Dimarzio Super Distortions...

[needlespauls]

I am thinking about swapping out the stock Gibson Birstbucker 61’s or whatever they are in my Original 60’s Les Paul.
don’t wanna spend a ton, love the double cream look....like the idea of a raw animal of a pickup. Are these too over the top?? Any experiences to share are welcome.

 

[shupe13]

Look at the history of the Super Distortion. How could you go wrong?

 

[tzd]

Super Distortion makes whatever you put it into sound good!

 

[Caretaker]

For the bridge it`s a no brainer.
I would use something a little different in the neck just for a different flavor.
Maybe a humbucker from Hell?

 

[crosstownblues]

"Back in the day" people would pair the Super Distortion/Dual Sound with a Dimarzio PAF in the neck.

 

[ARandall]

Depends on the tone you are going for.
I stuck one (a quite old one I got secondhand) in a strat and it sounded pretty 'flat' for want of a better term. Comparing it to say the typical vintage pickup, it has none of the richness of tone or the liveliness I was used to hearing.

Even compared to some of the Duncan mid-output pickups(like the Custom) it was a bit dull.......but I'm used to listening for certain things in what I play to feel satisfied. You might be a bit different.

 

[AJK1]

Depends on the tone you are going for.
I stuck one (a quite old one I got secondhand) in a strat and it sounded pretty 'flat' for want of a better term. Comparing it to say the typical vintage pickup, it has none of the richness of tone or the liveliness I was used to hearing.

Even compared to some of the Duncan mid-output pickups(like the Custom) it was a bit dull.......but I'm used to listening for certain things in what I play to feel satisfied. You might be a bit different.

Commenting on how yours sounds in a strat is a bit pointless considering he wants to put it in an LP

 

[freefrog]

I am thinking about swapping out the stock Gibson Birstbucker 61’s or whatever they are in my Original 60’s Les Paul.
don’t wanna spend a ton, love the double cream look....like the idea of a raw animal of a pickup. Are these too over the top?? Any experiences to share are welcome.

Have had two double cream SDs in LP scaled guitars : a Dual-Sound in neck position and a Super-Distortion in the bridge slot .

They were not over the top: I had a X2N which was way more powerful and the bridge Bill Lawrence L500 mounted by a friend in a Strat had also much more beef (albeit it was much clearer).

These DM's were nice for complicated wiring: the Dual-Sound version gave interesting tones once in single coil or parallel and the SD delivered a useable sound once out of phase with a DM "PAF"...

But in "normal" mode, they seemed aimed to push the amp in a cocked wah fashion rather than to sound rich.

4 decades after my first aftermarket DM's, I've still a Strat with a bridge SD for "that" raunchy gritty mid focused tone.. But I've the same feeling about it than ARandall and don't play it much except when I want to cover Dave Murray in the early Maiden days.

I'd put one in a LP if I wanted to sound like Ace Frehley....

One trick poney, so, IMHO and IME, unless you opt for a non typical wiring. But if this poney if the "raw animal of a pickup" that you want, go for it and be happy.

 

[Mockbel]

I have Dimarzio Super Distortion on my strat, and its clone “Ibanez V2” which came stock in my Ibanez RG550 and I like them

However, I would always pick a Seymour Duncan JB over Dimarzio SD when it comes to rock/metal tones !

 

[ARandall]

Commenting on how yours sounds in a strat is a bit pointless considering he wants to put it in an LP

I'm sure you think its pointless. However thats a LONG way from pointless as an absolute kiddo. You need a serious dose of IMO awakening.

 

[Mockbel]

I'm sure you think its pointless. However thats a LONG way from pointless as an absolute kiddo. You need a serious dose of IMO awakening.

I hope this doesn’t trigger a tone wood debate !

 

[scosmith]

If you go with Dimarzio double cream then get the DiMarzio trim rings as well. Nothing else matches it. Also, be aware that Dimarzio cream has a pinkish look to it. I didn't like the looks of it near as much as I thought I would.

 

[1969 weatherman]

love the SD...they are their own thing. they have big tone and they take distortion very well. excellent for early hard rock/heavy rock . lots of nuances like nice top treble but yet have a very distinct tone...I have the old ones and never played the new ones.

 

[AJK1]

I'm sure you think its pointless. However thats a LONG way from pointless as an absolute kiddo. You need a serious dose of IMO awakening.

So tell me, how does it relate to putting one in a LP

 

[Zenatty1]

Super Distortion in the Bridge; Humbucker from Hell in the neck- awesome combination

 

[morbidalex666]

OP, what is an original 60’s Les Paul?
A 1968-9 era guitar?
Curious... pics?

Anyway, compared to burstbucker, the SD is over the top - no doubt.
But the power of any pickup can be adjusted with the spacing between it and the strings.
Compared to vintage style humbuckers it's hotter, bassier, throatier, harder edged, tighter and more compressed.
Somewhat more one-dimensional.
On the other hand what the SD does, the vintage style humbuckers can't IMO. Tightness, effortless sustain and nice feedback, easier to play.

Go for an original 70s one, if you can. The Vineham triple D is a very nice alternative, affordable too.

Cheers!!

 

[needlespauls]

OP, what is an original 60’s Les Paul?
A 1968-9 era guitar?
Curious... pics?

Anyway, compared to burstbucker, the SD is over the top - no doubt.
But the power of any pickup can be adjusted with the spacing between it and the strings.
Compared to vintage style humbuckers it's hotter, bassier, throatier, harder edged, tighter and more compressed.
Somewhat more one-dimensional.
On the other hand what the SD does, the vintage style humbuckers can't IMO. Tightness, effortless sustain and nice feedback, easier to play.

Go for an original 70s one, if you can. The Vineham triple D is a very nice alternative, affordable too.

Cheers!!

Hi thanks for the input and sorry so late getting back!!
I have a 2019 Gibson Les Paul Original 60s Standard, to clarify hahaha!!!
I like all the things you mentioned tone-wise, butttt I’m a little concerned with adding more bottom end than I already have!

 

[morbidalex666]

butttt I’m a little concerned with adding more bottom end than I already have!

Thanks for the pic - nice looking beasty!

If you've got too muck bottom end in your sound, chances are it's amp/speaker/cab combo and not the guitar IME.
Nowadays, I mostly play with a Super Lead 100W clone and the DSL 20w through a closed back 212 with WGS ET65 and Celestion Creamback 65W- I keep the bass below 3 on both amps.