DiMarzio D Activator-X

passive humbucker, I think the d.c. resistance is something around 14.8, lower than the x2n for sure in the bridge at least. If you want to know those kinds of weird specs that don't really matter to me then go to dimarzio's website. I bought the set, neck and bridge with coil taps.

I installed this in a gibson explorer at first, then took them out, and put them in a Dean black gold v, both have mahogany bodies with rosewood fingerboards but the dean has a maple top. I don't think any artists are using this pickup that I know of.

The output is very hot. Don't sound as good as EMGs in terms of heavy music/basic rock and roll; I wanted a passive pickup that could handle very low tunings (A, A#, B) but didn't sound like plastic (emg's..really. plastic). Unfortunately these have neither: they lack lower mids for chugging riffs and dull highs that sound dead on higher notes. They are very, very clear though, which is a good thing, also, they deliver in the cleans, and considering their output that's a good thing. Both and neck and bridge sound very good clean.

I understand the concept that all the old cats on here talk about: "tone is in the fingers."

I agree with that statement to a degree, but the electronic translation of the vibrating strings is based in the pickup. Your tone will not be the same if you are using an alnico II pickup from the late fifties in one guitar and a dimarzio x2n in another.

I would skip to be honest. There is no warmth to be found (yeah yeah it's a metal pickup I know) and even for metal...you have to drastically scoop the mids for it to sound even remotely good, and scooping mids is not my cup of tea, I would rather, you know, hear myself over a bass player. It can coil tap into single coils which is a nice feature and they both sound good, but again, you don't get the warmth that you would get in a seymour duncan single coil.