I have found it...

[ankalar]

My ideal tone. I want this:
http://ank.deltr.com/tone.mp3

I especially love the attack. Can someone recommend an SD pickup that might be able to get me that sound? Sorry if I'm being very general but uhh...yeah...I don't really know how else to explain it.

[bryvincent]

petrucci uses dimarzio pickups with his ibanez sig. guitar during that time. air norton on the neck and "steve's special " on the bridge. and uses mesa boogie amps.

[ankalar]

I knew that, but I don't really like DiMarzios much. What would be a comparable pickup in the SD catalogue?

[mrid]

I knew that, but I don't really like DiMarzios much. What would be a comparable pickup in the SD catalogue?

I would think the Custom or Distortion would be closest to the Steve's Special...and a Duncan Distortion neck with an A5 magnet would work well in the place of the Air Norton.

[Neeradj]

Doesn't Marty Friedman sound like that as well? It's mostly in the fingers dude, I know we guitarplayers often hear that, but really this tone is really based on the guy's playing. The pick up which might take you there would be the JB and Custom IMO, they sing, they're dynamic, they're responsive and they stay articulate.