DiMarzio Cruiser

Pickup features: passive dual-blade humbucking single-coil replacement
Impedence or other specs: see DiMarzio.com

Model of guitar or bass: 1985 Ibanez RG-140 Roadstar II
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock single-coil
Other pickups on guitar: middle: Fast Track I, bridge: MegaDrive
Artists using this pickup: Didn't know anyone used these things but me. =)
You musical style(s): Progressive Rock, Classic/Hard Rock
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickups weren't bad for a student guitar. I took it down to the bare neck and body and completely rebuilt it as my hard rock/quasi-metal axe. New electronics, matching pickguard and a nice blue metallic paint job. I'd rather have this guitar than any new Ibanez for a number of reasons. First, I have small hands for a rock guitarist and the RG-140 has a very comfortable, narrow fingerboard with medium frets. It's "ebonized rosewood" and seems faster, harder and brighter than normal rosewood and the neck aged perfectly straight and yellowed nicely. Next, back in '85, Ibanez was building their student guitars with basswood bodies and knife-edge fulcrum trems. Basswood has outstanding resonant qualities - a very solid tone for distortion. It's just not much to look at (solved that problem). And I'd prefer no trem to Floyd Roses and their knockoffs. Besides. New Ibanezes have that awful squarish, blocky look...

Perceived output level: As loud as a vintage humbucker. Balances with the Fast Track I and the MegaDrive, which is somewhat cooler than a Super Distortion but has superior tone.
Tone: The main issue with the Cruiser is that it's touted to sound like a vintage strat pickup. It does and it doesn't. In fact, the sound that exemplifies "vintage" is the staggered polepiece tone, and this pickup really does capture that quality. It's got it where it counts. But there are a couple characteristics of all dual-blade pickups that haven't been addressed elsewhere and the Cruiser shares those as well. Whether it's a Cruiser, Fast Track, Chopper, or Pro Track, all pickups of this general design have very clear, open, bright treble *and* a big, boomy bass kick. The frequency spectrum is expanded and seems to create an aura of "bigness" around the sound. A .015 "woman tone" cap rolls the tele-like highs off smoothly, and a little EQ will tame that huge bass into a nice "thump". This is a blues neck pickup for a hard rock guitarist.
Sonic evaluation: I use the aforementioned Ibanez, a '95 Deluxe Stat Plus with Lace TranSensors, a modded Tex Mex strat with a TranSensor humbucker on the bridge, and a little Gibson All American II melody-maker project guitar that's also been gutted and fitted with Pro Tracks and all sorts of goodies. As you can see I like to fiddle and experiment and try to get a novel sound. I play through a very basic rack system consisting of a BOSS GX-700 that has a bunch of decent amp models, an Alesis stereo 31-band EQ, a Hafler Pro 120 power amp, and a pair of Peavey 112/horn P.A. speakers. Compact, portable, and nice to record with. Hooks right into my VS880EX. I find the Cruiser to have an excellent classic strat tone with modern characteristics and ample power to balance with the MegaDrive bridge pup. In fact, the bar magnet of the MegaDrive imparts to it very similar sonic characteristics to the dual-blades which make them a fabulous matched set. With it's broad frequency range corectly-tailored it functions equally well clean, with a little bluesy edge, or with blistering high gain. Again note: This is not your mother's strat pickup. It has a unique tone that happens to have some vintage strat qualities but is much louder and bigger-sounding, plus is fully humbucking.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a folky, symphonic style of prog based around vocal/acoustic (almost, but not quite, entirely unlike YES), but frequently "swtich gears". The Cruiser is a good pickup for the place where blues and heavy rock overlap. I use the guitar it's attached to for my more energetic passages. Imagine Gilmore and Hendrix as Siamese twins the size of Godzilla and it won't sound anything like my set up but it will remind you of it. Stops short of crossing over into being a metal neck pup though, unless you need the versatilility.

Comments: Love it. It's great for what I'm doing with it. It gives me a useful "signature" sound. If the guitar were stolen, I'd do my best to recreate it. Only downside is that the bass is too boomy without some help from equalization (easily remedied and the other pickups match it). If you want a classic, traditional single-coil strat sound, forget the Cruiser; it's just too darn ...big. I took off a point simply because the application is so specialized. It's not for everyone.

Pickup features: Passive single-spaced humbiucker
Impedence or other specs: Dunno - Check DiMarzio.com

Model of guitar or bass: 91 Strat Plus
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Stock Lace Sensor
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan Hot Rails (Bridge) and DiMarzio ProTrack (Neck)
Artists using this pickup: Dunno, Don't Care
You musical style(s): Pop/Rock, Experimental
Reason for pickup change: The Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge was overpowering all other p'up positions. Also, I wanted a more useful sound out of the middle position, of which the Lace Sensor was unimpressive.

