DiMarzio DP159 Evolution Bridge

Type of pickup: Passive Humbucker

Well, most of specs are easily "googlable" so let's start with what really matters

Guitar model: LTD F-200 (I think this one is discontinued, since it has an active circuit called Afterburner wich gives you more than 20dB of additional output)

Position: Bridge

Pickup being replaced: EMG-HZ (stock for this guitar)

Other pickups installed: Dimarzio PAF Pro (neck)

Artist using this pickup: Mr. Vai (his own design) and many others

Reason for changing the pickup: EMG-HZ didn't have tone, I mean, if you like expression, if you like to hear the string as much as the note, then you might replace it as I did.

Output: since I installed it with the coils in parallel it's very controlled, yet tight, crisp and expression responsive.

Amp/effects: I run my guitars through a Line 6 PODxt directly into the mixer and then to my studio monitors, so I get a very accurate notion of how is it sounding not only on rehersals but also on recordings.

Tone: well, quite difficult to describe, but you get versatility and that's what this is all about. You can get great treble and middle response that allows you to hear the string AND the note. The balance is great when combined with PAF Pro (same brand).

Style of music: while is a very wide range, it demands a lot of expression and I don't have lots of money to spend on many guitars so I try to get the most versatile equipments. With that in mind... I listen and play music from bands like: Whitesnake, Van Halen, U2, Fields of the Nephilim, Pink Floyd and Iron Maiden to name a few and this pickup is suitable to get that kind of depths, tones and expressiveness (though you cannot expect to sound exactly like all those bands with only one pickup). So, yes, this pickup matches my style perfectly.

Suitable for bridge position, though I think you should really know what kind of tone you want to get, since it also depends on your gear.

If it was destroyed or stolen I'd buy a custom guitar with one of these again, but I might put a few more pickups to get all the variety of tones I want.

I've been playing for 7 years
I own a 12-string Ovation Celebrity, a 4-string LTD B-50 Bass, my PODxt, a Wharfedale r-200 mixer and a DOD SR430 equalizer.

What I love about the pickup: It really gets to make me smile while I play now, I can clearly understand why Steve Vai makes funny faces.

What I hate: War

I wish it had instructions about configurations possible and what kind of tone you'll be getting with the configuration.

I only compared this pickup with my stock pickups, and you can't really compare them...

While I'm very satisfied with the pickup, I'm still looking for THAT sound, mayble if I connect the coils in series... well, time will tell.

Passive F-Spaced Humbucker. For specs, DiMarzio.com

Installed in the bridge position of an Ibanez RG20051. Replace the factory Ibanez V7 and is accompanied by an Ibanez S1 single coil in the middle and an Ibanez V8 in the neck position. As for artists using this pickup, Steve Vai is the most obvious and most well known. Hell he designed it. Reason for the change was a need for more power and a fuller/brighter sound.

The pickup overshadows the two stock pickups tremendously. It is extremely potent. I'm running it through a few Boss pedals and a Boogie Triple Rectifier. Tone is full across the board with no one frequency really standing out over another. I play anything from rock, to blues licks and it works beautifully. Being that it was designed as a bridge pickup, running it in any other position would obviously make it sound other than intended.

I would definitely grab another if it failed or was stolen (Though, I'm not quite sure how anyone could steal a pickup). Been playing for about 8 years. I own a few ESP guitars, and recently acquired this Ibanez. I've been monogamously using EMG pickups for years but am contemplating the switch to passive pickups (Particularly this pickup) on all my guitars. The Evolution is everybit as loud as the EMG 81 (Truthfully, I think its louder) with a bit more "life".

I'm pretty content with it overall. Again, I'm most monogamous when it comes to things like this, but it is putting me on the line where I may make a switch...

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: V8
Other pickups on guitar: V1 & S1
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): pub Rock
Reason for pickup change: V1 / V8 just not up to it (through a Marshall too). OK if amp up full tilt, but brittle otherwise. Lack of clarity and no edge/bite

Perceived output level: Medium high output. Drives the amp into distortion a bit earlier
Tone: Balanced, lots of top & bottom. Plenty of roar
Sonic evaluation: Through Ibanez 550 / Marshall AVT150 it sounds fabulous. Also changed neck pu for Dimarzio D159(neck). Cant believe how much better the sound is. Spent years using pedals, this and that, not quite there. PLug these Dimarzios onto an Ibanez & through a Marshall and away you go.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Greta match for rock styles. Clean & pretty is a bit more of a challenge, but clean and edgy (like ealy Who etc) is great

Comments: If lost, would absoluely buy again. Cant imagine how it could be improved (blimey!).

