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! :-)

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: dunno

Model of guitar or bass: jackson usa kelly: alder body, maple neck, neck thru
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: seymour duncan jb
Other pickups on guitar: seymour duncan jazz
Artists using this pickup: i think kerry king used them
You musical style(s): metal (real metal pantera sepultura ect. not that slipknot poser crap
Reason for pickup change: jb was too harsh and not definied and tight enough

Perceived output level: pretty hot not as hot as emgs but hot enough for crushing metal tones
Tone: this thing is unbelieveable. very clear and tight like emgs but stronger and fatter with a warm lead sound and bone crushing lower strings.
Sonic evaluation: i use a marshall dsl 100 head thru a marshall 1960 cab. first i installed this with the poles to the bridge what made the guitar sound extremely warm... great for vintage rock where you dont have to mute alot but the mutes were too warm for metal and the leads too. then i "flipped" the megadrive with the blade to the bridge... HOLY SHIT... pure fucking metal tone bone crushing tight lows definied mutes and a warm singing leads sound that isnt harsh or too warm think of alexi laihos lead sound on the somthing wild album or michael angelo batios no boundries. perfect

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: its definately a metal pu but can be used for rock and vintage sounds if installed right the cleans are usable too.

Comments: i think ive found my sound this thing is much better than duncan or emgs. the best lead/metal pu ever made

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: output - 350mV, D.C. resistance - 15.03K

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RG570
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Dimarzio Super Distortion
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio PAF Pro (neck), Dimarzio Chopper (middle)
Artists using this pickup: no idea, Dimarzio dont even list it anymore
You musical style(s): classical / neo-classical / prog death metal
Reason for pickup change: Super Distortion was very muddy. sounded poor on leads, but mostly its the mud when trying to do Opeth-like chords.

Perceived output level: hot, but 'cool' as lacks mids
Tone: scooped mids, but very warm on leads
Sonic evaluation: I play through RG570, Washburn Culprit, Custom made guitar (built by me!) All guitars are loaded with different Dimarzios. The RG has lately been my fav axe by far, the com is really awesome - allows for all tones i could desire - neoclassical (paf pro) warm rhythm (ala Black Sabbath) - chopper - and heavy metal chug - Megadrive. like EMGs, but with a soul. I use a rack setup, Metalhead Electronics Elan II pre-amp into Mesa 50/50 power amp into a cab loaded with Celestions.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: progressive death metal - works REALLY well. has so much clarity for full chords, yet enough thrash chug, AND warm lead tone.

Comments: my fav rhythm pick-up yet. Clarity of this thing is amazing. Like EMG, but with so much soul, and not as 'dead' and cold. Pinch harmonics still come off, but sound 'cooler' due to lack of mids. Shame Dimarzio dont list this p-up anymore.... this is MY bridge pick-up, i think :-)

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: No idea.!

Model of guitar or bass: Hodgy G special Wolfhound
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Hodgy G stock bridge humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Hodgy G "super phat" neck humbucker
Artists using this pickup: None currently, but I think Dynamic Chris D of punk band "Ripoff" used to.
You musical style(s): Toilet rock
Reason for pickup change: The wolfhound is a fine British guitar with two adequate humbuckers, but I could never find a sound that I was happy with. I went through a LOT of guitars and amps before I found this pickup. Now its installed (by Carl Bastos of Cradley) I have finally found "My sound". Crystal highs and bowel loosening lows mean that my playing has never sounded better. It wont work for jazz, but I never play that "doo wap" stuff anyway. Its a metal pickup and It means I can lay waste to large areas of open land at any given time.

Perceived output level: Hotter than a napalm vindaloo!
Tone: Balanced but with enhanced trable, middle and bass
Sonic evaluation: I use this pickup in the wolfhound, which has a body made of ply and an okavango neck. My amp is a custom designed Kwakman 200. Its a twin channel 200 watt head. I keep it at an empty warehouse in Smethwick together with an Gimpman 4X12 cabinet.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play toilet rock in the style of bands such as Clothingcarl.

