DiMarzio DP706 D Sonic 7

The DiMarzio Drop Sonic 7 is a new take on the humbucker that many people haven’t pursued before. It features one coil that’s similar to the X2N7 and one coil that’s kinda similar to the Tone Zone 7. The pickup is unique in that it sounds different depending on its orientation. The pickup also features four conductor wiring and a ceramic magnet.

The Drop Sonic 7 is one of those pickups that seems like an experiment more than anything. Earlier, I referred to it being similar to an X2N7 and a Tone Zone 7 put together, and it’s really similar to that. It’s a very high output pickup, but it’s very noisy. I have no clue why DiMarzio released such a noisy pickup. The pickup itself is fairly even in tone except for this upper treble bite. That treble bite is ultimate what lead me to dislike this pickup.

Most people who try this are going to try it in basswood. After all, that’s what John Petrucci first used it in. However, I can firmly say that this pickup doesn’t sound that great in basswood. The treble is amplified in a way that it becomes almost grating. The evenness of the pickup also leads it to have no flavor at all. Keep in mind, this is all with the bar facing towards the bridge. With the bar towards the neck, it sounds pretty fat and is fairly clear. However, you then have this issue of it sounding really bad when it’s split.

To me, this pickup is more suited towards mahogany. In fact, it’s a great match with a mahogany body and a rosewood fretboard. These help warm it up enough to give it character while having everything sound fairly clean. If you’re going to try out this pickup, be sure to watch your noise levels. It’s very sensitive to lights and other electric signals that pickups might pick up.