Dimarzio Area T Pickups in Fender Telecaster

[margovallen]

My reason for switching to the DiMarzio 'Area' pickups is for the reason of less (NO) noise. Otherwise, I would not have any complaints :-)

[jem7772]

nicer twang on the originals, would like to hear both with a heavilt overdriven rock sound though

[forfunk49]

Well done....good vid....great editing.....short and to the point.

[Wallimann]

@forfunk49 Thanks!

[nazareneartists]

they both sound great but you can hear the loss of high end with the silent ones!

[seth3556r]

You should have put a Fast Track T in the bridge instead of the Hot Area T. better sound in my opinion. has the tele twang and original character but it can adapt when high gain is needed and the notes sound so clear, like singing.

[Wallimann]

@seth3556r Cool! I might order one, thanks!

[seth3556r]

@Wallimann No problem my friend!

[frogrock89]

The dimarzio area's sound great,and no hum.I'm sold on the area t's for my american tele.I love the tele sound,and I still here it with the dimarzio's,but with no hum.Sound is a little warmer,but I still hear Tele.If you didn't tell anybody you had dimarzio's in that ax,no one could tell if they were stock or dimarzios.

[poinkero]

the neck pickups soundedthe same t me, we wwere fooled I think that the stock pickups was meaner because we're hearing hum..

[GIDDAROS]

The Area T's i think have a bit more clarity but the stock pickups sound mean and rockier!!!

[OzziePerch]

This video convinced me to keep my stock pickups. Now, if I could only get rid of the hum!

[Wallimann]

@OzziePerch I know man I'm with you on that...

[nazareneartists]

@OzziePerch have you tried "hum x?" i wish i could get them in the uk!

[massif20022000]

I preferred the stock pickups.

[magicthunder666]

difference seems to be minimal... i wont pay 160$ to get almost the same tone LOL

[mtblanc83]

Ok, I'm a little confused. I see "American Deluxe" but I hear you say "American Standard" and talk about how much quieter the Areas were. So they were stock single coils then? They did sound great.

[Wallimann]

@mtblanc83 I'm sorry, it's a standard.. Not deluxe...

[mtblanc83]

Ok, I a little confused. I see "American Deluxe" but I hear you say "American Standard" and talk about how much quieter the Areas were. So they were stock single coils then? They did sound great.

[mtblanc83]

Most definitely stock Fenders. The Areas were nice but had a certain midrange "vowel" tone that I didn't care for. I have this guitar and watched this thinking the Dimarzios would be an upgrade considering the stellar reviews they usually get. My Am Del Ash Tele just got vindicated...sounds like a great Tele should. BTW, very nice playing.

[Youreallysuckguy]

Dimarzio sounds sterile

[fuegofreak]

stock pickups sound better. The DiMarzios are very... gritty and muddy.

[Steven205]

Stock pickups sound better imo.

[crazymike1706]

I personally prefer the Dimarzio pickups. They didn't have as much attack but they were a lot cleaner and more articulate. AI lot of people feel different but hey, it's good that everyone is unique.

[DAVIDDAMIENR]

Fender stocks !!!!

David

[OneBigHell]

Stock pickups rule! Nice guitar mate!

[Wallimann]

@OneBigHell Thanks buddy!

[DistortedV12]

Fender stocks all the way David. Sometimes you don't realize what you have until it's gone or in this case *compared.

[piccicacca]

the original stocks sounded WAY better! and i think you know it! i dont really like di marzio pickups but i didnt based my opinion on this video.. dimarzio gives less noise, yes, but it suppresses the sound sounds like it's in a cage and it can give more.. :)

[pixelboxcreative]

Definately the Dimarzios were less noisy! Seems the bridge had more of a high mid presence to them. Not that that is good nor bad. I think you did yourself a favor with the neck pickup, though. Sounded the same minus the hum! :)

[Disharmonikash]

Hi David, I gotta say that the stock pickups sound much better, or should I say, more Tele-like, the DiMarzios have much more midrange, and the dimarzio bridge is just wrong for a Tele.