Comments: This pickup is a fine match for my guitar and amp combination. If it were stolen I would apprehend the felon and make him chew on glass whilst listening to Max Bygraves and Musical Youth. I think that the pickup retains clarity and depth yet has an immense amount of WOOOAAAARRRGGGGHHHH. (gain). I recommend it.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker, one coil w/ a rail, the other w/ allen wrench poles
Impedence or other specs: Not sure, but VERY hot

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez Iceman
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Gibson 498T
Other pickups on guitar: Gibson 490R
Artists using this pickup: Kerry King from SLAYER!!!
You musical style(s): Heavy Rock
Reason for pickup change: Not happy with the 498T, kinda muddy in the Iceman

Perceived output level: Holy cow!!! one hot pick up
Tone: Very well balanced tone, just enough high end but not TOO much
Sonic evaluation: I use a 1981 JCM800 100W Master Lead with 2 stock Marshall cabs. I use the natural overdrive in the head (Gain about 8) with a Boss Blues Driver as a clean boost (pedal volume high, distortion low).
When I first bought this pickup (1992), I was getting my crappy Peavey guitar modded to take a humbucker. The store guy asked what pickup I wanted put in, I said "I dunno." They handed me a DiMarzio book and said "Pick one." Picked the Megadrive on a whim, my guitar still sounded like crap. Never heard of anyone using these, or ever seeing them for sale after that, figured it was a crummy pickup that disappeared into obscurtiy. Bought a Paul Stanley Iceman, and didn't even think twice about the pickup languishing in my closet.
When I finally started checking out this Harmony-Central, out of curiosity I looked at the reviews for the Megadrive... everybody RAVED about them!!! Minutes later I was tearing apart my closet to reclaim that pickup from the crappy Peavey guitar. Even on my crummy practice amp I noticed the difference right away--a very high gain pickup. When I first tried it on my Marshall stack, it was definitely a HOLY SHIT experience. I had found THE pickup for my Iceman.
Big, beefy, thick tone. Very impressive sounding. Tons of bass, slightly scooped mids (a phrase which is usually bad news to me) but VERY CLEAR, just enough high end without being shrill, like the Super Distortion. An all-around heavy-sounding pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Heavy Rock, like old Black Sabbath. Seems suitable for any (heavy) music.

Comments: I would buy another if I knew where/how to find them. I've been scouring E-Bay for them, and nothing! Completely blows away the Super Distortion (too shrill and high-endy), and with one rail/one allen head coil it is a very distinctive looking--and sounding--pickup. I'm surprised more people don't use them!!! If stolen, I'd be super pissed because I wouldn't know how to find another.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker, 4-conductor cable
Impedence or other specs: 350 mV, slightly scooped mids and recessed treble. treble 6, mids 5 and bass 7

Model of guitar or bass: ESP Horizon Custom
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan SH-6, DiMarzio Tone Zone, Shadow SH-680
Other pickups on guitar: ESP Dual Rail
Artists using this pickup: Kerry King (Slayer)
You musical style(s): Metal, Hardcore, Metalcore
Reason for pickup change: I didn't like the sound of the SH-6 when I bought the ESP used. Clean it had an icepick sound to it. The Horizon is an alder guitar and maple neck-through with a trem, so it's already a bright guitar. The SH-6 made it overly bright. I replaced it with a Tone Zone but the mids on that pup in addition to the mids of the guitar was just too much and it just didn't sound right.

Perceived output level: Seems like it's hotter than a Duncan Custom, but slightly less than a Duncan Distortion. It doesn't distort the clean channel but still drives the amp hard when on distortion channel.
Tone: Very tight sounding pickup. The combination of a rail on one coil and allen-head screws on the other one give it a great clarity. The pup is not muddy at all. It is slightly scooped and has sightly less treble than a Custom or Distortion but it can be dialed back in with the amps settings again.
Sonic evaluation: Like I mentioned earlier this pup is in an ESP Horizon Custom. A guitar from the late 80s/early 90s. It's made from alder and has a maple neck, neck-through construction with maple sides. The Floyd Rose trem takes some of the beefiness too. I tried removing some of the trebleness and bring back some beefyness by putting this pup into the axe and it worked excellent.
I play several amps. A VHT Pittbull Classic, a Peavey 5150 and a moddel Marshall JCM 800 2204. All of them sound fantastic with my guitar and the Mega Drive. Very punchy and a huge sound. Even the 5150 that tends to get muddy with high-gain pups stays relatively clear and articulate.
The construction of the Mega Drive is what makes it a great choice. Slightly scooped for clarity but still enough treble and mids to make it cut through. Very highly recommended for alder guitars. It has lots of low end without getting muddy. Not even in mahogany guitars, I tried it in an ESP Viper as well. I like it much better than the Tone Zone which I find sounds muddy. A friend of mine put a Mega Drive into his guitar as well and was completely blown away. Before he liked the Tone Zone a lot but now thinks that the Mega Drive is far superior.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I mainly play metal, hardcore and metalcore and it's a perfect match for the bridge position.