Pickup features: Humbucking passive
Impedence or other specs: 49o i think?

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez Rg-470
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Ibanez V8
Other pickups on guitar: Ibanez S1 single coil, Ibanez v7 humbucker at the neck
Artists using this pickup: Steve Vai
You musical style(s): metal,rock,blues,jazz,classical
Reason for pickup change: The original V8 seemed a little weak when highly distorted, i needed a little more highs with a touch more mid. I Figured since Steve plays a varity of different styles of music it would be a perfect fit.

Perceived output level: alot more than the stock v8 pickup i replaced perfect for metal, rock and blues
Tone: well Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I'm Useing a Ibanez Rg470L straight through a Ampeg Vh-140c Head with a single 4x12 cab and a Fender Stage 160 combo.At first i really did'nt notice a differnce in tone but after adding some volume it was clear as day how much gain and pucnh that it added to my rig, when i backed the gain to half i got a great late 60's early 70's hard rock tone. I love this pickup with my gear that i'm going to replace my neck pickup with the matching evolution

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: A Large varity of Music . the bridge

Comments: if it were stolen i would get another one.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: Dunno...does anyone know the relevance of the impedance?...cause I don't

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez JEM 7VWH
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none...it was stock
Other pickups on guitar: Evo neck and JEM single coil
Artists using this pickup: Maybe...I dunno...Steve Vai?
You musical style(s): Hmmmmmm....I would have to say progressive metal (Symphony X...play lots of Sym X) but anything that I feel like playing..which is pretty much everything except indie, pop and country
Reason for pickup change: Well, this pickup came stock, and for awhile it was just the fuckin coolest thing, but now...well, I just don't like it anymore, ok?

Perceived output level: Pretty fuckin hot.....to the point of almost being unusable (to me, anyways) Hotter than say, a Duncan JB
Tone: Lots of mids...mids, mids, and more mids...did I mention mids? Seriously...mids are ALL i heard from this thing after awhile
Sonic evaluation: I'm running my JEM through a Mesa V-Twin pre-amp pedal (soon to be replaced) into a Crate GFX-1200H 120 watt solid-state head and matching 4x12 cab of the same awful construction.
Well, this is a follow up to my previous review...well, the Evo has been in my JEM for a little less that a year now...so i've had lots of time to mess around with it.
Sufficed to say...this is a lead pickup...very much a lead pick up...and it sounds great when split and played clean...but it falls short in the rythym dep.
I've heard this pickup sound very bright when played through other setups...but on mine the midrange just takes over...the Mesa already has enough midrange..and the Evo and it do NOT go well together.
I can not get enough treble in to save my freakin life...I have gotten into the habit of tuning my whole axe down to D...which I'm sure contributes to the muddiness...but even in standard now it's muddy. Just...the mids are too much for my rig..and this pickup doesn't seem to like to be on a down-tuned guitar that already has a lot of low end resonance as it is...

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Like I said, mostly progressive metal...faster than hell riffs and the like. And, no..it's not a good match..just too muddy to have the clarity for zipping around on the low e string. This was the bridge model...I would definatly only put it there.. Putting it in the neck would stun small children and animals from 500 yards away...I'm not exaggerating...this thing is insane.

Comments: Would I buy it again...no, it's been replaced recently with a Duncan JB...I'm not trashing this pickup in any way...it is a very good pickup, just my style and rig have changed, and there is no way in hell I'm getting rid of my JEM...so the Evo went. For lead...it's a pretty strong choice...also good for those Vai whammy-bar tricks we all love so much...but for speed-riffs..no.
I do wanna mention something that I think is very important in regards to the Evolution...it picks up EVERYTHING...there is nothing to hide behind, the Evo seems to like to pick up the tiniest of mistakes, throw it in your face and laugh at you...seriously, this thing is mean and wild...takes a lot to keep it under control - rabid rottwieler that hasn't eaten in three days kind of wild.
Basically, if you're sloppy...this thing will eat you alive...you're gonna notice stuff you didn't notice before in regards to your playing. It's like being stripped naked, thrown out on a stage in front of thousand people and made to recite "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe by memory (it was a dream I had once..)
For me it was a good thing, thanks to the Evolution I am so much more precise it's almost scary...I got Malmsteen/Romero-like precision now (I don't have a fraction of thier talent...but I can imitate them both fairly well).

