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Sweetwater
5.0 (10)
$99.00
Amazon
4.3 (30)
$99.00
Reverb
$99.00 5 available New
zZounds
5.0 (10)
$99.00
Thomann
4.7 (78)
$106.00

Average Price: $100

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$99

$200+

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Based on price data from 3 merchants for "DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.

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Description

Unleash the potential of your guitar with the DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge, a powerhouse pickup designed to bridge the gap between the raw energy of active pickups and the nuanced tone of passive systems. This passive humbucker is engineered to deliver an active-like output, providing you with the punch and clarity that drive your riffs to the next level, without the sterility often associated with active designs.

The D-Activator Bridge pickup is all about versatility and dynamic responsiveness. Its unique coil design is tuned to emphasize the harmonics that make your guitar sing, ensuring that each note resonates with enriched quality. Whether you're shredding with a heavy attack or dialing back for a cleaner sound, this pickup adapts, offering unparalleled headroom and tonal clarity. Seamlessly paired with the D-Activator Neck pickup, it maintains balanced volume levels for smooth transitions, letting you focus on your performance without worrying about sudden drops in sound.

With its ceramic magnet and 4-conductor wiring, the D-Activator Bridge is not only about high output but also precision and control. It excels in delivering a strong and focused attack that hits your amp hard, making it feel more powerful and lively. Whether in the studio or on stage, this pickup ensures that your guitar's voice is always heard, loud and clear.

Key Features:

  • Passive pickup with active-like output
  • Enhanced harmonics for enriched tonal quality
  • Cleans up naturally with lighter playing
  • High output designed to match popular active pickups
  • Wiring: 4 conductor
  • Magnet: Ceramic
  • Output mV: 470
  • DC resistance: 11.41 Kohm

Product specs

Type Humbucker
Position Bridge
Active/Passive Passive
Magnet Material Ceramic
Number of Conductors 4 wire plus ground
DC Resistance 11.41K
Connectivity Soldered
Number of Strings 6
Spacing F-Spaced
Covering Uncovered

FAQs

What type of music is the DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge pickup best suited for?

The DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge pickup is well-suited for genres like classic rock and metal due to its high output and fast response, providing clarity and definition even under heavy distortion.

Is the DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge an active or passive pickup?

The DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge is a passive pickup, meaning it does not require a battery and offers a natural, dynamic response to playing.

What kind of magnet does the DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge use?

The DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge uses ceramic magnets, which contribute to its powerful output and bright, articulate tone.

Does the DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge pickup require any special installation considerations?

The DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge is F-spaced and designed for bridge positions on guitars with wider string spacing, typically found on guitars with Floyd Rose or similar tremolo systems.

How does the DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge handle pick attack?

The DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge responds quickly to pick attack, maintaining clarity and avoiding signal flattening even with a hard pick attack, while also cleaning up naturally with softer playing or volume adjustments.

Robert Jackson

Robert Jackson

DiMarzio DP219/DP220 D-Activator Pickups | Ibanez XPT700 Xiphos Guitar

Video thumbnail for DiMarzio DP219/DP220 D-Activator Pickups | Ibanez XPT700 Xiphos Guitar by Robert Jackson

DiMarzio DP219/DP220 D-Activator Pickups | Ibanez XPT700 Xiphos Guitar

Robert Jackson

Robert Jackson

Reviews

PROS

  • Provides active pickup sound without needing a battery

  • Harmonic warmth surpasses many active pickups

  • Excels in high-gain and low tuning scenarios

  • Retains clarity and punch even at high distortion levels

  • Versatile, handles genres from metal to blues

  • Great sustain and high output for metal tones

  • Clear cleans with a full spectrum of sounds

  • Easy coil-splitting with 4-conductor wiring

  • Responsive to pick attack, with dynamic range

  • Affordable, high-value alternative to boutique pickups

CONS

  • Can sound too bright in already bright-sounding guitars

  • Requires knowledge for installation due to 5 connectors

  • Midrange can be difficult to EQ out for some users

  • Some users find it lacks the "mojo" or inspiration

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge.

Features and functionality

  • The D-Activator can achieve gritty distortion and clear, deep clean tones, offering versatility for multiple genres, including jazz and metalcore.

    Source

Setup and maintenance

  • Correct installation is crucial for the D-Activator to avoid ground noise issues.

    Source
  • Adjusting pickup height can alter tone significantly and might resolve issues without needing a replacement.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • The D-Activator is praised for handling bands like Coheed and Cambria, Breaking Benjamin, and Rise Against, making it suitable for diverse musical styles.

    Source
  • Tonerider's Octane humbucker with alnico 8 is designed for modern metal, while their Generator model uses alnico 5 for classic metal tones.

    Source

Mods and upgrades

  • The John Petrucci Dimarzio combo (Crunchlab/Liquifire) is recommended as a versatile alternative for those seeking variety in tones.

    Source
  • Gibson 57 Classics are recommended for achieving a vintage, bright tone suitable for early Black Sabbath or Thin Lizzy styles, enhancing fuzz tones.

    Source

Comparisons

  • Iron Gear's Metal Machine pickups are noted for rivaling expensive EMGs in performance, offering a cost-effective alternative for metal tones.

