Dimarzio Crunch Lab Review DP228
You’ve read my LiquiFire review. If you haven’t just click here. So, now, the time is right for its big brother Crunch Lab: John Petrucci’s favourite bridge pickup for a while. Let’s see what should be expected from that thang :)
Test Guitar
Crunch Lab still stands on my “Pink Tiger” for a while. That pink tiger is a superstrat has a Jackson Dinky body made of alder, one piece maple neck in modern C profile, German made Jackson Floyd Rose tremolo with Japanese stainless steel saddles, 25,5” scale, nickel silver frets, Alpha 500K pots and elixir strings in E-std tuning. Guitar has Dimarzio LiquiFire neck and Jackson middle pickups. Its primary (unplugged) tone is neutral to fairly bright.
Evaluation
Let’s read the official desciption first;
“One thing has stayed consistent throughout John Petrucci’s long and successful career: the DiMarzio pickups in his guitars. John has been pushing the envelope of progressive metal since the late eighties, and the new DiMarzio Crunch Lab Bridge Model ensued from our most recent collaboration with John. He used it throughout Dream Theater’s tenth studio album, “Black Clouds & Silver Linings”. John swears this is the best live and studio sound he has ever had, and the name says it all — “crunch” is what it’s all about with a big, tight sound that’s neither muddy nor thin.
The Crunch Lab is noteworthy (bad pun alert) for what it doesn't do: it's not a screamer, and it's not about thundering lows. Its physical appearance is identical to the D Sonic, but the internal design is a lot different. It's louder, and the highs have more depth. The lows and mids are more open, and this is crucial for playing chords with body and presence through a gained-out amp. The voicing of the pickup is also different enough to the point that John prefers the Crunch Lab to be installed in almost all of his guitars (including the JP Bari) with the solid bar toward the neck, regardless of the guitar's tuning..”
Want to see my measurements, right here!
Dimarzio Crunch Lab DP228
Magnet – Ceramic
Advertised DCR: 11,03 K Ohm (Series)
Measured DCR: 11,11 K Ohm (Series)
Measured DCR: 5,34 K Ohm (Screw Coil)
Measured DCR: 5,76 K Ohm (Slug Coil)
Inductance @100Hz: 7,42 H (Series)
Inductance @100Hz: 2,91 H (Screw Coil)
Inductance @100Hz: 3,41 H (Slug Coil)
Measured C: -26,7 nF (Series)/ -54,1nF (Screw Coil) / -50,3nF (Slug Coil)
Output: 410 Milivolts (advertised)
EQ (B/M/T) – 4,5/5,5/6 (old catalogs) – 5/7/6/3,5 (official website)
Gauss: 500G screws, 365G blade (measured at top center of middle pole pieces&blade surface)
Patents: Dual Resonance & Virtual Vintage
At first glance, it might be mistaken for the D-Sonic that Petrucci frequently used in the mid-2000s, as they look the same. However, they are quite different in terms of the tone they add. Yeah, i know there was once Megadrive model by Dimarzio but can’t say anything about it because i haven’t tried before. But i used D-Sonic for a while which they are quite different. I mean D-Sonic and Crunch Lab, you know. I always felt the D-Sonic was too bright to me for standard tunings on 6 string guitar. If you are into low tunings, extrended range guitars and play low strings for your chops, yeah, there you go. In the higher registers, that’s another story :)
I don't know about you, but my impression of those kindo humbuckers with one blade coil is a bit like: "Caution: Danger!" or “Halt! High Voltage!”.
Well, when i first see the DCR first i was little bit surprised. Because it looks dangerous and it must be high as your electric bill, right? :) Once again you can withness of the fact that DCR is not equal to output. Because what we have is an high output humbucker. Wire of allen head bobbin is kindo skinnier than the blade bobbin which is not full either, not too skinny. Hence i assume allenhead bobbin is wound by 44 AWG wire and blade bobbin is wound by 43 AWG wire. This is just a prediction by first glance, because i haven’t dismanteled the pickup.