So, this pickup was like training wheels in a sense...my playing has improved so much over the past year (well, I do play like 4-5 hours a day...but still) because the pickup MAKES you play better...if you don't...well, you sound like some grunge rock dude playing sloppy-ass powerchords...gag.

Overall, good pickup for lead playing...I'd recommend it to someone who wants to push themselves to play better...or to experienced players who already have the precision and finesse to tame this thing and can take advantage of this pickup's extremly sensitive nature and get thier own sound (as long as they don't play fairly heavily distorted speed riffs)
I finally tamed the Evo...only thing is, it's not my sound anymore. I don't regret keeping it in my JEM as long as I did...it really did make me a better player...just time to move on...The JB is much more suited for what i've "moved on" to, so to speak...it's almost as sensitive as the Evo, and allows the same amount of expression. But it doesn't have that raw, tear your face off type of sound the Evo has, it's just not capable of creating all the sick, demented, down right twisted tones either...but it's a lot warmer and better for rythym playing...which is what I want at this point in time.

I'm not gonna sell the Evo...I'm not the kind of person that stays with anything for too long, I get bored with things and I'll prolly end up popping it back in my JEM at some point just cause...or maybe in another guitar. Who knows?

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Charvel Model 2
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Jackson Humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Steve Vai
You musical style(s): Metal / Punk, or whatever strikes my fancy
Reason for pickup change: The Jackson pickup was weak. It did not drive my amp the way I wanted.

Perceived output level: This a high output pickup. About as high as you can get.
Tone: The tone is balanced, with articulated lows and nice mids and highs
Sonic evaluation: I am using this pick-up in a Charvel Model 2 into a Marshall 8100 Valvestate head. The difference between the stock Jackson and the Dimario is like night and day. The distortion and sustain are incredible. Sustained chords tend to slowly creep into great sounding feedback. Single notes sing. It just sounds great.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly metal and punk. This pickup is perfect in every way.

Comments: I would buy one of these again in a heartbeat. I have been playing for 17 years and I have owned a wide variety of guitars and amps. If you are playing heavy music, this pickup will give you THE sound.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Not sure, but it's listed at Dimarzio.com

Model of guitar or bass: '89 RG 570
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Stock single coil, PAF Pro in the bridge
Artists using this pickup: Vai
You musical style(s): Rock, Fusion, and Blues
Reason for pickup change: Old pickup was not allowing the high B and E strings to some through.

Perceived output level: Plan ass hot!
Tone: A nice balance between all the spectrum, treb. mid. and bass, depending on how I set the amp.
Sonic evaluation: My RG with the EVO goes throught a Marshall JCM 900 SLX, a Carvin 2X12 Legacy cab, and a RP3 digitech. (and I can't forget my Crybaby!)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Of course I follow Joe and Steve a lot, and I think they are the great guitar inevators of the last 10 years. I try to be influenced by their style, but not to copy. I believe everyone has their own thing. It depends a lot on life experiece, both musical and other. This PU was exactly what I was looking for after I had a FRED in it for over a year. That PU was great for lead, but I wanted something more for some "Made Up" chords! My EVO does just that, adds unique overtone to unique chords. Long live Mr. Vai!

Comments: For my RG, this is the PU that will stay for years to come. I've thought of trying others, but why? Somedays I play better that others, but the EVO is my constant. I have 3 other guitars, a USA '88 540S (with Fred in her), an '87 RG 550, and a mid 80's Destroyer II that my drummer gave me for my birthday. (Duncan Envaders, yuck!) The 570 is my main axe, and with the EVO, for good reason!

Pickup features: Passive Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: Uh...I dunno...

