DiMarzio DP139

Pickup features: Humbucking Passive
Impedence or other specs: See DiMarzio website

Model of guitar or bass: Seagull S6
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Dean Markley Pro Mag Gold
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Carl Tosten
You musical style(s): fingerstyle
Reason for pickup change: Dean Markley Pro Mag had poor output and muted representation of bronze-wound strings

Perceived output level: About average for a passive magnetic pickup
Tone: Very good bass response and representaion of wound strings; see sonic evaluation
Sonic evaluation: I currently use a Peavey Ecoustic 112. I also use a Baggs Pre-EQ (Predecessor of Gig-Pro etc.-no longer available). I should start by saying that I have four acoustic guitars all of which have pickups. I love magnetic pickups and also own a Baggs M1 and a Fishman Rare Earth. Given a handful of other disappointments, I was beginning to believe that these two (and the, IMHO cost-prohibitive, Sunrise)were the only real players in this game. Then I saw the Carl Tosten review here and another eval elsewhere on the web and thought I would give it a try. Fantastic sounding pick up! One of the worst problems with magnetic pickups is getting and even representation of each of the strings. This pickup has adjustable pole-pieces. Not a stroke of genius until you learn that DiMarzio uses a different alloy in the pole-pieces corresponding to the wound strings to additionally compensate. It also installs very easily and securley, ships with an allen wrench and additional bumper pads (should the originals wear out) and has about a 2-foot cable which terminates in a female 1/4" jack meaning you could leave the pick-up installed in the soundhole and leave the wire tucked in the body until you need to plug in. I have to say that if you were expecting an all-out acoustic sound you may be a little disappointed. This pick-up is evocative of jazz guitar sounds with slightly more acoustic flavor. DiMarzio makes no such claim, but it does seem capable of sensing some body sounds as well. I set the Pre-EQ flat and use it only to improve the output. I knock the 1k almost completely out on the the five-band and set the highs flat and the lows just above flat, the mids...somewhere in between. This gets a buttery smooth tone that's just hard to put down.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Ideal for Blues, possibly jazz, and it fits well with my fingerstyle work

Comments: If it were lost or stolen I would buy another. I've been playing over twenty years and had a number of acoustic pick-ups. This pick-up may not appeal to everyone's taste, but the sound it brings to the table is Very Cool and it's about $40 cheaper than its' closest competition. Why hasn't this pickup been given more press attention?

Pickup features: Passive humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Carl Tosten
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Schertler bluestick
Other pickups on guitar: none now
Artists using this pickup: ME
You musical style(s): Generally fingerstyle but do bluegrass too
Reason for pickup change: I wanted to try a soundhole pickup and hated the schertler.

Perceived output level: Tone is very round even though it's passive sound is very adequate
Tone: very round with enhanced low end frequencies, this is a joy when combined with a mic
Sonic evaluation: I use p.a. and an amp, this thing sounds wonderful at concert volume, very rich and punchy

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: great for any style but kick butt for fingerstyle with lots of tunings

Comments: I would call steve and get another if it were stolen, the mounting bracket on this is so smart and easy to install, hard wired it into the endpin and no problems. I love the thing and combined with my other pickup it is stellar