Ibanez Quantum vs. DiMarzio Pickups Comparison

Are you trying to decide whether its worth the money to buy an Ibanez equipped with DiMarzio pickups vs. Ibanez quantum pickups? Watch this video for a comparison and decide for yourself.

[@jedfiekel9809]

Definitely continue doing videos. Its nice to see someone that is good at speaking and thorough that doesn't leave out information

[@comotocarbateria]

most valuable videos , someone actually doing the test thanks so much

[@jedfiekel9809]

I have the RGRT421 with the quantums... by adjusting the outside pole pieces or all of them you can get as much highs and definition as you could possibly want! Or you can run them in further and kill some of the highs. You can get a very high end quality sound by adjusting them

[@noelportillo8633]

Thank you for suggesting this. I was going to buy an EMG 81 but I fiddled with the pole pieces after i read your comment and the pickups sound infinitely better. I own a 421 with quantums.

[@andyy6481]

@@noelportillo8633 so how do you do this? make a video and show us bro.

[@danielpowers4787]

Good analysis at the end. I hear the same indecisiveness in the quantum’s. I do like how they still do a good job with the clarity.

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Thanks, rock on

[@mauricekilday]

Thanks for this. It has been really helpful. I'm about to buy an RG421PB but was concerned about the Quantum pickups. You've reassured me.

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Awesome, the 421 is a good guitar for the price, and the poplar burl top looks very cool.

[@gabrielesurdo3146]

Congratulations, well done video, go on like this 🤘

[@MrSoy_]

Thanks for the video Nick.

[@steventripp6581]

Enjoyable review! Quick and straight to the point. Thorough info with articulate explanation. Good sound demonstration without the wankery! I appreciate it. At any rate...you have me more hyped about the new RG7420EX arriving by Fedex at my door later today! I was convinced I would have to replace the Quantums with DiMarzio's asap, but your video in particular convinced me otherwise. Good job and much thanks! 🤘🎸👍

[@tonedriverss8629]

Well done . Much appreciated . This helped with my decision .

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Cool, glad it helped, what did you decide?

[@tonedriverss8629]

@@nicolaswoolstenhulme191 Going to buy the pair neck and bridge like new and at a great price from a local seller . I like how the quantums sound . Again , thanks for this informative video .

[@luizfernandog5765]

I love when people make honest videos. Thx.

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Thanks for the feedback, rock on my friend.

[@StoneBuzzard]

Well you got my like for that intro

[@danielnm156]

Wowww! They almost sound identical but I sometimes think that I personally like the Quantums just a little bit better. I think I like that little brighter sound. It’s like 400 dollar guitar manages to sound so high end puzzles me. Then there is the fact that I don’t like the sound of active pickups on the higher end models so I’m like mmm I think I am into the cheaper Ibanezs just above GIO line. Thanks for the demonstration :) and happy new year !

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

I totally agree, I didn't include it in the vid, but listening to a dry signal the quantum neck PU has more high frequency content than the air norton. Pickups affect sound for sure, but not nearly as much as everything that comes after the guitar. I credit the Line 6 processor with producing 95% of the "tone". I had a GIO line guitar several years ago and the pickups were not as good as the quantums, the fretwork on that guitar was not supperb either. I don't know if the GIO line has improved recently, but its a good bet the ibanez $400-500 "standard" line offers the best price to performance ratio.

[@18nomah]

Great comparison video. Thank you. IMO DiMaraios are just compressed vs quantum is just flat response. You can just use a compressor on the quantum’s to get the same sounds.

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Totally agree, if you've got a good ear you could probably get them to sound almost exactly the same with a little eq and compression before the amp.

[@ryangreene50]

4:33 6:14

[@madepranandaanggayoga2268]

6:16

[@jzen1455]

I was expecting the Quantum’s to sound much crappier but it ain’t that bad.

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Totally agree, I think I slightly prefer the DiMarzio's, but its not enough to be worth a 50% price increase on a mid-level guitar!

[@jzen1455]

@@nicolaswoolstenhulme191 i was about to buy a used Ibanez with DiMarzio’s that was $100 more than another with stock Quantums, but I’m not so sure anymore thanks to this video. Im not gonna play live arena gigs and will mostly play with headphones, so the sound difference will be even less pronounced.

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

@@jzen1455 , glad the video helped, I guess it depends on what sound you want, the dimarzios I compared are both high output ceramic pickups, but if you want a more vintage les paul sound, then the quantums are a little hot.

[@ThisMoth]

I received my 400 dollar quantum pickup ssh s561, the pickups are actually about the best I have heard. Don't know why since they are cheap, but they just have some kind of bite that's really nice in position 4 especially. The humbucker is great for hardcore genres of course.