Dont get me wrong I like DiMarzio pickups, and with those, the guitar still sounds like a Tele, but maybe like a Blade tele or a tele of some other manufacturer, but if you want that instantly recognizable Tele sound, the stock ones are the way to go. Cheers and thank you for your time!

[stoob1969]

Weirdly, I would say I prefer the originals, even though I replaced MY bridge with a DiMarzio in my Strat. Saying this, I still am not a fan of the twangy Tele, more a fan of the more verstile Strat.

[5150tt]

I thought the original pickups sounded thin and had comparatively no bass or mid. Also, single coil pickup hum is not what I would ever call a feature. The difference was night and day. The stock pickups didn't have anywhere near the up front presence as the DiMarzios did. Of course it only barely sounds like a Tele now but I think the suggestion of a Tele is better than a Tele itself.

I have been replacing stock pickups with DiMarzio or EMG passives for 20 years. PAF Pro FTW back in 1992.

[spartanworria]

I think the stock ones sound crisper and more powerfull. With background nois and band, singer, and whaterver else could be going on I dont think the subtle tone differance could be noticed, but the standard ones might cut through all that sound better. Just my thoughts.

[UnguisMusic]

Dimarzio T (neck) sounds better than the stock one, but in the bridge position original pickup sounds much, much better than the Dimarzio Hot

[starlinginspector]

Awesome tone David!

[splitcoiler]

The differences are subtle.. But they are there. Most noticeable on the bridge pickup sustain. Sounds great via the axe fx... Hey , u gonna sell that eleven rack sitting on the table all alone in this bid? Lol

[zenncatt]

The originals give more of a pure Fender tone - the intention of Fender, I believe. Those guys at Fender know what they are doing.

The Dimarzio neck pup warms up the tone a bit and sounds a bit fatter - if that's what you're after. But the Dimarzio bridge makes the Tele sound more "honky", and in my opinion, kills the Tele tone.

Better to get a tele with humbuckers than tweak a great sounding stock American Tele.

That's my two cents worth :)

[nicknchrist]

Think the tone on the original pickups are more faithful to the Fender than new ones.

[schlagdog]

Like the originals way better though

[schlagdog]

That pickup sounds damn nice.

[SammysPizza1]

your guitar strap seems to appear and disappear at random

[Wallimann]

@SammysPizza1 Haha! Yeah, the video done with original pickups was done a few weeks before the other one. :-)

[GreenGuitarNerd]

And if you're going to do this...play dry.

[GreenGuitarNerd]

So, Dave, I'm a huge fan of your work...here I agree that the difference is extremely subtle. There is clearly noise elimination. And just a minor treble gain. Not even highs but ???1000-3000k gain minor. The noise loss is the major difference but in a real band setting with a snare and other noisy things going on, I don't know if this makes a differnence. I'm a DiMarzio user. But this is pretty damn subtle.

[xTiLkx]

i like the stock more

[thecompletejake]

The dimarzios sound way better. No comparison. I love Dimarzio pickps in general.

[Socky42]

When you record a song/backing track, do you do the guitars in a single take, or in a 'verse-by-verse' method?

[Wallimann]

@Socky42 Usually verse by verse. It all depends...

[666patrickbateman666]

If you like single coil sound but hate hum there is just one solution !

w w w ilitchelectronics com

[MyxHarnett]

Likin the neck better with the DImarzio but I like the bridge a lot more standard, and together I like the new ones....IT'S SO CONFUSING! Hahaha great video Dave, and I stole that middle lick from you just now ;-)

[Wallimann]

@MyxHarnett Thanks man, it is hard to chose! Glad you liked that lick! :-)

[Thelis]

I prefer the dimarzio, you get more mids and less treble than the original and also it's a natural noisegate ^^.

[dimebagisGOD866243]

lol dave you put starts instead of strats when you replied to gledisound. but awesome video man really love the warm tubey sound you get from the dimarzios.

[FranciscoBIdo]

Nicely done. The newDiMarzio's a are pretty cool but the original ones do it for me. They just sound a bit more vintage, kind of go better with the tele in my mind. BTW, one of my guitars has a DiMarzio Air Norton on the neck, it's very smooth, quite and with a bite: great for jazz fusion although I'm not sure if that's what where you want to go with your cute tele. Anyway, keep exploring that's where the other half of the fun is -the remaining half is when you nail that sound your after!

