matches with Evo 2.

These are two very different pickups indeed. VV HB2 is great in the neck. Chopper is good in the bridge. I would not use it in the neck for the fear of it being too dark.

Cheers Stephan

[Strangeman86]

The Breed.  In the context of my guitar, lots of flubby low end.  The Mo Joe wasn't much better, just sounded bland (but in my wife's guitar it sounds decent).

[27fretshred]

I know I might be saying something that's sacrilegious cause I love Vai and his tone but I just could never get into the Evolutions. Actually bought an evo bridge not too long ago for the second time thinking I'd give it another shot, but nope. Still too shrill. Maybe it's because I don't have Vai's magic fingers.

[357mag]

I have had zero luck with David Allen Pickups. The people on YouTube sound good with them but they have not worked in any guitar I had put them in.

Van Zandts are not that good either.

[Orkhan Julfa]

After a month of playing with DiMarzio Heavy Blues 2 disappointed with this pickup too. It is very weird pickup. On frets higher 12th this pickup sounds great. Very stratty and fat at the same time. With a good sustain. Below 12th fret it started sounded like wah pedal with toe rised up. Lack of highs and attack and muddy lows. So I returned to Virtual Solo for neck position. It matches better with Evo 2 than VVHeavy Blues 2 and Chopper.

[darkbluemurder]

Very weird - my VV Heavy Blues 2 does not do that. But if it sounds great on higher notes and not so great on lower notes I would rule out a wiring error. Glad that the VSolo works for you in that application.

Cheers Stephan