[@midtown3221]

Me likey the Quantums over DiMarzio. Still wanna change'em out for Seymour Duncan pups. Thanks for the vid!

[@paulyoung4781]

Quantums do the trick for me with the gain definitely

[@robvandermolen6767]

Natural thing the Dimarzios' are better and...more expensive. It is like to compare VW vs Porsche. To be honest, Quantum are not bad at all

[@williamcubillos4552]

Thanks for the video man. I have my Ibanez but the quantums here don't sound great like on your guitar. Probably I'll change for a Dmarzio.

[@rickeymitchell8303]

Change the height lower the bass side and raise the treble side

[@heatnationwpb]

Really good video man! I wasn't all that thrilled with the Quantum's on my RG450DXB. I play a lot of "modern" high gain (Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier), and the Quantum's just seemed to get super-muddy in that situation. The clean tones are sweet, but the high-gain tones are just bleh. For me, the bridge pickup that I use 85% of the time just didn't have any real bite or clarity, and the neck was just absolutely terrible when soloing - so much so that I generally just had to remain on the bridge while playing most solos. Not ideal, but better to my ears than the neck Quantum. After much comparison & deliberation (eg endless trips to Guitar Center) I ended up going with Seymour Duncan pups and MAN what a difference! They were pricey, but they produce exactly what I needed for my style of "90's alt-metal" music. I went with an SD Distortion pup in the bridge, and a SD Jazz pup in the neck. I did try out quite a few super-strats with DMarzio pups and while they were really good I couldn't justify the price vs stock Quantum's. But I gotta say, these Seymour Duncan pups brought my guitar to life, and my tones to a whole new level! I hope this helps someone as they deliberate - of course it's all subjective and relative to your style of music and the tones you're chasing, but for really high-gain stuff I can't recommend SD enough. Thanks for the vid!

[@heatnationwpb]

For reference, I play a regular 6-string RG tuned to Eflat (and drop C#). No super-low tunings or anything like that. Other pickups may be more suited for lower tunings, but I really can't speak on that. 🤘

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

I agree, I keep on comparing the dimarzios and the quantums as I play these guitars and I'm about ready to swap out the quantums in the neck through guitar. There is just something about the air norton that I love, it has a smoother harmonic quality to it seems a little more dynamically response on soft picking and just "sings" more on overdriven lead lines, I've decided that I like the neck through guitar enough to put the money into some new pickups. I still haven't decided what to do with the bridge pickup yet, maybe I'll scope out the Seymour Duncan offerings. I had a SD distortion in the bridge on an old washburn guitar years ago, but all I had back then was a cheap peavey solid state amp so I never quite developed an appreciation for the SD pickup before I pawned it.

[@D-8-Tone2]

@@nicolaswoolstenhulme191 I have a Nita Strauss JIVAJr and I am not impressed by the sound of that either. I used to have a PGM100 with Dimarzio PAF Pro and FS1, they are not comparable

[@TheGospelGuitarist]

SD Jazz and SD JB on the bridge. Also play a 1996 Mesa Dual Rec Trem-O-Verb. Night and day, brought the RG450DX guitar to a whole new level.

[@alexleatherman7642]

nice video!

[@garrettendi]

I actually think the Quantum bridge pickups sound as good or better than those DiMarzios. Although the neck Quantum was pretty poor. I have the Ibanez JEM Jr and it's amazing. I was going to replace them with Evolutions but after playing it I wasn't sure and the luthier that set it up was raving at how good the guitar was, and advised me to change nothing but the trem!

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Cool, I actually just swapped the quantums for some affordable Alan Entwistle pickups, and I like them better than both the quantums and the DiMarzio's. I need to make a video of it.

[@helix5542]

DiMarzio sounds more mature in clean tone and the Quantum sounds like "old school rock- metal" type. The gain on DiMarzio is more grainy. My preference is quantum, can bring the classic rock tone more easily.

[@electric5hadow]

Agree, Quantum is definitely one of the better stock pickups out there, and in terms of versatility in close to the very top.

[@davolthe1261]

Very true, after playing with evolutions for quite some time quantum actually bring that old school rock/metal sound which i love, great pickups gotta say and i actually prefer stock quantums on my rg 370 then evos on other guitar.

[@arturomma8560]

@@davolthe1261 do you recomendt quantum for nu metal covers?

[@davolthe1261]

@@arturomma8560 Yeah definitely they are quite versatile

[@ProgRockLove]

I have de Quantum's on my S521. Are they better than the Inf's (infinity) model? My old RG370 had the Inf's.

