dimarzio super distortion with a alnico 5 magnet-WOW!!!!!!

Strat78 · Post by **Strat78** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:24 pm

I tried the alnico 8 from a super 70 and then a magnet from a SD 59 (alnico5?) in my old Dimarzio super distortion. The original magnet from the old super distortion was tall and narrow and glued in with rubber, the alnico 8 and 5 were narrow and wide. I first tried the alnico 8, but immediately swapped in the 5 because the low E sounded scrappy and weedy. Well, the 5 sounded the same so I raised the string action on the neck which helped, but the weedy/shrill overtone is still there.

Let me back up a bit. The Super Distortion is from the mid 70's and shows "0" on the odometer yet it works! It seems to have a micro-phonic response: if I tap the plastic bobbins with my pic, it comes through the amp very loud, I can even yell into the pickup and the voice comes through the amp, what is going on here? The lead is a white and black wire sheathed in a braided ground. By the way, despite the tinny sound of the low E, the pickup sounds wonderful: creamy, biting and with very musical highs. I agree, WOW!

harddriver · Post by **harddriver** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:27 pm

I had the same problems Ed had with his when I used my late70's early 80's Dimarzio SD. It could be very shrill and feedback all the time. But if it was potted and a magnet change then it would have been a better pickup. At that time Seymour Duncan was potting all their pickups and were a better choice for me.

All the Dimarizo clips sound pretty good but the Scatterwound 9K also sound good. As the pictures showed Ed played quite a few pickups and I'm sure a Dimarzio was on some recordings.

LypsLynch55 · Post by **LypsLynch55** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:43 pm

Strat78 wrote:and shows "0" on the odometer yet it works!

Wait, let me get this strait - YOU HAVE ED'S PICKUP???

Sounds like the "Fender Frankie" story with the "0" on the meter!

Strat78 · Post by **Strat78** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:43 pm

LypsLynch55 wrote:
Strat78 wrote:and shows "0" on the odometer yet it works!
Wait, let me get this strait - YOU HAVE ED'S PICKUP???

Sounds like the "Fender Frankie" story with the "0" on the meter!

Hi Pauley,
Ha ha, yeah, I know

-but I got that thing off eBay last year and I thought I got riped off because I could not get a reading from the thing. Regardless, I just gave it another test drive and while doing the intro to ATBL the high E just made a pinging sound when muted, so I'm done with the SD for now. I have a 70's Mighty Mite (13k) which I will try a magnet swap as well tonight. I'm testing these with a 77 Destroyer.

Namar · Post by **Namar** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:20 pm

LOL, I know that ping! I have a dimarzio paf7 in my 7 string that does it when muting the d string, and it's the most annoying thing ever.

Chung-chung-da-da-da PING! PING! WTF?!??! Sounds like a string sliding off the fretboard or fretting out on a metal pickup cover. I dunno how it happens, but it is atrocious!

Hee heeee. It's like the first thing I check for after I install a new pickup now, does it have that fookin' ping anywhere on the neck?? Heh

bmf5150 · Post by **bmf5150** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 2:39 pm

Strat78 wrote:I tried the alnico 8 from a super 70 and then a magnet from a SD 59 (alnico5?) in my old Dimarzio super distortion. The original magnet from the old super distortion was tall and narrow and glued in with rubber, the alnico 8 and 5 were narrow and wide. I first tried the alnico 8, but immediately swapped in the 5 because the low E sounded scrappy and weedy. Well, the 5 sounded the same so I raised the string action on the neck which helped, but the weedy/shrill overtone is still there.

Let me back up a bit. The Super Distortion is from the mid 70's and shows "0" on the odometer yet it works! It seems to have a micro-phonic response: if I tap the plastic bobbins with my pic, it comes through the amp very loud, I can even yell into the pickup and the voice comes through the amp, what is going on here? The lead is a white and black wire sheathed in a braided ground. By the way, despite the tinny sound of the low E, the pickup sounds wonderful: creamy, biting and with very musical highs. I agree, WOW!

weird...

LypsLynch55 · Post by **LypsLynch55** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:24 am

Strat78 wrote:
LypsLynch55 wrote:
Strat78 wrote:and shows "0" on the odometer yet it works!
Wait, let me get this strait - YOU HAVE ED'S PICKUP???

Sounds like the "Fender Frankie" story with the "0" on the meter!
Hi Pauley,
Ha ha, yeah, I know -but I got that thing off eBay last year and I thought I got riped off because I could not get a reading from the thing. Regardless, I just gave it another test drive and while doing the intro to ATBL the high E just made a pinging sound when muted, so I'm done with the SD for now. I have a 70's Mighty Mite (13k) which I will try a magnet swap as well tonight. I'm testing these with a 77 Destroyer.

I have 2 old 70s S-Distortions that I plan on testing out once the weather gets warmer.....its not fun soldering out in the cold! I miss Carolina...at least there I could pretty almost all year round...

The other day i put a new pot w/coil tap in my Kramer (using that S/D Alnico II in the neck that was in the Epi) and it was so cold, I rushed through and must have mis-wired it b/c it doesnt split!

I cant wait to move to Arizona...

Crunchboy · Post by **Crunchboy** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:56 pm

Haven't read all the posts, but this info's been out there for a long time. Eddie like hotter pickups. He re-wound them himself to make them hotter and he did take an already-hot Super D and replace the offensive ceramic magnet with what he thought was a "toneful" one, one from a PAF, alnico, of course. That's why when Eddie helped design a pickup with Seymour Duncan it was a hot one, around 14K, with A2 magnet. It's called a Custom Custom. Get one. No need to replace magnets. It's already assembled for you.

bmf5150 · Post by **bmf5150** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:59 pm

its been a few years since i tried the custom custom,but last time i tried,i didnt like it...

Strat78 · Post by **Strat78** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 8:31 pm

Crunchboy wrote:Haven't read all the posts, but this info's been out there for a long time. Eddie like hotter pickups. He re-wound them himself to make them hotter and he did take an already-hot Super D and replace the offensive ceramic magnet with what he thought was a "toneful" one, one from a PAF, alnico, of course. That's why when Eddie helped design a pickup with Seymour Duncan it was a hot one, around 14K, with A2 magnet. It's called a Custom Custom. Get one. No need to replace magnets. It's already assembled for you.

Needless to say it's more fun (and rewording ) making your own.

fillmore nyc · Post by **fillmore nyc** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:44 pm

bmf5150 wrote:its been a few years since i tried the custom custom,but last time i tried,i didnt like it...

+1. Kinda lacks cut, and is somewhat "flabby" sounding, IMO.

("flabby"... I guess its the opposite of tight and punchy).

Strat78 · Post by **Strat78** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:50 pm

fillmore nyc wrote:
bmf5150 wrote:its been a few years since i tried the custom custom,but last time i tried,i didnt like it...
+1. Kinda lacks cut, and is somewhat "flabby" sounding, IMO.

("flabby"... I guess its the opposite of tight and punchy).

Yeah, kind of like a super distortion with a ceramic.

jcm800nut · Post by **jcm800nut** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:43 am

Hmm, do any of you that have tried this have a duncan JB pickup too? Do they sound similar? If it's close to a JB, I won't bother. But if it is different, I might just get a super distortion and try it. I have a dimarzio alnico5 magnet sitting around, oddly enough. I'd hate to waste $70 on another pickup I don't need though.

nitro · Post by **nitro** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:23 am

The dimarzio super distortion is 13.68k and the duncan JB is 16.4k.

45auto · Post by **45auto** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:49 am

so... in the end, maybe pretty heavy wound coils & a weaker magnet?