DiMarzio Blaze Custom

Passive, 410 mV output, nuclear green

1990 Ibanez UV7BK
Bridge Position
Replaces stock Blaze II Brige, lacked midrange

I use this through either my Mesa/Boogie MkIII or Marshall TSL100 with stacked Marshall 2x12 and 4x12 cabs w/Celestions. It really helped wake up the UV7. I felt the stock Blaze II bridge pickup didn't jump out enough, the extra mids of the Custom helped greatly, making me feel much more confident when playing. This is a pickup that never sounds like an icepick, although it does sound quite hot and rich. I got to sit down side by side and A/B it with an Evo7 equipped guitar and had a brief moment of envy because of the chainsaw rhythm crunch advantage of the Evo7. But the Blaze Custom has a much richer, warmer lead tone and you can always tweak your EQ for more slice, still sounds full! The Evo7 can sound shrill at times, so overall, I like the Blaze Custom better.

I have had great success getting '80s metal tones with this pickup.Of all my guitars, I use the 7-string even for 6-string songs such as 7th Son era Iron Maiden, etc simply because it nails the tone the best. As you continue to crank the amp, it never becomes harsh, just loud, clear power! You do have to be careful however with your low end EQ to avoid mud, as in the case with most any 7-string pickup. The lead tone has a distinct mid range character with just the right amount of high end. I have another guitar with the Duncan Distortion that can sound thinnish for leads in comparison, the Blaze Custom sounds full, but not flabby.

If stolen, I would have to consider the Evo7 just to see if I could tweak the EQ enough to get a richer lead tone from it. The crunch of the Evo7 is PERFECT, while you can get a little flabby with the Blaze Custom if you're not careful. But overall I'm to stick with the Blaze Custom. The TONE of the Blaze Custom is definitely better than the Evo7, even if it doesn't cut as well, and tone is what it's all about.

Pickup features: humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: ibanez GRX720 (custom self moded)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: powersound7
Other pickups on guitar: nil
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): ummm fear factory style guitaring
Reason for pickup change: due to customizing the GRX720

Perceived output level: enough
Tone: bassy harder you hit the fatter the tone gets
Sonic evaluation: well im a simple rig person all im useing is my ibanez GRX720 custom into a boss ch-1 chorus pedal into a Ashton 100watt head into a Ashton 200 watt cabinet

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play alot of fear factory and this pickup does it great gives me the bassy tone i need for the palm muting and gives me a nice clear tone for the high end , i say its a alround pickup i cant say for sure due to only having one for my whole guitar but i say great for bridge if you want the heavy bassy sound

Comments: if it was stolen id probably try a EMG707, but this pickup is great for what i want and does exactly what i want, i dont really have a bad thing to say about it i was suprised when i put it on clean from giving me bassy tone for my distortion i thought itd be muddy or distort but it does the opposite i love it on clean put some reverb to it and it sounds great

Pickup features: passive humbucking pickup
Impedence or other specs: na

Model of guitar or bass: ibanez rg 7421xl
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: stock neck
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): melodic hardcore
Reason for pickup change: old pickup was rusting and lacked pung attack and definition

Perceived output level: hotter than stock pickup but not over the top
Tone: very balanced but a definate spike in the mids
Sonic evaluation: im running the ibanez through a marshall jcm 900 and mesa 4x12
the sound is so much more powerful and punchy its insane . This is the best 7 string pickup by far that i have heard

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is good for any heavy style of music but it is very useful for hardcore styles as it cuts so much and dosent mud up at all

Comments: This pickup is worth the price the only pickup i could see coming close is the emg 707 but they are pricey and a pain to install . But this is a definate hit .

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Output: 410 mV; DC resistance: 16k

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RG-7321
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock pick-ups
Other pickups on guitar: Blaze II-n (RG-7321)
Artists using this pickup: see below & me
You musical style(s): (fusion) jazz, metal
Reason for pickup change: The Korean stocks are just plain aweful.

