Guitar World's Paul Riario talks with Larry DiMarzio

[faridzayish]

im using rg350mzye, can i know what pickup suitable for my guitar.. i'm looking for both neck and bridge pickup. i play mostly 80's metal and neoclassical.. really need your help and suggestion.. thanks :)

[LarryDiMarzio]

@faridzayish

We can help choose the best pickups if you can email us at tech@dimarzio.com with a description of the sound you are looking for and how you would like it to be different from the sound of the stock pickups.

[LarryDiMarzio]

@cman211000

First Act makes a number of different guitars. Email us at tech@dimarzio.com with the First Act model you have, so we can offer useful recommendations.

[dougiscool77]

Hi Mr. DiMarzio, I am a big fan of your brilliant company, and legendary pickups. You have a lot to offer to the guitar community, and I think that would be really cool if You could do a DiMarzio clinic of sorts. What do you think? I would love to meet you one day, thanks Larry. -Douglas

[LarryDiMarzio]

@dougiscool77

Thanks for the kind words. We sometimes do artist clinics, but we don't schedule them very often. We may do more of them in the future.

[HurricaneTBag]

DiMarzio pick ups are the only upgraded pick ups worth buying, really. There's a few exceptions for EMGs and metal guys, but otherwise get DiMarzios.

[zbarneyz]

Larry, I know you probably have heard this alot but in that case im gonna say it again. I bought a guitar the other day, It has the Evolution and a Tone Zone and i have to say this, im NEVER gonna get new pickups. Im sticking with DiMarzio for life. Thanks man.

[rockerdude29]

hi again,now i need a bridge pickup for the IBZ S420,i want a good crisp defined clean tone,without being muddy/bassy,dull,or too bright or sharp or nasally sounding.basically like a strat with more base and mids and slightly less treble.plus i need it to sound killer with LOADS of distortion,clear,defined,crisp attack with a snappy response and great sustain output and harmonics,i play all the bands i mentioned before,i play metal jazz blues rock shred punk in the bridge. thanks so much! :D

[LarryDiMarzio]

@rockerdude29

In response to both questions, an F-spaced D Activator bridge model (DP220F) or a Super 2 (DP104F) in the bridge position and an F-spaced PAF Joe (DP213F) in the neck position might work, although I think it's impossible to cover everything you listed perfectly.

[rockerdude29]

hello larry,I have an Ibanez S420,standard mahogany body,rosewood fretboard,maple neck,and i need a neck and bridge humbucker.for the neck i need a GREAT clean tone,decent output and harmonics,really clean and smooth and not dull or muddy.really defined and articulate and almost fender "snappy" but not trebbly or weak sounding.i play metallica,A7X,red hot chilli peppers,sublime,hendrix,mayer,­SRV,pretty much jazz blues rock metal shred kinda stuff. Thank you!

[MegaThangal]

What kind of DiMarzio pickups would you suggest me to put on a Jackson RX10D RHOADS?

[LarryDiMarzio]

@MegaThangal

It isn't possible to offer useful suggestions without knowing what type of sound you are looking for. Please email tech@dimarzio.com with a description of what you have in mind, so we can offer recommendations.

[ghfan37]

i got this new strat adler body, Maple neck, and Rosewood fretboard would the true velvet be good pickups

[LarryDiMarzio]

@ghfan37

I like these pickups, but whether they are the best choice for you will depend on the type of sound you are looking for. Email us at tech@dimarzio.com with a description of the sound you have in mind so we can make accurate recommendations.

[nejikid]

Larry, i am either going to get a few sets of D activator modern metals, or PAF 36th aniversaries for my guitars. i am mostly a metal player, but i also like playing blues and cleans. which would you recommend?

[LarryDiMarzio]

@nejikid

It would be better to have more information before making a recommendation. Please email us at tech@dimarzio.com with a description of your guitars and amp. It's practically impossible to recommend pickups without this info.

[angedechue90]

Hi Larry Merry Chrismas,

Im a great fan of DIMARZIO all my Guitar or almost had one of ure pickups ...

I never choose the pickup by hazard i think most of customers must shoes the pick up to have the sound they want but it's not so logical than that u had to choose the guitar u want to have the sound u want and the amp too the pick up is on the top of the chains sure i had the sound i want from the guitar from my fingers too in fact its a some of alchemy u find it u keep it !

[angedechue90]

Hi Larry Merry Chrismas,

Im a great fan of DIMARZIO all my Guitar or almost had one of ure pickups ...

