What do XR-7 pickups sound like?
- Thread starter TVeye
- Start date
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
drc
Senior Member
I kinda like them. I would never buy them to put in a guitar unless i was trying to get a guitar back to its original state. They aren't all that clean, but they sound great for classic/80's rock. Great mid-level rock pickup.
I have a few Guilds with the DiMarzio made XR-7s and find them to be very clean, especially when you coil cut them, but, although very clean, they distort very well also, You can see 3 versions of them. The early ones on the back plate say DiMarzio Made IN USA, the next version have the DiMarzio ground off so that they just say Made In USA and the final version say Guild XR-7 with a part number. All have the dark gray colored coil tops rather than black. Most have silver colored pole screws but some have gold screws.
Have fun,
tonepoet
Have fun,
tonepoet
matsickma
Senior Member
Interestingly you bring these pickups up. I was actually thinking of pulling the Fender HB1's out of a "Mars Music" X170T and replacing them with the gold pole XR7's. This would provide the coil tap sound and a good humbucker sound. The Fender HB1 tone is so bad that I would rather replace it with super distortion humbucker sound rather than the flat tone of the Fender HB1's. Since the XR7's have access to both coils no wiring mods to the guitar will be required.
M
M
matsickma, XR7's for the X170T sounds like a good fit. Coil cut they sound very similar to the DiMarzio VS-1 single coils of the same era and could possibly be HBs made from VS-1s. I agree on your assessment of DiMarzio Super Distortion sound. Too harsh, for my taste. I replaced the one in the bridge of my S-300-AD with an early 80's Bill Lawrence L500-L. Best of luck in your ton quest. -tonepoet
Last edited:
Great looking M-80 Hagmeat. Mine is a tobacco sunburst with the XR-7's still in it. Enjoy !!!