[FYP666]

So, I bought Jackson RR3 couple of months ago, and I don't like SD Jeff Beck almost at all... The problem is, that when I'm playing live with my band, I like to do pinch squeals and Dimebag squeals, but JB just were not chunky/heavy pickup enough for me. Then, one day, I tried Ibanez VBT700 at the local guitarstore, and I loved the sound of it. It had DiMarzios new D'Activator pickups. So now I'm gonna buy new bridge pickup for my RR3, but which DiMarzios pickup will I buy; D'Activator, Evolution or Blaze? If u have any other good pickup from DiMarzio, plz tell me!

[Sweetbabyjezuz]

If you go to dimarzio.com and look at the bottom right of the main page there's a thing called "Pickup-Selector" you just input your info (body wood - alder, humbucker, etc.) until you click done and then it'll give you to the top 3 suggestions for their pickups.

At a quick glance i tried the alder, locking trem, metal, more output way and got

1) X2N
2) Super Distortion
3) Tone Zone

[SHREDTOKILL]

try a evo, i have one in my gretsch pro jet, AMAZING HARMONICS.

[Zer0]

I had a Duncan SH-13 Dimebucker in my RR3 and loved it; it was tight, focused, but very clear sounding. However it was also very trebly.

[JBroll]

I'd go D-Activator.

Jeff

[zimbloth]

The D-Activator is garbage. It may sound good thru a shitty amp at guitar center, but when you spend some time with it, it is so boring and lacks any character or balls. I hate it.

I'd go with the Tone Zone. The Evo 7 string pickup is awesome, but the 6-string one isn't quite as nice. The Tone Zone 7 is terrible, but the 6-string version might be the finest pickup DiMarzio has ever made. The Steve's Special is a nice one too, but it's very bright, might not be a good match for the RR3. The Super Distortion is very cool as well.

I'd go with the Tone Zone first. If not, the Super Distortion. If not that, there are several other good models DiMarzio makes for 6s - the Air Zone, D Sonic, X2N, Evo/Evo2, etc.

With DiMarzio's exchange policy, if you did want to end up trying th D-Activator, you could always do so for free. But really, the Tone Zone has insanely good tone, harmonics, everything. Perfect for bright woods like the RR3 sports - lots of bass, midrange guts, awesome lead tone, etc.

[JBroll]

I have to disagree with calling the D-Activator garbage, but a lot of what Zimbloth says is true. Personally, I didn't pick up the D-Activator for character - I picked it up to hear everything else. I can put insane amounts of gain and bizarre effects left and right and still hear the attack and the note. The clarity is insane - it's not piercing, but the notes don't go away. It may sound good through a shitty amp at GC, but it also sounds good through the ENGLs Necrophagist was playing through, the homemade preamp I tinker with when I haven't slept enough, and the 5150 I play through at a friends house.

The TZ and SS would be good, but now I feel bad about not recommending the Super Distortion. That would also be a good pick in that guitar - especially with a parallel switch for cleans.

Jeff

[ibznorange]

on a side note, dont get the blaze.
its for 7 strings lol
rr3 is alder right? id say get an evo2. those are awesome in just about everything ive heard em in other than mahogany. too bassy in mahogany.

[The Dark Wolf]

I'm with JBroll on this one as well. The D Activator is odd... but hardly garbage. It's got a very unique vibe going on.

That being said, as Zimbloth sttes, the Tone Zone 7 is just blah. Pretty horrid. But the 6-string version is fantastic.

[TheMissing]

I belive the 6 string version of the blaze is a 'steves special' right? Or maybe it was the breed...

+1 for the evo, the harmonic characteristics of that pickup is amazing.

Off topic:
Nice avatar Dark Wolf!