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Les Paul + Dimarzio Super Distortion? Users Reply!

soulpower

New member
Joined
Apr 17, 2004
Messages
131
Hey everyone,

I recently put a Dimarzio SD in the bridge of my Strat and couldn't beleive what a ballsy rock tone I got out of it. Tryed alot in the bridge of that one, lost hope until I tryed the Super D. A super strat for rock and metal it has become! Nice low end Chunk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I also have a Les Paul Standard with BB Pros, the tone is good but I'm thinking that a Super D in the bridge would sound huge thru my Mesa.

What's your 2 cents?
 

Sixx

Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
35
I used to have an Ace Frehley LP with the SD in the bridge and always thought it sounded pretty good. At the time I was playing it through a Marshall JTM 60 combo and a Mrshall 30th Anniversary combo. My tastes have changed a bit now and I lean toward using a more vintage/warmer sounding pickup.
 

les strat

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2004
Messages
5,194
Hey everyone,

I recently put a Dimarzio SD in the bridge of my Strat and couldn't beleive what a ballsy rock tone I got out of it. Tryed alot in the bridge of that one, lost hope until I tryed the Super D. A super strat for rock and metal it has become! Nice low end Chunk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I also have a Les Paul Standard with BB Pros, the tone is good but I'm thinking that a Super D in the bridge would sound huge thru my Mesa.

What's your 2 cents?

I did this to my R8 back in the spring. I put a Super Dist and a Dimarzio PAF in there for a test drive and played a couple gigs to see if this is what I wanted.

It was beastly to say the least, but it had this buzzy sound to it, kind of losing the mahogany sound I grew to love in my LP. I took them both out and put my previous pickups back in (BB1 and '57 Classic +).

If you are going to do it, ebay an early 80's SD instead of a new one. What I recall and others say, the they ones sound better than the new ones.

I think they are better in a super strat.
 

timmy 2 tone

Active member
Joined
Jan 22, 2006
Messages
3,010
They are good If you play heavy metal or hard rock type music because It cut's through the distortion really good! With more clarity overall. It all depend's on what type of music you play. Like sixx said I have a paul that I did up like an ace,but with mine I have 3 volume's & one master tone. I like It when we do kiss tune's sabbath or other metal tune's,It just cut's through.Having It wired that way It's got all kind's of different tone's also. I hope this shed's some light on the subject.:salude
 

rays44

Active member
Joined
Jul 24, 2001
Messages
2,911
Great creamy sounding pickup. You do lose some woody tone, but that's not all there is to life.
 

soulpower

New member
Joined
Apr 17, 2004
Messages
131
Yeah I just ordered one. I play mostly heavy stuff, I think it will work out fine?
 

screamingdaisy

New member
Joined
Mar 29, 2006
Messages
332
Awhile ago I bought an Orange amp that I really liked despite only having luke warm feelings about it's tone. After several pickup swaps I jammed a Super Distortion in there.....that amp came alive and really brought the rock.

I also use it through a Mesa MkIII and I still get a really good tone. It's not the tightest sounding pickup, but for driving rock it's stellar.
 

frpax

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
374
When I get another LP, it WILL have a Dimarzio Super D in the bridge. Undecided about the neck pup though...
 

bluespckr

New member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
2,073
I guess I'm with SIXX on this.

I've got two LP Standards. I installed a Super D and a PAF (bridge and neck, respectively) in the '75 a year after I got the guitar -- and it stayed in there for 30 years, until a few weeks ago.

I also went that way, initially, with my 2005 Standard.

Both have been switched to more vintage PUPs. In the '2005, I now have a Gibson '57 (neck) and a '57 Plus (bridge). In my old gal, the '75, I have a pair of Seymour Duncans in it, now -- a '59 (neck) and a Classic (bridge).

I actually loved the Super D in those guitars. Pair it up with a Dimarzio PAF, and you'll have a marriage made in heaven.

BTW, I am not a heavy metal player -- always a blues guy -- and was happy with these PUPs in the blues and classic rock stuff I've always done. Played through a Marshall or Orange or Hiwatt, and they will melt your shorts!!!
 

frpax

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
374
I actually loved the Super D in those guitars. Pair it up with a Dimarzio PAF, and you'll have a marriage made in heaven.
Thanks! I was looking at the DiMarzio site, and was thinking that this'd be a good combination.
 

bluespckr

New member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
2,073
Thanks! I was looking at the DiMarzio site, and was thinking that this'd be a good combination.

