PJ Set Comparison: Di Marzio DP126 vs Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound SPB-3 & SJB-3

[@jkf9167]

I listened to it without looking at the vid, only scrolling to see which pickups were playing when something struck my fancy. Each time I did it, it was the DiMarzios.

[@christophermcdonald6471]

I prefer the Duncan set. There's nothing wrong with the DiMarzio set either. To my ears the Duncan's are thicker and more "modern" sounding. They have a certain something in the lower mids.

[@OliverTobyn]

Yeah I agree. I like the Di Marzio split coil on its own, but on a PJ set I really prefer the QPs

[@ezcondition]

Seymour Duncan P + DiMarzio J = Perfection!

[@JosephGallagher]

Agreed

[@MrAlfredWennberg]

I have watched so many Dimarzio vs Seymour Duncan videos lately as well as tried my Jackson with Dimarzios vs my Jackson with Duncans played clean through a Fender amp. My conclusion is that Dimarzios usually have more lows and highs as well as sounding louder and more clear but less dynamic. They also seem to jump out of the amplifier more than the Duncans. In every comparison, this usually initially makes me like the Dimarzios more, but after a lot of comparisons, I choose Seymour Duncan. The reason for this is that the Duncans sound more like the guitars should sound in my head and like they do on my favourite albums. They also are closer to the sound of the stock pickups of for example Fender and Gibson while still adding a flavour of "more", which I think is a good thing. When playing a power chord with overdrive and distortion, the Duncans sound sharp and growling, and you can hear every string with clarity. The noise is placed behind the sound of the strings. On the Dimarzios, however, there is a lot of muddiness from the extra low end, and the highs are almost causing ear fatigue after a while. It is very hard to hear the strings with clarity. You get a fat sounding chord that is bassy and trebly, but there is no detail. On KZbin the Duncans can sound like they have a blanket over the anp compared to the Dimarzios but in real life it feels more like a smoothness while the Dimarzios are bit sharp to the ears as well as a bit muddy from the extra low end. Personally I have never wanted to add low end to a guitar recording. It is more about cutting out low-end to sit well in the mix, and the Duncans are just more record ready in that aspect.

[@jelenaz8888]

Great feedback, thanks!

[@psychoticxombie]

I was about to buy the SD PJ set until I heard that DiMarzio and altho nearly everyone here perfers the SD, I actually prefer the DiMarzio, thank you for basically saving me way more time and money on the right pickups

[@roughcutguitars]

Good demo, innit? I'm starting with the DiMarz myself. Inevitably, I'll end up getting the SDs later on because I HAVE TO know, but I'm getting a mid-scale and that'll fatten up the DiMarz a bit. Still, I see the difference very like Macca's '64 vs '67 rig tone, plus I do like me some D'arcy...

[@pipnpop47]

I tried the dimarzios earlier in a Charvel and came here to confirm my thoughts vs SDs. Great video, I'm going with the dimarzios

[@kiwibass]

Nice demo, thanks! Great to be able to compare the tonal characteristics: SDs being more on the punchy side, whereas the Di Marzios seem to have a wider frequency respose with less emphasis on the low mids. Which one to pick mainly depends on musical styles and the properties of the instrument. I wouldn't prefer one over the other - they're both great sounding pickups!

[@1thess523]

I think I'm convinced the Quarter Pounders are the way for me, I play pop punk and skate punk and I like a thicker sound with a little growl. I play through a Hartke LH 500 head along with an MXR Bass DI and a TC Electronic mini Spark. Thanks for the demos they are probably some of the best I've seen and heard 👍

[@OliverTobyn]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found them useful! Check out the one I uploaded just yesterday comparing the QPs and the EMGs if you haven't seen it yet. That's a killer setup! The QPs and MXR might give you just the right amount of grit for the sound you need

[@1thess523]

@@OliverTobyn i uploaded a sound demo of my newly acquired Squire with stock pick ups. Just noodling around

[@vitorsa]

Have you thought about mixing both? I recently got as a gift a PJ set from SD and bought at the same time the DP 126 set. Still don't know which one I'm gonna install. My big issue with the SD is that the jazz pickup is not hum cancelling. So I thought about installing the QP on the neck and the DiMarzio on the bridge and maybe getting best of both?

[@ezcondition]

that would be the perfect setup, and i'm thinking about doing too

[@jasonbent97]

Checking in to see if anyone has tried this as I’m in the market for this same mix and match idea.

[@ClassicalPan]

I'm with you on preference. I've watched your comparisons and would like to get the DiMarzio for my P bass and the SD set for my PJ bass.

[@rhysbooth4842]

I have acquired both bridge pickups and am going to put the dimarzio in the bridge and use the seymour duncan as the neck pickup until I find a second hand dimarzio jazz for the neck. Wonder how it will sound 🤔

[@_Only_Zuul]

i still can't decide.. i have an aria pro II SB-integra with a status energy J pup.. I want to replace the stock aria P pup with either the SD SPB-3 or the dimarzio model P.. i like bright, aggressive, gnarly, clear n punchy. my zon bass has an SD soapbar in it that i really like gets that tones and to my ears the SPB-3 has similar sound to that zon pup..

