DiMarzio TONE ZONE vs Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 - Passive Bridge Pickup Guitar Tone Comparison Demo

[@joejohnson8966]

Thank you so much for doing this. You are literally saving us thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of work. You are amazing.

[@mikestamper]

Hope these videos help you in your pickup choices!! :) Thanks for your words.

[@joejohnson8966]

@@mikestamper they help so much it’s insane. Thank you SO MUCH

[@이름성-i8h6i]

I totally agree

[@sEaNoYeAh]

The Tone Zone is indirectly derived from the JB, you can consider it a JB adjacent 2.0. When Music Man was building Eddie Van Halen's first signature guitar EVH revealed that his favourite pickup was a specific damaged JB that was in his Frankenstrat. He caught the high E string on it and accidentally pulled up one of the coils and it was never the same, but it became his favourite pickup. He liked the Seymour Duncan Custom Custom in the neck position but eventually decided on a custom pickup Dimarzio made for him that would be their first airbucker technology pickup. For the bridge pickup EVH didn't like any JB Seymour Duncan provided compared to his damaged one, and asked Dimarzio to make him a production pickup that sounded like his JB. They eventually settled on two prototypes that he couldn't choose between, one a fairly traditional pickup design wound to achieve a similar tone to the damaged JB with a warm and focused midrange. The other was more creative and used two deliberately very mismatched coils, which produced a comparable tonal range but with more tonal balance. Both had much more clarity than a JB. EVH couldn't decide and asked Steve Lukather's opinion. Steve Lukather liked the first pickup a little more and that became the production EVH model. The other pickup was later released that year under the name the Tone Zone.

[@jameswulf]

That is so cool, thank you for sharing! :D

[@blakespurlock5322]

Awesome history thank you

[@archiecervantes160]

Very cool reading 👍

[@StrangeletCR]

It was actually the 5150 that the JB was in, not the Frankie.

[@gstube1]

For the bridge position developed into the air Norton no?

[@김성국-c1z]

in my opinion, clean tone winner is tone zone, distortion tone winner is sh-4! great comparison! thanks!

[@richarde3378]

This was exactly what I was looking for. A side-to-side sound comparison with no chatting! Thanks, Mike! You rock! 😃

[@gcr28]

This video is spot on for these two pickups and how they sound compared to each other. I just picked up a used Ibanez that has the tone zone in it, never played through one before and I was immediately impressed, it’s a very good pickup, so tight and crisp with huge chords, I really like it. My Jackson has the jb in it and it’s a great pickup too. Play around with your pickup heights on both of these and find that sweet spot, it makes a huge difference. At first I was thinking “I need that tone zone in my jackson” but after playing with the heights I think I’ll keep the jb in it to have something different that still kicks a**. Overall I think I like the tone zone a little better but the jb is a little smoother, both great pickups. Great video!

[@RaccAttacc01]

For those who want to hear them distorted, here's the timestamp: 3:06

[@therealrandomistic594]

Rather interesting considering the tone zone was a prototype pickup for Eddie Van Halen to be put in the music man guitars that was based off of a semi broken jb that was in his 5150 guitar

[@김태호-c4j]

But, isn't it just a custom di marzio pickup in the Musicman Axis? not the tone zone

[@bucknasty69]

@@김태호-c4j The pickups in the Music Man guitars are exclusive to the Music Man guitars, but Dimarzio says the Tone Zone and Air Norton are the closest thing they sell to those proprietary pickups.

[@김태호-c4j]

@@bucknasty69 Thank you!

[@rafaelnunes2195]

@@김태호-c4j The tone zone was made at the same time the pickup in the music man was. Eddie couldnt decide between them and steve lukather, who was in the same testing room, decided for him. It is all in an article at dimarzio site.

[@jayz6008]

They’re nothing alike though. Tone zone is very bass and mid heavy with little treble

[@mattb383]

JB was was more compressed than the TZ. The JB sounds like a half cocked Wah clean but way dirtier and heavier with distortion. That said I prefer the TZ clean and the JB with distortion.

