DiMarzio Megadrive

It's a humbucker with one blade and one row of hex screws. It's a fairly hot pickup, with an impedence rating around 17, but it's not quite as powerful as the Steve's Special-- the pickup which replaced it. It's only available from the Dimarzio Custom Shop, or on eBay. I had a first run of these years ago, and got another to refurb my "stunt" guitar-- a Jackson DK2M.

I put one in the bridge position of my Jackson DK2M, which has an alder body, and a 24-fret maple neck. It came stock with the Seymour Duncan JB/ Jazz combo. They were okay, but uninspiring. I had put Seymour Duncan Blackout active pickups in it. They came as advertised, but they were one trick ponies (extreme hot death metal pickups). They just didn't clean up well. I needed a more organic sound for my shredder guitar. The Megadrive had been used by Tony MacAlpine, Leslie West and Reeves Gabrel. My first go around with the Megadrive was positive, so I wanted to give it another try.

It's hot, but not overwhelmingly so. The Megadrive has a natural midrange scoop, so the lows and highs are accentuated. This has the effect of spreading the sound over the spectrum, and keeping things intelligible even at high gain. It does what I wanted: give me that Neil Zaza/ Joe Satriani grind with a smoking amp. While it's built for the bridge position, I've used it in the past in the neck for jazz runs and chording.

I just put it in, so I'm going to give it some time to settle in. I've tried everything with this guitar, and nothing has stuck. The Dimarzio Tone Zone just didn't click in this guitar. Neither did a Bill Lawrence XL-500, nor a Lace Drop 'N Gain. The SD Blackouts did grind nicely, but couldn't clean up for soft passages. I'm pleased with the Megadrive thus far. It blends remarkably well with the Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF in the neck. It cleans up well with the volume knob, and it lets me soar up the neck when I have it at max drive. I think I've found a keeper.

Medium output passive humbucker

This is an update to a previous review...

I put the Megadrive in the bridge of a 1988 Westone H/S/S mystery strat. Has a heavy body of unknown wood with a hard maple neck and a Kahler 2500 trem. Pickup sounds different than in the Jap Squier. I guess I didn't take into consideration that acoustic element of a strat due to the chambers in the body. Installed with blade coil facing bridge.

Sounds like an EMG 81 with less gain. (A previous reviewer said something similar) Tone is very clear. Sounds great with single coils in the 4th position of a 5-way. Has tight and punchy bass but is still a bit too loose for my liking when compared with other pickups like the Double Whammy, Evo 2, or Super Distortion. Sustain seems to end abruptly but has good harmonics. Makes a better rhythm pickup than for leads. Would like this pickup better if it had more gain on tap.

Would probably opt for something else next time. Once again, it sounds good. But would probably be better suited for medium rock instead of metal like others would say.

Medium output passive humbucker

1992 Squier Japan strat. Replaced Fast Track 2 in bridge with full HB pickguard and Megadrive. Fitted with SDS-1 (RW) in middle, Chopper in neck. Wanted a fuller humbucker sound but this wasn't what I was looking for. Actually sounds way too similar to the FT2 without the extra mids.

Sounds like a hot pickup to the ears. Played through Crate Stealth 50. Tone is clear (like a Super 2 clear.) Bar coil to bridge sounds like the FT2 minus the mids. Bar coil to neck sounds different; warmer, thicker, middier, but lacks bass and makes palm mutes sound wimpy. Put the bar to the bridge, add the mids on your amp and you'll be okay. I play power metal and bluesy rock. It works kinda, but lacks the full chug of a Super Distortion or a PAF Pro.

This works for getting different sounds in a backup guitar but would not want it in my main axe.

Humbucker- it is a fairly high output pickup.

I had bought a B.C. Rich Warlock back in the 80's, was playin' Metal and the stock pickups sounded weak. I really didn't know much about pickups and how much of a difference they could make, I had just mentioned it to the guitar shop where I had it set up. They said I could try some used DiMarzios they had and if I liked 'em I could buy 'em. They slapped in the Megadrives that some jazz player had, but, they were too hot for him, and I fell in love. I have 'em in the neck and bridge position.