[@Darryl6636]

Great comparison video to me the DiMarzios had way more balls

[@areuaware6842]

Di Marzio definitely had more punch.

[@rajthiru6560]

I wonder how the dimarzio model p pickups would compare to the emg geezer butler pickups. I love both of the pickups.

[@rajthiru6560]

Awesome video

[@OliverTobyn]

@@rajthiru6560 thanks! I did a demo on the EMG Geezers just a few days ago, maybe you can listen to them side by side. I recorded both videos in the same way, just maybe volume levels might not be exactly the same

[@geekguitars]

I have yet to try the Seymour Duncans. But I can tell you the DiMarzio pickups definitely match up with my playing style and tone preferences

[@roughcutguitars]

Which are... (Asking for a friend 😉 )

[@jojoba619]

The Duncans sounded compressed to me. The Dimarzios will probably stand out in the mix.

[@cliffords2315]

Compressed? its not the pickups then, its the audio setup,

[@SamLazier]

Been thinking for long time about upgrading pickups on my fender jaguar bass. The stock ones are okay, but little "thumpy" for my taste. Since I use 55-110 set on standard tuning, maybe the DiMarzio might be good choice to have slightly more of that high end clarity which went missing with heavy string gauge. It's only a theory, but might aswell try it to improve my tone. This was really helpful comparison.

[@__tay__6074]

Me too on my jaguar bass, im thinking of getting the seymour duncan's. I use flatwounds and want even more of a thump in the low mids i get now.

[@BobCorey]

Great I know don't have to wonder if my Dimargios are vintagy sounding and not hot enough... :p

[@dannychane]

As a PJ combination I prefer the Quanterpounds. As a one single pickups on it's own I go for the Model P and Model J.

[@OliverTobyn]

My thoughts exactly, I really dig the QP set but like the Di Marzio on its own

[@Desanusor]

Dimarzio hands down imo

[@WildChildMcCloud]

DiMarzio are my pick. They have more mids and are more defined.

[@handsdown5x]

I look for the warmth! 🔥 Seymour Duncans!

[@rome8180]

The Seymour Duncans sound too scooped to me. What's up with the modern bass sound being so scooped? I like the more midrange-y sound of the Dimarzios. Unfortunately, you can't get them anywhere now.

[@McEpicureanism]

Great Cure bassline!

[@vinisasso]

To me the sound of Di Marzio, both pickups together, is as good as a PJ bass sound can get. Might want to try these in my old Aria Pro II.

[@_Only_Zuul]

which aria pro II bass do you have? and how do the dimarzio pup sound in it? i have the aria pro II SB-integra and i want to put either the SD SPB-3 or dimarzio model P in but i can't make up my mind which one..

[@vinisasso]

@@_Only_Zuul Mine is a passive Magna Séries PJ made in Korea, an entry-level bass. I still believe the DiMarzios will get me a great sound, but I still didn't have a chance of getting and installing them though.

[@EmanCarbone]

In some instances the SD sound "more ready", more produced with more extension on the lower end a more subdued midrange. But if that can work better through DI recordings and headphones, I don't know when playing loud or in the mix...

[@OliverTobyn]

Yeah I hear that sort of comment a lot. I've never had the chance so far to try them out in a band setting, but if you eq carefully you shouldn't disappear in the mix, probably by boosting the mids a little

[@Mrmemphisbones]

Oliver :) i still can not decide... Dont know how many times i ve watched the video, hahaha! I mostly play my PJs with both pups at full volume, and it sounds kinda scooped on its own. I boost the mids a bit with my Bddi v2, and its ok, i can cut through 2 marshall screaming stacks pretty easily. Stock pickups are so 'vanilla', they work perfectly with anything you throw at them. I am hesitant to swap them for this quality they possess , although i seem to have a soft spot for dimarzios so far...thank you for another great video, we play a similar setup and i always trust your taste and opinion very much. Fenders or Squiers with prosteels into Tech21 stuff. Monster tones.

[@OliverTobyn]

Haha well it's a hard choice indeed. Yeah stock pickups tend to sound that way, flatter response so you can play about anything with them. Personally I'd go Di Marzio. I just love the beef they have. Focused dynamics, plenty of mids and overall massive tone. The Quarter Pound set does have a lot of output, loads of attack but they do tend to have a very strong personality and you either like it or not

[@chrisprecision]

ciao amico ed è bello vedere un nuovo video👍👍 For me i prefere duncan because ,i think bass are deeper . Dimarzio is more midrange and a little bit too punchy for me. grazie per il video

[@OliverTobyn]

Grazie a te! Yeah I agree, both are great but in different ways

[@TommyGBassChannel]

Infact!

[@juanchicejas5087]

What can you tell me about the circuit, pots, capacitors? Because I have those Dimarzio and they don't sound like that at all

[@sean9641]

Are the Dimarzios actually hotter than the Duncans? It’s difficult to tell w/out hearing them in person.

[@BrileyNeyenhuis]

Thank you for not slapping

[@fillipebrasanni]

Só faltou o Seymour Duncan jazz Apollo

[@iamgribs]

sd has the scoop and a bit darker, like an angry piano. Dimarzio has more grind and sting to them and seem shit hot. both got great punch. they both sound nice but i am leaning towards Dimarzio.

