Disclaimer Please note that we do not accept returns on guitar pickups. Regarding installation: We are happy to help you find resources to aid in the installation and rewiring of your guitar. Additionally, we offer a basic installation service for customers that includes a straightforward wiring setup only. Please note that this service does not include custom installations, switches, or coil tapping. Contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
DiMarzio Pickups
DiMarzio produce top of the range passive pickups. They are the originator of the replacement pickup since 1972 made in the USA. DiMarzio provide a range of pickup styles, outputs and tonal variations so you are sure to find the sound you want. They are the stock choise for many OEM guitar makers. Replacing pickups in an electric guitar or bass should be one of the first ports of call when looking for an upgrade. Why spend thousands of dollars on a new guitar to try and replicate or find a sound when you can simply upgrade.
Pickups are often overlooked by all but the professionals in favour of using guitar pedals to find tone, when this shouldn’t be the case. If you think about it, the pickups and strings are the most important element in determining a guitar’s tone and sound. It’s the raw output coming from your guitar! The right set of pickups combined with a great amplifier will yield better results than expensive guitars added to your collection.
Upgrading pickups have been the go to method for many famous players that require that certain special sound. Famous players that use DiMarzio pickups include; Mark Knopfler, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Joe Duplantier and Herman Li. Kurt Cobain famously used the DiMarzio Super Distortion in his stage guitars which he often scavenged back after his frequent habit of smashing them on stage.
Determining what to upgrade first can always be a little tricky and it depends on what you are looking to do.
Upgrading your amplifier will always be the first port of call for some guitarists, however this will always be the most expensive option and a lot of amplifier tones can be mimicked by guitar pedals. This option should be considered more seriously when you are competing with the other instruments in a band and need the volume, when no front of house system is available.
Buying a new guitar can always a good option when there are to many hardware and playability issues. More expensive guitars will have better tone woods and you can certainly expect better hardware. The biggest reason for upgrading your guitar entirely is when you want a better “feel”. Many expensive guitars will still need to be professionally set up and upgraded regardless, and many OEM guitars claiming to have high quality parts from reputable brands actually have these parts licenced and outsourced so it is often hard to know if any of your hardware is the real deal.
Obtaining and collecting pedals can be a fulfilling and addictive hobby that can also help you hunt down the prefect tones. The biggest problem relying on pedals for your tone is the signal flow that suffers when you have such a large signal chain, too many pedals will suck out the best of your tone.
Upgrading your pickups with DiMarzio means that you are starting from the top, from the very beginning of the signal chain, so it makes sense to get the clarity and balance you need from your playing before any other form of tonal processing happens after the signal leaves your guitar.
DiMarzio Output values and EQ tone ratings
When looking to choose the best pick up for your guitar you may be wondering what an output rating is.
The resistance value or impedance output is sometimes and often incorrectly assumed to be a guitar’s output and how hot it is, the true output is multi-faceted and depends the number of winds in the pickup the gauge of wire used in the pickup among other factors. Unfortunately, and confusingly, it is a pretty old school measurement that continues to be badly appropriated. Afterall shouldn’t a higher resistance mean more output; shouldn’t it just mean the opposite? This is known as the ‘DC resistance output congruency’ myth. I won’t go into debunking it here but just know that it is unfortunately one of the many myths within the guitar community.
On each of our listings we have put the DiMarzio output rating above the Tone Profile as well as the resistance output in the description of the listing. The first thing to understand about the DiMarzio output rating is that it is an arbitrary value the DiMarzio has come up with, it is based on a more accurate understanding of guitar output. What is important about this value is that it directly comparable to the other output values on other DiMarzio pickups. DiMarzio have also quantified the tonal qualities of the pickups and have represented them as a four band tonal EQ graph, which is easy to understand. Again, just keep in mind that these values are still arbitrary and should only be used when comparing DiMarzio Pickups to other DiMarzio pickups!
What are the Best Pickups for you?
Unfortunately, this is going to be all down to personal preferences and how you want the pickups to sound in which position! Remember that the bridge position sounds the sharpest and brightest, the neck position will sound the warmest and fullest. The middle sounds somewhere in between! Now the main factor with your preferences can come down to taking advantage of this by accentuating these natural characteristics; selecting a bright pickup for the bridge position for example. You could also create more unique tones by matching these in the opposite way. You can also select your pickups based on niche playing or conversely you can choose pickups to make a dynamic guitar that can play well in any style. Higher output pickups generally work better for heavier tones, while vintage outputs are better for dynamics.