Yeah... it sure beefed up the heaviness of my ol' Warlock. This is my Metal guitar, and it is perfect. I have had so many people play it or I plug into their amp and they are just blown away by the sheer viciousness of the tone this thing puts out. I use (for metal) an old Valvestate 8100 (one of the first ones) and the rhythm sounds are very Dimebag-esque or Prong-ish. I have seen a pile of people on here say that it may not be good in the neck position, but, mine sounds great. I use it alot playin leads, it has a Brian May sound. Really fat and buttery, it really seems to cut through the mix nice and have a thick sound altogether. Like I said, for metal these pickups are great. I have tried to get a cool heavier blues tone outta 'em and they just don't seem to sound "right" I really have to soup up my clean tone with effects to get anything nice there too, but that could have somethin' to do with the amp.

Hmmm... Yeah, I think I would buy 'em again. There are so many factors on what is gonna sound good where.... you know? I mean, it is the same thing as a drummer orderin' a cymbal through the mail... ya just can't do it, unless you love to gamble. You play one, and the same exact model right next to it sounds completely different. I think I had 'em put in, in like, '88... never had a problem, except all the creamed jeans.

Humbucker. One half is a blade coil, the other is the more traditional 6 poles. Black ceramic magnets. I got mine in green. Passive. These and other specs have been covered

It's in a Dean Vendetta 3.0's bridge position, complimented by an Air Norton in the neck. It replaced the stock Dean pickup. The only artist I know has used this pickup is Reeves Gabrels, but many others have been rumored to as well. I changed the pickup because the stock pickup wasn't good sounding and I wanted a nice pickup for heavy sounds and tight lows.

It's higher output than the stock pickup, but it is still medium. I run into a Marshall 18W clone (which powers a Genz Benz G-Flex). The sound is well defined and performs exceptionally well for heavy music due to the natural midrange scoop on its frequency response. Piercing highs and tight lows. For cleans, this pickup is thin and unpleasant. I should mention that I have the pickup set with the blade on the bridge side. When I installed the PU, I installed it this way having heard that it helps tighten the lows quite a bit.

I've been playing about 7 years--performing in bands for the last 5. This pickup has seen work through the various amps I've had (Lee Jackson XLS-500, Carvin X100B, Marshall JCM800 4210, Marshall JCM900 4501, Fender Blues Jr and my current 18W Marshall clone). I don't think I would get another Megadrive in the future. It seems a little too one dimensional and dynamically just too compressed with high gain. It's a matter of preference. As has been said already, this will get you a great Petrucci/Metallica type of character. I'm looking for more of a Tool/Alice in Chains type of sonic personality. A little more dynamics. Maybe it's just a little too high output for me. As soon as I get some money, I'm going to buy a Super Distortion or perhaps a Gibson or PRS pickup to replace the Megadrive. This will eventually be put into a parts VH style guitar (single H, 22/24 frets, and a floyd). If you play heavy metal, this pickup will work well for you as a one trick pony (and it does this very, very well), but if you want a little more variety, look elsewhere.

Well, it has 2 differently wound coils, so I guess it has more "features" than a regular humbucker...

I had it in the bridge of a strat-style mahogany guitar with bolt-on maple/rosewood neck. I was trying to get it to balance with a Seth Lover in the neck because that is one of my favorite all-time pickups.

The Megadrive was a real experiment for me. I really tried to get it to work for me! First off, I installed it stock, with blade to the neck as designed. It really didn't impress, it sounded like a cheapo pickup and I was initially upset that I blew so much cash on such a bad sound. Then I flipped it (blade toward bridge) and it helped SO MUCH! This was a very good and promising sound. So I left it that way but I started swapping magnets. Here's why: The Seth Lover in the neck ALWAYS sounded better than the Megadrive. First the Seth was louder, so I tweaked the heighs alot and it was surprising how the big ~15k output of the Megadrive was overpowered by the Seth with vintage PAF wind ~7.2k.

Ok, but output aside, the sound was very different. The Megadrive was very beefy and powerful, great for hard rock and metal, but something was lacking compared to the Seth. I figured it was the alnico magnet. So I put an A8, A2, and A5 in the Megadrive to see what would happen. I was able to get some more "traditional" tone out of the Megadrive, but it still did not have the lively, responsive feel of the Seth, no matter what I did. I also tweaked the heights alot, because the output was reduced each time I put a lower grade alnico in it.