[@crazydougthewolf]

Thank you! This exact comparison was just on my mind last night and was hoping to find a video on it. I played JBs for many years but have a Tone Zone these days (new guitar came with it) and noticed they are very similar but with the Tone Zone being a bit brighter and your comparison definitely confirmed my suspicions. Thanks again!

[@knowitall1694]

Boy, I specially logged into KZbin just to comment. This is rare. The Tonezone definitely sound better than the SD. The DiMarzio is clear, nice sounding with the full frequency spectrum especially for clean tones. The SD sounds as if someone threw a blanket over the speaker or unprofessionally fiddled with the EQ. In distortion mode, the pickups are "almost" equal but the Tonezone is still better.

[@megagazz7499]

I’m really surprised by this. Either my ears or broken or the Tone Zone had more high end than the JB. This is literally the opposite of the EQ graphs from both manufacturers and the advise people give online and in stores.

[@torchlord11]

Most all Dimarzio's are crunching and have more upper mid frequencies than SD pickups In my opinion.

[@mikestamper]

You're right and this also surprised me. They always said Tone Zone had a somehow dark tone, and it wasn't as darker as I thought it would be, and even less if you put it versus other typical pickups that are usually known to be bright/trebly (as specified on their websites). So, it's always more a matter of testing everything and believing more your ears than words or marketing texts. With this being said, both are amazing pickups.

[@megagazz7499]

@@mikestamper Could I request a comparison between the humbucker that comes with an HSS player strat and the tone zone? Trying to decide if that specific upgrade is worth it, would be nice to hear.

[@mikestamper]

Hi! I have a Player Tele with singles, but no access to a HSS player of any kind right now. Sorry for that. If so, would be nice to compare it here, of course!

[@tonykramzar]

I have both of them, and my Tone Zone sounds like I put a blanket over my amp, when I compare it to JB. I'm in shock too. Could it be that the wood can make such a difference?!!

[@cpaynes8512]

Damn. I've been playing for 20+ years and after many pickup swaps I recently decided to stick with JB's on my metal guitars. After hearing this, I definitely need to venture out and try some DiMarzios. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

[@thaile4417]

Hey, have you tried the DiMarzios? How did it go?

[@russellcrea9701]

Well, DiMarzio kinda invented the after market thing.

[@JivRey]

The Tone Zone is superior in every way. It feels ALIVE

[@lechstryzewski9350]

EXACTLY how I would describe it

[@automatoncollectives7237]

I agree the Tone Zone sounds superior in this guitar. But, I’ve the exact opposite results in other guitars. I guess it simply depends.

[@angusorvid8840]

@@automatoncollectives7237 The Tone Zone is more tempermental than a JB, athough still a great pickup. While a JB can work in anything from a strat to a Les Paul the Tone Zone works best in strat scale because of its low end. It can get very muddy in Gibson scale. I have heard it work in mahogany, but it's usually a strat scale with a maple top to balance it out. In the right guitar it totally slays. One pickup I think works better than either of these two is the ceramic Duncan Custom SH-5. That pickup is just incredible and has great clarity and tight low end and amazing harmonics and sustain.

[@tonyrobertsguitar]

Yes!

[@Kyzminandrey1]

​@@angusorvid8840 no, you are wrong

[@angusorvid8840]

Both are good pickups but the Tone Zone is less spiky, and as I get older this is the kind of pickup I prefer. The Tone Zone has a rounder high end as well.

[@fahadalghamdi9316]

For me personally, the Tone Zone is more of a favorite. Its cleans are really nice and crip and its distortion has that right amount of satisfying crunch. I would perfectly understand why would someone else prefer the JB's heavier and more concise tone. remember everybody, its not a competition its about finding that sound that suits you best. Stay safe and well.