Comments: If it went bad on me or would get stolen (then I would have to get the same guitar again as well) I'd get it again right away. For this guitar it is THE perfect pup. I tried lots of other pups, also in other guitars, but in this axe it flat out kills.
I've been playing for 10 years now and own several guitars and amps. I haven't found such a perfect guitar/pup combination with my other guitars like I've found it with this one. I'm still trying to find the perfect match for mahogany. I think the recessed treble on the Mega Drive makes mahogany guitars a little dark. But not overly, and definitely not muddy. Maybe I'll try to change that by soldering a different cap to the volume pot. Remember, if you have a different guitar you will get a different result, of course.
The Mega Drive is a pup with a lot of roar. It's has the aggressiveness of the Duncan Distortion but is smoother sounding. I think the bass on the Distortion is too chunky and seems to be flubby. The Mega Drive has that same feel but is a lot tighter and less trebly.
I chose the Mega Drive after someone mentioning it on the message boards and reading the reviews on here. All in all the reviews on this pup are rather positive and that made me very curious.
The Mega Drive is not listed on the DiMarzio site anymore but it HAS NOT BEEN discontinued. I ordered mine brand new from a store.
I have another Horizon (a deluxe) and I'll probably put another Mega Drive into that one as well.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 1979 Gibson Flying V, 1980 Dean Z Standard, 1999 Dean V Select
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Whatever was in there previously - I'm always swapping pickups around
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio DP-104 Super 2, DiMarzio DP-153 Fred, Gibson 496-R
Artists using this pickup: Me, and probably many others who have a good ear for superior tone
You musical style(s): Melodic Metal & Hard Rock, Modern Blues ala Gary Moore, Michael Schenker Rules!
Reason for pickup change: I'm quite satisfied with my sound, but always looking to improve it. Trial & Error is the only way to find out which pickups sound best in any given guitar.

Perceived output level: Plenty - Only a few passive pickups have higher output
Tone: Loud, Open, and balanced with great harmonics. Tight low end & silky highs that cut. Smooth mids that never sound muddy.
Sonic evaluation: I play high quality USA Mahogany & Korina set neck guitars - Gibsons & Deans. My amp rig consists of Marhall 50w Plexi heads and Hiwatt DR-504 (mid 70s) 50w heads. Various 4x12, 4x10, and 2x12 cabs loaded with Celestion 65s, 75s, G12H30s, Vintage 30s, and Fanes (The Best!) I use a pedalboard (Custom built by moi) that is all AC powered, with a total of 15 stompboxes on it - Mostly older BOSS pedals, with a Dunlop 535Q Wah, MXR Micro Amp, and a couple of Guyatones. I set my amps clean, and the pedals do the rest. My primary source of distortion/gain comes from a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone. Many people have badmouthed this pedal, but I've tried everything else available, and nothing else comes close - You have to know how to use it. The Megadrive works great with this pedal, and my amp rig - I can get any sound I want. Remember that a pickup is just one small element toward the front of your signal chain that effects your overall sound. I match pickups to the specific guitar that they're going in, and for high quality Hondras Mahogany set neck guitars, this pickup is the ticket. Its EQ curve is slightly scooped in the mids, which offsets the naturally mid rich sound of the guitars I play and the amps I use. Think of early - mid 80's Maiden, Priest, Scorpions, etc. And I can nail Michael Schenker's tone perfectly - Not easy to do, & what more could you ask for?

