# SD Alpha/Omega vs DiMarzio Titans



## League of Djentlemen (Aug 17, 2015)

*mod edit: keep it to one thread in the right section next time*

I'm thinking really hard about swapping out my pickups on my ESP LTD Tele. It currently has EMG 81/60S and I'm just over active pickups. My buddy has a JBM100 and I absolutely love the Titans but I'm also curious about the Alpha/Omegas.

Just wondering if anyone has any insight on either pickup or any other suggestions.


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## HUGH JAYNUS (Aug 17, 2015)

I have a pair of titans. They're nice and clear, but weak. And the neck is so hot and feedsback alot


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## oneblackened (Aug 18, 2015)

Titans sound a lot better than the A/O. The A/O are nasty, overly middy, harsh... 

The Titans are actually fairly hot also, but are much more balanced than the A/O.


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## Pav (Aug 18, 2015)

The Titans are great. Alpha/Omega are expensive.


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## Mike (Aug 18, 2015)

Djimbo said:


> I have a pair of titans. They're nice and clear, but weak. And the neck is so hot and feedsback alot



If they're weak for you, you should either check their height or wiring, because I have two sets and they're definitely pretty hot (I'd say just a little behind a D Activator). Maybe you got your bridge and neck mixed up.

Titans are awesome though. Lots of growl but tight and clear. I've noticed they're very picky about height adjustments and can get a little bit over the top with gain if they're set too high. I don't know the exact measurements, but I set them pretty high at first, then backed them off till some of the fizz cleaned up, set the bass side slightly higher and haven't touched them since. I can't explain it, but with the bass side higher, it adds more attack and makes that tight, overdriven chug sound nice and prominent.


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## TheRileyOBrien (Aug 18, 2015)

Djimbo said:


> I have a pair of titans. They're nice and clear, but weak. And the neck is so hot and feedsback alot



Something is wrong then.


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## bnzboy (Aug 18, 2015)

I have an A/O set in my Holcomb and I really like these pickups! I would not buy the set on its own though because it is really expensive. To me, pickups are pickups and I won't spend too much money on it. I would love to try out titans in the future.


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## bloc (Aug 19, 2015)

Comparing pickups from 2 guys in the same band who essentially have the same tone. Don't think there will be much difference tbh.


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## TheRileyOBrien (Aug 20, 2015)

All three actually have some pretty distinct differences in tone...


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## CaptainD00M (Aug 20, 2015)

I guess we are not going to take into account amps and effects and everything else in the chain right?


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## bloc (Aug 20, 2015)

You mean just an Axe Fx right?


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## nistley (Aug 20, 2015)

I wish I had the complete Periphery patches


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## CaptainD00M (Aug 21, 2015)

bloc said:


> You mean just an Axe Fx right?



I was just high lighting what looked like a potential conversation revolving around comparison of tone between three guys based on PU's. I mean I may have been pre-emptive in my sarcasm, but I just get super tired of people who base all their tone on PU's.

Sure Im guilty of sweating which PU to get for which tone sometimes. But these days I make it a last resort before serious amp and technique tweaking. 

Case in point I did battle with a Nazgul for a year before I finally said '***k it, it has to go.' and I don't play anything resembling Djent or any other Genre that has onomatopoeic names.


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## bloc (Aug 21, 2015)

CaptainD00M said:


> I was just high lighting what looked like a potential conversation revolving around comparison of tone between three guys based on PU's. I mean I may have been pre-emptive in my sarcasm, but I just get super tired of people who base all their tone on PU's.
> 
> Sure Im guilty of sweating which PU to get for which tone sometimes. But these days I make it a last resort before serious amp and technique tweaking.
> 
> Case in point I did battle with a Nazgul for a year before I finally said '***k it, it has to go.' and I don't play anything resembling Djent or any other Genre that has onomatopoeic names.



Fair enough man, I suppose that would have been a pretty good convo. I have a habit of hearing all djent tones as just one tone tbh


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## CaptainD00M (Aug 21, 2015)

bloc said:


> Fair enough man, I suppose that would have been a pretty good convo. I have a habit of hearing all djent tones as just one tone tbh



I get that, tbh for me there are three djent tones:
Harsh and Djent
Smooth and Djent
Over Compressed and Djent

Thats about as far as I've bothered/wanted to go in terms of analysis. Djent as a genre does about as much for me as watching Phil Collins get his chest waxed by a midget.