[@Glock_Doc]

I would agree if you prefer the treble side, of you like more mids and lows, the jb is the winner

[@blakespurlock5322]

I would say the TZ for an alder/ash/basswood style strat with a Floyd trem and the JB for solid body mahogany types like single cuts, iceman, and others.

[@sage3342]

I'm liking the tone zone a lot more which actually shocks me it's not what I expected

[@raakareiska9804]

Keep in mind that these vids are made with one dialed sound and it might be biased towards other pickup. Ofcourse if you had JB you would setup your amp EQ so you would be satisfied with sound and not to try play it with same EQ as Tone Zone.

[@JaimeNoro]

Why am I not surprised to hear that the Tone Zone has more sparkle than the JB, despite common knowledge that the Tone Zone is a dark pickup and the JB a bright one? Answer: because DiMarzios do tend to sound more full range while Duncans tend to sound more vocal in general.

[@HugoWelti]

My complete opposite experience. And I think I'm hearing the opposite in this video as well.

[@SergeiVlassov]

@@HugoWelti you can use spectral analizer adn you will see that ToneZone is more "open" and JB is more mid-focused. JB is almost like a tubescreamer.

[@raakareiska9804]

Had two RG655 that came with Tone Zone and it sucks ass. It has too much bass. Same kind of bassy sound as Duncan Invader.

[@kordaxmint533]

@@raakareiska9804 play with a pickup height and string height. Lower your strings and bring tone zone closer to the strings - in fact you can get "too much" treble easily.

[@torchlord11]

@@kordaxmint533 Very true, plus you could add the fact that your speaker might be limiting your hearing all the frequencies since most speakers have tailer every higher frequency in different ways.

[@DavidAVest]

At first I thought the distorted Tone Zone sounded "better," but I think that's a combination of being louder in the video, and how the pickup has a more scooped sound and is demoed on a lone guitar. Would the JB be more versatile and "interesting" sounding after player EQ? Almost like the JB gives a more neutral palette for you to tweak as you like, including scooping. Undecided, but both sound really good. Great video!

[@VitoVitali]

The tone zone really is superior at everything imo. Much less nasally.

[@armandoaraujo6128]

TZ destroy JB in everithing!

[@gustavocardona9289]

This is totally opossed to my experience, I used to have a SD JB in my Washburn CS 780, and I replaced it because it sounded to thin and without lows in that guitar, then I put a Dimarzio Tone Zone and is day and light on difference , the tone Zone has much more lows and low mids, sounds great on that guitar.

[@thinkingjack]

I’ve had 3 different JB’s In as many guitars and I’ve never had a good tone from it either. Always sounded thin and overly low on power

[@SergeiVlassov]

What a surprise!!! I use JB on main guitars for like 15 years or so, and I always thought Tone Zone will be darker. I think those EQ charts on Dimarzio and SD webpages cannot be compared to each other then, it seems that they use different reference. Interesting, what is a closest Dimarzio analog for JB? And what is SD analog for Tone Zone?

[@joemarabella2145]

I think for SD it would be the Invader

[@SergeiVlassov]

@@joemarabella2145 I don't think so, I had SD invader and it was the worst pickup I ever had, it was very dull, cleans were unusable unlike here in this video. I think they have just a different approach to plotting the EQ.

[@joemarabella2145]

@@SergeiVlassov The Invader was used on Master of Puppets, plus it's EQ is the most similar to the Tone Zone's

[@SergeiVlassov]

@@joemarabella2145 It is good on Hi-gain like most of other Hi output pickups. It is easy to make pickup that sounds good with hi-gain - basically just make it high output with less highs and it will work great. But try to lower the gain or volume on a guitar with invader, and it will behave much vorse than most other pickups. And cleans are just terrible. I play genres from jazz fusion ot metal, so I need versatile pickups. I ended up with SH-4 on most guitars, and PAF 36th on also with great results. And as I wrote above - I don't think we can compare SD and Dimarzio tone charts, as those are not absolute values, but are given relative to their own reference. They took some model as neutral reference tone and compare other pickups with this model. But they have different reference models. This is just my speculation, but I have this impression from listening to comparison.