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: As previously stated, I play predominantly 80s style melodic metal/hard rock, and modern blues ala Gary Moore on his early 90s blues albums. This is a bridge pickup - Never tried it in the neck, and know enough about pickups to know that there are much better choices for the neck position. This pickup is no longer listed as a regular production model by DiMarzio, but is still available. They claim that the "Steve's Special" fills the same niche, but I've tried them both in the same guitars through the same rig, and there's no comparison. The Megadrive was the clear winner in this A/B experiment. IMO, the Megadrive is one of only about five truly outstanding bridge position pickups ever made.

Comments: In the right application, this pickup is just about as good as it gets. I wouldn't put it in a maple neck bolt on Superstrat type of axe, unless you're looking for that (IMO) annoying scooped mid speed/death metal sound. I've been playing professionally for over 30 years, and am a professional luthier/business owner as well. If you play a Les Paul, Explorer, or Flyng V etc, through an old school Marshall or similar amp, and want that huge, smooth 80's metal sound with harmonics galore, Sustain that enables you to hang a note indefinitely, and a tight focused low end with silky highs, the Megadrive just might be the missing link in your chain. I hope that DiMarzio never stops making them. Highly recommended!

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Prs Ce 22
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Prs Dragon treble
Other pickups on guitar: Prs Dragon Bass
Artists using this pickup: ???
You musical style(s): Hardcore Punk and Metal
Reason for pickup change: Bridge pick up sounded hollow and did not have enough gain

Perceived output level: Very high but not grainy or to hard to control
Tone: Very clear great big low end sound with clear highs and lower mids
Sonic evaluation: I've tried it thru a Marshall jcm 800 and a 900, also through a mesa trem o verb rectifier, vox and a super reverb. While it can't do completely clean it does moderately clean, cruchy but not distorted well. And at high gain it it unreal, Powerful and hot but still clear. It cobines with the prs dragon bass beautiful. When it is split it is still powerful but almost like a very hot tele although with much more low end but it gets those tele like higs in single coil mode

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: see above

Comments: I would put these in all my guitars. I have been playing for 12 years
Supposedly they are not made any more but I called Dimarzio and they said they still make tham but they just don't list them becasue the are similar to the Steves special. However I compared the two and the Mega Drive Is far superior. If you can I highly recomend these pickups

Pickup features: humbucking rail/adjustable pole pieces split
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Rich Ironbird
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: origonal
Other pickups on guitar: paf
Artists using this pickup: Morgan Bucks from the Coinmen (me)
You musical style(s): Hard and pop rock
Reason for pickup change: I just bought a Raven PRS copy and was going to drop a PRS pick-up in it, But decided to do some research to see what this is in my Rich that everyone always says what are you playing that rocks so great is. Well this is a Megadrive

Perceived output level: Makes EVH sound sound like crap, A muck ballsier way to get all the harmonics you want with out sounding like mud
Tone: Clear
Sonic evaluation: JCM marshall and 150R Pignose crossmix

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup makes pop songs rock and rock songs roll

Comments: I've been playing for 20 years and this pickup is the bomb, I want more

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: MegaDrive specs are: output-350mv., treble-6, midrange-5, bass-7, & D.C. resistance-15.03K.

Model of guitar or bass: USA Jackson Kelly Marty Friedman with fixed bridge
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymor Duncan I think
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Thrash and Death Metal
Reason for pickup change: Needed a hotter pickup with better harmonics and bass

Perceived output level: very loud with good response
Tone: see below
Sonic evaluation: USA Jackson Kelly Marty Friedman with fixed bridge, Marshall JCM2000 TSL122.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: There is not a better match for Thrash and Death Metal in a passive design.

Comments: Although we don't show the MegaDrive (DP107) in our current literature, it is still available. However, it is simliar in output and overall tone to the Steve's Special, which is the main reason we no longer advertise it. The major difference is that the MegaDrive has a little more bass and midrange response, and the Steve's Special is a little more open-sounding. MegaDrive specs are: output-350mv., treble-6, midrange-5, bass-7, & D.C. resistance-15.03K.
Standard series wiring is red hot, green and bare ground, black and white soldered together and taped off. Phase can be reversed by wirng the green hot and the red to ground. If you need a copy of the complete instructions, please give us a mailing address or fax no.