I guess it was a general gripe I have with some guitarists who obsess over PU's and getting someone else's tone.


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## keywork87 (Aug 22, 2015)

Not sure that Dustin (the OP) has checked this very recently, or that he's even aware people are still looking. I'll be sure to mention it to him.

In the mean time, I'm more than happy to speak in his absence. 

He does not yet own an Axe Fx if that's what was being implied. Truthfully his rig is exceptionally modest, but he's had other obligations lately and some upgrades have been put on the backburner for now. Rest assured that his short list includes a better amp setup. Until then, he's spent a lot of time getting his tone dialed in and he's happy to make do with what he's got. Unlike myself, who throws money at new guitars and other upgrades every other week

As far as the pickup tones go: He already has Juggernauts and has been very pleased with them. He's also heard my Titans and was fairly impressed with them as well. Playing them side by side, it's safe to say they are voiced differently, in addition to being constructed differently. (The topic of body/neck woods notwithstanding) As for the A/O, either of us have only heard them in videos by Mark or Keith Merrow. 

On paper, the Juggs and A/O have similar resistances with the A/O being about an Ohm lower in both positions. But the A/O seems to be the more aggressive of the two. I know you can't always go by Keith's vids, but the A/O sounded kinda like a slightly dialed back Nazgul, which I think would be great.

The Titans, in my experience, are definitely the quietest voice in the room. Very subdued, but love a good amount of gain and don't typically get very harsh at all. And you'll never hear me say anything bad about the neck pickup, it's the best I've owned up to now. But I also use it mainly for ambient stuff instead of solos, and it shines in this area.

He and I have already had part of this conversation. I've reminded him that there are plenty of other options outside of this band's signature sets. I'd almost lean towards the 57/66 set that I hear everyone raving about, just to keep from having to gut and rewire the guitar for passives. But all 3 of these sets are great at what they do, and in the right guitar they can do even more than that. I've heard 2 of them do it already.

End Rant


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## Guamskyy (Aug 24, 2015)

I can only speak for the Titan bridge because it is the only one I have out of the bunch, but for my applications, it IS definitely hot. Compared to my BKP aftermath 7 in my JP7, it is gainy. Compared to the Kiesel Lithiums in my Vader, I would say for the most part they are on the same level.

The titans, in my eyes and to my ears, snarl. They are aggressive, and can sound sweeter or harsher depending on how hard or soft you pick. I know you've probably heard this all the time with high-end BKPs or other pickups claiming that it will respond well to picking dynamics and string separation in huge chords: don't fall so easily. Dimarzios and Seymour Duncans are definitely capable of this (not the Periphery sig pickups mind you!) Rant over: back on topic...

The titan bridge will clean up nicely with a touch rolled back on the volume and maybe tone, I don't use my tone knob much. For twangy cleans, the titans to my ear fits the bill: nice and spanky but not overly harsh like how a tele bridge pickup in a ashtray bridge can become.

TL;DR I recommend the Titan bridge and if you don't like it, it won't be hard to relocate it and use the money to try out the SD Alpha & Omega.


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## katsumura78 (Dec 5, 2015)

Slight necro bump here but maybe I can add something to the thread. Got my JP back yesterday with the Alpha/Omega set and I gotta say I'm glad I went through the trouble. If we're comparing them to the Titans then I don't think that's fair. The SD's are better in every way. Much more dynamic and musical. Pick attack makes a bigger difference with these than the Titans. The Omega is a darker sounding pickup and almost sounds evil. The Titan bridge is way more compressed and harsh on the top end. The alpha is a unique sounding pickup, more open sounding than the Titan neck. 

It sounds like I'm dogging the Titans but we're comparing apples to oranges. Titans are cool and have their own sound but I would pick the Alpha/Omega over them. Dynamically they are more responsive to pick attack and my ears prefer the tone they have. 

If you have more questions I'll try to post up a quick video showing the difference.


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## Hachetjoel (Dec 5, 2015)

would love to see a video asap!

Edit: too bad you don't live in ohio I'd lend you some juggs for a threeway


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