Tone and power of active pickups without the battery hassle.

Active humbuckers have a distinctive sound - powerful, clean, open sounding, with excellent harmonic overtones and very tight lows. The down side for many players is that they also sound cold, have limited dynamics and run out of headroom when played hard. And of course, they need batteries. In 2006 DiMarzio took a close look at the most popular active neck and bridge humbuckers to see if they could capture all of the good qualities and eliminate the disadvantages. The D Activator neck and bridge models are the result. The DP220 pickup has the same loud yet clean sound as the active humbuckers players are familiar with, and killer harmonics. They also respond instantly to hard or light pick attack. In a word, the DP220 pickups rock. And they don't need batteries.

Recommended For: Bridge

Tech Talk: An interesting fact about the most popular active bridge pickups is that they aren't incredibly loud. Instead, they have a strong, focused attack that hits the amp very hard and makes them feel more powerful than they actually spec out to be. This is an important characteristic that DiMarzio needed to capture with the D Activator bridge pickup. They also wanted to avoid the limiting effect that can occur with active pickups when they are played hard. This pickup is passive with a lot of headroom, and it responds quickly and accurately to changes in pick attack. A hard pick attack doesn't cause the signal to flatten out, and picking more softly or rolling the volume control down lets the sound clean up naturally. Like all passive pickups, D Activators require controls with a minimum value of 250Kohms. 500K is the standard all around value, and our 1Megohm tone control is best for long cable runs.

Get a big tone punch without a big pain. Order yours today.

DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge Humbucker Pickup Specifications:

• Wiring: 4-conductor
• Magnet: Ceramic
• Output: 470
• DC resistance: 11.41
• Year of introduction: 2007

DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge Humbucker Pickup

Write A Review

Average of 14 User Ratings

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Customer Reviews

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

This thing is so awesome

Posted by Matt from St Cloud MN on Jul 13, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Hobbyist

Reviewer's Play Style: Metal and most subgenres of, learning some blues

EMG 81 has some serious competition with this guy. I have the 81 in my schecter c1 and just installed this into a jackson dinky reverse recently and oh my god. I never understood what people meant by "that sterile EMG sound" until now. So much more full sounding, better sustain, harmonics are so much better and best of all, no stupid batteries AND less expensive! I wired both myself and actives require a little more work than just a few simple wire swaps. I would recommend this bridge to anyone, they sound great no matter what you play. Roll back the volume a tad and you can hit some crystal cleans with this baby too. Not just a one trick pony. Try it yourself, DiMarzio has so much faith in their products that you can direct exchange them with the company within 30 days if you don't like them, so what are you waiting for?

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Harmonics, Clarity, and no batteries

Posted by Snarlin' Crate from MD on May 26, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: 12+ years

Reviewer's Play Style: Heavy Metal

The D Activator bridge (and neck) is a very quiet high output pickup. Very useful in any application. Pinch harmonics are insane and the attack of the D Activator bridge feels good. You can wail on these pickups and it stays clear, but loud. Good for Heavy Metal, but if you need a clean, high powered pickup for your music, this is one that'll stack up agaist the odds. Sustains lovely as well.

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Unreal

Posted by 9Stringer from Northern CA on Mar 15, 2009

Experience w/product: I have heard about it

Reviewer's Background: 20+yrs

Reviewer's Play Style: Metal/Hard rock

Tried 3 different kinds of active pickups. Hated them ALL!!! Tried these in a Ibanez RG with Mahogany body. One word...Unbelievable! These things are AWESOME. Tons of output/gain. Very clear notes. Even a good clean tone!!! They COME ALIVE when downtuned. I had then to an open C and it was crunch time for days. Great P'up for the price too

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Great Pickup

Posted by S. Leonard from Grafenwoehr, Germany US Army on Jan 20, 2009

Experience w/product: I own it

Reviewer's Background: Hobbyist

Reviewer's Play Style: Blues, Metal, Emo, Death Metal, Christian

I purchased this pickup to replace the Duncan Designed Pickup in my Schecter C1 Elite Guitar. That guitar has become the most versatile guitar in my arsenal. The clean tone is great. Not to "twangy" yet not muddy. Excellent for playing just about any style. My guitar has a coil tap in the tone knob and it just adds to the pickups greatness. I have played a lot active pickups in the past but this pickup has completely won me over. Great tone for metal on a dirty setting. This pickup does not rely on a lot of added distortion via peddles and effects boards. It will scream on a standard crunch channel. I am very happy with the pickup. Highly reccomend it.

Overall

Quality

Features

Value

Makes a good fishing sinker

Posted by miketheslut from Ohio on Dec 18, 2008

Experience w/product: I have used it

Reviewer's Background: Hobbyfessional

Reviewer's Play Style: all that is HEAVY

Tried this in several guitars and it was a mess in everything I own. Put it in my 80's Jackson and tried to make myself like it....didn't work! It sounded ice cold and toneless while the feed back and squealing was out of control. No tone, no harmonics, just icy screechie feedback. Couldn't get it too eq. Everyone in my band complained about how bad my tone sucked. I have to admit, I am a Duncan guy but I do like most Dimarzio's other than the quacking X2n. I hated the DP220 UNTIL....I traded it for a SH-4. Part of the trade included that I install it in my friend's guitar. Thinking I was getting a great deal, you can imagine my dismay when I plugged in the mahogony, bolt on neck, floyd rose guitar that I installed it in and the son of a gun just ROARED!!!!!! Just goes to show you that sometimes it's the guitar and sometimes its the ear. I would have never dreamed of purchasing this pup for again for ANYTHING if I didn't put it in my friends kind of odd ball guitar. It woke that mahogony "strat" up and I would have never guessed it from my controlled experiments. I guess if you search the world over to find a guitar it works in, it works really, really well when driven hard. Its useless clean in anything though. It made me love the function and versatility of Duncans even more.

View more product reviews »

If you would like to write a review, please see our product review guidelines.

DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge Humbucker Pickup

Read 14 Reviews

$69.95 - $109.95

MSRP: $99.00 - $175.00 Savings: $65.05(37%)

Finance Now

Item Note:

• Returns on this item are subject to special conditions.

Select Color/Option Here ... Black F-Space...$69.95 Black Regular Space...$69.95 White F-Space...$69.95 Chrome Top F-Space...$109.95 Black/Creme Regular Space...$69.95 Black/White F-Space...$69.95 Creme F-Space...$69.95 Creme Regular Space...$69.95 Camo F-Space...$89.95 Camo Regular Space...$89.95

Availability:

Qty:Add To Cart Add To Wishlist