Pickup features: humbucking, front coil has a blade, lead coil has allan srew pole pieces
Impedence or other specs: 15.5k Ohm. highoutput

Model of guitar or bass: Grubisa custom made 58'98' Flying V (modernised version of a '58 gibson V, but with 24 fretts and reverse scimitar headstock, all black hardware and sperzals
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Duncan Custom, JB, Dunacan Distortion (I have been going back and forwards between these for four years. I even did our first album with the Duncan Distortion( DARK ORDER: 5000 YEARS OF VIOLENCE, check out our website:http:// dark-order.tripod.com ,for more info
Other pickups on guitar: currently has a Gibson 496 in the neck(very nice gibson sound)
Artists using this pickup: Kerry King(SLAYER) used to use it as his fulltime pickup, he now uses EMG 81's(though he still has the megadrive on his older B.C Rich Guitars)
You musical style(s): METAL, REAL METAL(all the different styles combined in one,I truly love them all, from Manowar to Slayer to Morbid Angel etc), non of this tune down, 7 string pussy slow ,thin soundingKORN , SLIPNOT etc...shit!
Reason for pickup change: I needed the BROADEST sound possible, without resorting to active's, as they are o.k. but too sterile at the end of the day.(like the sound in"DIABOLUS IN MUSICA"-SLAYER-its fucking great!)

Perceived output level: The Megadrive has the same output as JB, a tad less than the Duncan distortion, and a tad more than the Duncan Custom.
Tone: the Megadrive has an enlarged bass and low mids, nice growly, but broad mids( less growly than the D. Distortion,but on par with the D. Custom, but much broader sounding), nice smooth highend without being harsh. Overall, incredebly clear!
Sonic evaluation: The Grubisa flying V is an all mahogany,glued in neck(goes down to the bridge p.u., just like an original '58 Gibson V)guitar. it has 24 fretts(24'3/4" scale)with tune-o-matic bridge and V ancore plate,strings strung through the body.
My amp is a Marshall JCM 900 Dual reverb 100w,model 4100,loaded with Svetlana EL-34 powertubes & GT12ax7's.It runs through a Marshall 1960B cabinet,that has been hard wired(the switchable ohm plugs removed, because they provide an unstable OHM-age) with the regular celestion t-75's. I NO effects exept just one original first issue boss GE-10 E.Q.(nice)I also use rapco leads with switchcraft jacks.My sound has alot of mids, not your regular typicle gutless, wimpy "scooped mids" sound. My E.Q. is as follows:gain-20,master volume-6-7,presence-7,bass-10,mids-8,treble-7-8.Graphic E.Q.-62hz+2Db,82hz+2.5Hz,125hz+2DB,220hz+2Db,the rest of the E.Q.is flat, including the master volume.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play all styles of Metal,e.g.thrash,death,power,progressive,traditional Metal-REAL METAL!!!not poofta Korn shit.This pick up is exellent for the bridge, and for Metal,and rock in general, if you don't like the PAF(you are crazy if you do'nt, for rock, PAF's are great!)

Comments: This is a pickup that I would hunt the world over for(I am on the look out for more, since they were deleted,shame!)
I have been playing for 10 years, and I also own two other Explorers, one a gibson,the other a Grubisa(strings strung through the body).I also own a Marshall 100W master volume MK-111,which sounds even fatter and clearer than my dual reverb.
I eventually want to own a fender twin for clean and use the Marshall 2100 soley for overdrive, running through TWO bottom quads.
I also want more Flying V's, either Grubisa's or B.C. Rich's.
I am very happy With my sound now, but I am always refining it!
AS FOR ALL THESE OTHER PUSSY'S WHO PLAY SHIT GUITARS(BOLT ON NECK JACKSONS AND ESPECIALLY IBANEZ'S), AND SHIT RIGS,E.G.PEAVEY'S,LINE SIX, POOFTA SOLID STATE AMP'S,RACK MOUNT DIGITAL SHIT, PEDALS UPON PEDALS,WHO SCOOP THEIR MIDS TO THE POINT OF MOSQUITOISM------YOU FUCKWITS DO NOT HAVE A CLUE ABOUT TRUE TONE AND HOW TO ACHIEVE IT.YOU HAVE ALOT TO LEARN. SO NEXT TIME YOU SUBMIT A REVIEW, USE DECENT GEAR!
---------AND JUST REMEMBER, JUST AS-DARK ORDER-SAYS"IF IT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT...GO FUCK YOURSELF!" check out our first album,"5000 years of violence", to see what a Duncan Distortion sounds like through 50w JCM900 Dual reverb( for curiosity sake).

