DiMarzio pickups are world famous – powering the sounds of famous virtuosos Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci, Steve Lukather, Phil Collen, Richie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan, and bands like Boston, Motorhead, Megadeth, Dream Theater, Def Leppard and more. The company boasts a who’s who list of endorsers that includes notable guitarists and outright guitar gods and has sold millions of pickups worldwide and become an integral part of music's cultural history.
The DiMarzio company was founded in New York City by guitarist, repairman Larry DiMarzio. DiMarzio often experimented with rebuilding guitar pickups, and in 1971, he discovered a way to alter the standard-issue sound of mass-produced guitars. By replacing the existing pickup with a direct-replacement of his own design — which fit seamlessly into the instrument — DiMarzio was able to customize the guitar's sound
Larry developed the Super Distortion and Dual Sound pickups while seeking a better sound from his guitar but recognizing the limited availability of hardware for the average consumer to use, he looked to make custom parts more readily available for those who wanted to shape their sound and push their guitars to their sonic limits. As the company’s website says about the Super Distortion, “…this pickup started a sound revolution. Mass-market replacement pickups simply didn’t exist before the invention of the Super Distortion in the early Seventies.”
Fifty plus years later, his company employs around 50 employees and produces more than 250 pick-up models and a plethora of industry leading accessories like the ClipLock® straps and high quality instrument cables, all from a small factory on the industrial north shore of Staten Island, New York.
When it comes to variety, DiMarzio has plenty, with offerings ranging from humbuckers, single-coil, unique models for Strats and Telecasters, soapbars, bass, acoustic, and 7-string. Even the variety of their relatively obscure 8-string pickups is rich, with the company offering many choices for the discerning player.
