DiMarzio DP218 Super Distortion Strat Pickup

DiMarzio DP218 Super Distortion S

The DiMarzio DP218 Super Distortion S is based on the famous Super Distortion humbucker pickup, but in a single coil size. It has been a favorite of Strat players since 2005. This is meant to be a bridge position pickup and, as such, it has been designed to take into account the classic slanted bridge pickup style.

This pickup uses four-conductor wiring for parallel humbucking and split-coil modes for added tonal flexibility not usually present in mini-humbuckers. The DiMarzio DP218 uses a ceramic magnet for higher output and boosted highs. It’s meant to beef up the sound of your single coil pickup with a much higher output, driving the amp harder and leading to more crunch and distortion. The two coils add humbucking qualities to the pickup, greatly reducing the amount of noise presented to the amplifier.

The mini-humbucker also warms the highs, thickens up the lows, and adds sustain to your sound. It’s also quite articulate and sensitive, and it allows you to hear the slightest nuances, even with heavy distortion and effects. DiMarzio DP218 Super Distortion S pairs very well with Pro Track, The Chopper, and Fast Track 1.



Our resident electronics wizard came by his skills honestly — first as an apprentice in his father’s repair shop, later as a working musician and (most recently) as a sound designer for film. His passion for guitar led him to Humbucker Soup, where he continues to decode the wonders of wiring and the vicissitudes of voltage. Ed has never taken his guitar to a shop — he already knows how to fix it.