[@joemarabella2145]

@@SergeiVlassov Well the bassiest, midrangey pickup that SD makes is the Invader, plus cleans sound better with the neck pickup

[@kilianruvalcaba6904]

definitely tone zone , greetings mike

[@Glock_Doc]

If you like highs

[@renatociani8650]

Congrats my friend! Clean sound, different styles and sharp playing. The raw pickup sound. Most of comparsions the guys put lot of effects and distortion hidding the sound nuances.

[@bischteinjohn5998]

Both pickups are great, but in my opinion, the SH4 is more focused on the mids with less bass, probably better in the mix or a band context. But less fun if you're a bedroom player, the Tone Zone has that bass/ low mids bump that makes you feel you have a big one.

[@guitarfanz6747]

They are both superior pickups. Preference will dictate what you choose. To me, it seems that the TZ has the edge with the early comparisons (clean) in the vid. When a bit of crunch and break up is added, I think the SD edges out the TZ.

[@iftea7]

The tone zone in clean is beautiful - all that MID. Your comparison made it obvious that the SD JB has MIDS scooped out. I owned a Yamaha Pacifica 814 with SD JBs and were not impressed for Metal nor clean sounds (wasn't bad of course!). Tone Zone it is for me. Really keen to buy the Ibanez SEW761-NTF with the Tone Zone.

[@tarkgundogdu8940]

you can change the pickups, it is enjoyable. I can suggest HSH Ibanez guitars as they are more versatile: Option 1: Tone Zone, True Velvet, Air Norton Option 2: Super Distortion, Red Velvet, PAF (36th anni. or Pro)

[@Gitfiddle]

The JB is know specifically for its mid range focus. Sorry but you are incorrect.

[@iftea7]

@@Gitfiddle I was really excited about playing the JB, it's legendary. But on that Yamaha and my amp back then - man I couldn't get it to sound good. I had the zoom multi fx pedal board (forget the model but it had 5 foot stomp switches). Who knows.. Could've been bad luck with the guitar's electronic setuo

[@VitoVitali]

​@@Gitfiddleyeah hes right about the tz having good cleans, but he doesnt appear to know what mid freq sounds like. The jb has bad cleans because it has too much midtange. Its nothing but mids.

[@ZZBSMJ]

Thar clarity from Tone Zone was impressive.

[@Glock_Doc]

If you like highs

[@alanjacob8542]

Great comparison...the tone zone has more clarity the JB sounds nazaly

[@MarbsMusic]

What type of guitar was this in? I have a JB in my LP that sounds pretty good, not as good as a Tremonti though which I love. I have the TZ / AN in multiple Ibanez but find it somewhat dark in my J Custom which is Mahogany with a maple cap... however the TZ is probably my favorite in basswood. Getting ready to order a one for my Genesis after your demo!

[@Gitfiddle]

Very interesting! The Dimarzio has a wider range from bass thru treble. Sounds like a good all arounder. Brighter highs and deeper bass with a sharper transient. The JB lives in that upper mid-range. A little tighter to my ears because of the compressed range of sound. I like a slightly darker sound so the JB always wins for me. You don’t buy the JB because of its clean sound 😂.

[@FrostGiantElectronics]

Would love to hear a Tone Zone vs L500XL (Wilde pickups Bill and Becky) one day

[@charliekeaton3721]

Same. I have the L500XL in my Les Paul and thinking of switching to the TZ or JB. But not enough vids on the TZ in a Les Paul for me to hear it clearly.

[@CyberRabid.]

Tone Zone wins! I have a Tone Zone / Bluesbucker combo in a Les Paul clone and a JB / Jazz combo in a Jackson Monarch. Love both of them.

[@moparbryan]

I’m a big fan of DiMarzio but I’ve never played a tone zone that I liked. Which is funny because I’ve ripped out tone zones and replaced them with the JB regularly and the clean stuff sounded better to me on the TZ. I think the JB sounds better with dirt. It’s like the brite cap on an amp, sounds horrible till you get some volume imho

[@torchlord11]

What's like a bright cap, are you referring to one of the pickups?