Perceived output level: pretty high but not over-the-top
Tone: rich enough but if I really have to pick one I'd say 'middy'
Sonic evaluation: I use use all kinds of stuff as long as it's rigged with tubes, various pre-amps, power amps and cabinets (Engl, Peavey, H&K, TC, BagEnd, Celestion, Roland). The same with guitars (Gibson, PRS, Ibanez, Fender, ESP, Godin) but most of them are rigged with open passive humbuckers - I've been playing for about 35 years and I still can't believe the amount of stuff one accumulates over the years myself.
Anyway, the Blaze Custom is not a subtle pickup so I only use it for my heavy stuff. In fact, I only use it live because the fixed bridge on the 7321 doesn't give me any fits (as opposed to Floyd Rose - I'm firmly opposed to death penalties but Floyd Rose seriously makes me reconsider things). It pretty much gives me what I need in the metal dept. but it's like a compromise. It's smooth but not like a Tone Zone (now in my RG-7620), Air Norton or The Breed, it growls but not like SD Invader (rigged in my ESP Baritone), it's voiced but not like a Fred or PAF, etc. etc.
All in all, a pretty versatile pickup for live playing. It's hot but the low B still cuts through without getting too muddy or pushing the harmonics away (I'm using an additional 12" bass cabinet though). But I find it a bit too raw to use in the studio, I want layered and subtle characteristics there.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I'd only recommend this pickup for heavy live playing; it doesn't seem an apt neck pickup but I never tried it.

Comments: See above. I'd probably get it again if it were stolen, but only within the scope of use I mentioned above. It's a pretty good live workhorse for metal.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker, 4 conductor cable
Impedence or other specs: dont care, fuckin mad!

Model of guitar or bass: Monterey 7-string
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock shit
Other pickups on guitar: stock shit in neck
Artists using this pickup: dont know...a few use the original blaze...
You musical style(s): N?-Metal/Industrial/Neo/progressional metal
Reason for pickup change: Other one was shizat! this pickup is from god....to sound like satanic distortion to angel cleans

Perceived output level: pretty loud!!! not has loud as evo...but still this thing creams it....especially with the full output wire
Tone: scooped mids...so great for n?-metal, chugging riffs can be bassy but solos are really smooth
Sonic evaluation: guitar---->boss md2---->yamaha dg stomp----->a/b----->AShton GA80
------> PA

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: suits nu-metal...any metal....maybe not old skool stuff....but definantly new school!!

Comments: I would have bought this pickup if it was twice as much!
I played this picup thru...H&K Warp7 and WarpT, Vortex, triamp mkii,
Marshall dsl combo, yorkville and ashdown bass amps...AWSOME!!!! it even sounded good in a 10watter Silvertone!!!

Pickup features: Humbucker, ceramic
Impedence or other specs: don't know

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RG7620
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Tone Zone 7
Artists using this pickup: No one I know
You musical style(s): Thrash/Death Metal
Reason for pickup change: Old ones were undefined, lacked harmonics and plain sucked

Perceived output level: Pretty low actually, lower than a Invader, or maybe not as distorted. difficult to tell as i am using a POD.
Tone: Warms up my trem-equipped guitar quite well. thick and rich under distortion. also gets fatter when you lay into the srings.
Sonic evaluation: I am using a POD into a PA, key amp, or whatever i can use. the low B is very defined, especially for a basswood guitar. the pickup has a single coil-like clarity when clean, which fattens as the strings are "pushed." under gain, even heavy "line 6 insane" gain, the notes are clear, and i am able to hear three distinct strings (better than two for an Invader) of different pitch. Diminished chords are actually audible! lead tones are great, bends have little perceptible loss of output. it crunches differently than i'm used to, and i'm still dialing in a perfect tone. i've had to palm mute a little less percussively, too (except of course, when needed).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For Death metal, it has almost EMG like clarity. i can use more tonally complex riffs! works great as both a lead and rhythm pickup.

Comments: if it was stolen, i'd probably end up putting an EMG-707 in, just because i am curious about them. but i don't want to rout my body, and i like the drive of this pickup, so i'd probably get this pickup again. it's pretty versatile, the single coil sounds are DEAD-ON fat vintage strat. crazy, man.