Whether you grew up listening to Pantera, or you just heard about them because of your parents, it’s no secret that Dimebag Darrell is one of the most talked about guitarists of the last 30 years. Dimebag became known for his searing, over-the-top guitar tone and his over-the-top, pointy guitars.

Today, we’re going to look at the Seymour Duncan Dimebucker, a pickup crafted to give you the best Dimebag Darrel tone possible.

Features:

– Ceramic Magnet w/ Stainless Steel Blades

– Passive

– 16.5 DCR

Tone:

These pickups were based on Dimebag’s original Bill Lawrence pickups. So, if you have ever heard Pantera, then you can probably imagine exactly how these pickups sound.

Ceramic magnets and a DCR of 16.5 means that this pickup is super hot. They aren’t to the point of total breakup, so clean sounds are still possible, but once you crank up the gain, these are going to smack you in the face.

(Learn more about magnets in our Ceramic vs Alnico Pickups Guide.)

The super high resistance peak results in a ton of treble and bite. Because of this, the sounds this pickups makes are super aggressive and crunchy. The low end has a really good response. It’s not big, but it’s really tight. All of these factors add up to a very articulate pickup. While dynamics aren’t the strong suit here, note definition is really great (even when tuned low), and you’ll find that most of what you’re playing will be heard through the mix.

Although it’s big factor, pickup choice isn’t the only thing that affects clarity when tuning low.

The overall EQ curve is basically a scoop in the mids and a massive bump on the treble side. Like I said, it sounds like what you’d expect after listening to Pantera.

While these are really fun to play with and great for hard rock and thrashy metal styles, I would definitely avoid these if you’re looking for a modern metal tone. They lack the wide bottom that modern players generally look for. That’s not really a negative for the pickup though, because it totally nails the sound it was created for.

Final Verdict:

If you want to play thrashy metal or just want to cover Pantera songs for the rest of your life, then you’ve found your perfect pickup.

It’s not for everyone, and it isn’t super versatile, but it’s a sweet pickup with a badass sound that is indistinguishable from the Pantera sound.

If you’re looking for something angry sounding, but more well suited for modern metal, check out our review on the Seymour Duncan Pegasus. It’s a bit more well rounded and fat on the bottom end.

Tone – 4/5

Build Quality – 5/5

Features – 3/5

Don’t forget we are Seymour Duncan authorized dealers. If you need our guidance in finding the right pickup for you, check out our custom order option, and we can get you the tone you’re after!

If you liked this article, check out our other reviews here!

This article was written by Zac Buras, our editor located in Louisiana.

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