[@GrohnertGuitar]

Bright switch on an amp, i think

[@guitarfanz6747]

Exactly. Higher volume changes things.

[@troglodit6169]

hey man! 200nd like here ;) Could you share your high gain kemper profiles please? Really liker your tone!

[@paulstewart808]

I replaced the TZ with an SH 4. sounded just the opposite. TZ was muddy, SH 4 brighter on my RG. Now I wonder about the rest.

[@sleepy22602]

Prefer the TZ have it in my RG love that bridge pickup ordered one for one of my s-series guitars.

[@MRTHUDTV]

Both nice pickups, but for me the JB is preferable as more of an all rounder. The JB is smoother/ more compressed, which is most obvious on the clean passages. But it is also more mid scooped and a little tame on some of the distorted sections. In contrast the TZ additional dynamics are beneficial on the overdriven tones, albeit a little 'uncontrolled' in the clean tone pieces of this demo. Close call, but for me the JB wins (again! :) )

[@lechstryzewski9350]

DiMarzio all the way !!!

[@RFTMind_Music]

Excellent demo. Many thanks.

[@Masssshysteria]

i have tone zones in my rg. they are great. almost can get them sounding like a strat or jazzmaster. with some tweaking on my amp of course

[@DevilMayAsian]

Were these pickups swapped on the same body or were they played on different guitars? Namely, I'm curious if either had a tone knob wired in.

[@charlieoleg9959]

Tone zone is more acticulate, clear. I prefer it. Thanks for sharing

[@Glock_Doc]

If you prefer highs, your correct

[@Callum-vj3yf]

Tone zone sounds better on the cleans, SH-4 sounds better on the distortion imo. Both amazing pickups!

[@ペパーミントグリーン-c3d]

clean:JB drive:TONE ZONE

[@skeytermen]

The TZ sounds like richier/fuller in all the spectrum, more natural and open, but the JB sounds like its already mixed in a song, is what u expect to sound in a band context, has more compression with a highpass filter on it. I have both and for me spend hours(various genres) playing with the JB and not getting bored, the TZ however sounds more crazy with unwanted low and high frequencies. Yes is fuller but fuller is not always good. Just my percepcion. Great vid.

[@tommcree5952]

on a clean channel the tone zone is a little more jangly and bright where the JB is smoother and warmer, dirty channel the tone zone is crisper where the JB has a more vintage tone much like a Gibson 490. Both sound great for different applications

[@lessfaithuk]

I used to have the JB in my ash bodied 7 string found it was too fizzy. I did change it for the Tone Zone and put a Fusion Edge (from an Ibanez) in the neck. Delighted. At the end of the day though, they are both as good as each other so it's all a matter of taste I guess. I do agree with one of the comments below that in a mahogany guitar the JB would probably sound better, but in a basswood or ash guitar I'd go with the Tone Zone every time.

[@wihluca_]

Which of the two is sharper? I like both, but I want the one that is less high because my guitar has very high characteristics, so I wanted the lowest one to balance it out.

[@twowheels808]

The clean tones it almost sounds like the JB is a neck pickup. Way darker which is weird because I had a guitar with JB/Jazz combo and thought it was a bright pickup. And I always heard the TZ is nicknamed the “mud zone” yet this demo completely crushed that myth. I have a TZ/Norton combo inside some zip lock bag somewhere I might want to install them now.

[@артёмшторм-л5л]

Tone zone шикарный хамбакер, но он подходит не на все гитары. У меня он прижился на японском Jackson из ольхи, звучит просто потрясающе. На Fernandes 85 rr из мягкого клёна казался глухим. Один из любимых звукоснимателей.

