[Strangeman86]

I can never leave well-enough alone.  I put the old neck back on my guitar (new neck is a little skinny, maple/pau ferro with stainless frets; old neck is very fat, roasted maple/bocote with nickel frets) just to see what would happen ... I miss the fat neck.  But I digress, to the point.  I tried my ADM and my Imperium (both with multiple magnets) and neither of them like my guitar with my old neck.  I was forced to put my SD Custom Shop Gryphon back in (Custom slug coil, Pegasus screw coil) and it was like using a comfortable, well-worn blanket.  I'm so sorry for betraying you fine folks here in this forum!   

[buddroyce]

No need to apologize. Many of us here run other brands of pickups. Unlike some other places, we're really just here in pursuit of tone. I mean you've clearly identified an area that needs to be looked at by DiMarzio.


What kind of guitar is this of yours? Sounds like a partscaster of some sort.

[Strangeman86]

A parts-caster it is (I caught the bug back in 2009 and built my first in 2010).  Alder body in the 'dinky s' shape from usa custom guitars with one humbucker route in the bridge position (I haven't had a guitar with a neck pickup since 2009).  Both the necks I have are great (and both have graphite stabilizing rods, I'll never buy another neck without them), but they sound quite different.  I love the stainless frets and the feel of the pau ferro board (it's just so stinkin' smooth) but that neck makes my guitar sound SO BRIGHT.  The roasted (and very fat, 1-3/4" nut; 1in thick from the first fret to the last) neck is much, much warmer and lets more midrange through (that being said, it is in desperate need of a re-fret and a new nut along with it).  I really enjoy both, but I only need one guitar and right now it needs the warmer sounding neck.  I agree that most pickup manufacturers don't pay much attention to the needs of folks with beloved but bright instruments (I know most folks would probably just say, "Use your tone knob."). 

[corypheus]

Hi,

There’s no need to apologize, and one should not limit to just one company anyway. While I never tried Custom/Pegasus hybrid, I did try both in the same guitar and I generally liked both, Custom is still my most favorite Duncan pickup, so I can imagine hybrid - it would sound good. In many ways, it should sound very much like a Norton, so if you have a chance to try a guitar with one, do it. Norton itself is similar wind to Duncan Custom but has a A5 magnet and a brass bottom plate, both of which warm it and darken it up, and it has a similar Eq stock to a Pegasus albeit with a lesser power and slightly less of presence. From what I could imagine your hybrid to sound, Norton would be close.

Cheers

[Strangeman86]

Thanks!  I'd actually never considered the Norton, but I'll give it some serious thought.  The Custom/Pegasus (at least the coils I use) is essentially just a really refined Custom (I run mine with an A6 which makes it a bit smokey and fills out the low-mids).  More note separation, easier to control.  I've tried the other coils (Pegasus slug, Custom screw) and that combination was VERY loud and compressed. 

[corypheus]

Thanks!  I'd actually never considered the Norton, but I'll give it some serious thought.  The Custom/Pegasus (at least the coils I use) is essentially just a really refined Custom (I run mine with an A6 which makes it a bit smokey and fills out the low-mids).  More note separation, easier to control.  I've tried the other coils (Pegasus slug, Custom screw) and that combination was VERY loud and compressed.

I like to tinker the pickups myself to tweak out the finer details, so I completely understand it. Yeah, of all the DiMarzios, Norton is closest in wind to the Custom, it's just warmer and darker, changing the baseplate will open it up further, and will remove some of the mids as well. It sounds excellent with ceramic as well, albeit still smoother then a stock Custom.

Also, like Tone Zone, the coils are mismatched, not as much as TZ or D-Sonic, but there's still slightly different sounds to it, so I'd try to flip it over - installed "normally" with the wire portruding towards pots on a right-handed guitar is the bassier warmer sound, flipped over it's tigher and brighter, ever so slightly.

I would think a Norton would be definitely up your alley, and since you're not affraid to tweak it, could probably nail the sound even further.

Cory

[Strangeman86]

Well, I guess I'm going to have to hit up BanjoMikez again lol.

[darkbluemurder]

No reason to apologize at all. I also use pickups from quite a few different brands. If a pickup matches a guitar it is the right one for that guitar regardless of the name on it.

Have fun,
Stephan

[Strangeman86]

I like to tinker the pickups myself to tweak out the finer details, so I completely understand it. Yeah, of all the DiMarzios, Norton is closest in wind to the Custom, it's just warmer and darker, changing the baseplate will open it up further, and will remove some of the mids as well. It sounds excellent with ceramic as well, albeit still smoother then a stock Custom.

Also, like Tone Zone, the coils are mismatched, not as much as TZ or D-Sonic, but there's still slightly different sounds to it, so I'd try to flip it over - installed "normally" with the wire portruding towards pots on a right-handed guitar is the bassier warmer sound, flipped over it's tigher and brighter, ever so slightly.

I would think a Norton would be definitely up your alley, and since you're not affraid to tweak it, could probably nail the sound even further.

Cory

Thank you kindly Sir!  The Norton is quite fun!  I certainly hear the similarity to the Custom and why it would be great with a ceramic magnet.  Right now I've still got the fat, warmer neck on my guitar and it sounds pretty stinkin' great, but more to follow after the honeymoon period has worn off. 

[5150]

I highly recommend the Norton. Never heard it with a ceramic magnet, anyone got any clips of one in action?