DiMarzio Super Distortion

Pickup features: Humbucking (passive)
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Custom Guitar
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Pick-up
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Single Coil
Artists using this pickup: Paul Gilbert, Me!
You musical style(s): Pop, RnB
Reason for pickup change: I needed some boost and tone specially when it comes to soloing

Perceived output level: Very High Output!
Tone: Good bass thou it has harsh tone
Sonic evaluation: Anything goes!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play......?......i dunno maybe just wut im interested to play

Comments: i've bin using the super distortion for about a year or so,and id say it sure gaved some soul to my solos.although it stil doesn't compare with the JB humbuckers i was using before. but to be fair the super distortion gives a more punchier distorted tone.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: well... er... yes, I guess so ;-)

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson Japan JSX-94 Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Bridge
Other pickups on guitar: stock pick ups in neck and middle position
Artists using this pickup: Paul Gilbert, Richie Kotzen (I think)
You musical style(s): 80's-pop-metal-perm-rock, blues.
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickup was just lame if not used in combination with super-hi-gain.

Perceived output level: well, screwed deep down it was as loud as my stock pickup 1mm below the strings.
Tone: I think it's a bit bassier than my stock pick-up, a tiny bit more mids but you don't lose any highs.
Sonic evaluation: As I said; that Jackson strat into a Peavey Transfex Pro 212s.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: as I said above. I think this pickup is great for any music you often need that bridge-pu-sound. To me it seems perfect so far.

Comments: I'd probably buy it again and I'd recommend it to anyone wanting a kick-ass-hard-rock-sound without having to crank up that pre-gain.
I've been playing for a bit more than seven years now and this jackson strat is my "working horse". compared to my epiphone les paul studio and even to my non-fender (but great) tele the jackson sounded quite weak. but now I know I can keep this guitar because I got quite close to the sound I wanted - although it was more fate than intention. I first wanted a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck model cause some guitarshop dude told me this would suit my taste. he wanted about 250 swiss franks (about 160 USD) and that was the reason I forgot about it. finally I found that german internet-site where I could have ordered it for about half the money the dude in the shop wanted. the dimarzios were quite a lot more expensive than the sd's, so I didn't consider to buy one. but then I found out that the guy in the local hifi-shop could order dimarzios at a price I guess you won't find again in switzerland. that's when I read thru this review and listened to some samples on www.dimarzio.com.
when I finally read that richie kotzen uses dimarzio pickups too I knew that it couldn't be that wrong since his sound on poison's "native tongue" is just what I'm aiming for (now I have to try to get those chops too, hehehe).
so what do I want to say? for me it's perfect! I love those tight palm mutes even at lower gain levels.

Pickup features: Humbucking Passive
Impedence or other specs: Somewhere around 14k

Model of guitar or bass: Actually I have 1 in two different guitars. Bothe are custom guitars. 1 is an all maple strat with 3 humbuckers and a bigsby ( SD is in the bridge ) the other is in an Maple tele and the SD is in the neck
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: None custom built
Other pickups on guitar: Gutiar 1 ( Pearly Gates in neck, Kramer in middle ) Guitar 2 Hot rails in bridge
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Blues rock
Reason for pickup change: Custom job liked the sound

Perceived output level: This pickup is loud much louder than most stock humbuckers you will find
Tone: In the bridge its kind of trebly almost to much so but I mostly play with the neck pickup and set my amp up for it to sound good. In the neck it sounds great nice and bassy with a great midrange and scorching treble
Sonic evaluation: Already told you about the guitars. I mostly use Fender bassmans and a Dual Showman. In the bridge this pick up is avrage at best. Kind of tinny and not as much body as you would expect almost thin. But compaired to lets say a strat bridge PU it has much more balls and tone. It is recomended that it should be put in the bridge position but the neck position is where it is kickin. In the neck this PU is great. Tons of balls and tone just unbleaveable. You can really rip it up with this PU in the neck

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues/Rock. Can be used in all positions but I recomend the Neck Position. No matter what anyone tells you try it in the neck and you'll never take it out!

Comments: I would buy this pickup again. I have been playing for about 16 years. I own and owned so much gear I am not even going to go into it but half of it is/was great the other half was crap. I like the tone ( neck position ) of this pick up it really have good volume and a great sound. I dont like ( really personal ) the allen screws as poles. I did compare it to many pickups but have it in a guitar with a Pearly Gates and another with a hot rails. The PU's sound is kind of between those two. Not as distortiuon frendly as the hot rails but more guts than the pearly. It really does sound good for rock and heavy blues. I wish it had regualar flat head type screw poles and not allen style, they look like crap. Also when I bought bothe of them they come with PU height adjustment screws but no springs. Whats up with that?? I am satisfied with this PU. I am picky and I change my tastes a lot one day I need to hear single coil strat stuff and the next cranked up humbuckers. But when I am in the mood for that humbucker sound I grab these two guitars. This PU is a humbucker on steriods. If you are looking for that pretty bluesy tone go with the single coils but you can bluse it up with this PU and also get that crunch form you amp and stopm boxes that you just can't get with every PU.