[@randombedroomguitarrist5253]

Sh-5 Duncan Custom solved the problem for me of the JB being too mid-y and squealing... It's a JB with more bottom end and shaved highs and a little bit of more output

[@photronic]

The clean examples seem the wrong way around, but the overdriven sounds more how I'd expect from the comparison. Are you sure they are right?

[@GregSobek]

Great! Do you have a Black Winter samples to compare with Tone Zone?

[@mikestamper]

Yes!! Go here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXbMhXeqnah2fbs :)

[@WildChildMcCloud]

The Tone Zone sounds nice.

[@Glock_Doc]

Yes if you like treble

[@RobSchauland]

I have a JB in a Charvel and I can't wait to get something else in it. This video really highlights how thin the JB sounds. Seymour has said that the JB was his attempt at a humbucker that sounded like a Tele bridge pickup. That pretty much explained what I was hearing.

[@tarkgundogdu8940]

you can try Super Distortion from Dimarzio as well. It is a beefed up Tone Zone.

[@RobSchauland]

@@tarkgundogdu8940 I actually bought a Super Distortion. Haven't put it in yet.

[@dangiven2686]

I just bought an Ibanez RGT with stock Tone Zone. I have ALWAYS had to switch to active pickups on every guitar I have ever bought because passive always sounds muddy and weak... except this one! These Tone Zone have a colossal sound with the same output as actives!

[@paulstewart808]

I replaced the tone Zone with an sh4. I thought the tone Zone was muddy, and when I did the sh-4 it sounded much brighter

[@paulstewart808]

TZ was muddy on my RG. the sh4 was

[@-LSTR-]

Im gonna put that Tone Zone in my mahogany Firebird studio and hit my Orange Dark Terror preamp real good

[@-LSTR-]

Update: its a great pup; very dynamic. From very acceptable cleans to roaring metal tone, no problem.

[@charliekeaton3721]

@@-LSTR- So it's not muddy like people were saying with mahogany? I have a mahogany Ibanez and I have been scared to put it in because of what people are saying on here, that the TZ belongs in basswood only.

[@MusicKompas]

Thanks for your comparisons! Great job! My first impression was that JB sucks, but then i realised: it's just about the volume! JB sounds darker and duller, but if you will lower the volume a bit while listening Tone Zone and rise it up when JB sounds (so that their loudness will be equal) all the things will turn vise-verso! JB is much more juicy and balanced to my ears.

[@ghyslainouellet8841]

The JB pickup is hard to beat

[@erdemtopcu472]

if you listen carefully you will understand tone zone have higher output then jb and therefore tone zone's distorted sound is very interwined but clean is awesome because "high outuput". if you add tube screamer ( distortion : low level : mid range ) jb's clean sound will be similar to tone zone BUT dont forget JB is have more Mid Frequency than tone zone

[@ghyslainouellet8841]

@@erdemtopcu472 Ya the tone zone Is a really nice pickup but only sounds good in basswood in my opinion,it's way too fat for all other body woods. It is a higher output and it is tight.But the JB just has a neutral eq that sounds good in all body woods.The right amount of output.Good from cleans,rock,and metal

[@alfonsoacuna3207]

Did you compare at any time the “Evolution” with the “Gravity Storm”? Please and thank you!

[@mikestamper]

Evolution is scheduled in two months! Would be nice to get a Gravity Storm someday to add it here.

[@MK-oz2lf]

@@mikestamper DiMarzio Fortitude vs EMG81 haha that will get views total opposites for rock/metal

[@the_real_MarcGyver]

dimarzio all day

[@gtr1963]

I have both.. jb in 1 86 kramer baretta and dm tone zone in bridge of other Baretta.. 2 slightly different sounds( to me). The jb sounds meatier to me(could be the wood.. jb is alder and tz is in guitar w alder wings maple middle.. the tz is more clear enen in distortion settings

[@renandefabio]

03:31 03:43 03:55 04:06

[@eddiesguitar1218]

Great Demo Mike What guitar have you used for the demo?

[@mikestamper]

Hi! An alder strat with a canadian maple neck.

