Tone Zone - Can it pull off down-tuned Metal?

Rex Rocker

Rex Rocker

Well-known member
I always love trying new pickups out. The Tone Zone is one I've had my eyes on since I started playing guitar. I have tried it in the past, but that was some time ago and briefly. Kinda want to get my hands on one just to see if it pulls it off.

I like my JB for that Arch Enemy sound. But one of my guitars calls for something a bit fatter than a JB. I do know the Tone Zone is supposed to be based off Eddie's broken JB. Wondering if the Tone Zone could be worth trying, or if it's just going to be a muddy loose waste of time.

I would've honestly thought it would be pretty useless, but then I came across this vid:



Sounds pretty good here! So what are you guys' thoughts/experiences?
 
I have always liked the Tone Zone. It is very low mid heavy, so just dont put it in a guitar that has a lot of natural low mids. It is smoother on top, so it doesnt get that fizzy sound many pickups do.
 
No. It's a boomy, sloppy mess of a pickup, IMO. Lows are big and round, not chunky or tight in the least. I hated it in the Ibanez Prestiges I've owned. Last one I had, I changed it for an Evolution and it was a huge improvement. I don't know if it's the wood Ibanez uses, or what, but they always sounded fat and wooly, and not in a good way. Maybe in another guitar, I don't know. I certainly don't recommend it for downtuned metal. The low mids are muddy.
 
napalmdeath said:
No. It's a boomy, sloppy mess of a pickup, IMO. Lows are big and round, not chunky or tight in the least. I hated it in the Ibanez Prestiges I've owned. Last one I had, I changed it for an Evolution and it was a huge improvement. I don't know if it's the wood Ibanez uses, or what, but they always sounded fat and wooly, and not in a good way. Maybe in another guitar, I don't know. I certainly don't recommend it for downtuned metal. The low mids are muddy.
Click to expand...

I agree with napalm on this, I'm not a big fan of the tone zone at all.

It doesn't sound bad in the recording, but I vastly prefer the JB; it just sounds way more balanced. If you go back and forth between the first few palm mutes of each clip, you can hear how unbalanced the low end is in the tone zone
 
Very guitar dependent just like the JB. I actually liked the the jb slightly more in this video. In my mij charvel san dimas, it came stock with jb and was weak. Put a tonezone in its place and wow, perfect! I can play tight metal all day. Just depends on the amp, pedals and guitars .The entire setup.
 
DanTravis62 said:
I agree with napalm on this, I'm not a big fan of the tone zone at all.

It doesn't sound bad in the recording, but I vastly prefer the JB; it just sounds way more balanced. If you go back and forth between the first few palm mutes of each clip, you can hear how unbalanced the low end is in the tone zone
Click to expand...
Sounds great for lead work - great harmonics. But not my first choice for chunk. I really never cared for Dimarzios, (though I liked the Evolution, liked the Petrucci set, and like the 36th Anny in a Les Paul). I vastly prefer Duncans, and the SH-5 Custom being a favorite.
 
Yeah I have a guitar that works with a Tone Zone, but once you go below about E flat it still turns to mush.
 
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