Pickup features: Hum.
Impedence or other specs: This is an IMPORTANT update of my previous submission!!

Model of guitar or bass: ESP M-II
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Tone-Zone
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio Air Norton
Artists using this pickup: PAUL GILBERT THE FUCKIN' BEST!!!
You musical style(s): Shred, metal and everything that IS good guitar playing like the 80's....
Reason for pickup change: Tone-Zone sounded too bland in that guitar after a while. The TZ is my favourite pickup, but I wanted something different after buying my Ibanez PGM equipped with a TZ....

Perceived output level: It IS in fact hotter than the TZ, but the TZ sounds punchier and a little louder too, even though it isn't.
Tone: Great bass! Some WOOF in that bass!! That's fuckin' great man! Little mids, but they cut. Highs are superb! Pristine and clear!! Much cleaner highs than the Tone-Zone!
Sonic evaluation: I use the M-II with a variety of amps and some rackmounted stuff such as an ADA MP-1 and Peavey solid-state combos (for that extra tightness). Let me tell you that the super distortion KILLS the Tone-Zone when I play with the little peavey, but the TZ FRIES the Super when it comes to playing in the ADA.....go figure!! The definition on the lower strings of the Super is, however, much better than the definition of the TZ with has a bad tendency to get muddy sometimes!! A guy told that the audience loved this pickup and I have to concur with that!! It's so WARM while cutting so much that it has everything it needs!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I'd say that's a pretty good pickup that cleans up VERY well and that is very warm and defined! I suggest to use this pickup for Rock, Metal and Shred!

Comments: I finally rate this pickup an 8!! My first review was very very biased by the fact that the neck pickup was a Dimarzio Super 2 which was overpowering the Super Distortion.....it led to the conclusion that the Super was lifeless and such....but in fact, when you match it with a great neck pickup (like the Air Norton, the best of all neck pickups!!) the Super screams and sounds Godly!

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez GAX-70 (artist style body - 2 humbucker SG-clone)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Weak Ibanez powersound in BRIDGE
Other pickups on guitar: Other weak Ibanez powersound in NECK
Artists using this pickup: The Super Distortion? Heck... EVERYONE!!
You musical style(s): Everything (rock, hard rock, blues, country-rock, oldies, bee-bop swing, you name it)
Reason for pickup change: I need a little more punch from the GAX-70. Now, it is a real nice guitar for the money! Don't knock it until you've played it!
But, like everyone says, the Ibanez Powersound pickups are not that great. I mean, they have no life to them. They are dull. You have to crank the overdrive/gain and doodle with a graphic EQ pedal to get a serious Gibson SG style tone.

Perceived output level: Very HOT! It's not blistering hot where it would peel paint off the wall, but it is a very nice HOT pickup. Gives your guitar a serious kick in the ass. It's the perfect 70's 80's rock tone. Think "BOSTON" with Tom Sholtz. (More Than a Feeling, Smokin', Feelin' Satisfied, Cool The Engines, etc...)
Tone: Balanced and well defined.
Sonic evaluation: I modified my '99 Ibanez GAX-70 and use a mid 80's Fender Super 60 1x12 solid tube amp.
Like I said earlier, I had to play with my graphic EQ pedal to get the right tone and put the gain knob on "7" on my Fender amp to get the drive that I needed.
The new Dimarzio Super Distortion almost blew me across the room when I plugged in (I forgot to reset the volume/gain on my amp!)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a wicked Bridge pickup suitable for Rock, hard rock, blues. It is the quintessential ROCK guitar pickup. 'Nuff said.

Comments: I plan of getting a Dimarzio PAF Pro to the put in the neck of the Ibanez GAX-70, so the pickups will be balanced better. I would buy Dimarzio pickups again. They are really great sounding and not harsh or brittle.
Plus the 4 conductor wiring makes it really neat (in case I want to install a coil splitter).
Bottom line: This is a hell of a pickup for only $59.00!!!

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: umm, i think it's 475mw or somethin along those lines

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson D-10
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: shitty stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio PAF Pro
Artists using this pickup: umm, i know Max Cavalera from sepultura uses one.. i dont know if he does anymore, he uses an ESP viper custom with an EMG in it now
You musical style(s): METAL (pantera, machine head, sepultura, soulfly, metallica)
Reason for pickup change: the jackson stock pickups although duncan designed sucked.. a lot as a matter of fact. >:| but this helped

Perceived output level: it's a pretty hot pickup, umm well, it's hot enough to do almost anything with..
Tone: with my setup, it works rather well with a LOT of bass, i'd say almost too much bass, i have to roll the tone control on my guitar back to get a less-trebly/middy sound...
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a 1999 Jackson D-10 Guitar, alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, 24 frets, digitech Rp-3 digital EFX processor, BOSS Heavy Metal (HM-2) pedal, Dunlop crybaby through a Crate GFX-212 amp.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play all the aforementioned bands' music, and it suits them all, i gotta try playing somewhere besides indoors, cuz when i palm mute, with my setup, it thumps hard enough to throw pictures off walls and stuff, and that pisses everyone off... so i gotta find a better practice location.. haha

Comments: Wow, yeah, this is random, Yeah, if it were STOLEN, i'd buy another one.. typically if one were to steal a guitar component, WHY in the HELL would they JUST steal the pickup? wouldn't it be easier to steal the entire guitar? Hello? haha.. well, IF just the pickup were stolen, i'd prolly go for an X2N cuz i like the gain better, but this is still a good pickup.. so if an X2N weren't readily available, i'd get another one

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: best with 500k volume pot

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Flying V 84
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock Gibson490
Other pickups on guitar: Gibson 490
Artists using this pickup: Rob Lindbeck
You musical style(s): Metal,classical
Reason for pickup change: Gibson pu sounded like shit,quite simple!

