Dean Markley ZH-7

Pickup features: Passive Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Vintage Ibanez 756
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): rhythum, lead: flat picking and finger picking
Reason for pickup change: Needed pickup for additional volume without mic problems

Perceived output level: Low due to passive nature, but more than adequate
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: Ibanex 756 Ampeg Gemini II, Randall RG-140, Randall RG-12RM (practice)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Classic Rock, Country, Blues, Jazz.

Comments: I've been playing over 40 years...played professionally in 1960's. I just semi-retired from non-musical sector. I play in small combos and needed additional volume on acoustic.

Pickup features: Soundhole humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Martin 000 M
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): fingerpicking
Reason for pickup change: Purchased in 1998 for use with amp.

Perceived output level: Passive, no electronics.
Tone: Sounds like a Fishman Rare Earth, but without preamp.
Sonic evaluation: At the time I used a Martin 000M, through a LR Baggs Para-acoustic DI in Fender Acoustasonic Jr. The HZ-7 sounded good through the DI/preamp. I later bought a Fishman Rare Earth, and the HZ-1 sounded the same but the Rare Earth was louder.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good for small venues as well as large PA systems, Not much humm or feedback.

Comments: With all the new tech stuff, and because I'm not on a budget, I prefer the Fishman only because it looks cool. However, If I was on a budget, the HZ-7 would be the best buy. Also, the warranty is pretty good: My initial purchase was a Pro Mag Humbucker that failed after a year, I wrote the Company, and they sent me a brand new HZ-7.

Pickup features: humbucking passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: a yamaha F310
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: its an acustic dude
Other pickups on guitar: i said acustic
Artists using this pickup: me dammit
You musical style(s): i play "good riddance" by green day
Reason for pickup change: i told you there was no pickup in it before

Perceived output level: it depends you can change how hot it is but its a humbucker so its not quiet
Tone: kinda trebly but like someone else said i cant hear the G string that well
Sonic evaluation: i use a yamaha PA

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play punk but not with this guitar

Comments: it works thats all i care about i only got it for one song geez

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): rock and funk
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: The output level is good but it is not well ballanced. The G string does not sound near as loud as the other strings. Tilting the pick-up to a fourty-five degree angle in relation to the strings helped the problem.
Tone: The lows sound very good but the highs a little to shiny for my taste.
Sonic evaluation: I don't use the acoustic much when I play live but if I do, I will run it thru a Mesa/Boogie Subway rocket or a Peavey Ultra Plus.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock. It is a good match.

Comments: I do not think I would buy it again because of the sharp highs and the unballacned G string. It would be much better if it had a volume control and a tone control. Other than that, it is good.

Pickup features: Humbucking Pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Antares 6-string Acoustic
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Contemporary, church, rock
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: The output level is OK, I kind of wish that it would have a volume control, and maybe even a battery to boost the signal. But I don't have any problem with because I know how to modify my amp.
Tone: It sounds pretty trebly, which is good for lead guitar. But you have to know how to strum with it, in order for the sound to be balanced. It all depends on the amp you're using.
Sonic evaluation: I'm currently running through a Roland JC-77 and with the chorus and the cool reverb is sounds pretty good.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It's a pretty good match because I like using much more than a microphone. It makes less noise and feedback than a mic.

Comments: If would get destroyed or stolen I would replace it with the exact same one. I've been playing for about 2 years, and I also own a Fender strat. I compared it with the SC-1 (single coil), and man I hate the way
that that thing sounds. The SC-1 is an insult to single coils all around.
I know a lot of people that have the SC-1; they get it because it's cheaper. But it's probably because they aren't so technical. Volume control would be nice.

Pickup features: Dual Coil Passive, Zero Hum
Impedence or other specs: Body is made from Ebony wood

Model of guitar or bass: Yamaha SJ 180
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): All style
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Hot
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I found that this pickup win in the zero Hum catagories. It's sound very clear without a hiss.
But I found that it lose some of the accoustic touch (maybe of it's dual coil). But for the
clear & warm sound it pay !

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: I would buy it again, if my pickup broke. And I wonder if Dean Markley made a
classical version of this pickup. I will surely buy it.

Pickup features: Doulbe Coil Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez V300
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Folk, Blues, Rock
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone: Extreme...Very muddy lows and very trebly highs
Sonic evaluation: This pickup was alright, however its width was kind of narrow and didn't pickup either E-strings very well. It's tone tended to be very muddy and unresponsive in the low-end and very trebly and "plinky" in the high-end. However when played through any distortion pedal or tube amp things got alot better. It got a good electric blues sound and good even crank out a pretty impresive classic rock sound. The thing that dissapointed me the most was the fact that one day it just DIED (for not apparent reason) and because it was a sealed unit was unrepairableand was good as garbage. :(

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Anything quiet....folk, fingerstyle etc..

Comments: I wouldn't buy another one because of the fact that they cannot be repaired.....maybe I just had a faulty one, who knows? Nonetheless it didn't suit may playing styles all the time either. However if all you have is an acoustic guitar and you're too cheap to buy an electric guitar but like the tone....I'd buy this pickup....otherwise I'd move on.