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i am very intrigued by this pickup. does anyone have experience in using this pickup? how would you compare it to the emg 81 and the super distortion?

tnx!


Originally Posted by Destructonei am very intrigued by this pickup. does anyone have experience in using this pickup? how would you compare it to the emg 81 and the super distortion?

tnx!

Compared to the 81, it has mids and might slighty dirty your amp on the clean channel.


Originally Posted by Texas SwampCompared to the 81, it has mids and might slighty dirty your amp on the clean channel.

how about muddiness... i find the 81 to be very clear under high-gain, even clearer than evolutions... is this also the case with the X2N, or is it overly muddy?

I was actually wondering about the X2N also, but compared to an Sh-6 Duncan Distortion that I own and love. I play a lot melodic power metal stuff mixed in with punk... is one more versatile and clean up better than the other?

I haven't heard them but i really want to try one. Most people who have posted about it here say it's LOUD and no frequency really stands out...it's EQ is almost flat so that's kinda cool.

I read on another forum that it matches really well with a Super D in the neck.

-X

It's a rather balanced-sounding pickup, but be prepared for massive compression, it will almost play itself, lol.

Steve Vai used an X2N on the Alcatrazz record... I had one in a Les Paul for years and years and it was pretty good. I thought it was a cool PU. I can't explain it in great detail because I sold that guitar in '89. I can remember the PU cut through good in a band situation and sounded good with a horrible Randall amp I had at the time. Pretty damn hot, it picked up a lot of string noise and stuff.

X2N

the pickup of the 80's aimed at making mid gain amps distort into high heavens. still does it wonderfully today.
it's pretty compressed sounding though. whether you like that or no, you have to decide for yourself


Originally Posted by Empty Pockets...it's LOUD and no frequency really stands out...it's EQ is almost flat...

This is exactly how I'd describe it. Nothing wrong with it, but I think the X2N might be where the quot;DiMarzios are made for heavy signal processingquot; rumor came from.

DESTRUCTONE PLEASE tell me how you like the EVOs in your PRS CU22 and the Tone Zone PAF PRO in your IBZ

Opinions? Reviews?

My fav X2N sound is Fast Eddie Clarke's old Motorhead Strat. I had one in my BC Rich Ironbird but it wasn't for me, far too compressed at least compared to the Bill Lawrence stuff I had been using. I didn't like the high end using that pup everything seemed squashed. I didn't have the knowledge or resources available to me at the time to realize how I could have tweaked it but I have nevered longed to try anohter.

I switched over to Duncans shortly after that and been using them ever since so I guess I owe the X2N a debt of gratitude.


Originally Posted by Wattage

I didn't like the high end using that pup everything seemed squashed.

what do you mean by quot;squashedquot;?

X2N sounds great, i have no problems getting cleans with it, i use it in both bridge neck position of my main guitar right now


Originally Posted by ColmaX2N sounds great, i have no problems getting cleans with it, i use it in both bridge neck position of my main guitar right now


X2N is one of my favorite Pickups. It's most similar to the Invader and slightly less powerful then the Invader (I have no idea why people say the X2N is more powerful then the Invader beucase its NOT!)

The X2N sounds amazing in Les Pauls. And works the best when you have one in the bridge and one in the neck. Great shred tone in the neck spot.

The X2N can do low tuned crap too. but It can kind of get muddy in a Bass wood guitar. They sound the best in Mahagony and Alder.

I thought it was really warm for a ceramic pickup. I like the tone of those myself. You know that pickup originally was created as kind of a gag. Someone at Dimarzio got cute and was trying to be funny by buliding a big massive ceramic mag pup and it worked...the X2N was born!


Originally Posted by revolutionYou know that pickup originally was created as kind of a gag. Someone at Dimarzio got cute and was trying to be funny by buliding a big massive ceramic mag pup and it worked...the X2N was born!

thats pretty cool.

I personally think the X2N is a great sounding pickup. Very balanced, very clear and just good tone IMO. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was too much output for me. I don't really use the bridge for cleans but even still this was just too much for me.

If they made the same pickup but with just lower output....I'd have kept it.

But for all out metal?? Great pickup.

I'd say it's pretty balanced, and does have some compression. But tone curve questions are the wrong attitude. You don't ask quot;What kind of fuel economy does that Ferrari get?quot; You ask how fast it goes.

X2N Tone curve? Whatever. But it is Mother ^*%^%#% LOUD!

And while this sounds like its out of the DiMArzio catalog...PArellel and split are very cool and useful tones. The thing is so loud that these less than series setting really do still have some teeth.


Originally Posted by ranalliI personally think the X2N is a great sounding pickup. Very balanced, very clear and just good tone IMO. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was too much output for me. I don't really use the bridge for cleans but even still this was just too much for me.

If they made the same pickup but with just lower output....I'd have kept it.

But for all out metal?? Great pickup.

maybe put the neck version in the bridge?