DiMarzio D Activator

Hunbucker

Came installed on my Ibanez Xiphos 27 Fret in the bridge position.

Has a loud output, much louder than the duncan on my Jackson SL-1. Being a passive pickup and sounding like a active, that was expected. My Dinky has an EMG-81 and I get a much less compresed sounding tone with the DeActivator pickup in the Ibanez. Sometimes I think the pickup is too loud. I am currently playing through a Boss GT-8 pedal to a Marshall JCM 800 Full Stack with two Marshall 1960BV cabinets. Play alot of trash (Death, MegaDeth, etc...) and the pickup definatly works for that. I noticed the clean tone sound clinical and mabye "too" clean. It lacks a warmness, but if I were to play that sort of thing I would use the neck pickup anyway.

Jury is still out on this pickup. Have contemplated swapping out for Duncan's but havent for two reasons 1) Im Lazy and 2) I still dont know if I want to keep it.

With such a high output, I believe it limits you on what type of sound you can produce. This is not a big deal for me since the guitar I have it installed in is only made for one thing anyway.

Dont buy this pickup to play any sort mid rangey clean tone, it dosent work that way.

specs listed in other reviews

installed in: ibanez RG3EXFM1
position: -Neck Pickup
replacing:-I replaced the stock pup (V7)
Other pups: I have a EVO2 in the Bridge.
The Evo2 and D Activator sound good together. both have very very nice cleans through my Boogie F30 (B/M/T all at 7 with gain at 3
Reason for changing:The stock V7 was muddy and to low of output for my taste.

Output: High, very high. Some say icepicky.. but I like it quite a bit. the notes are very clear. The low end is still intact unlike my stock pup (which destroyed the low end). The highs are quite nice, especially when combined w my guitar( basswood with a maple neck/ rosewood fretboard)
Amps/Effects: Mesa Boogie F30 w (Boss Metal Zone pedal, Digitech RP250..depending on what I'm playing)
Tone: see output above.
Style(s)that pup is good for: if used well it can play tech death, hardcore, jazz, funk, neoclassical..etc. it is (imo) a very versatile pup

--If it was destroyed or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else? I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
--How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own? I've been playing electric for 2 years and flamenco/classical for 5. I own two classical guitars; a 1970s Ibanez and a starter offbrand
--What do you love about it? What do you hate? I love this pickup.
--Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one? I compared it to a Breed, EMG 81/85 pair, and a Super Distortion. I didn't like any of them as much. This one just felt right for me
---Anything you wish it had? not at the moment.
Are you satisfied with this pickup or still searching for that sound? I am very satisfied.
Anything else you'd like to share?

The dimazio D Activator is one of the most clear sounding passive pick ups i have ever used. I use high gain through a Marshall 210 JVM. It cuts through the mix very well.

Bridge Pick up in an Ibanez x series guitar.

The pick up is suited to high gain tones. It has similar sounds to that of an EMG 81. But it does not have that compressed sterile sound you can get from Active pick ups.
I also down tune to C# and have the pre gain almost maxed out. The pick up still has tight bass responce and nice mids. Really easy to get harmonics out of it too. It has the clarity of a Seymour Duncan Sh- 4 with out the glassy tone tranpernt tone. Probably due to the fatter mids and ceramic pole peices. It's not muddy like a Super Distortion but has plenty of bite.

Will replace the Semour Duncan in my Ibanez MTM2 with a D Activator.
This pick up suits my bands doom/death metal sound. We also have keys in our band and a second guitarist. It is a great pick up for live,but it will feed back if you can't control it.
Most people will agree it is very hard to find a ceramic humbucker that is clear and aggressive for playing death metal. i have found that in this pick up. It combines the best qualities of Active and Passive pick ups.

looks like a pickup

stock in my ibanez ict700

high output, unsatasfactory tone. single notes are ok, but chords are just muddy.

if you bought these, you are a fool, if they came stock in your guitar, get rid of them.

Humbucking passives that mimic active pickups. Black matte finish.

I've been using the combo for a year now. I did a review below (under a different name: KevRokk) only after a few months of playing them. Now I have a better understanding of how they work. Previously, I had said they were crunchy. Well, they aren't. See how one's perception can be when you haven't really put them through their paces?

The guitar is a Jackson DKMG, from the first year they were introduced. It sounds different from the DKMG's produced today. I feel the new ones sound closer to the USA's than the old one's.

Anyway, John 5 uses the D Activator's. Who care's? I don't.

The Bridge's output is high, but controllable with the proper hieght adjustment. The neck's output is less than the bridge's obviouly, but it still is higher than other 'neck' humbuckers.