[112358miau]

The biggest difference is the noise, but where I think I find a difference too is between old and new neck pick-up, I think the new is a little bit brighter

[willidoex]

Nice comparison video. To me, the original pickups sound more bright, have more treble and twang. I would prefer the originals. However, the treble loss of the DiMarzios might be due to their humbucking / noise cancelling nature, so they might be favourable in situations where there is a lot of electric hum in the air. Unfortunately, you did not explicitly compare the protection against electrical noise, there the DiMarzios might score.

[rgjmce666]

my choice would be the new in bridge and original in neck

[Wallimann]

@GlediSound Thanks for watching! Yeah, they have silent pickups for Starts. Their website has a cool tool to help you chose pickups.

[TheScroounch]

Hi,..lik a "britght tone" on your "Ash'Guitar!!,..

&..I would liiiike to hear, on a Alder guitar! :-)

[henrithefreak47]

sounds modern lol

[anshumanchaube95]

Great tone! Love the Hot pickup especially.

[Wallimann]

@anshumanchaube95 Thanks!

[TommittajaFIN]

i sort of like the smoother tone of the original bridge :o

[socco445]

i dont know, its hard to say which sounds the best. they all sound great in their own way... too bad you cant just have all 4 pickups installed.... LOL

[CoolKabbage]

@socco445 Well, you could, if you don't mind cutting up your guitar haha

[Wallimann]

@socco445 True! The biggest difference I think is the noiseless feature.

[PrimeiraFootballer]

@Wallimann i agree. the noiseless feature is what sells me on the dimarzio

[SidVicious10101]

I like the originals a lot better. The tone is more mellow, and bites less. It seems to suit you better.

[Fkepler2]

keep the dimarzio neck, trash the bridge and get something else

[ichi612]

i think the dimarzio is more warmer than the original

[MrFleury1986]

I wonder how the area T (not hot) sounds in bridge!? :)

[MrFleury1986]

I liked more the area T, less treble, more focused, still twangy.

[deltafit]

i liked the originals WAYYY better. Got more of that classic tele sound imo

[skleung]

the dimarzios sound a lot tighter and focused :) Nice sound

[OndskapensHersker]

new pickups sound great

and a lot less noise then the old ones.

[kleydj13]

I think I liked the originals better.

[maneatingtoilets]

I prefer the stock bridge. I could go wither way with the neck, but the second one sounds thicker and more humbuckery to me.

[cmrcs]

Great video David!

For the classic Tele sound I prefer the stock pickups, but the Dimarzios do sound quite good and are close enough for me. It's worth getting rid of the noise, so I'd definitely use them.

[666patrickbateman666]

The originals sound way better and fuller !

Chewier and more....Tele ! -LOL

[afnannn]

finally a proper tele pickup change and review

[Wallimann]

@afnannn Glad you enjoyed this!

[finners007]

I wish I knew how to change pickups I'd by EMG's and pimp out my Squire

[Wallimann]

@finners007 I find it a real pain to do. That's why I bring it to the luthier all the time...

[Knukleheada]

I NEED THAT HOT T

[Wallimann]

@Knukleheada :-)

[bobdoles123]

i like the stock bridge bettr, but the area t pickup sounded better to me on the neck

[lovescarguitar]

The bridge and neck combo on the modified pickups sound a bit warmer. And the original set up pops a bit more

[Wallimann]

@lovescarguitar I agree!

[kdoverock]

Both of the Area Dimarzio's have a definite warmth to them, but the Area Hot T in the bridge lacks that big humbucker tone, or that could of been just because of the lack of distortion, Id'e keep the original bridge pickup and replace the neck :p

[ArielsSmartyPants]

Both sounded fine to me, I'd have kept the originals.

[Wallimann]

@ArielsSmartyPants The originals were really noisy though, that's the big difference to my ears. :-)

[ArielsSmartyPants]

@Wallimann Yeah I know, people seem to hate the "hum", but if you listen to things like the Hendrix "blues" album there's 60 cycle hum, pops, noises on every song, it adds character and on some songs when I hear that hum at the start it always brings a smile to my face. I guess I'm just too old as all this is very nostalgic for me harkening back to bassmans and plexis and strats with mad noise and feedback. ;)

[joaoalex]

Damn, that guitar is GORGEOUS :)

[Wallimann]

Respond to this video...  Thanks!

