[rknrollo]

I picked up an ESP e-2 s2 a couple days ago, they had custom DMZ pickups but 1st owner put in a JB/Jazz which sound crappy in this guitar, Its a basswood body, maple top,maple neck and OFR. I have a bunch DiMarzios in my parts bin, I do have a set of EBMM axis pickups which I think would be perfect fit considering the similar woods and floyd, also have a tone zone,36th set, VHpaf I can rob out of one of my other guitars, Vpaf's, super 3 and At-1 and EJ neck. I'm told the gravity storm is the closest to the custom Dimarzio's in the bridge but the originals had screws/slugs vs hex poles. What do you all think? Axis pups?

[HarlowTheFish]

If you dig the Axis pickups, I don't see how you can go wrong, but I have a soft spot for the Gravity Storm set - the neck pickup is a lot brighter and clearer than the usual Vai setup. Double hex vs. slug and flathead will mean you have a bit more top end and brighter mids, but as long as the wind is close enough it'll be a tossup.

[rknrollo]

I've never tried the gravity storms but I hear the neck GS is very single coilish which I like, I may have to try one, I'm going to wire in the Axis pups and do a comparison with my Axis guitar and maybe go from there. I like the sound of my Axis a lot but they are so far away from the strings (I guess by design) they lack a bit of ooooomph I am used to with other pickups.

[buddroyce]

I have both the EBMM Axis pickups and the Gravity storm in similar guitars. I love both but do find that the Axis set to be a bit more versatile but doesn't quite have the same crunch and presence that the Gravity Storms have. Personally, I would just get both and use it as an excuse to get yet another guitar.

[rknrollo]

I don't know if I need another guitar I have 53 at the moment..........I put the axis pickups in and actually raised them up but its missing some lows, its bright but smooth highs not fat enough, maybe I'll try the tone zone in the bridge I guess I'll let my ears adjust first.

[HarlowTheFish]

I don't know if I need another guitar I have 53 at the moment..........I put the axis pickups in and actually raised them up but its missing some lows, its bright but smooth highs not fat enough, maybe I'll try the tone zone in the bridge I guess I'll let my ears adjust first.

The TZ will definitely be fatter, but I find it tends to be a bit of a sledgehammer solution if you want it to be versatile - literally the only guitars where it works for me for more sounds than "cranked rock guitar" are in the HSH Ibby Prestiges, where it actually splits really nicely with the True Velvet in the middle. Is it something you can compensate with amp or pedal tweaks? More often than not I'd rather have a bright input signal so it stays defined and clear and add bass later in the chain.

[rknrollo]

Well I put some foam under the pickups to raise them up closer to the strings( direct mount) they got louder but strange overtones and all mids, I was sitting here contemplating which pickups to try, so I decided to lower the pickups like they are on my axis and that turns out to be the sweet spot.
I guess the axis pickups like to be set low now the guitar sounds amazing, sounds better than my axis does............problem solved.

[Aceman]

What's an S2?

I know, E, M, A, but not S.

Anyway - if you think the EB's will sound great, then put the EB's in it first.

[rknrollo]

It's a re named ESP standard

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[Guitar74]

Have you thought about trying a 250k pots before scrapping the SH4/SH2? They were really designed to run on 250k pots as one memeber pointed out to me when I had a similar situation with almost the exact same tonewood combo. The 250K really settled down that harsh spike on the JB. That being said, like others have mentioned, the Tone Zone would be a good great bridge pickup. I think the online rep it has for being a mud bomb are really unwarranted as I have had great results with it and found it to articulate pretty nicely while still having some umph.

I almost forgot. That is one beautiful guitar, mate.