[@sprintbass]

I have a ibanez 470msp with quantums... I have always used emg 81 with a 24v mod...i have to say that these quantums are growing in me. To my ears the really own mids and highs...

[@jakeblair8876]

I have the 470AHM and I think the same thing man the tone is so good once you adjust the height and poil pieces where you want them. Takes a little longer but well worth it

[@NigelOdinson]

I'm looking at getting an Sa360nqm-BMG - I've looked at pricier models but there is something about the abalone inlays and binding which I absolutely adore, especially with the beautiful black to grey gradation of the quilted maple top, so I cant find one I like the look of more than this so no matter how much better another may be I am willing to upgrade this if necessary. It has a quantum humbucker in the bridge and then 2 resolution single coils. I have too many guitars already (obviously you can never have too many but yknow, money and all that lol) - most have Seymours or my teles have the official fender telecaster pups. Although listening to loads of examples of how that model sounds and those pups has brought me to the thought I may not need to change them as I really like what I have been hearing and from both of your experiences it sounds like you rate them pretty highly. Also it will give me more variation in the tones and sounds I can get from each of my guitars - I just dont want it to stand out as being a far lower quality, but I dont hear an obvious way they are worse, just different...

[@jonathans8398]

I play in several "extreme" metal bands of various sub genre... for me the DiMarz wouldnt cut it, not enough output to get a proper squeal on a 7th string in A Standard. Ended up going with the SDs. Great video, thanks for the heads up! Not unimpressed with the Quantums.

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Cool, what model Seymour Duncan did you go with for the 7 string?

[@jonathans8398]

I ended up going with the SD Wes Hauch Jupiters. Very hot output, not quite my "ideal" tone, but they definitely have some roar. (Especially for a passive).

[@daveduffy2823]

There is a difference.The Dimarzios are more focused. The Quantum’s are a general pickup to start with. You can always swap them out later if you want something else.

[@valeryt4977]

Именно на rgrt421 я впервые услышал квантумы и они мне очень понравились. Абсолютно полноценные и отлично звучащие пикапы. Очень убедительны и как хамбакеры и на отсечке. Сейчас подумываю себе взять для другой гитары комплект квантумов, чтобы добавить ей яркости. Sd 4+59 и 5 стоят у меня на других гитарах. Ничего фантастического - просто правильные хорошие звукосниматели.

[@yong-joonchoi3844]

You can take mine for more benchmark

[@captainhowdy3104]

Just bought a rg600fmt the nice sapphire burst color…… I know Ibanez has made tons of dimarz knock offs over the years. Due to the split coils on the five way, diversity of sounds, the pole pieces and just how they sound… I really thought they were dimarzio pups. They are the newer quantum’s….. any change would be a down grade for sure. Love em

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Awesome, that's a beautiful finish for a flame maple RG, rock on!

[@captainhowdy3104]

Price was good…brand new with case 30….my very first new guitar of ten plus years of playing lol

[@bladerunner900]

I have the neck thru ibanez. I swapped the bridge quantum for a seymour duncan custom sh-5. The duncan is SOOOOOOOOO much better! I play mostly lamb of god and slayer. And the sh-5 is a beast! Also great string seperation. I had a JB sh-4 in the bridge befor. But the bas was all over the place. Very loose bass. The sh-5 has very thight bass.

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Sounds awesome, I keep thinking about swapping in some DiMarzio's on that guitar, but can't ever seem decide which models, maybe I need to scope out the Seymour Duncan line up.

[@bladerunner900]

@@nicolaswoolstenhulme191 2hat about the dimarzio dominion? Its an amazing pickup.

[@Josell1028]

Can I ask what software is on the screen that’s showing the spectrum? Thanks.

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

It's a frequency spectrum analyzer called "Span" made by Voxengo, I think it's a freeware plugin I downloaded years ago.

[@jimtom4849]

I have both and quantum loses tone quick less sustain,,dimarzio sustains longer and less noise loud and less need for noise compressor

[@MVMilosevic]

Similar to my conclusion. Besides, Quantums on maple/ash guitar, although they cut through densiest mix, sounds too thin and have too much unpleasant hights for my taste, i need to change a lot in setup when swapping guitars. I might replace them but for now still testing. Thanks for nice review.

[@capacitiveguitarresistance]

I gotta say after replacing my RGA6fm bridge Quantum with a DiMarzio Titan that I am happy and it sounds better. Surprisingly it is not as hot but it sounds better.

