DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell Black

Comments about DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell:

This is an excellent choice for a neck pick up. It is as DiMarzio describes it, very close to a straight, clear single coil sound. One of the closest I've heard. And when you split the coil, the single coil tone is clear and precise. And having said all that, it also distorts very smoothly.

Comments about DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell:

Was looking for a nice clear humbucking sound for neck position in my 64 Tele. Spoke with Dimarzio tech. He told me about different woods reacting differently with pickups. His recommendation steered me to this p u.

Comments about DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell:

This pickup sounds amazing! It is so bright, open, articulate, and glassy! I will warn you, if you are looking for a warm, smooth pickup then this one is not for you but if you want a open, bright, clean, and articulate humbucker then look no further. I put this pickup and the Andy Timmons model pickup into my 2011 Epiphone Les Paul and they have really opened up the tone. It is no longer a dark monster (which isn't exactly a good thing) but now it is a screamin' eagle! It is so clear and articulate that I can hear every note of a chord. It is just beautiful. The main thing you need to keep in mind though is that it is NOT a very warm pickup, so if you are looking for a warm, jazzy pickup then this isn't for you.

Comments about DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell:

These have a funny name for a pickup that sounds so sweet and clear. I have them in a Tele, a Strat, a Les Paul and a 335. They sound fantastic for every style of music and each of those guitars.
Experienced pros know...

Modern amps have plenty of gain and pedals can provide any characteristic for any style.

Therefore, the real issue with pickup selection is usually NOT high-output, but high CLARITY.

These pickups give you the clarity you need to articulate whether playing country-clean or metal-mayhem.

The ONLY time you NEED high output pickups is if you insist on going straight into an old-school tube-amp and must overdrive the front-end ( preamp-section ) for a distorted sound. The problem with that is, you ALWAYS lose some clarity and note-definition. Great tube amps like REAL Marshalls, Hi-Watt, Fender Twins, etc CAN deliver clarity AND character. Modern modeling or hybrid amps have so much gain already that high output pickups only muddy your sound.

So unless you WANT mud to cover poor technique, do not get high-gain pickups; get CLEAR-sounding pickups that do not make noise.

You can always turn up the low-end without adding hiss. But you cannot get more highs from an amp ( or preamp) without adding hiss. Therefore, choose pickups with LOW NOISE and lots of high-frequencies.

You can always add gain if the pickups are noise-free. But you can never add clarity to muddy pickups without adding garbage noise and hiss.
I've been using this brand of pickups since the 80's. Never had a problem yet with the dozens of pickups I've installed.
This is a premium quality product from a respected AMERICAN maker, so you must expect to pay more. That said, I feel these are a better value than similar pickups from the same manufacturer that bear an artist's endorsement. Still, I also know what materials cost, so I believe they could be a few dollars less and still allow everyone to make a fair profit. These sound SO good though, I really can't complain about the price much.

Comments about DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell:

This pickup makes my s5470 my favorite guitar.
I put this in the neck position of my Ibanez S5470 and for this pickup is just fantastic for that classic rock sound with the amp on distortion. When the volume is dialed back it sounds anywhere from mild overdrive to almost glassy clean and then when you crank it the thing just screams. When the amp is cranked you get some great old metallica rhythm and that zz top type chunka chunka.And, sounds awesome for old school rock lead guitar too! I can't say enough about this pickup. It does indeed sound and respond much like a single coil and is very dynamic. When on just a clean setting it is kind of overly bright though but on distortion it is fantastic. It balances perfect with the area'61 that I put in the middle position. And I put a bluesbucker in the bridge but later changed to the paf joe in the bridge. I also bought a second humbucker from hell that I am going to try in the bridge too just to see how it sounds. So right now it is humbucker from hell (neck ) area61 (middle ) paf joe (bridge).
Dimarzio is always top shelf.
Perfectly priced from MF.

Comments about DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell:

This pickup is amazing. I installed it with a super distortion and they both can make even the most crappy guitar sound awsome. What really suprised me was not only is this a great clean pickup but with a good gain and high bass on a good amp can make this pickup so heavy and chunky (in a good way) that I switch back and forth while playing to give my music an unbelievable heavy sound. A++

Comments about DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell:

this is a great clean pickup. I installed it with a super distortion into my epiphone les paul. its so much better than the stock pickups. this pickup has a beautiful clean tone and it does have a nice bass and mids character to go along with its singing highs. no mud at all in the bass. you wont be disappointed if you put this pickup in your guitar

Comments about DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell:

Once you place this powerbeast into the inner cavitys of your axe, new sonic dimensions reveal themselves as 100% reality A+++. I like cream in my coffee and I like creme on my pickups. I'n my opinion the essence of the creamy wax coating subliminally influences the tone of the piece, added cream topping to your tone. Make no mistake, Eric Clapton did name his band Creme after his DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell. If Jimmy Page wrote a page in the Led books of rockin on guitar, then on the cover would have been this creamy pile of beauteous magnets.

Comments about DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell:

I replaced the neck pickup on my Ibanez AR-112AV 12-string electric with one of these, and am very happy with the tones. 12's reall need clear sound (I can still get more traditional electric 12 tones with the stock bridge pickup) and this delivers -- it has an almost acoustic clarity to it when used alone, and blends well with the bridge pickup as well.

Comments about DiMarzio DP156 Humbucker From Hell:

The Humbucker From Hell name could be misinterpreted by anyone seeking hellacious tone from their axe. This pickup, in the neck position at least, has a bright and glassy top end with thick bass string notes. To me, this is pretty much it (though in a bolt-on axe is has a slightly acoustic tone). I find it perfect for a thick Heavy Metal clean tone and neck position soloing. Not great on harmonics, but for straight old school soloing - you have a winner. I tune down one whole step from standard and it doesn't get muddy, only bass notes are really thick. That is my only major complaint.