Hey Kim,
any updates??
Sure!
DiMarzio CrunchLabOk, after further review I think the CrunchLab is not for me. It sounds
really good though, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to others. It has a nice crisp feel to it, the harmonics really pop, and has a decent amount of power. However, to me it lost too much of the Lows and seemed just a tad too piercing at times (probably due to my guitar not having a Tone control). Even with the Lo on my MP-2 at +12 (where I normally keep it) it just doesn't have that pounding that I want in my current sound. A Tone pot on my guitar would help with rolling back the Highs just a wee bit, but there's no room in the cavity to add another pot. I could add a circuit that incorporates the Tone rating/capacitance/magick without actually adding another pot, but that won't bring back the Lows anyway.
Remember, this is all very subjective. I feel that the others who love this pickup have a very good reason to, and I certainly won't knock it because it
is a very nice sounding pickup....just not quite what I'm looking at this time. I'm glad I got to try it, because you never know until you do. Reading and comparing the specs doesn't nearly as much as actually trying it IRL. However, if I keep the CrunchLab I wouldn't have a "backup" guitar anymore; I'd have "another" guitar. Know what I mean?
DiMarzio BreedThis pickup is one of the two models that brought me to love DiMarzio passive pickups. (Thanks Systematic Chaos!
)
I find that the EQ balance of this one is perfect for what I'm doing, but the polepieces need to stay at level for that. Raising the pole pieces under the higher-radiused strings to balance the distance between the poles and the strings result in quite a substantial midrange spike...more than I would've guessed and definitely more than what I need. I'll keep 'em flat across the surface of the pickup.
A good amount of power, and cleans up nicely with the guitar volume control. Good dynamics, and nice beefy tone without becoming overbearing in any frequency area. Very responsive to picking attack. This would be my current pickup of choice for the Bridge, and will very likely get another for my other guitar.
DiMarzio PAF ProI absolutely
LOVE this pickup in the Neck position! It is exactly what I was looking for there, and I can't explain it but the EQ of it, the power, the feel is exactly what I was looking for. My gosh, I was missing out on this for all this time? Very "vocal" sounding, meshes perfectly with the Breed (I actually do use the middle position of the 3way toggle quite a bit), and even sounds really good in a Parallel humbucker mode as well. In the Parallel mode, the volume drops down a bit but really digging in on a Clean amp setting brings a certain desirable "spank" or "quack" quality and makes me play/noodle something a bit SRV or maybe even Blackmore-ish inspired licks. On a Hi Gain amp setting, I can't help noodling out some of the more neo-classical Yngwie-inspired licks. LOL But the main point here is that this pickup is everything I'm looking for in a Neck pickup; I'll look no further for another. Very very pleased with this one.
Actually quite pleased with all 3 even though 2 of them are the clear winners for me. I'm very glad I made this switch from active pickups to DiMarzio passives. The actives aren't bad. I loved them for a long time, but my tastes have changed.
DiMarzio FTW.