[joaoalex]

@Wallimann I much prefer the fact that the "aftermarket" pickups are noiseless, in comparison to the stock ones, but I like the stock bridge pickup tone more... But the "both pickups" - aftermarket sound better than the "both pickups" - stock, at least to my ear :o

[psyckla5]

stock bridge was a better tone but the dimarzio neck also had superior tone so i would go stock bridge dimarzio neck

[kirkhetfieldtrujillo]

Dimarzios are a little darker, but they still sound great. I might get some of these for my Baja...

Did you keep the stock 250k pots or did you change them?

[NNX7]

dimarzios on this one are slightly darker, just a tiny bit. Strangely enough i preferred the stock ones this time!

[aeropagitica]

The DiMarzio's are definitely hum-free in their operation, and sound deeper and rounder than the original Fender T-pickups. The guitar isn't quite a Telecaster any more but still sounds great!

[Wallimann]

@aeropagitica Thanks! I love those noiseless pups...

[wickedwizardofspeed]

the new pu's sound golden man.

[Wallimann]

@wickedwizardofspeed Thanks man!

[cperalta92]

The Dimarzios seem more dynamic while preserving the original Tele tone. They should also hum a lot less too, assuming you're running some kind of gate/filter. This opinion may be a little biased as I love using DiMarzio products.

[ZeekDuff]

I agree, the DMs are cleaner, overall. The neck PU is fatter, too. However, if you're looking for the Tele "twang" with a clean loud amp like a Twin, you might lose some of that, and the noise of the originals would probably be below the input threshold. I'd like to hear a clean, zero FX comparison.

[coffeeflush]

The biggest change i noticed when going from stock to dimarzio's in my guitar was more to do with how much more responsive my guitar became and how the tone became richer and more open.

[udsahn]

What I noticed more than anything between both pickups was a significant decrease in noise between the originals vs. the Dimarzio. Dimarzio wins this one in my book :).

[Wallimann]

@udsahn Yeah, I agree! That's why I changed them and it delivered!

[1dwald]

Dimarzios win. Good tone and quiet.

[xom400]

not that much differant in tone however they sound cleaner and have no noise

[jwandhistools]

I like them all. I hate it when that happens.

[jackoswaldmusic]

The diffrence is really subtle, but I think the dimarzios won just a bit more.

I don't think I've played a set of Dimarzios that I didn't like..

[PantomimeHorseMusic]

Love the new DiMarzios. They're so quiet and the sound is much fuller.

[EricMaldonadoMusic]

DiMarzio rules! The pickups are amazing and t he guys over there are great. Great demo David, your tone is always awesome :-)

[Wallimann]

@EricMaldonadoMusic Thanks Eric!

[SeRoN20]

For the neck I like the DiMarzio, but as for the bridge I prefer the old one.. :)

[xDimebladex]

@SeRoN20 i also prefer the old ones for the combination of the pick-ups :)

[loudlove69]

Well to be honest I did hear a slight difference, and only slightly - the Hot T seemed to have a more "growl" sound to it - but seemed to remain a "Tele" sound at the same time. The Area T - well it seemed pretty close but the Stock American pkups seem to do a good job - but I can see installing the Dimarzio pickups for gigging out which I am sure you do Dave. Thank you for this review though - hey could you give a break down of the Nite Fly? - all the changes you have made to it maybe??

[Wallimann]

@loudlove69 Good idea! I'll see what I can do for that. :-)

[CannibalZombieKiller]

I´m in love of that Tele :)

[skorobagatko]

I like the original pickups :) also have standard tele 94'

[motorhead1995able]

i prefer the stock pickaps

[Tallguyalec]

i think the Dimarzio's sound just SLIGHTLY better

[Wallimann]

@Tallguyalec They are much more noiseless too!

[strwy2hvn94]

@Tallguyalec yeah they're supposed to.