Perceived output level: Output is just right,nothin soft,nothin harsh.
Tone: Great crisp midrange.
Sonic evaluation: Im running my Gibson V straight into a Crate GX130 C,no effects other than reverb and chorus(you get to abusing effects after a while)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is the BEST metal pickup out there.Probably would sound wird in neck position......

Comments: The main thing i love about this pickup is that you can plug into a real dull sounding,mud EQd amplifier and all of a sudden it sounds like an active EQ was thrown between you and the amp,this f*cker CUTS!

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 1978 Gibson SG, 1989 Fender American Stratocaster, 1985 Kramer Condor
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: The Gibson had stock in neck position, and the Strat had 2 stock single coils in the middle and neck.
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): classic rock, heavy metal, 1960's through the '90's
Reason for pickup change: When I bought my 1978 Gibson SG it had one of these in the bridge. When I bought my 1989 Strat, it was in the bridge (stock?). I put a Fender Gold Lace Sensor humbucker in that and put the Dimarzio in my 1985 Kramer Condor.

Perceived output level: This is a high output, designed for.... SUPER DISTORTION
Tone: I think this is a little on the treble side, but that's kind of what it is advertised as. It is not a PAF type.
Sonic evaluation: I was very happy with the one that was in my Gibson. I had it for about 16 years, and it started to fade. I no longer own that guitar, but the person I sold it to planned to put a Gibson pick up back in. I thought it sounded very thin and treble-heavy in the Fender. I don't like Fender guitars because of the huge plastic pick guards. I replaced it with the previously mentioned FLS. Still no good, but better. I sold the guitar. The lack of wood in the Fender body did make a difference because... I put the Dimarzio in my 1985 Kramer Condor. What a difference a real guitar makes. The Dimarzio now sounds like my Gibson did about 10 years ago. Very nice. I play a lot of harmonics and squeals, and the Dimarzio makes them easy.
I play through a Fender amp (their amps are great, I just don't like their guitars), a Boss HM2, a Boss flanger, a DOD Tuna, and a Dunlop Crybaby.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I don't think this pick up would be a good fit for the neck position. It's too hot for that and would sound muddy.

Comments: I have been playing guitar for 15 years. I play all styles of music, but lean towards heavy metal and 70's classic rock. This pick up suits those styles very well. I don't think this is the pick up for playing jazz, country, or orchestra oriented music. If this p.u. died I might try a Seymour Duncan just to try something new for me. I would also be happy to put in another stock Schaller.

Pickup features: Humbucker,Passive
Impedence or other specs: Don't remember

Model of guitar or bass: Home-made FlyingV............body is made of Walnut
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Alot, but the only one I can think of off hand is Jim Martin from FNM.
You musical style(s): Mostly metal......some clean and classic rock sounds
Reason for pickup change: Never had a pickup in it.

Perceived output level: Its a nasty little pickup with plenty of output for most Metal etc.etc.
Tone: It is mostly suited for metal with alot of gain. Example,Obituary...Pantera...etc.
Sonic evaluation: Like I said the guitar is a homemade Flying-V with a Walnut body and Carvin neck. I play it through a Crate GX 30-M Combo amp.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Metal mostly.Suitable for all positions but recommended for the Bridge Pos.

Comments: I would definitly buy this pickup again if it were killed. I've been playing for about 10 years or so. The best part of the pickup is the gain it produces for that ultra nasty type distortion. I sometimes wish it had a little more bottom end but if your Pedal or amp has a Low eq. then it should be no problem. The only other pickup I have yet to buy is a DiMarzio X2N. Which is supposedly the hottest pickup out there.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone G400 (SG)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio PAF
Artists using this pickup: Ace Frehley, Paul Gilbert
You musical style(s): Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Metal
Reason for pickup change: Stock hever had enough bite...

Perceived output level: About the same level as the stock pickup...
Tone: Great sound, distorted and with bite, but doesn't have that sharp edge that newly design pickups have. Great dark sound when you roll back the tone...
Sonic evaluation: I'm using the pickup in the bridge position of an Epiphone G400 SG (with a big ass bigsby style vibrotone) with a Fender Princton 112 Plus, and a DOD classic tube distortion. The thng sounds great, perfect for classic rock, it isn't muddy and has that vintage tone that kills.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great for all types of rock, an even metal.....great pickup.

Comments: I'd replace in a second....