Dimarzio Super Distortion vs. Super Distortion II

[Cmnaround]

I know this has been discussed before but I can't locate the thread - just ordered a dimarzio super distortion DP100 and now realized there also super distortion II's. I didn't see these when I ordered, so are they still avaiable and should I expect big differences between the super distortion DP100 and the super distortion II?

[SarnoMusicSolutions]

Super Distortion = Dual Sound

These are hotter wound, more midrangy, a tad less sparkly, and is what Jerry had from '78 to '82. For that era tone, go for the Super Distortion or Dual Sound. Since they now offer all the wire taps with the Super Distortion, as far as I understand it, they're identical.


Super II

This where they took the Super Distortion or Dual Sound pickup and reduced the windings. This makes the pickup crisper, brighter, lower output. This is the pickup Jerry used from '82 till he died.


Both sound great. Personally, I partially unwound one coil of my old Dual Sound/Super Distortion to get a pickup that's halfway between the two. I think that it's a little easier to get a meaty and warmer Jerry tone with the hotter Super Dist/Dual Sound. The Super II is VERY bright and thinner sounding and unless you really have a rig you can crank hard and get fatness and warmth by doing that, the Super II can edge on the overly-crisp side of things. I think most people here are using the Super II since it represents the bulk of the beloved '80s Jerry tones.




Brad

[mijknahs]

Listen to some 1980 and 1981 shows. Then listen to some mid to late 1982 shows. What sound do you like better?

[Cmnaround]

Excellent - thanks guys - that's exactly what I wanted to hear. Love 78-82, especially fall '79. This is going into the bridge of my carvin DC 400A - will report back on how it turns out.

[mijknahs]

It would sound more like typical Jerry if it was in the middle position but maybe you don't have a mid space for a pickup? That is the '79 sound though but the middle position makes a big difference.

[redeyedjim]

And just to follow up on a point raised above, the only difference between the SuperDistortion DP100 and the DualSound DP101 is that the DualSound comes with a DPDT (pull pot) volume pot. The pickup is the same for both model numbers.

FWIW, I run a Super II in my middle position and a DualSound in my bridge, as the SuperII is just too bright for my tastes.

[Cmnaround]

Yeah I would need to rout it out to get the middle pick up. That's pretty much all I play now on my strat - middle single - but since it's a DC400 it's going to need the router.

As I sit here and hold the super II, I can only think "I can tell your future, just look what's in your hand" as I start my slippery slope down the road towards buying a router - it ready has the 9V compartment in the back so I have a good start.

[mijknahs]

Don't buy a router. Get someone to do it for you (like a guitar repair guy or luthier). It shouldn't cost too much. Cheaper than buying a router at least.

[tcsned]

Don't buy a router. Get someone to do it for you (like a guitar repair guy or luthier). It shouldn't cost too much. Cheaper than buying a router at least.

A lot cheaper than messing it up too

[cmc64]

Don't buy a router. Get someone to do it for you (like a guitar repair guy or luthier). It shouldn't cost too much. Cheaper than buying a router at least.

A lot cheaper than messing it up too

I have to wholeheartedly agree here. Although I can do some basic soldering and routing work, when my guitar has work done to it I go to a well-qualified luthier. I might be able to do the work but I am not about to find out with my guitar. If I were to screw it up - wow, I don't even want to entertain that thought.

[Mr.Burns]

Even master luthiers make mistakes, the key is to make them within a small margin. "Aim small, miss small", I always say.

Luthiers keep their scraps around to test on. They "measure twice, cut once". Or as they say in other parts of the world, "measure forty times, cut once."

Hard to ignore the feeling that you're about to use your router on a family member, though.

[cmc64]

Even master luthiers make mistakes, the key is to make them within a small margin. "Aim small, miss small", I always say.

Luthiers keep their scraps around to test on. They "measure twice, cut once". Or as they say in other parts of the world, "measure forty times, cut once."

Hard to ignore the feeling that you're about to use your router on a family member, though.

You are spot on. The above comment about "using a router on a family member" is great! I just don't have the skill to do that kind of work. So I leave it to the pros. At least if they screw up they know how to deal with it (I hope )

[RiverRat]

Super Distortion = Dual Sound

These are hotter wound, more midrangy, a tad less sparkly, and is what Jerry had from '78 to '82. For that era tone, go for the Super Distortion or Dual Sound. Since they now offer all the wire taps with the Super Distortion, as far as I understand it, they're identical.


Super II

This where they took the Super Distortion or Dual Sound pickup and reduced the windings. This makes the pickup crisper, brighter, lower output. This is the pickup Jerry used from '82 till he died.

Watching View From The Vault 4 this morning... It looks like Tiger had the pickup covers installed from 1984 thru 1987

[waldo041]

Super Distortion = Dual Sound

These are hotter wound, more midrangy, a tad less sparkly, and is what Jerry had from '78 to '82. For that era tone, go for the Super Distortion or Dual Sound. Since they now offer all the wire taps with the Super Distortion, as far as I understand it, they're identical.


Super II

This where they took the Super Distortion or Dual Sound pickup and reduced the windings. This makes the pickup crisper, brighter, lower output. This is the pickup Jerry used from '82 till he died.

Watching View From The Vault 4 this morning... It looks like Tiger had the pickup covers installed from 1984 thru 1987

The original Super 2's did have a plastic cover AND base and were sealed together. That covered Super 2 is exactly the reason how we know when he made the switch in 1982 to Super 2's as they were the only pickups like this at the time. There is an add on ebay that shows the Super 2 in this form from the 80's.




~waldo

[jenkins]

Very interesting topic.

I got a question: what's the difference between a super II, or a super distortion split and the SDS-1 single coil?

The SDS-1 is a super distortion single coil right? So is there a big difference between a split super distortion and the SDS-1 or is it similar?

my les Paul DC Has 24 frets and a small body so when I brought it to the luthier to get it routed he said there wasn't really enough room to route in another super II and he suggested the SDS-1 as another option.
I trusted what he had to say and since I was plannin on using he super II split most of the time anyways I figured it would r be that but of a difference, that being able to go single coil middle position was the important part.

Tonally it was exactly what I was looking for and it def nails a great jerry tone and the tone era I was shooting for, late 70's.
So tone wise I know they're fairly similar I was just wondering what the actual difference is, since you Guys are basically Jerry tone geniuses.


On a side note-anyone considering gettin a middle pup installed...DO IT!!!
You will not be dissapointed.
I loved my LP stock, plays like butter, but it never had Jerry tone, except almost like 69-70, which is awesome but not what I wanted.
I could not believe the difference in tone once I got that middle pup added and changed it to a 5--way selector.
I think it's extremely difficult to get a good jerry tone without that middle pup