DiMarzio DP719 D Activator 7 Neck

Dimarzio is one of the most popular after market pickup makers around. They are known for their modern sounding pickups built for modern guitar players. Players like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and John Petrucci have been using their pickups for years and these are your definition of modern guitar players. The D-Activator line of pickups is their attempt to make a passive pickup that sounds like an active pickup. This is aimed more towards the metal audience. This is the 7 string model so it has an even more specialized audience. There are a lot less 7 string pickups out on the market and the best ones being active limits the options you have if you do not want to get an active pickup. Also all the 7 string active pickups come in sizes that do not let you put them in guitars that did not come with them originally. This pickup is made for the neck position and thats the main problem with it. It seems like they have modeled this passive pickup after the EMG 81 7 string version. This is a good pickup but the problem is that the pickup is meant for the bridge position. The 81 and the D-Activator have super bright high end gain sounds. This means they are super clear when you are riffing away in the bridge position. The seccond you put one in the neck position you get a pretty much unusable sound. The sound is not smooth at all. Some people with really muddy guitars make like this but I do not. When I switch to the neck position I want a smooth sound for lead playing. If you try and play leads with this pickup in the neck position you will have a harsh super bright sound. If you have a super muddy 7 strin guitar or are planning on tuning down very very low this is the pickup for you. If you are not doing these things I would recommend something else.

The DiMarzio D Activator 7 Neck is DiMarzio’s attempt to replicate an active sounding neck pickup while remaining passive. It’s a very hot neck pickup with four conductor wiring, adjustable pole pieces on both coils and a ceramic magnet.

This pickup is BRIGHT. I can’t stress that enough. It has this searing bright quality. They pulled it off successfully with the Humbucker From Hell, but I think they really dropped the ball with this. I can only assume they were trying to emulate an EMG 81-7 in the neck. DiMarzio claims that this pickup isn’t thin sounding, but I got a few guitars that’ll beg to differ. That, or we hear things quite differently. I especially like how they mention it makes a good bridge pickup. I highly disagree with that, but I’m sure some out there can make this thing work in nearly any rig. Chris Broderick uses this pickup, and he gets a cool lead tone out of it.

I’ve never tired this thing split simply because of how bright it is. I should have tried it in parallel, but I didn’t keep it in my guitars very long. I wish they would have emulated the EMG 707. I love that pickup in the neck. It’s very fat and smooth sounding while still remaining tight and powerful. The good thing about this pickup is that it does have a lot of harmonics. If you’re looking for something like that in the neck, this’ll probably be a good choice. I don’t recommend this for any dense, hard woods like maple or walnut. It’ll just be too much for those. This pickup seems to work best in mahogany for obvious reasons.

Overall, if you’re looking for an active kinda sound, this is about your only choice in the DiMarzio line. If you always feel the neck pickup sounds muddy, this pickup could be for you. It all depends on your tastes.

I had the set D-Activator 7 of origin in a prototype English luthier (corp mahogany, maple table, plywood handle) guitar, and everything plugged into an engl powerball head
this model guitar that set micro sounds pretty neutral asssez smooth and balanced, it has a good level of output, it is precise but unfortunately without much character, who personally c is what I remember a lot of Dimarzio pickups .. . and this is not what I'm looking
the basis DiMarzio s trying to approach the active EMG pickups, and unfortunately they succeeded in part ...
Brief which work much their sound with their amp or effect of chain saw neutrality that little be interesting, if it has no charm
So I have it very quickly replaced by a set Nazgul / SENTIENT much alive

I've had six months and after wiring problems it is finally connected.
I tested with these high-level configuration:
Ibanez Korg DT10 1527 + + + NS2 Boss Line 6 Spider II HD + Boogoe Mesa Thiele 1 * 12
and
Ibanez Marshall EL84 20/20 + 1527 + Custom Audio Electronics 3 + SE

Before I test a lot of Microphones Lespaul Gibson, an SG Custom Shop EMG 60 with 3, and Benedetti, EMG 81, EMG 85, EMG-HZ ...
In short the good and finally it is the D Activator that sounds the best to run I think the sound is very "muffled" compared to the D Activator bridge. Perhaps too round for my taste.
Treble not unlike those of an EMG 60 (by far), very round and not showy at all.
Just enough serious and a lot of medium.
It is not as balanced as in the bridge position, damage ...
Accuracy in the Palm-mute exceptional but still below that of the bridge.
But it's good nonetheless.

The combination of the handle and using the high is by using a coil is incryable in the clear. The best I've ever heard.

In short it is still necessary that I set to do but I like the sound.
I think we should forget it for the rhythm and left for cleans and solos ...