I still use Crate's Flexwave technology, and have since 2000. I also use Planet Waves Custom Pro cable, so make no mistake, Solid state and excellent connector's = accuracy.

I play Heavy Metal, and this style is what the D Activator's may suit the best. I say this because the bridge version, when played wide open, cuts and is eq'd (T6.5/M6/B6) with a tone that is just... Heavy Metal! LOL. Take my word for it. LOL. Of course, I don't overwhelm it with Heavy gain when playing rhythm. For separate leads, I use heavy gain and DiMarzio cable (because the cable's eq seems suited for it). The bridge pickup is tight, but it isn't thick. It doesn't limit like an EMG 81 and has it's basic tone and effects (like attack and lots of sustain), but it's definitely passive in it's overall execution. It's sustain is not as incredible as the EMG 81, but it's still just as satisfying, ultimately. The D Activator bridge also sings and has alot of harmonic content. The high notes cut through with great precision - some would say icepicky. The low notes IMO have the best blend of mids and bass, contrary to others' opinions. I say this because the mids are perfect for a guitars' eq, and the bass is solid enough to to give proper low end when burning it up on the low E string, but it isn't muddy. What people don't realize is, that if the D Activator bridge had more bass, it'd be overpowering and 'thumpy'. It's really a high quality Heavy Metal pickup. Screw with your volume knob, and it cleans up enough for classic rock.

The D Activator neck model is open and big sounding. The treble is bright, but not unbalanced - it simply acts as top end. The neck is tight and just sounds great IMO! The dynamics are crazy good; I can pick the strings and they seem so light with alot of headroom. It's like I can never attack the strings hard enough, without hearing, "Is that all you've got?". The D Activator neck is great for shred as it stays tight and has the tone. It's great for rhythm guitar in the neck positon... because it just is. LOL. I also think it's great for modern blues. Because of it's clean sound and mighty headroom/dynamics deal, and the big tone - it's can cover the blues.

Using both pickups in unison is the best, most articulate, Heavy Metal clean tone of all time. It cuts through and has some of the 'sing' of the bridge model, and some of the body of the neck model. All three models sound good clean, but the middle positons clean tone is just the versatility needed to send the DiMarzio D Activator's over the top. Neck clean tone: Body. Bridge clean tone: Hot, singing, and cutting. Mid clean tone: Best of both worlds. It has a very active pickup sound.

Don't put the Bridge in the neck. It'd probably kill all you hold dear.

I'd still want to have the D Activator's in one axe, even if it wasn't the DKMG. They are too unique and have so much high quality in thier sound, they'd come in handy at some point.

Been playing for 15 years and have been using the D Activator's for 1 year. I love their high quality sounds, most notably their combined clean sound. Only thing I can say that I might hate about them is that they're soooo clean. Good, but it makes 'em kinda sterile in addition to they're active pickup sound. Oh, and the bridge cuts like really sharp. Sometimes it can be too much, but it's sound quality overall in a Heavy Metal setting balances this issue out with me.

Be careful with the bride's height. Too high, and when you're really chugging away on the low E string, it can touch the pickup causing a nasty, "eeenenEEHHWWWQQqqquu" sound, because of your heavy palm muting. A year later, and I'm still working on that.

The DiMarzio D Activator's are really like active pickups - Deactivated. :-)

Some people may be turned off by this, but, the D Activator's do sound exactly like they do in the Guitar World's (YouTube) video review. Sorry. You just have to try 'em to get the full experience, but the video review is precise.

Features: Humbucker

In bridge position of a Schecter Lady Luck, replacing DiMarzio Air Zone. The Air Zone is a good pickup but I wanted more output.

Output level: Pretty hot but not ridiculous and uncontrollable.

Going into a Soldano Avenger, using a 4x12 loaded with Eminence Delta pro 12a's and a Boogie cab with 2 Eminence Governors and 2 Red Fangs.

The tone is balanced like DiMarzio says.

I play metal, this pickup is a pretty good match but there are some caveats, see below. I think it would work for anything from Classic Rock to Death Metal, probably wouldn't be good for quieter gigs.

I've had the D-Activator in my guitar for couple months and have really enjoyed it but I started thinking a little more low end would be nice. On a whim I bought a Super Distortion and stuck it in there. What the Super Distortion did is made realize what a good pickup the D Activator is. I play in a metal band but in addition to power chord riffing we use chords that go beyond root/fifth or triads. With an overdriven sound, these chords can quickly turn to dogsh*t. The Super D does not handle them well at all, certain intervals seem to confuse it, and the chord ends up in a staticky fizz. It has low end I suppose but palm muted chord are fuzzy, not focused.