The Crunch Lab provides tight and punchy lows, which is essential for maintaining clarity in fast, intricate riffing and chugging. Low-mids are alive and rich but Crunch Lab can't be considered as a middy humbucker or mid pronounced pickup. That's why it has definition and clarity under high amount of distortion. On the other hand, you must remember Crunch Lab is not mid scooped Steve's Special. Higher end of the pickup is okay for a humbucker like this. That's not a PAF or PAF variant. You don't expect something you like to have from a brighter pickup. So what Crunch Lab has is enough and never goes harsh.
Some of those kind of pickups goes muddy but not your Crunch Lab. This is another aspect that i like it much. However i haven’t tried lower tunings or tried its 7 string version. So i can’t tell you anything about it.
According to Dimarzio pickup orientation matters. Let’s read it below;
DOES IT MATTER WHICH DIRECTION I INSTALL MY PICKUP?
Most humbuckers are symmetrical and their sound does not change at all when installed backwards. Humbuckers that are not mentioned in this FAQ sound the same when installed in either direction.
Some humbuckers have a distinctly different sound if you turn them around. There is no right or wrong installation direction. The Bluesbucker is brighter-sounding with the adjustable screw coil toward the bridge. The D Sonic and Crunch Lab models (6 and 7 string) and the MegaDrive are brighter-sounding with the solid bar coil toward the bridge. The Steve’s Special and Blaze Bridge model are brighter-sounding with the cable exit side toward the bridge.
So everything i mention here covers blade side placed towards to neck pickup. I haven’t tried another side, still i have no wonder about it. Not on my guitar :)
I told this on my Liquifire review and i will repeat again: You don’t have to be a Petrucci fan to buy or like the LF. Signature model pickups often create a very specific tonal expectation, but in fact, many of them are customized or fine-tuned for a particular musician. They are purchased for those specific artist tones, and it's important not to approach them with a preconceived notion that they can’t be versatile. LF can be evaluated in this category too. Together with the Crunch Lab, I think they make a great pairing, also, for '80s and 90’s Heavy Metal. They have the potential to fire up your Hot Rod Marshalls without the need for tight pants, big permed hair, or brightly colored outfits. Moreover, with a reasonable and balanced overdrive, it also does a good job mimicking PAF pickups on a 24-fret guitar with a Floyd Rose, which is another plus.
While the Crunch Lab is heavily associated with metal and hard rock, it is versatile enough to handle other styles. The clarity and balance it offers make it suitable for clean tones and lighter overdriven sounds, although its true strength lies in heavier genres. Of course, again, Crunch Lab is not truely suitable for your Peter Green or Sten Webb or Paul Kossoff licks. Nonetheless the fact that the Crunch Lab is designed for the guitarist of Dream Theater doesn't mean your tone will suck when playing your favorite solos or riffs from progressive rock bands like Marillion, IQ, or Arena.
Conclusion
If you are drawn to John Petrucci's tones from the last 10-15 years, the Crunch Lab could be a good choice for you. Personally, my favorite Dream Theater guitar tones are unexpectedly from the "Falling into Infinity" album because those tones feel much more natural/direct to me. On the other hand, for more modern Petrucci tones, the Crunch Lab might offer you more.
On the other hand, you don’t have to be a Petrucci fan to buy or like it. Signature model pickups often create a very specific tonal expectation, but in fact, many of them are customized or fine-tuned for a particular musician. They are purchased for those specific artist tones, and it's important not to approach them with a preconceived notion that they can’t be versatile. LF can be evaluated in this category too. Together with the Liquifire, I think they make a great pairing, also, for '80s and 90’s Heavy Metal.
The DiMarzio Crunch Lab is an excellent choice for guitarists looking for a powerful, clear, and articulate hi-output humbucker. It shines in high-gain situations but remains versatile enough for a range of musical styles. With its robust construction and refined tonal characteristics, the Crunch Lab stands out as a top-tier option for modern rock and metal players.
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