Perceived output level: Medium output - Slightly hotter than Lace Sensor, about 2/3 of Hot Rails
Tone: Tone is quite open and bright with a slightly scooped low mids. Quite single-coil like, actually.
Sonic evaluation: This is used mostly in recording situations, about 50% amps and 50% PODs, and/or bizarre processing chains. After a lot of homework, I am very happy with the Cruiser in the middle position. When the amp is on a high gain setting, the Cruiser gives me exactly what I want to hear when switching from the super-loud and warm Duncan Hot Rails - Cleans up, is bright and articulate, and IMO beats riding the volume knob. Great clean to slightly-dirty, arpeggio-friendly tones. *I* wouldn't choose it for all-out distortion I don't think. Humbucking is very effective, and I really like rails-type pickups.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup sounds good for pop and rock and would probably accel at classic-rock stuff. This pickup would actually be fantastic in all three positions *IF* one wanted a more vintage sounding strat that was both hotter and humbucking.

Comments: Yeah, I think I'd replace it. I do like it a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, the middle is by far my least used position, so it would be the last one I would replace. I tried the Duncan JBjr before and it was WAY too hot and a bit "messy" sounding. The Cruiser satisfied everything I wanted from a middle position pickup, but am suspicious that the Bill Lawrence might be better. Again, I like the rails and the fact that it's humbucking, so I'm happy

Pickup features: Dual Blade Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: Neck model

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez EDR 170
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Ibanez Powersound stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio Air Classic (Neck) Dimarzio Air Zone (Bridge)
Artists using this pickup: Andy Timmons, Me, I'm sure a lot of others too.
You musical style(s): Rock, Metal, Funk, Blues, Jazz
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickup did not have a nice clean sound.

Perceived output level:
Tone: Very well Balanced pickup.
Sonic evaluation: I am using my Ibanez through a Korg DT10 Tuner > Boss CS-3 Compressor > Boss GE7 EQ - Roger Linn Adrenalinn II Amp Modeler/FX box > PA or Behringer Ultra G > M-Audio Duo Interface > PC HD Recording.
The cruiser has a great clean tone and also crunches up nicely too.
I would this pickup for its clean tones to compliment my neck and bridge pickups, it does this very well and also sounds great in combination with the inner coil of my neck and outer coil of my bridge pickups. The sound it produces is a very clean almost acoustic guitar like sound at a medium output, I only have the outer blade active on my pickup, the guitarshop could not install a push/pull coil tap on my guitar and I did'nt want a micro switch installed but it was important that I get the clean strat like tone rather than the dual blade hotter humbucker sound. The way it is setup is great and gives excellent versatility to my guitar and the output of each of my pickups are well balanced so there are no major volume drops when switching between pickups. The cruiser has a nice amount of output even with just one blade active.

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

Comments: Overall I am impressed. I wanted the cruiser for its strat like clean, crisp tones and that is what I got. It adds another tonal palette to my guitar and I can get any type of tone I want from my Dimarzio's.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker (single coil sized, coil-on-coil/rails design)
Impedence or other specs: 143 mV output, 5.75K resistance

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RG470
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio Air Zone in neck, DiMarzio Steve's Special in bridge
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Progressive Alternative
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickup was muddy on the low E and not bright or clear enough on the high strings. It also didn't distort very well.

Perceived output level: Definitely hotter than a single-coil, but obviously quieter than a normal humbucker. Very clean when you don't push it, but distorts heavily when you push it.
Tone: Bright for a humbucker, full for a single-coil.
Sonic evaluation: I use this guitar with a Digitech processor and a Peavy amp.
A pickup that sounds more like a single-coil than a humbucker and doesn't start to drop off once you reach the bottom end. Clean, it produces a full, bright, soft tone. I use it to get bell-like notes and smooth chords. Distorted, it sounds smooth and creamy, but is far crunchier than a single-coil.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play Smashing Pumpkins/Tool/Dream Theater type music. This pickup works really well when I want a smoother, warmer tone than my neck or bridge humbuckers provide. People who can't stand any crunch to their overdriven sound, or who don't want their bottom end to sound tight may not like it. Blues or Classic players may not want to use it becuase their friends would laugh at them for using a pickup with rails. But try it, it really is good.

Comments: I wanted a single coil without hum that actually responds to the low E. This pickup fills that role well, but it isn't quite as bright as I had hoped. Sooner or later, I'll trade it for the model intended for the neck, that one has a bit less bass and that may help. But in general, for what I wanted, it's the best I've encountered so far.

Pickup features: side-by-side humbucker(Single coil sise)
Impedence or other specs: 141

Model of guitar or bass: Fender U.S. Strat
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock Fender
Other pickups on guitar: Fast Track 1 in the middle and Chopper in the bridge
Artists using this pickup: Sonny Landreth
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock
Reason for pickup change: sick and tired of annoying 60 cycle hum from single coils and wanted more output.

Perceived output level: Generally close to double the output of a stock strat pickup
Tone: very low bass, mids but extremely high treble
Sonic evaluation: Marshall JCM 900 Dual Reverb 1 x 12 combo

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Extremely versitile for blues and middle of the road rock applications, perhaps a bit bright for metal.