The D activator: The reason I bought it was because Dimarzio stated it was a clear and dynamic pickup and it is. It handles complex chords VERY well, even something as gnarly as a diminished chord is relatively clear, even when overdriven. Each note rings out and decays at roughly the same time. It also responds nicely to variation in pick attack, If your volume is turned down on your guitar, you have a lot of range between quiet and very loud notes. Even all the way up, it still seems to offer more dynamic range than other pickups. It has tight bottom end, palm muted notes aren't fuzzy, they have a nice pleasing thump.

In a band situation it allows my guitar to be very clear in the mix, without cranking my amp to a million. I have a feeling the Super D would be harder to discern.

The downside(s): I would like it to have more bottom end but if it did, that might be at the expense of it's clarity which I don't want to give up. Also, low end could be more a function of my amp and speakers, not necessarily the pickup.

Some have said it's a sterile sounding pickup. No it's not a whizbang spectacular pickup, you can buy pickups that accentuate certain frequencies, but if you want something that doesn't color your sound and delivers the notes clearly the D-Activator would be a good choice.

I look at it this way: All in all, it's a good solid pickup. It delivers the raw material from your guitar and your playing clearly, loudly, and well-balanced, its up to you what you do with the rest of the tone chain.

Passive Humbucking PUPs
Specs: www.dimarzio.com

Model of Guitars installed on: Epi Les Paul Standard & Ibanez EX3700
Position: Neck & Bridge on both guitars.
Replaced: Stock PUPs on both guitars. The Ibanez also has a Dimarzio Pro Track in the middle position.
Artists using the pickup: John5

Reasons for Changing: I was looking for a PUP with more gusto so to speak as the stock PUPs in both of the guitars were just ok. Nothing to write home about (or a review for that matter).

Output level: Very hot for a passive pickup. I have to say, it caught me off guard when I first installed these PUPs on the Ibanez. I was very impressed with the output level. Exactly what I was looking for.
Amps & Effects: I pretty much just use a little 30W Line6 Spider II because I like my neigbours and I can't afford to move, with a Dunlop Jimi wah and some Boss pedals. Tone is incredible. Once one has an opportunity to plug in to a Dual Recto and these PUPs shine!
Tone: The tone is balanced for the most part. Can get a little high on the treble but, there I found that if with a little 'tweaking' of the amp settings, you can dial in some pretty sweet tones. I find that in the two guitars these pickups seem to have a little better tone in the Epi LP's mahagony body. This is not to say that the Basswood body is a bad choice, that's just my personal preference.
Style of Music: Mostly rock, blues, and alternative. I'll never pass up an opportunity to jam though.

I would absolutely replace these if they were stolen.
I've been playing for about 16 years now.
What do I love about these PUPS? These PUPs are fantastic. They sound great, and are exactly what Dimarzio says they are. I only wish that they had come out with these pickups sooner.
I can't say that there is anything that I hate about these PUPs. They aren't a catch all pickup for every genre of music out there, but it is a fairly versatile pickup given its high output.
The only thing I wish it had is the option to have the factory installed nickel covers as an option. The nickel covered pickups look killer in a Les Paul.
I'm certainly satisfied with the tone of these pickups. Highly recommended for all.

I am using the bridge and nech humbucker. They are passive that sounds like active.

I am using a ibanez xpt700 (which they came in). I am using both of them as stock so there fore replace nothing, but i have some EMG's in my zakk wylde guitar and i like the these more than the emg's.

The output level is very good, sounds good loud or quiet, very clear even for me who plays metal in a band, these things can handle all types of music.

I am running it through a pod, so all effects are used, and this is run through a line 6 spider 3.

I have found that people on here who are saying they are rubbish haven't played around with there amps enough to compare, they probs just used there old setting.

I play ametal as stated above, and these thigs are made for that. death, thrash and just plain heavy, all these can be played on these baby's.

If these where destroyed i would get these again, but also get something else to play around with before putting these in again.

I have been playing for 3 years, have owned about 5 guitars, and so far these pick up are the best.

Theses give me the sound i am looking for, and much more. From clean to overdriven these will play it without sounding bad. Love these.

10/10

Humbucker, passive designed to sound active

I have the neck and bridge models installed in a mahogany neck thru ibanez. Don't know who else uses this thing.