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez Jem
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: Evolution Bridge and Middle Single coil
Artists using this pickup: Steve Vai...'nuff said.
You musical style(s): Metal, thrash, neo-classical, some acoustic stuff.
Reason for pickup change: It came with the guitar

Perceived output level: One of the hottest damn passive pick-ups I've ever heard
Tone: Well balanced, trebly is well defined, but not piercing, the mid-range is full but not over bloated like some high output pick-ups
Sonic evaluation: I'm running my alder bodied white Jem through a solid-state (yeah, I know...) Crate GFX1200h half stack, using only the amp's onboard effects. In the bridge, the bass is heavy, but tight and well defined, the highs are nice and aggressive, giving outstanding harmonics. In the neck, the EVO still has the tight, well-defined bass and doesn't get muddy, it's a bit too aggressive for what i like in a neck pick-up, but rolling down the tone smooths it out and makes it MUCH much sweeter, sounds like a Les Paul. On my Jem, the pick-ups are wired to run parallel to the EVO single in the middle. These pick-ups split very well, and sound as good as, if not better, than any single coil I've ever heard, with a dash of chorus, you've got a really haunting sound that has to be heard to be believed.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play stuff from Bach to Metallica, and these pick-ups cover all those styles without any compromises whatsoever. The only thing these might not be good for is maybe counrty/western, but seeing as how I don't play that crap, it doesn't really matter mych, does it?

Comments: If these crapped out on me, it would really suck, but if it did happen, I would definatly replace them as soon as I could. These, in my opinion, are the most versatile (especially if you split them)I've ever heard. Great for speedy metal riffs, and loud, expressive solos, these pick-ups are very sensative and pick up every nuance of your playing, which allow you to create a sound all your own, as well as match most of those you hear. Simply put, I think the EVO's are the shit, and they're definatly going to go into any other guitars I may own, no questions asked.

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

Model of guitar or bass: Samick strat copy
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: crap Samick stock single coil
Other pickups on guitar: crap Samick stock single coils
Artists using this pickup: Steve Vai, Mike Keneally
You musical style(s): shred
Reason for pickup change: stock single sounded like a pissed-off wasp in a tin when driven
hard, had no harmonics and couldn't cut through a mix and had
no low end

Perceived output level: loud, if you're familiar with Seymour Duncans, this is hotter than the Jeff Beck, but not as hot as the Invader
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: I'm using my Samick strat into a Torque combo which I think is 100W, a
MetalZone and a Crybaby, and I can get amazing lead and rythm tones. It doesn't feed unless I want it to (unlike the single). The individual string balance can be altered (unlike the single), and honestly, this really is the best tone I've heard from a guitar as cheap as mine. There's harmonics all over the neck.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play metal and this is suitable, but it is really suitable for most rock styles. Di Marzio say it's a bridge pickup, but you probably could put it in the neck.

Comments: I'm completely satisfied with this. Was going to get the HotRails but
it is more expensive and you can't change the string balance, and plus I hate the HotRails tone. The Evolution is one of few pickups which is very high output with a balanced tone, no bloated midrange here. The only thing I don't like is I'll probably need a mounting ring for it but that's just my fault for putting it on a strat.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Standard Stratocaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan Hot Rails
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan JB Jr./Bridge
Artists using this pickup: Steve Vai
You musical style(s): Rock & Roll
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a more kick ass sound!

Perceived output level: Lots of gain.
Tone: Balanced highs mids and lows.
Sonic evaluation: I was sick of the wimpy, stock Fender American Standard single coils.
They were good for some scenarios but weak at modern distortion tones.
I'm playing through a Fender Prosonic combo and Peavey Ultra 112. Both amps distort nicely if given the right pickup output. I tried
using JB Jr.'s in the neck and bridge to my disappointment. Then, I
tried a Hot Rails in the bridge. Still not what I wanted. Also, I
learned later that I should have changed the stock Fender 250K Ohm pots to 500K ohm pots. A good friend had a great sounding Ibanez Jem
and I loved the tone. So, I got a replacement pickguard with a full
size humbucker hole in the bridge and a single coil in the neck, no
middle pickup (I never used it and would bump into it anyway). I also
got 500K ohm, linear taper, audio pots and a Yamaha 4-pole, 5-way switch from Stewart-MacDonald (www.stewmac.com). What a difference!!!
I put the EVO in the rear and kept the JB Jr. in the neck. I use
the five way like this, 1-JB Jr. Full On, 2-JB Jr. Split, 3-EVO&JB Jr-
Full On, 4-EVO-Split & 5-EVO-Full On. I believe if you have a good
amp that overdrives nicely, you should get great rhythm and lead
distortion tones WITHOUT pedals or rack mount gear! Use your ears!!!
Especially, if you like a particular players tone. Turn those EQ knobs on your amp! Don't settle!
The EVO is kick ass! This is a great product!! Balanced highs, mids
and lows. High output!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock & Roll! Grsat for modern rock, metal and the clean sound is killer too!

Comments: I will definitely buy this again.