D Activator-X Bridge Humbucker Pickup - Black Review

Update

This is an update of sorts to my previous review after using this pickup in more than one guitar/setup. It likes a brighter guitar that needs heft and punch in the low end (it will give you tons of big, piano-esque lows if you want it to). I still dig the neutral/non-boosted mids. Plenty there to make you heard but not overbearing. Harmonics are really easy to coax out as well.… read more With quality electronics in your guitar I've found out that the DAX will clean up very well with the volume knob. And surprisingly it really enjoyed lower gain settings on my Bogner. Here's the biggest thing I think anyone buying this pickup needs to know though. Sometimes you find a humbucker with lots of string pull, but this bad boy is on another level. In my previous review I talked about playing through the DAX feeling stiff... It's because of the string pull! Be prepared to very possibly adjust the whole setup on your guitar when you install this pickup (I use it in a set with the DAX neck model, which also has plenty of string pull itself). I really enjoy the voice of this pickup. As I said before, to my ears it doesn't fit the standard pattern for high output humbucker s and that's really fun to play with. But it does take some time to adjust to. Your mileage may vary.

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More than meets the eye.

I want to start with the 'cons' of this pickup. If you don't like pickups with legitimately high output, you should probably skip the DAX. If you don't like the look of dual, fat blades on your humbucker, look elsewhere. If you want a pickup that's 'classic' sounding or 'vintage' in nature, stop right here and leave. It can be a bit 'stiff' in certain situations (although I… read more imagine some folks will really enjoy that) and you'll likely have to lower it away from the strings farther than you're used to. That being said... If you want a pickup that's high output and has a more modern feel to it (rock solid bottom end, kind of neutral mids and clear but never harsh highs) then look no further. The DAX is, obviously, well suited for modern metal and hard rock, but (to my ears at least) given it's more neutral nature it can be adapted to a much wider variety of styles. Because it doesn't have a giant mid-hump like lots of other humbuckers, the DAX actually has a really nice clean voice and will clean up some when you turn down the volume pot (not completely in my experience, but certainly a lot more than one would expect from a pickup with three giant ceramic magnets giving it power). Pedal, pre-amp and power-amp EQ adjustments are much more effective with this beast (as such, it sounds beautiful with effects). I really find that this pickup is a great pallet cleanser after years of playing humbuckers with giant mid-humps.

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Beaware of this pickup!

This is one of the best pickups I've ever tried. Get this if you want to turn your backup guitar into a real rock/metal monster. I bought a SG copy a few weeks ago. The guitar itself was solid, playable, and served the purpose for practicing, but it was apparently a second or even third rate guitar in comparison to my Gibsons and Fenders. I felt that I could sell the guitar… read more to get another one at any time with no regret. Then I decided to experiment with changing the pickups. I chose DiMarzio D Activator-X for bridge and DiMarzio D Activator for neck simply because I like John 5, who used the Activator in some of his songs. The result was astonishing. My guitar tech smiled to me when he played the guitar. The sustain is a killer! The tone has a high degree of clarity and dynamism. Now the guitar has easily become one of the best two or three guitars I have ever owned.

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