D Activator pickups in a LTD EC100QM

brazmonki

A friend of mine recently got a Dimarzio PAF Joe and he placed it in the neck position. His sound was great and I immediately became a fan of Dimarzio.

So I went to Dimarzio.com and instantly had a big problem; what pick up should I buy? Hence, I went to the Dimarzio.com's pick up finder (great tool this!). See this hyperlink: http://www.dimarzio.com/site/#/pickuppicker/ .

I put all my specs into the pick up finder and the for a bridge pick up, the D Activator popped up. Even if I change the problem solver, the D Activator keeps popping up. Hence I presume that this will be the right pick up for me. I then realized that the D Activator has a matching neck pick up as well. I therefore presumed that this will be the right neck and bridge pick up for me.

Now for my question. Am I on the right path and what is your opinion on the Dimarzio D Activator? ??? ???

You opinion will be appreciated! Thanks guys!

***O yes: My music genres are alternative, metal and blues for the bridge pickup and acoustic and blues for the neck pickup. However this might differ.

AlanRatcliffe

Haven't played on them myself, but the clips I have heard haven't impressed me. They are mostly designed to try take some of the metal market away from EMG and IMO are way too hot to be a good blues pickup, regardless of what anyone says.

nick_D01

hey hombres

alan is right, the marketing push or design idea with the d-activators is that they are active 'emg type' pickups in a passive design, the idea being no 9V batt. is required. i would actually recommend guitar world magazine's channel on youtube and having a look at the video review on them.

i think they're cool cos it sounds like they give you that emg metal output without that compression- just my preference. yeah, would not recommend'em for blues playing tho...

brazmonki

thx guys! ? ?

Let me say this to start off with. I previously posted a topic on this forum regarding a JCM 900 2x12. Thanks to the forum and the help of quite a few fellow guitar players, I was convinced to rather get a Line 6 spidervalve for my style of playing. To this day, I thank the forum, since the forum help me by making the right purchase. And I am still happy with my spidervalve. And now, regarding the dimarzio's, I aim to do the same, since I get the best (and most direct answers).

Found the youtube video (thanks nick_D01!):

I agree with what you said about the blues thing Alan. The D Activator is not going to work in regards to blues music. To add more misery, the distortion Paul (the dude in the youtube video) uses is not the best in this video either and I think this ruins the review.

HOWEVER, the clean, metal and alternative sounds that Paul gets is really cool. The bands I currently play with, play in all 3 these genres. So I think the D Activators are sufficient in regards to this. I have quite a few other guitars as well (Washburn WT-4) that can be used for Blues.

What I personally like about this review as well is the fact that (i think and it looks like) the guy plays on a ESP ECLIPSE-II VB. My LTD EC100QM looks very similar to this guitar and from what a few people have told me, the shape of you guitar also has a effect on the pickups.

So now I am even more convinced. What would you guys recommend in stead of these pickups for the genres? I know EMG's will work, but what else?

thanks again!

Vick

Dud,hav u tryd the emg-hz's there kinda spot on for what u want,imo,owiosly...

nick_D01

glad you got the info you were needin man , ? , gfsa is really a great resource. btw- paul riario, the guitar world reviewer, is also one heck of a bad*ss player!

brazmonki

Ok, I have checked quite a few reviews on the D Activators. I'd say that 90% said that these pickups are great and they come highly recommended.

My only worry is that these pickups will be (I don't know the correct term here) HOT when it comes to rhythm playing. I know in the youtube video below, Paul palm mutes a bit, but I'm not sure if it's his distortion that gives that terrible sound or the pickups. I presume it's his distortion.

nick_D01 wrote glad you got the info you were needin man , ? , gfsa is really a great resource. btw- paul riario, the guitar world reviewer, is also one heck of a bad*ss player!

However, what nick_01 says is true, this dude can play like a beast :applause: :applause: , but I have checked quite a few Guitar World vids and his idea of distortion is not for me.

Regarding the EMG's; let just say I am not a big fan. I played on quite a few guitars with EMG's before, but it's not for me.

Price wise; I can get the neck and bridge D activators for R1450 where the EMG's 81&85 will cost me R1999, excluding installation.

So, do you guys still think I should rather look at something else? Like I said in this long ass reply (Sorry, but I am in publishing!) , my biggest concern is how he d Activators will respond to rhythm.

PS - This is really embarrassing to ask, but what is IMO? :-[ :-[

mattayou

IMO= In my opinion ?

Sorry can't help about the other questions!

brazmonki

MusicMadness wrote IMO= In my opinion ?

How lame is that, haha! :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

and here I thought it was a a guitar term. Clearly I am not to good on abbreviations!