[jazzfromhell]

Hey guys!
I'm wondering which you consider to be the 2 pickups (neck and bridge) that has the nicest clean AND dirty sounds in the Dimarzio lineup, ie if you both want to play EVH riffs with maximum authority and get the most beautiful clean sounds possible, and also great split sounds. The perfect pair. What would it be?

Cheers,
/Kristian

[darkbluemurder]

Impossible to answer. Every player, rig and guitar is different so even with the answers limited to two full size humbucker set ups, impossible. Good versatile full size combos I use(d) are (bridge, neck):

AT-1, Bluesbucker (both splitable)
Steve Morse bridge, Breed neck
Super Distortion, Breed neck

Since I do not really like full size humbuckers in the neck spot, one of my favorite combinations is a Duncan Custom 5 in the bridge and a DiMarzio Vintage Mini neck (DP 240) in a telecaster. The wiring is set up for the following combinations: bridge series (for overdriven rock tones), bridge parallel (for the country, chicken pickin' and other clean tones), bridge series + neck (full clean tones), bridge parallel + neck (funky cleans and biting overdriven blues tones), neck (sounds great for both clean and overdriven tones). Very versatile yet easy to operate. I am afraid my playing capabilities and imagination are more limited in versatility than the guitar.

Cheers Stephan

[jazzfromhell]

Of course, I realize there's no one answer. Just wondering what people use if they have a guitar that "does it all". Not talking all the way from clean jazz to djent; more pop, hard/rock, blues, funk, soul.

Im really looking for a bridge pickup and a neck pickup that can pull off great cleans as well as distorted sounds. Not death metal distorted, but up to say, Van Halen.

I really like the Duncan Custom 5 and the 59 so I might go with them but I'm curious about if DMZ has similar pickups.

[Strangeman86]

While acknowledging the highly subjective nature of all things guitar, I tend to enjoy the Imperium when I want a Dimarzio that does clean AND dirty with equal aplomb. 

[jazzfromhell]

Wow, 71 views and only 2 answers.
Must mean Dimarzio doesnt make a pickup that handles both clean and dirt equally well 

[Matt_B]

With my rigs (Fractal Audio Axe FX II and Fractal Audio AX-8) I find the 36th Anniversary PAFs, Bluesbuckers  and Satch Tracks to be great for both clean and dirty. The Bluesbuckers get great clean sounds when run in parallel or when split.

In my PAF and PAF + Satch Track guitars I split the pickups. I also run treble bleeds (330 pF) on all my guitars which really helps the volume control clean up.

With all of that said, my rigs are incredibly versatile in terms of gain staging and EQ so I feel the rigs are what really make it easy to get good clean and dirty tones from the same pickups. I suppose I could use heavier pickups (e.g. the Tone Zone, which I used to use) and get the same results but it would take more work to get the same results.

[buddroyce]

Wow, 71 views and only 2 answers.
Must mean Dimarzio doesnt make a pickup that handles both clean and dirt equally well 

Most of the views are probably lurkers on the net without actual accounts.

Personally for something like this I would take the Bluesbucker in the neck and a Norton in the bridge. It's a tad on the bright side overall but that works for me as my amp isn't very bright('cause that's how I built it lol).

[Ascension]

For me means i am here because I am asking the same questions. Mostly use Duncans and spend time on that forum. The Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid and a Sentient will get you there easily looking into Dimarzio. Bought a REALLY nice Carvin ST 300 with Crunch Lab/ Liquifier set in it  a while back. HATED the Crunch lab for anything but full on heavy stuff just would not clean up and open up with touch like I wanted it it so swapped it for a Gravity Storm. Like the Gravity Storm but just can't get the Liquifire  to work for me. To dark and muddy full on and is really lifeless split. So I am also looking for a neck pickup this time.
The Gravity Storm bridge would get you close have no clue on a Dimarzio neck though.
Have 2 with the 59/Custom Sentient Duncan sets and can cover anything from modern metal to really shockingly good country run togtether with a 3 way and a pair of taps.
 What I need is a clear articulate big but not muddy neck pickup that splits well to go with the big open warm A5 Gravity Storm Bridge in the ST 300 to do the same.

[greenlion]

Air Zone / Paf Pro

[jazzfromhell]

For me means i am here because I am asking the same questions. Mostly use Duncans and spend time on that forum. The Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid and a Sentient will get you there easily looking into Dimarzio. Bought a REALLY nice Carvin ST 300 with Crunch Lab/ Liquifier set in it  a while back. HATED the Crunch lab for anything but full on heavy stuff just would not clean up and open up with touch like I wanted it it so swapped it for a Gravity Storm. Like the Gravity Storm but just can't get the Liquifire  to work for me. To dark and muddy full on and is really lifeless split. So I am also looking for a neck pickup this time.
The Gravity Storm bridge would get you close have no clue on a Dimarzio neck though.
Have 2 with the 59/Custom Sentient Duncan sets and can cover anything from modern metal to really shockingly good country run togtether with a 3 way and a pair of taps.
 What I need is a clear articulate big but not muddy neck pickup that splits well to go with the big open warm A5 Gravity Storm Bridge in the ST 300 to do the same.

Saw your posts in my other thread as well. I've been googling a lot these last few weeks and for my guitar that has the '59 (n) / Custom 5 (b) combo I've settled on replacing the C5 with a JB. At least it won't get lost in the mix.

In my other guitar that needs to be extremely versatile, an alder Charvel DK24 2PT that originally came with Alnico 2 Pro (n) / Full Shred, funnily enough I've decided to replace the FS with the 59/Custom Hybrid. It sounds like an awesome pickup. Can't wait to try it.

[Guitar74]

I am not completely brand loyal so I’ll throw my dog in this one in the form of the stock pickups in my Big Apple Strat: Duncan Pearly Gates Plus (Pearly gates with an A5 magnet instead of an A2), and Duncan ‘59 neck. This guitar is my do everything guitar. It’ Scream, cry, shred, clean  up, split, etc. I can do everything with that axe from modern metal, drop tune, blues , country, neo classical, you name it. My only complaint is the bobbins have had cracks in them after six months of owning since new. So as far as quality goes, I am kind of on the fence with Duncan. This was actually my first set. I have a JB in another guitar that I could take or leave. For me the JB is nothing to write home about.

[BluesJam]

Probable a lower output vintage wind such as PAF 36; PAF master or EJ.  Clean sounds are much more difficult to achieve and hot pickups don’t quite get you there.  Humbucker from Hell in the neck would be interesting, too. I think the EJ would be very dynamic.  With distortion you can always EQ things.

[HarlowTheFish]

I'm partial to the Kiesel Llthiums, but they're of the big, hi-fi modern school of things so they're a little marmite.