I never choose the pickup by hazard i think most of customers must shoes the pick up to have the sound they want but it's not so logical than that u had to choose the guitar u want to have the sound u want and the amp too the pick up is on the top of the chains sure i had the sound i want from the guitar from my fingers too in fact its a some of alchemy u find it u keep it .....

[Strikr1104]

PAUL RIARIO IS MY COUSIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nejikid]

@Strikr1104 you are lucky to have paul as your cousin then. he is also very lucky to have the best job in the world xD

[eatsandsleeps]

I had a custom Strat style guitar made by Michael Dolan (ex-Alembic) with some True Velvet pickups in it, great pickups. They are a nice middle ground between a "classic" Strat sound and a "modern" Strat sound. The clean sounds are so good that it's almost a shame to play it through an amp with a high amount of saturated gain. Highly recommended.

[JDubR]

Hey Larry,

I thought you might like to check out this kid showcasing your 36th anniversary PAF pickups. He goes by the name of (Alexbriss) on youtube.

Cheers, from Australia

[lidesnowi]

Why doesn't anyone make a Jazz Bass pickup with ALNICO 2 magnets ?

Have you tried it?

[whothefxxx]

Hi Larry, This question is more of your opinions of guitars. In the interview, you said that an electric guitar which sustains beautifully unplugged is a great electric guitar. Are there specific materials which contributes to this quality? The way the body joins the neck? Thanks and more power to you and your company.

[LarryDiMarzio]

The most important factor is the quality of the wood, both in the body and neck. The chances of gettiing a guitar with good sustain and tone are enhanced if the wood is consistent and properly dried.

[ERArocker]

I'm going to get a strat soon, and I'm looking for a David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) type sound. what pickups would you suggest for the neck/middle positions? Thanks Mr. Dimarzio!

[leddeath80]

wtf, why does it seem that every guitar player i've seen on the net today seems to own a freakin 59 burst, yeah we get it u guys have awesome holy grail guitars, plz don't rub it in my envious face

[Electricguitarded]

what is the ring thing n hermans hand when he plays?

[Tylersyx6]

its like a wawh wawh ring it controles effects by the way he moves his hands

[mischultz1]

I really liked the Area 61s in a previous guitar, but I *love* the True Velvets in my current Strat. They're unmistakably *right*. If you're after middy, overwound, or modern, there are plenty of other choices, but if you want a Strat to sound archetypal, these are an ideal starting point down that road.

[monkeynutjohn]

im trying to decide between either air classics or the anniversary paf's for my les paul playing through a fairly heavy distortion, my question is which do you think would work better to keep the sound articulate and really dynamics friendly

thanks in advance

[KrayzieBoneThug4Lyfe]

I'm new to pickups, could you explain what the differences between a wax potted pickup and a non-wax potted pickup is?

[LarryDiMarzio]

Wax potting is done to prevent pickups from squealing or becoming microphonic at high volume levels. Since many pickups in the 1950s and 60s weren't potted, some people believe the sound is more vintage without potting. Our feeling is that we can both reproduce vintage sound and pot our pickups.

[Sortsylic]

Shotrly said, they're become noiseless? (I am happy owner of D-Activator X and Paf Pro - best pickups that I've ever heard)

[MoneyPieBoy]

Do they come in different colors?

[treatb09]

check the dimarzio website, i think they come in an array of colors.

[Al112987]

Don't want to ask too deeply about how you're making these or step on anyone's toes or anything, but I'm really curious whether these are using plain enamel or polysol insulated wire?

[treatb09]

yes, and if they are wax potted can we order them without being wax potted, and what would be your view on that decision

[LarryDiMarzio]

We prefer to wax pot our pickups. There are people who believe unpotted pickups have a unique sound quality, but we've done a lot of research to make sure that the potting process does not have a negative effect on pickup performance.

[ezekial3171]

R the humbuckers wax potted?

[LarryDiMarzio]

Yes, they are.

[CriticsConfession]

Paul and Mr. DiMarzio are so awesome. I salute both of them! Paul for his playing and Larry for making the best pickups in the world!

[LarryDiMarzio]

Hi,

Thanks for you kind words.

All the best,

Larry DiMarzio

[shazlig]

Paul has the best job !

[BLACKMAGICMETALMAN12]

pure awsomeness

[chadewatson]

both rule.

thats a given though.