Anyone have problems with DiMarzio pickups?

[Inazone]

I don't know if I'm cursed or what the deal is, but half of the DiMarzio pickups I've had installed have either immediately or eventually developed horrible noise, either buzzing or squealing or both. I have a set of D-Activators in my DK2M that are fine, but I've previously had a PAF Pro and Steve's Special "go bad" in other Jacksons, and now a Blaze Custom in an Ibanez RG7321 that starts howling regardless of what amp I'm plugged into, how close I'm standing to it or how I have it EQ'd.

The shop that installed the Blaze is working with DiMarzio to replace it under warranty if they can actually figure out the problem, but I'm not even sure I'd want another DiMarzio. I mean, I love how they sound when they work right, but I've had dozens of Duncan and Armstrong pickups installed with no problems. WTF?!

[CowboyFromHell]

Did the shop that installed the current pup install the others as well? Considering that I've never heard of anyone else having this issue, it leads me to believe it could be something caused by the install.

[Chad]

I don't normally care for the tone of Dimarzio pickups, but out of the 9 or 10 I have owned they have functionally been perfect.

[MIB]

Possible ground loop maybe caused by grounding the shielding of the pickup wire at the control end rather than just cutting it away. The sheilding, the foil in Dimarzio pu's case, should be grounded at one end only to be effective and I believe that end is within the pu where it is connected to the bare wire. The other end of the bare wire is then supposed to get grounded to back of the pot. Sure you already know all this but since some other brand pu's don't have this foil shield perhaps the shop without really thinking it through soldered the shielding to the back of the pot along with the bare wire or just left a bit of it hanging enough to touch the pot and cause ground loop hum or the noise you describe. Just a wild ass guess.

[DonP]

No issues. Are you following DiMarzio's wiring charts or wiring them as a Seymour Duncan? What's your hot and what's you ground wire color? Which wires are you coneecting together for a humbucker?

[1337storm]

I've been using quite alot of different pickups from DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan, EMG, Bare Knuckles and probably a bunch more that slips y mind right now, and I can't say that DiMarzio stands out quality wise in any way...not better, not worse than any of the others.
On the other hand I think I've only had one pickup gone south on the me since I started playing guitar more than 25 years ago.

[Force]

I made the mistake of wiring my D'Activator X the same as the JB but it just hummed a bit & sounded a little dead.

When I realized SD's black is Dimarzio's red & vice versa, problem fixed.

[Scooter]

I have an X2N I'm beginning to have issues with. Seems like it wants to feed (almost microphonic) after playing about an hour or so. It's only a couple years old too. Height adjustments aren't doing much for it either. Keep me informed if you don't mind.

[Inazone]

Well, in this case, it appears that the ground wire somehow became loose. I don't know how that would happen, but oddly enough, it occurs to me that I've only had ANY problems when putting DiMarzio pickups in guitars with hardtail fixed bridges ala the RG7321 or my Jackson Concept JDX-94s. In the past (on one of the Jacksons) it wasn't the ground wire but instead a broken winding on the pickup, and before that I had one that just went microphonic and couldn't even be corrected by potting it.

Anyway, I'll be picking the guitar up in a day or two and am hoping for the best. I really like the tone of DiMarzios but still think I might be cursed.

[Scooter]

Thanks dude. The wiring looks good and I suspect a broken winding, but don't have the knowledge to repair, yet. I have rehearsal this evening and if it continues to plauge me I'm going to swap it out for a Drop Sonic(?) I have in my goodies box.

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

Have you checked your cables? It sounds like you have the same problem with multiple guitars? I had the same problem, lots of noise and feedback, and it turned out to be an old cable. Probably a ground porblem, cos I could play with it and get it to sound fine. I suppose the same problem could arise in pedals or amps.

[Scooter]

Nope, the X2N loaded guitar is the only one. I can stand in front on my amp at stage volume with my Charvel (J90C) or my KV (JB/Jazz) wide open with out any feed/noise. I'm swapping pups today. Will report back about mine after next rehearsal, my amp is at our space, so no tryouts until I get there next week. Sorry for the derail Inazone, but I'm having issues too and hoping a solution is found.

[neptoess]

My Air Zone/Air Norton combo noticeably has more hum than my other guitars, but getting away from the amp helps