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

I tend to agree, I've never played the Titan, but the Air Norton at the neck seems the same way, it doesn't seem to be as hot or rich in the higher frequencies, so I think its a tighter frequency spectrum going in which lets the amp really define the voice. The folks at DiMarzio know what they are doing, no doubt, but I have a hard time recommending a $200 upgrade to a $400 guitar that makes such a small difference, especially to an early to intermediate player who hasn't yet discovered the fun of taking a guitar apart and burning one's fingers with a soldering iron.

[@iftea7]

Quantum pickups lack gain, midrange definition, volume and overall presence compared to the Dimarzio's. Great video, thank you as I'm deciding between RG470AHMZ (Q) and Sew761 NTF (D) - going with the Sew761 :)

[@jakeblair8876]

I went with the rg470ahm I'm liking the tone I'm getting from the quantum pickups. It takes a little adjusting but I don't see why they get hate I have definitely seen worse pickups on the market and for the price can't beat it. Can always swap a pair of dizmario in later but right now don't really see a reason

[@iftea7]

@@jakeblair8876 do Quantums get a lot of hate? They really shouldn't - IMO they are amongst the best sounding, quiet (from humming) generic pickups. I've played Ibanez's very old Powersound pickups and they were not good. A good player, some effects and most won't be able to tell Quantums apart from expensive aftermarket ones. But when you're listening for it on a YT video, you make a choice lol. Enjoy playing!

[@Ram3esIV]

На квантумы жалуются из-за плоского звука и отсутствия динамики. Тут у димарцио явно больше панча и тона вообще, квантумы плоские. Но мне показалось, что у них больше самых низких низов. И насчёт динамики тоже согласен, но, возможно, такая компрессия и задумывалась для выравнивания игры. А так 421 звучит очень агрессивно, мне нравится.

[@rabbitnoize]

i dislike the sh4, i find ibanez stock pickups are much nicer and pleasant

[@brianleemings8177]

Man, the DiMarzio pickups are a little hotter and more robust. Those Quantum pickups are garbage. You do have to roll some highs off the tone knob... In my thirty something years of playing, I've never (really) used the tone knob. The DiMarzio pickups just sound better IMHO.

[@diegogarcinuno891]

I like the quantums

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

They're not bad at all IMO, keep rockin'

[@merweo348]

Rg2fm ...thats the guitar!

[@DTmaster]

The Quantums win, they have more bite! especially when you are playing with distortion on the bridge position pick up I am gonna buy a JEM Jr ❤

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Nice, I hear JEM Jr is a great guitar for the price, rock on!

[@borrogove]

Quantum

[@Metal0rDie]

You can't compare pickups in Digital Universe. There, in DU you can create every sound on every guitar..

[@zaprodaju1661]

Both Dimarzio and Quantum pickups suck. I know because I've had hundreds of pickup sets. Both of them are so heavily drowned in the wax without any randomness in wounding patterns with very bad pole and wire material. On the other hand, pickups like Lollar, Bare Knuckle, Fender Custom Shop (but only on top models > 5000$), SD Antiquity, etc.., are very good pickups. Pickups aren't supposed to have perfect clarity, sustain, or output. They are supposed to be microphones for the wood. They need to carry the vibration and guitar voicing. That's it.

[@troybrensinger7873]

I heard the difference immediately. DiMarzios win......

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Agreed, when I made this vid I guess the main point was that the difference in cost wasn't worth it for an entry level guitar. Months later, the more I play these guitars, the more I love feel of the neck thru but wish it had the air norton in the neck, there's something better that is less audible and more tangible in the way it responds to picking dynamics, I'll probably install dimarzios someday...

[@Mr131313ck]

@@nicolaswoolstenhulme191 changed to DM paf masters on s type much better definition articulation

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Nice, I've heard good things about the paf masters. I actually just swapped the quantums for some pickups from Entwistle, the Nemesis in the neck, and the HDN in the bridge. I like the Entwistle pickups better, especially the HDN, I need to do another review video.

[@pranjalsharma3370]

Bass frequencies are badly lost in the Quantums... Not recommended. Better to buy one with Quantum equipped, practice for a while and then upgrade to EMG's. Much better.

[@yyzpro9460]

Don't get FooleD by high price of DiMarzios - in my opinion Quintoms are WAY!! better !!!

[@nicolaswoolstenhulme191]

Agreed, the price difference in pickups, especially relative to a modestly priced guitar, just doesn't add up. The one place where DiMarzio's really shine is if you want something custom, you can pick a DiMarzio model with your preference in output and eq curve, but if you want something versatile in the kinda in the middle of it all, then the quantum's are just fine.