Larry DiMarzio opted to initiate a unique pickup line at Manny's, involving a Stratocaster and a dead tuna reference, which significantly revolutionized the guitar music scene in the 70s.
Let's dive into the world-renowned DiMarzio brand, a powerhouse in the electric guitar pickup industry. The man responsible for it all? None other than Larry DiMarzio, who kick-started his career as a guitar repairman in the bustling streets of New York in the early 70s.
"I stumbled upon the Guitar Lab around '71 or '72," he tells Guitarist. "I was about to start working at a fancy guitar shop on 48th Street when I found myself with a goldmine of guitars in need of repair. Or I'd swing by Manny's, grab a Stratocaster, and think, 'This thing sounds like a dead tuna!'"
According to DiMarzio himself, "Pickups seemed to be the way to compensate for the shortcomings of new guitars. During my early days of tinkering with pickups, the very first one I constructed was a Strat pickup simply due to my collection of Strats at the time."
And voila! DiMarzio crafted the now-legendary FS-1 pickup, a replacement for the run-of-the-mill Fender Strat bridge pickup that was quickly embraced by several big-name guitarists, including David Gilmour. Later on, Earl Slick, Ace Frehley, Al Di Meola, Paul Stanley, and Gene Simmons all hopped on board the DiMarzio bandwagon.
"I remember having this fabulous old Telecaster. It sounded stunningly acoustic, but it wasn't the Eric Clapton tone I craved," DiMarzio recalls when asked about the genesis of the FS-1 pickup. "Being in the city surrounded by professional players, you quickly learn that - just like them - you could figure out hardware that served specific purposes.
"The initial solution I came up with was to amp up the output of the Stratocaster pickup. But I also rejiggered the EQ a bit. Club venues often have common problems, so what happened was - as you pointed out, which was spot on - people seeking repairs in the shop soon started requesting these customized pickups, leading me to open my own shop."
Another of DiMarzio's brilliant inventions was the Super Distortion humbucker pickup, designed to fit perfectly into a Gibson humbucker mounting, taking on run-of-the-mill 'buckers in a jaw-dropping display of pickup wizardry.
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For more on Larry DiMarzio, as well as fresh interviews with Bob Mould and Scott Gorham, grab issue 525 of Guitarist at Magazines Direct.
Sources:1. guitarmag.co.uk
- Larry DiMarzio, the mastermind behind the DiMarzio brand, previously worked on repairing a variety of guitars, including Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters.
- The FS-1 pickup, a creation of DiMarzio, replaced the standard Fender Stratocaster bridge pickup and was swiftly adopted by several notable guitarists, such as David Gilmour.
- Later, musicians like Earl Slick, Ace Frehley, Al Di Meola, Paul Stanley, and Gene Simmons also showed interest in DiMarzio's creations.
- In his quest for the Eric Clapton tone, DiMarzio enhanced the output of a Stratocaster pickup and tweaked its EQ, leading to the repair requests and eventual opening of his own shop.
- Another remarkable invention by DiMarzio was the Super Distortion humbucker pickup, designed to fit seamlessly into a Gibson humbucker mounting, offering a stunning contrast to conventional 'buckers in terms of pickup wizardry.