So the overall verdict was that the Megadrive sounded alot more processed -Perfect- for progressive players (in fact it was best with the stock ceramic mag)! However, sucked for blues or anything with alot of feeling even with all the grades I tried. I also had a A3 and A4 but I didn't bother trying them since the A2 and A5 didn't come close to what I wanted to hear.

I think the pickup looks darn cool, and I had it custom ordered with reverse zebra (creme coil using a black blade but chrome hex poles on the black coil). It does sound very good for high gain, but clean not so good as is the case with many of this kind of pickup. I was wrong in thinking that I could compensate by swapping magnets! Maybe it was the wax potting? Or just too much wire (output)? Inicdentally I had installed mini toggle switches for series-split-parallel on each pickup. All of the settings were interesting in their own right, but I only tried the "screw" coil of the megadrive split, not the blade.

The Megadrive was always compressed somewhat compared to the Seth, and it really only sounded good for that Petrucci brand of playing. It was more focussed than the Seth but at the same time did not "breathe" nearly enough for me. The sound clean was hard and generally unpleasant. I play with 11's only and I'm sure that was part of the hard attack I was hearing but the seths don't do that, so I just put another Seth in the bridge for a matched set. Harmonics jump out with both pickups (seth and megadrive) but in a different way. I find more & more that low output pickups sound the best and they can be made to sound huge with the right amp or pedals, but their clean tones are so much better, I think I am done with high output pickups!

Overall, I do recommend the Megadrive as long as you know what you're going for. It will do metal, it will do prog rock, hard rock, but it falls into that pidgeonhole of "Dimarzios sound more modern, Duncans more vintage". That appears to be true in this case. I think that the megadrive would be awesome with a properly matched neck pickup on an axe made to sound this way. BTW, it should probably have a tremolo on it, because this pickup is made for virtuoso soloists! That doesn't quite describe me or my playing in the least. I am more the blueser type.

Single coil or humbucking? Active or passive?
Impedance or other specs?

passive Humbucker, ability to split

What model guitar or bass did you install this in? Ibanez AGS83
What position is it in? Bridge
What pickup are you replacing? The original one (ach1 i think)
Other pickups installed on the instrument? DiMarzio PAF PRO
Any artists using this pickup? Farin Urlaub
Reason for changing the pickup? Ibanez PUs sounded too muddy during distiorted playing, and had trouble to slice through the band sound.

What's the output level like? Medium-High
What amps and effects are you using it with? Direct Recording or via MXR
M-151 into any good clean sounding
Tone - Bassy, middy, muddy, trebly, balanced? mostly bassy and middy, with a little bit less treble, but that can well be because of the guitar.
What style of music do you play? Is this a good match? Anything from 60's rock to todays alternative / punk / whatevertocallit
For which positions is this pickup (un)suitable? I think as a neck PU it would be a little too loud, would be hard to find a matching brifge PU then.

The best pickup i can think of! Heavy distorted but yet transparant chords work fine, but can also play very loud and clean without the slightest bit of overdrive. Single-coil splitting completes the package!

If it was destroyed or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else? Get it again... but how should a pickup be stolen from my guitar? :-)
How long have you been playing?
about a year now
What do you love about it? What do you hate?
i love it's flexibility (as you can read above) i hate.. it's only avaible in stores which still have old ones or via special order..

Are you satisfied with this pickup or still searching for that sound? completely satisfied... if you want it with more treble, simply turn it around, so the blade magnet points to the bridge of your guitar.
Anything else you'd like to share? no ;-)

Humbucking

What model guitar or bass did you install this in? Ibanez RG 550
What position is it in? bridge
What pickup are you replacing? DiMarzio Evolution
Other pickups installed on the instrument? Evo neck, HS1
Any artists using this pickup? kerry King i think
Reason for changing the pickup? Wanted to try, the evo sounded too trebly

What's the output level like? Medium hot (360). Not as hot as an Breed
What amps and effects are you using it with? Tonelab is a good way ti try pups, and more stuff.
Tone - well i had it placed the bar close to the trem, it sounds trebly with a lot of mids, although it's supposed to have lots a bass. This pup soud like you're driving an ld car on a dirty moutain road, makes PRRRRRRRRR. Sounds awful on my basswod/maple Ibanez RG.
Not very articulate and quite muddy. Good split sounds.
What style of music do you play? Is this a good match? Heavy metal. Could be a good match but not on this guitar.
For which positions is this pickup (un)suitable? Bridge