[@TheoRota]

Hi Mike, thank you so much for this comparison. Great job you've done. Huge difference between both pickups. In my thoughts, as far as I know and from about what I've experienced, Seymour Dncan pickups are always more brighter and warm in the same time. Here, it's weird because it's the opposite. The Di Mrzio one is brighter as the Seymour Duncan. And it sounds more powerfull. I got the JB in the past, As far as I remember, I didn't like it... Too much medium and too much dark. Today, I got a LAG with the Tone Zone, and I like it... usually, I prefer the Seymour Duncan as the Di Marzio because the Symour are, in generlal cleaner and more precise as the Di Marzio. But of course, depending of the models. Do you know which are the Magnet Type of the Tone Zone? Ceramic or Alnico?

[@mikestamper]

It's an Alnico V!

[@TheoRota]

​@@mikestamper COOL. Probably that's why it's a clean and bright pickup... Thanks for your prompt answer. Have a nice weekend.

[@mikestamper]

Have a nice weekend too and thank you for your words!!

[@Glock_Doc]

Verdict is in, im converting my amazing strat sss to hss with jb sh4 / 59 / 59 from texas specials sss

[@ltxr9973]

The SH-4 has more clarity (the thirds jump at you), the Tone Zone sounds more pleasing. Even the TZ can be too bright in a highgain setting with some guitars but the SH-4 is probably really good if you want to play a lot of complex chords with distortion.

[@labdrive]

What was the guitar used? I assume it was the exact same guitar and you simply changed the pickup in the bridge position for one and then the other, right?

[@mikestamper]

An alder body stratocaster, with a canadian maple neck and rosewood fretboard.

[@davidhurley5032]

Tone zone. 🤘

[@ebandzekan]

I like brighter sounds so Tone Zone for me

[@MikeMCT]

How would tone zone do in an all mahogany explorer?

[@stopthehate1749]

Sounds like the Tone Zone has a bigger, more open sound (lows to highs) on CLEAN tones. For distorted tones, the JB actually cuts better with more clarity and definition, but the Tone Zone sounds beefier. Probably because the JB is more upper mid focused. The Tone Zone is lower mid focused, so it dosent cut quite as well, but sounds bigger overall.

[@tarkgundogdu8940]

you can also drive the tone zone with an eq pedal.

[@andy_182]

couldnt you just EQ the pickups with a plugin to sound exactly the same?

[@pputra914]

Please do comparison with dimarzio gravity storm pickups

[@Glock_Doc]

No

[@adamestorco434]

yess i ca n say that dimarzio is much better sound than SD, dimarzio has bigger sound,clearer sound,and open sound,SD is also good but i can hear the compression of the sound,i have also SD in my strat that i used for many years ,and i noticed now that its the same sound that i heard, a compressed sound,thank for the demo i got a good choice now

[@tomaszwcislo7116]

Thank you for this vid! And great playing also! Could you tell me what are the songs you play distorted? (from 3:06 to the end) They all sound amazing

[@mikestamper]

Distorted riffs are just test riffs, unless the 04:38 one, which is from the song "Palabras Vacías" by Gajes del Oficio, one of my old bands.

[@tomaszwcislo7116]

@@mikestamper Thanks! Amazing playing!

[@tomaszwcislo7116]

Very nice song by the way, will definitely listen to more of your old band

[@DannyKGuitar]

The JB is my favorite pickup for solos, but this just highlights what I didn't like about it. It's an absolutely shitty bridge pickup for cleans

[@tomasznoculak6540]

What a great melody starting in 1:49. It can’t get out of my head. Please let me know !