[@marcocorazza96]

Dimarzio, ma suonano da Dio tutti e due

[@OskarsArbidans]

I.don't know how DiMarzio are doing it, but for my ears their pickups always sound the best. Guitar pickups as well as.bass pickups.

[@SteveSollinger]

I have that same bass and would like to change out the pickups. This was a helpful comparison. Did you change out any of the standard wiring on this bass, or just the pickups?

[@rogerb5957]

The Duncan pups definitely have a bit more bass and a more scooped midrange.

[@neurospacedrifter]

What is the first song you’re playing ? Great video. Just “picked up” some Dimarzio pups after watching this

[@OliverTobyn]

Thanks, I'm glad it was helpful! The first song is the bass intro from My Friend of Misery by Metallica

[@neurospacedrifter]

@@OliverTobyn thank you!

[@neurospacedrifter]

@@OliverTobyn also, which pots and capacitor did you use here? I love the tone

[@michaelrandolph2493]

What would anyone say about the bridge quarter pound with the Dimarzio Model P?

[@OliverTobyn]

Ooh interesting!

[@jimkalfakis9893]

I have the Dimarzios and I can tell you that they are hotter, meaning more power, the rest you adjust with the amp. Also the poles are adjustable. Mine are set with a little extra distance and the strings sustain forever. And the best part about dimarzios, made in the USA

[@OliverTobyn]

While I agree, I would also add that lower output also has some advantages. More headroom and clearer dynamics, but ultimately it's a matter of preference. Seymour Duncans are also made in the USA

[@regioexas]

I have both sets

[@ryananthony4840]

As a guitarist I swear by Dimarzios, but this is too hard of a choice..... I honestly think in this case it would come down to price

[@a-bass-player]

Thanks a lot for that!

[@tasteapiana]

For anyone who is really familiar with Steve Harris' sound, especially in the Piece of Mind era, this video nails the Di Marzio Vs. Seymour Duncan question flat. It's exactly what I've found on countless guitars and basses - if you prefer the sound of a Di Marzio on a certain guitar then you simply don't like the sound of that specific guitar, period. The Seymour Duncans give you what is in the raw materials of the guitar in all their glory, be that lows, mids, highs and everything in between. The Di Marzios give you that minus about 5db of overtones in the mids (300hz-1khz) and about +2db in the top end of the highs (6k+) resulting in a perceived (false) boost in the low end. If you don't do pedals, don't have a decent amp, or do but just can't be bothered to adjust anything - go with the Di Marzios which give you that scooped 1990s thing in spades. However, if you prefer to get literally everything out from the instrument and then sculpt it to your taste downstream before it hits an audience or after it hits a hard drive then go with the Seymour Duncans. I prefer the latter as boosting missing signal ALWAYS brings up the noise floor, cutting signal that you just don't need reduces the noise, in this respect the Seymour Duncans give you OPTIONS. Di Marzios are for lazy mother f k r s who have no clue what they are doing and simply don't care what anyone else (engineers, mixers, etc) have to deal with. We have to remember that a pickup is only about transferring the sound of the instrument - a good one will NOT make that instrument sound ''better'', it will only bring out everything that it has to be brought out. If a pickup is scooping mids or adding highs or lows or leveling or limiting any quality of an instrument it is no longer acting as just a transducer but as a dynamics processor (a selective signal suppressor). About 90% of bassists and guitarists get this backwards, they don't comprehend that a pickup is NOT about making a bass or guitar sound ''better'', you are NOT supposed to ''like'' the sound of a pickup, you are supposed to appreciate its honesty in telling you as precisely as possible what is going on with the instrument acoustically - that is all. If a pickup makes a bass or guitar sound ''better'' then there is something wrong with the instrument that that pickup is altering for your taste. Honesty goes a long long way, especially when it comes time to mix, if a bass or guitar is missing mids when it comes time to blend them in with a band then that is a problem no matter how much ''better'' the performer believes/believed that it is/was.

[@bDoom88]

Esaustivo come sempre!!

[@bartpotters4496]

Duncan all the way

[@kijekuyo9494]

Thanks for the comparison. As with most of these KZbin demos, it's a shame you couldn't also do this with flatwounds, as the roundwounds create so many overtones, I can't really compare the quality of the sound very well for my style of playing. But most bass players seem to prefer the ringy, trebly stuff.

[@SuprMrioGlxy2Guide]

I agree, even the finger style playing sounds like he’s using a pick and it’s a really bright sound that I would never use

[@Messerschmitt07]

Di Marzio tutta la vita

[@TommyGBassChannel]

Seymour Duncan!

[@BassMan2727]

DiMarzio

[@Tonguendchic]

I like that he plays killing an Arab

[@1thess523]

Was that Jumping Someone else's train or Killing An Arab 🤔

[@wombat7156]

Very tinny sound, both of them, and why play high notes, let's hear more of the lows, after all its a "bass". Not impressed.

[@Tonguendchic]

I like that he plays killing an Arab