It's a very classic PUP combo. When I bought my first Super Distortion and PAF, in '76, Dimarzio was one of the few folks making replacement PUPs. Many of the better known guitarists of that time played Lesters equipped with this same combo. Thirty years later, it's still a combo that's hard to beat.

Glad I could help.
 
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screamingdaisy

New member
Joined
Mar 29, 2006
Messages
332
I'm still using a Duncan 59 in combination with mine....it's good, but a little to bass heavy at times. I've been debating between a DiMz Air Zone, one of their PAFs, or a Duncan Antiquity.
 

sokinwet

New member
Joined
Sep 28, 2006
Messages
377
I had been running a DiMarzio older "Al DiMeola Signature" series (about 10K) model in the neck and an old 3 conductor "70's" Super Distortion (13K) in the bridge of my 68 GT with dual dpdt mini switches. They were great for the 80's fusion sound but the AD neck was muddy at lower volume and tone settings. The SD in the bridge cut through at high volume but seems harsh and a little sterile at lower settings. I don't play loud much anymore (or maybe I'm just deaf from years of abuse) so I have switched out the DiMeola back to an old t-top and it is worlds better in tone and clarity and it doesn't lack for either volume or punch. The SD will be next to go but I'm planning on swapping the ceramic magnets with some old p-90 magnets just to see what it will sound like. May be interested in trades if someone want to try the DiMarzios?
 

jrgtr42

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
2,308
In the right guitar, those SuperD's can sound great...in the wrong one, the sound lousy.
I have one of them in opne of my guitars - an old, neck-through BC Rich Mockingbird.
That guitar is so dark sounding the brightness of the Super D works well.
I also keep that one strung heavy and usually tuned 1/2step down for those times I get feeling metal...so it works well for that.
For the stuff I normally play, it's not that great a choice.
 

soulpower

New member
Joined
Apr 17, 2004
Messages
131
Okay,

Jammed today with my les paul standard with the newly installed Super Distortion. It sound really good from milder overdrive setting to full on metal.
Leads sounded really good and the tone just made you want to dig into the guitar. Punchy as Hell. It was smooth and and had a nice midrange with good low end chunk. The original BB pro seemed to have more high end bite and seemed more dynamic and cleaner to me. The BB pro also seemed to have more of a toothy grind to it as well. There both cool Pu's.
 

Camshafter

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2001
Messages
229
A couple months ago I found a pair of old SD's, a bridge, and the one for the neck, which was, ahh I forget the model #. They made one for the neck, maybe it's dp-104 or whatever. A old double cream set. Put 'em in my standard for kicks, and realized within two notes that I don't like Duncan's. Except I do have a pair of Pearly Gates in another Les Paul which I like, but otherwise Duncan's have been a never ending quest for tone for me.
 

soulpower

New member
Joined
Apr 17, 2004
Messages
131
I'm coming to the same conclusion. I've try alot of Duncans in my quest, in alot of differant guitars but they never really did it for me. To sterile or cold sounding just something not right for me. The Dimarzio stuff always sounds good to me. Had a PAF pro in an old jap strat that sounded great as well as a mega drive. As soon as I put the Super in my paul it kicked ass right away without any tweaking. Roll back the volume all kinds of differant tones available. I can't believe how much ground I can cover straight into the front of my mesa!!! Big and warm sounding. Very Professional!!

I have an old Squier strat with a little '59 in it. That may be replace soon as well.:wail :2zone
 

357mag

New member
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
Messages
22
Hey everyone,

I recently put a Dimarzio SD in the bridge of my Strat and couldn't beleive what a ballsy rock tone I got out of it. Tryed alot in the bridge of that one, lost hope until I tryed the Super D. A super strat for rock and metal it has become! Nice low end Chunk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I also have a Les Paul Standard with BB Pros, the tone is good but I'm thinking that a Super D in the bridge would sound huge thru my Mesa.

What's your 2 cents?

I would never use that pickup again. It's simply a buzzy sounding pickup. And there is no way to dial out that buzz.
 
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