[@sophisticatedgentleman1920]

I recall Mike commenting that some of these riffs are from his old band. Not sure if this riff is one of them

[@mikestamper]

That one is from "Quiasma" by Unexpectance, one of my current bands. It has a clean interlude in the middle of the song, :) There's an official video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5CvfmqCoN6Mmac

[@tomasznoculak6540]

@@mikestamper Nice notes, thanks ! I like metal core very much, I will never forget the euphoria when I first heard the ,,Alive or Just Breathing" by KSE

[@kaskas55]

Both sound great. I like the JB

[@Glock_Doc]

Me too, the other sounded too trebly

[@willmarshall4685]

Tone Zone for me

[@enriquepastor3626]

Man those riffs are awesome, make those songs or I'll do!! Haha

[@robertbenton2635]

The DiMarzio sounds better, it's way brighter on the clear tones, and though they're closer under distortion, the DiMarzio is still clearly the better sounding pup. At least that's what I'm hearing. I have a Tone Zone in a Kramer Focus 3000, and it is a killer pickup, very versatile, and brilliant.

[@guitarclockwork]

I think if you want the top performance Dimarzio is better, but if your looking for that vintage sound Seymour Duncan wins, and I actually love hotter pick ups more. This is a tough decision they're both great pick ups

[@deans.4705]

they do not seem volume matched. The dimarzio plays way louder.

[@Annnnnn-zu5ss]

DIMARZIO FOR ME

[@Naughtforeye]

YO!!! Get rid of that noise gate, the ToneZone and JB were getting subtle volume dips. More so on the ToneZone.

[@hanovergreen4091]

ToneZone FTW! Clearer, brighter and tighter. Best Regards!

[@countrylapi9245]

Tone Zone… is just flawless. EMG 81 with 3x presence

[@danz4904]

Something seems wrong with this comparison. I have JBs and ToneZones in some of my guitars. They are very close in output level. In this video TZ sounds much louder. Could be KZbin compression I suppose.

[@sEaNoYeAh]

Check the pickup height. Radically alters the volume and impacts tone in a big way. Distance from the bridge is also an important factor.

[@xzeentv8867]

TB-4 Nice sound Mid lows ❤️

[@deadlift65]

The DiMarzio has a more brilliant tone, but I prefer the slight darkness of the SD.

[@srficarra]

It’s settled!!! The TZ is superior!!! Well maybe not?! Lol. But the TZ slayed here. The TZ sounded clearer, more articulate, harmonically rich and less compressed when clean and was way more pissed off when driven?! The JB sounded like the TZ with a blanket on the speaker of the amp?! The JB was mid-focused and too compressed, especially clean?! Funny thing is, in practice I’ve had mixed results with both these pickups over the decades. I’ve enjoyed and hated both. In the right guitar both can sound amazing. I think the TZ is even more picky about which guitar to put it in, even though it actually sounds more flexible here. I’d stay away from the TZ in Gibson type guitars unless you’re shooting for a super thick grungy sound which can be cool

[@beridus]

These two pickups would sound good together in a band mix

[@marcuspiccoli]

Tone Zone sounds better for me in both situation. JB sounds a little muddy... Congrats!

[@mikeallen5291]

If im playing glam, the dimarzio, it cuts hard. If newer style metal/,post-hardcore (and had to use passive,,,)the JB. Hardcore blackouts fan. Lol

[@tommylight1312]

So much more string definition with the JB.

[@ecstasteve]

they both sound completely different in any guitar you put them in. Each guitar is a sum of its parts. Finding your tone is an exercise in patience.

[@robmurrah3224]

You go from perfectly clean to tons of distortion. Low gain would have been nice.

[@Toddler1967]

I think the JB sounds mellower and not as twangy/sharp as the tone zone. I almost dread what the Tone Zone will sound like split. That said, when I think about how these impact my options in any one guitar, I could probably come close to the JB by mixing the one TZ coil with a mid position SC, or maybe both with a SC middle. It will be easy to calm the TZ bite down but I can't see any way to duplicate the TZ tones with the JB. Interesting!

[@today_what]

Is it same guitar?

[@mikestamper]

Yep!!

[@StevenDusza]

T-Zone Gold Medal Winner..JB clarity is low Tone Zone is bright and balanced!!

[@robotmeister009]

Oh 80s shred fans wet dream.