« DiMarzio AT-1 is pretty good »

I never actively sought this pickup out but happened to pick up and Ibanez that had it in already. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised the first time I plugged it in. It wasn't an overly hot pick up, especially compared to the pickups I had to compare it to which at the time were a Motorcity Afwayu and a Tone Zone. With its Alnico 5 magnet, I knew it wasn't going to be as hot as a ceramic pick up but on its own merit, it does pretty well. The initial reaction is to say that you wish it had more guts in comparison. When not comparing the AT-1 to anything but itself, you find that it is a very warm pick up and truly has nice tonal qualities. It is very warm in the mids without giving you the grinding rip of a Tone Zone, but there is something pleasing about the mids it does produce. I think I would have to say the bass response is the same way, not over the top and pounding but I suppose well balanced is the word I'm looking for. I would say this is certainly not a metal pick up although you can get away with it certainly. I would suggest this as a classic to hard rock pick up, leave the metal to something with a bit more teeth. Definitely worth the money I paid and I sure wouldn't hesitate to grab a guitar that already had one in it. With my style of heavier music, I would probably not seek one out but I wouldn't rip one out and replace it either. I would make it work for the songs that it fits as it has pleasing tonal qualities to it. I think the DiMarzio AT-1 is a solid choice and at a fair price.