Comments: I would definitely buy this baby again! It is the best sounding side-by-side out there. No humbucking pickup sounds exactly like a single coil but the Cruiser is as close as they come.Probobly the only differnce that a vintage strat lover may notice is that there is a bit more bass and the pickup generally is hotter in ouput.If you are a diehard fan of the single coil but can't live another day without the hum buy the Cruiser. Also worth mentioning, the Fast Track ! is also an awesome pickup but it sounds a little less like a strat pickup. I recommend the Fast Track 1 for the middle position. It has a little more mids which I happen to like. It also sounds great when combined with the Cruiser. For even greater tone choices the Chopper makes a great choice because it takes a little of the high end off. The result is very smooth when distorted but with some single coil characteristics. With these three pickups you can truly get a modern, hassle free, solid(single coli like) tone. If you are looking to replace those noisey singles and want to be louder, look no further, Dimarzio Cruiser, Fast Track 1 and The Chopper(which I only reccomend for the bridge position.)

Pickup features: Side by Side humbucker in a single coil size
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Squier Series Strat (Mexican)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Blue Lace Sensor (Neck), Sliver LS (Middle)
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Mostly 60's rock, plus Seeger, Springsteen
Reason for pickup change: Less noise and more tone than the stocks

Perceived output level: More than the stocks, less than the Lace Sensors
Tone: Clean, trebly but with a more pronounced bass response than the stocks
Sonic evaluation: Fender Squier series strat and a Squier CHamp reverb amp

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The pickup is great for a clean, full bodied tone. A great replacement for the stock. It would not be the best for heavy metal or distortion.

Comments: I was replaceing all the pickups- tried a red LS in the bridge and hated it for my style of play. It was a toss up between The Cruiser and the DUncan Vintage Rails, and I chose the Cruiser. I would buy it again. It has the single coil clear treble and bite, but still has a solid low end. The notch position with the Silver Lace Sensor is not as "quacky" as some would like, but it is a nice full tone.
A comment about installation. The DiAMarzio instructions state that this pickup is not in phase with most Strat single coil pickups and you need to reverse the wires to be in phase with that type of pickup. I (wrongly) assumed that the Sliver LS was wired as a single coil strat pickup and wired the green wire from the Cruiser to the Selector switch and the red to ground. I got a wonderful out of phase sound. I contacted Fender to see about the phase of the Silver LS and was told that they are not wired like any other pickups. I reversed the Cruiser wires and got everything to work in phase.
On a scale of 1-10 I'd give it a

Pickup features: Humbucking Single-Coil (Twin-Blade)
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Carvin Bolt
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Carvin AP-11's in all positions
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Sonny Landreth, I believe
You musical style(s): Unholy Blues/Country/Jazz/Rock offspring
Reason for pickup change: I wanted a little more punch and output, especially from the bridge pickup. The stock pickups sounded fine (I would recommend them to single-coil devotees), but I just couldn't grin and bear the dreaded hum.

Perceived output level: Seem to be just slightly louder than the stock pickups or "typical" single coils.
Tone: Strikes a very pleasant balance between clear treble and powerful bass, with neither one really overpowering the other. All positions of this pickup have a very impressive frequency range - very comparable to a single coil's extremes.
Sonic evaluation: I'm running my Carvin Bolt guitar straight into a Roland BluesCube BC-60, and the Cruisers can provide a wonderfully clean and snappy (up to slightly overdriven) country/blues tone. The stock pickups were wound to be a little on the hot side, and the treble seemed to suffer a bit because of it. When using effects like delay and chorus, the clarity of the DiMarzios actually enhances the effects and helps them come through. On the overdrive side, the Cruisers maintain a good degree of note definition, and can still manage to give the amp a little nudge when you lay into them. I think they would work quite well with a tube amp, and if I get the chance to try it soon, I'll blab about it later. Note: I did catch some feedback, mainly from the bridge, but this could be due to the fact that the amp was at almost full power, and the guitar was facing it from only about 1 foot away. (Duuuhhh, d'ya think?...)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: These pickups are versatile, and I think that they could sit well in most types of music. They sound like single-coils (or very, very close), but they also work surprisingly well with distortion. The bridge pickup is wound a little hotter than the neck/middle, and the resulting balance between positions is very welcome.

Comments: I'm really impressed. I didn't think that an affordable, good-sounding humbucking single-coil could be made. Thanks go to DiMarzio for proving me wrong. I've heard that Joe Bardens are the be-all-end-all for this type of pickup, but I bought THREE of these for around what it would cost me to buy one Barden pickup! Quality, not quantity, I know... These will definitely get the job done for me. Vintage purists may not really accept them, and I can hear some differences, but the Cruisers are more than close enough to single-coil tone to fool me. The guy at the shop where I had them installed was impressed enough with them that he plans to stock them. Not bad...