    Source

Value and pricing

  • Iron Gear pickups are valued for quality without a 'brand tax,' offering strong performance at a lower price point than more marketed brands.

    Source

Critic Reviews

D-Activator Bridge DP220 Review | DiMarzio | Pickups | Reviews @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

ultimate-guitar.com

The DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge pickup emerges as a robust alternative to active humbuckers, delivering a powerful yet clean sound with impressive harmonic response. Reviewers laud its versatility, noting how it adapts seamlessly to varied playing styles and different guitar models, such as the Ibanez line. Its reliable and durable design makes it a favorite among players seeking a dynamic tonal range without the fuss of active electronics. While it might not revolutionize your setup, it certainly adds a fresh, articulate voice to your rig with its impressive performance and ease of installation.

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4.0 out of 5

Based on 2 Reviews and 9 Ratings

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1 star
ben_ferguson

Serviceable, but not for me

This is the stock bridge pickup from my Ibanez Xiphos, and while it's plenty good enough to get through a gig, I've never found a Dimarzio pickup that had the "mojo" (at least not for me). They're definitely pro-quality, but to me, they always sound... Sterile. Bland. Polite. I'm not sure how to put it without making the countless Dimarzio fans out there angry, but they just don't sound inspiring to me.

The D-Activator is Dimarzio's take on the classic EMG 81, but I feel like it got all the wrong things right, and all the right things wrong. What I like about the 81 is the massive output and sustain, crazy harmonics, and that "molten metal" feel and tone. By contrast, the D-Activator seems like it's much lower in output than many passive humbuckers, and it just doesn't sustain like a lot of other pickups do. Harmonics are there, but not really prevalent. What is there is a BIG midrange that's hard to EQ out, with a "controlled" (read: lackluster) bass response. I think Dimarzio was going for a "dynamic, uncompressed feel with a tight low end", but the way it came out just isn't for me.

Again, it's NOT a low-quality pickup - plenty of professional guitarists use this, and it's the stock pickup in most of the metal-focused guitars that Ibanez has put out for the last 13 years or so. It's just not what I want out of a bridge pickup. I replaced it with a Seymour Duncan Black Winter, and I will never look back. In a word, the D-Activator is "serviceable".

matthewjwilesmith

Amazing!

I have this in my epiphone custom firebird and it's spectacular

Artist usage

Add artist
See how John 5 uses DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge

John 5

Guitarist

Marilyn Manson

...
Verified via YouTube

John 5 uses Dimarzio D Activator Bridge pickups in his main guitars, as said at 0:22 in this video: "It's been great. I love the pickups...I have the pickups in my main guitars, so anything you hear me playing is with these pickups."

See how Richard Zven Kruspe uses DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge

Richard Zven Kruspe

Guitarist

Rammstein

...
Verified via Musicplayers

I like the tightness of the active pickups, but need a lot of personality. I tried a few different pickups and decided to go with the DiMarzio D Activator pickups. They have the tightness of active pickups, but the personality of passive pickups.

Richard, in an interview in 2008, says he began to use DiMarzio D-Activator pickups. Although it was possibly a brief stint, as he's still seen using EMG pickups both live and in the studio.

See how Nita Strauss uses DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge

Nita Strauss

Guitarist

As Blood Runs Black

...
Verified via YouTube

At 25:29 Nita says that in the bridge of her RG320Z is a Dimarzio D Activator Bridge Pickup.

See how Chris Broderick uses DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge

Chris Broderick

Guitarist

Megadeth

...
Verified via YouTube

In this video Chris Broderick, of Megadeath and Nevermore, talks about his gear at 1:23, and mentions his Dimarzio D Activator pickup in his main guitar.

See how Neil Westfall uses DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge

Neil Westfall

Guitarist

A Day to Remember

...
Verified via Twitch.tv

In his modded strat, neil put in a dimarzio d-activator. He modded the strat to have a single humbucker, as well as a custom green paint job. The guitar was eventually given away to one of his twitch subs.

See how David Davidson uses DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge

David Davidson

Guitarist

Revocation

...
Verified via MetalSucks

I use Jackson WR1 Warriors with Dimarzio pick ups (D Activators in the bridge and a Super 2 in the neck position on my white one, and a Liquifire in the neck position on my red one).

See how Per Nilsson uses DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge

Per Nilsson

Guitarist, Composer

Meshuggah

...
Verified via Farsideguitars

For a short time he used Ibanez XPT707, seven string guitar which had a pair of Dimarzio D Activators.

See how Mattias IA Eklundh uses DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge

Mattias IA Eklundh

Guitarist

Freak Kitchen

...
Verified via guitarworld

Mattias IA Eklundh utilizes the DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge pickup in the eight-string version of his signature model, the Caparison Apple Horn 8, as detailed by Guitar World.

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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1 alternative for DiMarzio DP220 D-Activator Bridge, curated by the Equipboard community.

EMG 81 Active Ceramic Humbucker Guitar Pickup

$82.00 - $109.00

similar sound

The EMG 81 is the pickup which the D-Activator was based on. Dimarzio created the D-Activator as an alternative to the 81 which would, in their words, "eliminate the sterile edginess commonly associated with active pickups".

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    austinmw

    Gear IQ 5227