Pickup features: 4 Conductor HUmbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Yamaha RGX421-D
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Humbucker...I took out the single coil in the middle
Artists using this pickup: Not Sure
You musical style(s): Rock, Hard Rock, Metal
Reason for pickup change: This was my main guitar for 5 years and someone suggested I change the pick up to get better sound. It worked

Perceived output level: A little more output the the stock pickups, but eq'd much better
Tone: Crystal Clear
Sonic evaluation: This yamaha sound good when it was stock. I put this pickup in and WOW, I could hear every thing. Shimmering highs, nice mids and lows. I run through a 5150 and it sounds awesome!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I'd recomend this pick up for anystyle. Its versitle

Comments: My only pet-peve about it would be that the highs are a little too high. Other then that, it sound good.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: unknown

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez Destroyer 2
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Duncan Custom
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Unknown
You musical style(s): Hard Rock
Reason for pickup change: It was a spare I had around and wanted to try.

Perceived output level: Medium-high
Tone: Balanced without a lot of mids
Sonic evaluation: GSP-2101 pre-amp, into Peavey 50/50 tube power amp with EL-84's, into 4x12's with Carvin VL-12's.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It is very well suited in my opinion for hard rock and similar styles

Comments: I LOVE this pickup except for the fact that it is a little bit microphonic in HIGH gain (It was used so I dont know why). I am going to wax pot it though and that should solve that. It has BITE that makes it really cut through the mix. I called DiMarzio and they said it had a mid scoop because they deigned it with 2 non-matching coils, so that is what seems to give it that cutting through character. It is my favorite pickup for the rig I have now. Keep in mind that the entire setup has a bearing on the sound. It is mounted into a great sounding piece of wood too.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: My own custom built guitar
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: this is the first pickup I put on my guitar
Other pickups on guitar: just two DiMarzio Megadrive
Artists using this pickup: you tell me
You musical style(s): Intrumental (Satriani, Vai), Metal, Blues, Rock, Jazz, fusion and funk
Reason for pickup change: Like I said, these are the first I put in my guitar. I looked in the DiMarzio catalogue and I said "I wants these monsters in my guitar".

Perceived output level: A very high output humbucker with a lot of tone. A little too heavey for clean, but can be easily split
Tone:
Sonic evaluation: I use a Marshall VS100H valvestate 3 channel head and a Marshall MkII 100w tube head from '76 and a Valvestate 8412 120w cabinet and a 1960 4x12" 300 watt cabinet also from '76. I use a Zoom 3000S effectprocessor, but will be soon replaced by a Digitech 2120.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For the styles I play it's teh best humbucker I know. Because of the posibility to split the humbucker you can create clear clean sounds. You can use it for both possitions, but for the neck it's maybe a little too heavy.

Comments: Because of the mahogany body of my guitar, I think it's too heave for playing clean. So If I ever make another mahogany guitar I would use it anymore. Maybe for the bridge position.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 350mV, around 13Kohms.

Model of guitar or bass: Aria Pro II RS Knight Warrior (Lefty)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Evolution
Other pickups on guitar: Fast Track 2 in neck, one Schaller single in the middle
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): EVH, AC/DC, GNR, mostly metal and hard rock.
Reason for pickup change: I'm building another guitar, and I wanted to put the evolution
in the bridge with another evolution in the neck (they're
matched to each other). So, I bought the megadrive to put
in place of the bridge pickup in the Aria Pro.

Perceived output level: Same output as the evolutions, and most other pickups I guess.
Tone: Tons of Bass, and mids, with some rolled back highs.
Sonic evaluation: This pickup rocks. Too bad it's discontinued! If you're looking for
that EVH sound in Unchained, this is it! Kind of an "aw" sounding
pickup that's VERY sensitive to harmonics. I'm not used to being able
to do them so easily, so I do them all the time without trying now.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is suitable for all metal and rock styles. Even clean with a bass pickup is good.

Comments: Yes, I'd buy this one again (if I could find it). I like the EVH
quality it has, and the harmonics. Sustain is pretty long. Also has
fully adjustable pole pieces.