[darkbluemurder]

Here is a list of the techniqes employed by various DiMarzio models in alphabetical order. This list will be updated regularly.

36th Anniversary PAF Bridge (DP-223) - Airbucker
Al di Meola Neck - Dual Resonance
Al di Meola Bridge - none
AT-1 - Airbucker, Virtual Vintage
Air Classic - Airbucker
Air Norton - Airbucker, Dual Resonance
Air Zone - Airbucker, Dual Resonance
Blaze II, Neck, Bridge, Custom - Dual Resonance
Bluesbucker - Virtual Vintage, Airbucker
Breed (neck and bridge) - none
Chopper/Chopper T - Dual Resonance
Cruiser (neck and bridge) - Dual Resonance
Crunch Lab - Dual Resonance, Virtual Vintage
D-Activator bridge - Dual Resonance
D-Activator neck - Dual Resonance
D-Activator X - Dual Resonance
D-Sonic - Dual Resonance, Virtual Vintage
Dark Matter bridge - Virtual Vintage
Dark Matter middle - Virtual Vintage
Dark Matter neck - Virtual Vintage
DLX Plus (neck and bridge) - Dual Resonance
Dual Sound - none
Evolution (neck and bridge) - Dual Resonance
EJ Custom (neck and bridge) - Virtual Vintage
Evo 2 - Dual Resonance, Virtual Vintage
Fast Track 1 - Dual Resonance
Fast Track 2 - Dual Resonance
Fast Track T - Dual Resonance
Fortitude Bridge - Airbucker
Fred - Dual Resonance
Gravity Storm Neck - Airbucker, Virtual Vintage, Dual Resonance
Gravity Storm Bridge - Virtual Vintage
Hot Minibucker (DP-198) - Airbucker
Humbucker from Hell - Dual Resonance
IGNO - Dual Resonance
Liquifire - Airbucker, Virtual Vintage
Megadrive - Dual Resonance
Minibucker (DP-168) - Dual Resonance, Airbucker
Mo Joe - Dual Resonance
Norton - Dual Resonance
PAF (DP-103) - none
PAF Classic (neck and bridge) - Airbucker, Virtual Vintage
PAF Master neck - Airbucker, Virtual Vintage
PAF Master bridge - Virtual Vintage
Paf Joe - Virtual Vintage
Paf Pro - none
Pandemonium neck - Airbucker
PG13 - Dual Resonance (?)
Steve's Special - Dual Resonance
Super 2 - none
Super 3 - none
Super Distortion - none
Super Distortion P-90 - none
Tone Zone - Dual Resonance
Tone Zone S - Dual Resonance
Tone Zone P90 - Dual Resonance
Tone Zone T - Dual Resonance
Transition bridge - Dual Resonance
Transition neck - Dual Resonance
Virtual P90 - Airbucker, Virtual Vintage
Virtual PAF (neck and bridge) - Airbucker, Virtual Vintage
Virtual Hot PAF - Airbucker, Virtual Vintage
X2N - none

For completeness sake, here are the patent numbers:

Dual Resonance: 4,501,185
-Airbucker: 5,399,802
-Virtual Vintage: 5,908,998

[DavidSchwab]

Dual resonance just means each coil was wound with different gauge wire.  Usually 43 and 44 AWG.


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[darkbluemurder]

I updated the list in the first post on the basis of a 2005 catalogue. Any information on the post 2005 models is highly appreciated.

[darkbluemurder]

Updated AT-1, Crunch Lab and Liquifire info from the excellent reviews by DarthPineas.

[darkbluemurder]

Added Fortitude Bridge and Pandemonium Neck to the list (source: the following quote from Steve Blucher, posted on the SD forum):

Steve Blucher:

Ed was happy with the softer and quieter
sound of the Alnico 2 in the neck position. My
thinking was AL2 was unstable, and when Ed ran
a power drill or Ebow over the guitar, the pickup
would begin to demagnetize.The solution was
to use a fully charged AL5 magnet but create
air gaps to separate the magnet away from the
pole pieces. This new design yielded the same
gauss at the pole piece as AL2 while producing
a stable magnetic field at the same time.
The air gap pickup had another benefit, it was
clearer and more open than an AL2 pickup.
I felt that would be a better choice for Ed’s
neck position and DiMarzio got a patent for
the new invention. (US5399802A.)

Side note: We’ve continued to use the same
or additional patent technology on lots of
other DiMarzio designs over the years:
Air Norton
Air Zone
Air Classic
PAF 36th Anniversary
PAF Bridge model (DP103 & DP223)
Fortitude Bridge
LiquiFire
Pandemonium Neck
AT-1
Ibanez Kiko Loureiro signature guitar pickups

[mmmguitar]

Just noticed the PAF Masters aren’t in the list. As I *recall* from researching them somewhat recently when I bought the neck model: the neck uses VV with the usual Air’d A5 magnet, with the bridge using only VV with an A4. Both use unbalanced coils, but not DR. Anyone please correct me if I’m misremembering.

[darkbluemurder]

Thanks, I just updated the list.

[mmmguitar]

The Dark Matter neck, single, and bridge pups use the Virtual Vintage screws [edit: I meant SLUGS] with ceramic magnets.

[darkbluemurder]

Updated.

Interesting concept but why shouldn't it work with ceramic magnets.

Cheers Stephan

[darkbluemurder]

Added the Choppers, the Cruisers, the Fast Tracks and the Tone Zone S and T to the list.

[darkbluemurder]

List updated to include the Transitions. Source: Tech talk on DiMarzio's website.

Bridge quote: "A powerful magnet and coils tuned to slightly different frequencies create very strong fundamental tones, with sustained notes that resolve easily to first- and second-order harmonics."

Neck quote: "... while the frequency response of the coils is tuned just far enough apart to open up the mids without sounding hollow."

Unfortunately there is no further hint as to any other technologies used on these so I would welcome any further insights.

Cheers Stephan

[darkbluemurder]

Updated for D-Activators. Source DiMarzio's website.

Quote: "The end results are the D Activator™ Neck and Bridge. They use coils tuned to specific frequencies. The purpose is to shift the resonant points of the pickups to the fundamentals and harmonics that you want to accentuate from the guitar, and they respond instantly to hard or light pick attack."

Cheers Stephan

[darkbluemurder]

And the D-Activator X

Quote from DiMarzio's website: " It features the same striking look as the X2N®, but we've adjusted the output and tuned the coils to different frequencies to create a powerful sound wide open with a surprisingly clean sound when the volume control is rolled down, even with extreme metal and high-gain amps."

[darkbluemurder]

Updated for IGNO.

Quote from DiMarzio's website: "The IGNO™ features DiMarzio’s dual resonance design with both coils scatter wound to produce a warm response yet not too high in the mids."

[DarthPhineas]

Updated AT-1, Crunch Lab and Liquifire info from the excellent reviews by DarthPineas.

thanks for the kind words and the reference.