DiMarzio DP228BK Crunch Lab guitar pickup

General

John Petrucci is a legendary guitarist who has had a long and successful career. One thing that has never changed in Petrucci's setup are the DiMarzio elements that are in his guitars. Ever since the 1980s, John Petrucci has been pushing the boundaries within progressive metal and the DiMarzio DP228BK Crunch Lab is a result of a recent collaboration between DiMarzio and Petrucci. Because he liked the sound of this element so much, Petrucci played on Dream Theater's album Black Clouds & Silver Linings on a guitar fitted with a DP228BK Crunch Lab. As the name suggests, this element sounds thick and 'crunchy', a big, deep sound that doesn't get soggy.

What it doesn't do

The Crunch Lab is known more for what it doesn't do than what it does. It is not a screaming element with extreme highs, nor is it a pickup where ground-shaking low comes out. In contrast, the highs sound deeper and the mid and low frequencies sound round and open. These factors make the DP228BK very suitable for playing chords through a high-gain amp. Because the DiMarzio Crunch Lab sounds so unique, John Petrucci installed them in almost all his guitars, including the Music Man JP Bari. An element great for playing full accompaniment to a nice solo in a solid rock band is perhaps the best way to describe the DiMarzio DP228BK Crunch Lab.