I wouldn't buy it again and i'm actually gtonna change it as soon as i get the EVO 2. Needed a sound that match the trebly side of the ibanez RG 550, but the Evo's sound ice.pick. This one is bad, maybe it's good on some guitars but on mine it sounds really bad it's not versatile, i would only use it to play violent heavy metal, but not MY heavy metal. Maybe yours ?
Surprisingly the single coil sound i got (bar side) is quiite cool brilliant, trebly and very hot.
Compared to the Super Disortion it lacks of bass, warmth and output. Compared to the evolution it's not very articulate and lacks of overtones. Compared to EMG's it lacks of clarity and definition.
So wha is this pickup for ? well i guess if i was a military trying ti get a military sound out of my Mahogamy guitar i'd like it. Otherwise...
It's a like it or hate it pup, unlike the JB or the EVO, no matter how the sound is described you can't really get the picture unless you try it. But technically it's not that brilliant compared to other dimarzio's i've tried.
Sounds like a stock pickup that just came back from Irak...
I'm still searching for THAt sound so i'll get and EVO 2 see if it has more punch for powerchords while keeping the overtones....

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass:
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: Just wanted to say that these pickups are still being made by Dimarzio. Other people have pointed this out but I found out how to get them, they make them through their custom shop. They DO still have them on their site right here :

DO YOU STILL MAKE... ?
Below is a complete list of DiMarzio? pickups produced since 1972. If you are trying to find out what pickup you may have, the numbers are on the back, and this list may be used as a cross-reference. Most are Available Today to order today, however there are discontinued models that may be special ordered through the DiMarzio? Custom Shop (1-800-221-6468).
DP100 - Super Distortion? - Available Today
DP101 - Dual Sound? - Available Today
DP102 - X2N? - Available Today
DP103 - PAF? - Available Today
DP104 - Super 2? - Available from DiMarzio Custom Shop *Special Order
DP105 - DLX-1? - Not Available
DP106 - SCHB? - Not Available
DP107 - MegaDrive? - Available from DiMarzio Custom Shop *Special Order
DP108 - VS-1? - Not Available
DP109 - TDS-1? - Not Available

I'll be ordering one...

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Don't know, but it's hot!

Model of guitar or bass: USA made B.C. Rich ST III
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: GIbson Dirty Fingers, DiMarzio FRED
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio Fast Track 1 (Neck), DiMarzio OEM single coil (Middle)
Artists using this pickup: Reevs Gabrels, Leslie West, not sure who else
You musical style(s): Hard Rock and Metal
Reason for pickup change: The other pickups I had in this guitar sounded great, but this instrument needed a bit more push and balls in the mids. I wanted to see how it sounded with a beefy output pickup in it. I love it now!

Perceived output level: Hot - very sensitive yet tight and controllable
Tone: Very balanced and clear with a unique midrange signature.
Sonic evaluation: BC Rich ST III with an Ibanez Edge Floyd tremolo. For gigs, I play thru a B-52 AT-100 half stack (which is AMAZING), and a I use cheapo Zoom desktop modeling amp with headphones at home.
Man, I LOVE this pickup. The previous reviewer said he flipped the pickup around so that the bar is closest to the bridge, and the tone is just f***ing AWESOME...well. I agree 110%!!!
It's very sensitive to changes in pick attack, and I'm surprised how articulate and focused it is even when playing thru tons on gain. Harmonics on the 2nd fret just SCREAM, but yet the guitar in easy to control...the pickup doesn't overpower the tone, it enhances it. The TONE of the pickup in this guitar is just awesome clean (lots of sparkle AND warmth) OR dirty (crunchy,chunky, grinding AND fat). I had shied away from hot pickups in general over the past few years, and I didn't like this pickup in another guitar I had, but I figured "what the Hell, I'll try it in the BC Rich" and now the MegaDrive has found a permanent home in this guitar.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play hard rock and metal. It's a VERY good all around pickup. I imagine it would be a bit too much in the neck position unless you wanted a REALLY weird tone...kinda over the top nuke-neck tone! HAHA

Comments: I'd definitely buy it again. Been playing since 1980. It stays in this guitar, as I wanted a guitar/pickup combination that really nailed an evil 80's metal tone...and it does that in spades! I love everything about it and hate nothing.
By the way, DiMarzio doesn't list it in their catalog anymore, but it IS still available! :-)