DiMarzio DP184 The Chopper

Dimarzio is a well known pickup maker. They are most known for their modern sounding pickups that shred players love. Instead of making vintage sounding single coils most of their single coils are really single coil sized humbuckers that have more of a modern sound to them. The Chopper is one of them. The Dimarzio Chopper is a pickup for someone looking for the Dimarzio PAF style tone in the size of a single coil. The PAF pro doesnt really sound like a real PAF it is more Dimarzios interpretation of a PAF sound. This pickup is that sound in the size of a single coil. Its output is a pretty moderate 9k and it has a farily even eq with a little bump for the high end. The pickup is an evolution of the old Fast Track 1 but with a bit more power. In the neck you can get smooth PAF pro style leads with clear or with gain. With gain the tone is buttery smooth but retains clarity thanks to the little extra high end they eq'ed in. In the bridge position it sounds more like a single coil. It has a bright chimey sound that single coil lovers like. It has a bright open sound that is strongly dependant on what kind of wood your guitar is made out of. With its boost in the high end it is best in neutral or slightly darker guitars. This is of course if you are looking for a neutral sound. If you love the twang you could put this in an ash guitar or something and really twang out. Remember this pickup is pretty high output so watch out if you are combining this with real single coils in your guitar. If you are looking for a versatile single coil sized humbucker which can either sound like a PAF or a single coil the Chopper is as versatile as they get.

The DiMarzio Chopper is the first true revision of the Fast Track 1. Where as the Fast Track 2 was actually a different pickup, this is a direct descendent of the original Fast Track. It features dual blade rails, four conductor wiring and a ceramic magnet like most of the other DiMarzio single coil humbuckers.

The Chopper is very reminiscent of the Fast Track 1, but it’s much more powerful and versatile. It still has some strong treble, but the mids and bass have bee boosted, as well as the output. This actually makes it somewhat similar to the very famous PAF Pro in many ways. It’s very punchy and sounds a lot bigger than the original Fast Track 1 while still retaining qualities of the original.

Those of you looking for a single coil PAF Pro will most likely be looking at this pickup. It has similar output and EQ curve. Because it’s so similar to the PAF Pro, this can be used in both the neck and bridge without any problems. In the bridge, it’s a bright, clear and fairly open sounding hard rock pickup. In the neck, it’s a precise, clear and punchy sounding pickup. Split tones are very nice, but I haven’t tried it in parallel.

It doesn’t really matter what kind of wood you have. This pickup will jive with just about anything out there, just like the original PAF Pro. I find it tends to work best in woods like alder and basswood, but maple and mahogany all work wonderfully. If you do put it in the neck, be sure to get a hot enough bridge pickup so that the neck won’t be overpowering the bridge sound. Something like the Fast Track 2, the Super Distortion S or the Tone Zone S would work great for that.

I bought a chopper with a thundering set of circumstances:

I tried to put a Dimarzio Steve Vai between Evolution and a Tone Zone on my old S & Jackson US only a microphone MODEL 'No Flange' returned on the guitar (ie: without trapze of derrire)

Outside, the Chopper is the only existing in micro INTERESTED No Flange, so I purchased and installed despite my rticence use a humbucker in micro center.

In fact, the chopper will be a trs rvle good mic with Dfine well enough to ring in the saturated gain and little to use it in the clear.

It would be probably no place in the neck position but works well in the center trs complte trs o well my cold Evolution & aggressive.

You will have understood what I really like this mic is its versatility, you can use both in arpges chord progressions or on Młoda saturated.

What I like least, but the micro has nothing to do, what my guitar n'tant not made to accommodate such a microphone in the center, I can not splitter. If you are like me, you'll also probably the problem, the problem j'tudie must be able to find a solution eg. with a push / pull.

So I plan to buy a good mic in the center to play especially in positions 2 & 4 and in the end I do not use nearly in position 3 is a shame ... (Positions 2 & 4 with the other microphones and split chopper full price I do not like too)

For résumé is a good micro trs must surely show its worth in the neck position of a layer US but must trs dbrouiller well in many different configurations, including less empty (like mine).

I found the MODEL No Flange somewhere in Germany (you probably guessed ... o) not bother to look for in France because the importer Dimarzio knows that the same firm the product in this format (at least that's what he rpondu by mail).

TRS is a shame because these models are very practical: in my case, another micro would not return (even by digging).

I know every single Dimarzio offers in this format, but tonnament only a few models are Distribus.

A blessing in disguise as a allowed me to immediately find the right microphone trs I recommend you whatever your style in the neck position or center.