DiMarzio DP128 Alchemy 101

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Lotta Gain, rated Bass 9 Med 8 Treb 7 by Di MARZIO catalog

Model of guitar or bass: custom passive fretless bass. neckthru wenge w/ phenolite fretboard & maple wings
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: none. Original pickups
Other pickups on guitar: the same one in bridge position
Artists using this pickup: never seen anybody but me using them
You musical style(s): jazz-rock metal funk fusion
Reason for pickup change: N/A

Perceived output level: Surprisingly loud for a passive pickup. Very high and clear output level. Plugging both pickups in serial, you get an enormous and a little muddy sound, but still no buzz or hum.
Tone: Very warm. EXTREMELY well balanced sound. All notes get out at the same volume, from low E to the highest notes and harmonics. The other side of it is a lack of real personnality. Would probably not work good with a cheap lutherie.
Sonic evaluation: I used to plug this bass in an ampeg svt3-pro with 2x10+T genz benz cabinet. This was great. Unfortunately, they both got stolen.
I've been surprised that playing directly thru PA or on tape still gives very good results.
I've just bought a Yorkville BM200T and it sound great again. Those pickups deliver the real sound of your bass, qhatever the amp.
I'm affraid that for the same reasons, they will show your instrument's defaults too.
Di Marzio sell them as 'luthier pickups' and it seems that's what they exactly are : they just amplify the sound of the wood.
Being very neutral, you can use a lot of effects with them, they just do the job, still punchy with alot of low end thru cascades of flanger and octaver.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: See upper for the styles. my wiring is very simple : volume w/ push pull that simulates a tone knob turned to 0, balance knob, and a switch that disables the balance and plug both pickups in serial. Although they're exactly the same, both pickups sound very different due to their position. neck is a perfect rock one, when the bridge delivers a nice snappy and crispy tone.

Comments: I just can get everything from those, from heavy synth like bass to jaco style, reggae or a realistic double bass sound.
exactly what I needed on a fretless. the perfect choice.
I would not put them on a fretted bass, because I'm looking for more original and crazy sounds to slap and tap and other stuffs.
If you got a good instrument, want to keep its unplugged sound but hate its crappy pickups, this is what you need.
Perfect for a custom luthier bass.
If you look for more personnality for your instrument, pass your way.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Rickenbacker 4001 ?74
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Original bridge pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Original neck pickup
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Varies from ambient theatre music to groove-based stuff
Reason for pickup change: Curiosity 8-)
And need to get more consistent sound from my
H-E-A-D tuned Rick

Perceived output level: Notably louder than the original
Tone: Thicker and fuller than the original
Sonic evaluation: So far tested it only with home studio equipment, but the bass
sound now stronger, fuller and thicker. The overall balance
seems to be good across the strings. Of course the lack of
protruding polepieces lets to have the pickup closer to the strings.
This one's loud enough compared to the original, so switching to
the original neck pickup causes a notable level reduction. Works
pretty well on parallel or series with the neck pickup, though.
The Rick still sound like a Rick - and I did not expect otherwise.
Now it just needs less eq.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play fingestyle and it works fine. If youre using pick and heavy distortion this one may be a bit too muddy for you.

Comments: Installation was easy because Ricks have the enormous bridge pickup
cavity. I took off the metal housing, unscrewed the original from the
thick plastic bottom plate, sawed a little hole to route the cable and
then fastened the Alchemy on the plate. The pickup almost fills the
hole in the metal housing (there's only a half centimeter hole on both
ends), so it looks pretty good and would look really good on a blonde
instrument (the pickup cover is made of mahogany); I might tint it
red later on to match the instrument.