Grateful Dead Music Forum

Anybody used these Strat sized Super II pickups model DP218 Dimarzio makes for Jerry tone? Trying to avoid routing out this guitar for buckers. Most interested in that coil tapped middle position, does it do ' that ' tone? Thanks!

Super Distortions, not a Super 2. Never tried them. Dimarzio says it can be split with good results, but I imagine there is a compromise compared to a full HB.

I have an extra David Allen Voodoo 69 but its the bridge position pickup, would it work for the Jerry tone in the middle?

Probably so... the question is how the hot bridge in the middle would balance with other positions-

Blacklodgebob wrote:I have an extra David Allen Voodoo 69 but its the bridge position pickup, would it work for the Jerry tone in the middle?

I used one in the middle for a few years, and it worked great! Had feedback issues though, so I put the stock voodoo middle pup back in. Go for it! You may not get feedback at all?

I think they are modeled more after the Super Distortions than the Super II's. I used the DP218's in an electric mandolin I built. I was going for a Garcia type sound in a mandolin and was very happy with the results. I can't speak for how they sound in a guitar but with these and a Wald buffer I was definitely able to get into Jerry country (much more than I expected for a mando!) and I wouldn't hesitate to try them as a replacement for a single coil pickup. The coil cut mode worked great.

Currently going back and forth with Brian at IO about just routing it out - its for a Modulus Genesis I that I found Mint NOS from this collector dude. Really cool guitar. The last type they made, according to my research. Nice flat board, hybrid with natural wood design, it rings like a bell, has amazing resonance. Very Scott Walker esc (or maybe I have this backwards, maybe its a very Hoeg, Modulus thing) deep set tenon, receiving bolts in the neck, (a lot of these bay area luthiers seem to nod to each others work, modulus friends with alembic, scott walker, etc). Its a very near the shape of an Alembic Orion (like really close), but bolt on with a very deep graphite tenon ala Scott Walker, man it is cool as shit! Really surprised nobody has Jerry'd up one of these before. I know Jerry had a Modulus he didn't like, but from the looks of it it, that one wasn't one like this with a huge board, and the wood hybrid action happening.

Thanks for the feedback on pups!

I've not played it but most "rails" style HBs will not get the tone you are looking for in the middle position. Unfortunately they don't make a sc sized pickup that really does that thing. So you have to make one yo'self. Check out this thread.
http://www.rukind.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=426&t=12362

I took a full size Super Distortion and split it into 2 pickups. Some folks do it with a Super II which has a little lower output and is what JG used from '82 on up. Either will get you closer to the Jer tone. I have a 3 single coil guitar with those 2 "half" pickups in the neck and middle and I put a SDS-1 in the bridge pos. I freaking love the tones I get from that setup.