Output is hot, but not ridiculously so. The pickups are designed to sound like EMGs, only with less fizz and rough edges. When under high gain, they do accomplish a sort of EMG style sound, but in DiMarzio fasion. They are both extremely articulate, and fast alternate picking reminds me of Petrucci. The bridge is louder and matches perfectly witht the neck volume. Bridge has more of a middy feel to it, very nice. Both produce VERY nice harmonics, better than my Evolution by far. On clean, the bridge is nice, neck is superb, and using both sounds better than any clean humbucker combo I've ever heard. They ring out and make a somewhat compressed click yet warm full sound.
Interestingly, under light to moderate gain (even under very high gain) I hear somewhat of a single coil vibe to these things. These pickups sound like having a Dyna Comp permanently on increasing some degree of twanginess. Also, they have that DiMarzio "aw" sound to a slight degree (not like a tonezone or Paf Pro, but you can hear it slightly). Somehow, all these qualities make them sound delicious.
For my playing style, I use the bridge with high gain for Children of Bodom-esque sounds, both for cleans and rhythym playing, and the neck for shred.

*oh, and they sound marvelous with a wah. My evolution is too high and brittle. these things have balls*

Overall, I highly recommend these for players who are solo oriented, and like lots of gain. The cleans are also very nice. They aren't EMGs, they are DiMarzios with a boost. I only gave it a nine because I havent tried everything out there. I'd really like to compare it to an X2N and maybe a Drop Sonic, but for another time.
I love the clarity and warmth of the notes. The bridge pickup has a bit too much mids and highs for my tatse, but its the best I've played so far. I have yet to coil tap, thatd be interesting.

But again, they are excellent pickups and work for any style. (Dont judge these off of that terrible Guitar World video. His amp settings suck)

Passive humbuckers. Bridge - Ceramic, output: 470, DC resistance: 11.41... Neck - Ceramic, output: 385, DC resistance: 7.22 .

I have both D Activator neck and bridge version's in an alder-bodied, rosewood fretboard-on-maple neck Jackson DKMG. The D Activator bridge version is replacing a DiMarzio D Sonic. I'm an artist using this pickup... doesn't that count for something? :D

The D Sonic was too low-end heavy and clean. It didn't scream lead guitar to me and it sounded modern Heavy Metal-heavy. Not my kinda slightly old-school heavy.

Ooutput is high enuff to overdrive alot of ****. Both neck and bridge pickups. Things can lose their definition sometimes, obviously.

I'm using no effects at this time, but my amp is a 65 watt Crate solidstate amplifier. You know, perfect for high gain Heavy Metal.

The neck version's tone is big and fattens well and has a balanced top end. Great for soloing though, in the low registers - and playing period - it can get pretty dirty and lose some clarity.

The bridge version is 'gnarlier' but perfectly suited for the bridge position. Great for Heavy Metal rhythm and solos. Great low end tightness and a great soloing top end. Lots of sustain. Crunchy and tight is exactly what I was lookin' for. The D Activators work excellently in Alder.

Some reviewer said that the D Activators don't have as much gain as the EMG's and I find this as a good thing for my situation. You may as well.

I play high gain, Heavy Metal-type music. Both D Activators are a knockout punch for my needs. Good pwerful feel and what I love about DiMarzio pickups is that that they excell at precisely the sound you're after. The D.A.'s are no exception.

The bridge version would probably not work well in the neck, but the neck version could work well in the bridge.

I'd hafta buy 'em again. As I mentioned earlier, they're perfect for me. If DiMarzio hadn't relaesed these in 2007, I'd still be searchin' for the perfect 'unbalanced' pickup set.

I've been playing for 14 years and I am a guitar into amp guy - not a gearhead by any stretch.

I love their perfect sounds. The neck version sounds modern, big, and exactly produces the kinda lead tone and feel I was hopin' for: bluesy but handles high gain like a champ. The bridge version is crunchy and tight - 'nuff said. Oh, and like all DiMarzio's I've tried - they're quiet!

I only hate a little loss of clarity 'cause they're high output and crazy, but there is always a way to remedy certain things, right?

There is a reason why they got a Guitar World award: they don't suck! And if you run into what another reviewer said about the bridge version sounding thin and not for Metal - change your pick guage! I ran into the same problem. I was gonna replace the bridge but my acoustic (unplugged) sound was a litte thin (shall we say) and I went up a guage (1.00mm) and the plugged in bridge sound wasn't as 'splatty' and unbearable anymore. A cheap and way reasonable tone elixir.

Fantastic value for modern high gain Heavy Metal with a bit of old school style thrown in as well. Can anyone say, "Rust In Peace!" ?