DiMarzio AT-1 Review DP224: A Better JB?
- Baris Sahin
- 11 minutes ago
- 12 min read
Introduction
There are guitar players whose tone can be recognized almost immediately, even before you know what they are playing. Andy Timmons is one of them. His sound has always had something remarkably musical about it. Smooth and saturated when pushed into high gain, yet never excessively compressed or lifeless. There is warmth and sustain, plenty of harmonic richness, and enough clarity to keep individual notes from disappearing into the gain. Whether he is playing a soaring melodic line or digging into a more aggressive rock riff, there is a distinctive balance between power and articulation in his sound.
Of course, tone is never the result of a single component. The guitar, amplifier, effects, playing technique and, perhaps most importantly, the player's hands all play their part. But sitting at the heart of Andy Timmons' signature Ibanez guitars is a pickup that was designed to carry his name: the DiMarzio AT-1.
Andy Timmons is one of those guitar players who can combine traditional rock guitar vocabulary with an almost effortless sense of versatility. His playing can move smoothly between dynamics without ever feeling forced. A clean passage can suddenly give way to a heavily saturated melody, pushed right to the edge of overdrive, yet the transition always feels so natural. That versatility is also reflected in the way he approaches his guitar tone. The clean sound of his Cruisers can sit comfortably next to heavily driven lead tones without making it feel as if two completely different guitar players have suddenly taken over. And perhaps more importantly, Andy manages to achieve this without standing behind refrigerator-sized rack systems, endless patch changes or an unnecessarily complicated signal chain. Compared to the elaborate rigs often associated with professional guitar tones, he keeps things relatively simple.
So, what kind of lead pickup would suit a guitarist like that? This is where the DiMarzio AT-1 enters the picture. Named after Andy Timmons himself, the AT-1 is DiMarzio's answer to that particular set of requirements. But does it actually manage to combine output, dynamics and versatility in a single bridge humbucker? Let's take a closer look.
Test Guitar
My DiMarzio AT-1 is still on my custom fat strat that has an alder body, a Q-sawn one-piece maple neck with a very chunky C profile (> 1” at first fret), rosewood fretboard, Gotoh 510T style stainless steel 2 point tremolo, 25.5” scale, steel frets, Alpha pots, Guyker locking tuners and 009-042 Elixir strings in E-standard tuning. The guitar has an Fender Tex-Mex neck&middle single pickups. Its primary (unplugged) tone is fairly neutral to warm.
Evaluation
The official info about AT-1 model is:
““A player’s player” is a perfect description for Andy Timmons. He has great touch, phrasing, and tone. Since 2001, he has been playing a DiMarzio custom bridge humbucker that has only been available on his signature Ibanez guitar, and it has been his first-line pickup ever since. The outstanding characteristics of the DiMarzio AT-1 are balance, warmth, and clarity. It achieves this blend with the same patented technology as the PAF 36th Anniversary, but the sound is hotter and the focus is rock.
The DiMarzio AT-1 was originally designed for a 25 ½” scale, mahogany-body guitar, but it adapts very well to other instruments. It has enough bass and mids to warm up brighter guitars, and enough clarity for 24 ¾” scale set-necks as well.”
How about the measurements, right here!
Dimarzio AT-1 DP224
Magnet – Alnico 5
Advertised DCR: 16.5 K Ohm (Series)
Measured DCR: 16.644 K Ohm (Series)
Measured DCR: 8.361 K Ohm (Screw Coil)
Measured DCR: 8.258 K Ohm (Slug Coil)
Inductance @100Hz: 8.57 H (Series), Q:0.3233
Inductance @100Hz: 3.70821 H (Screw Coil)
Inductance @100Hz: 3.7893 H (Slug Coil/steel spacer coil)
Measured C@100KHz: 118pF
Calculated Self Resonance Peak: 5.0048KHz
Output: 320mV
EQ (B/M/T) – 8/8/5.5 (old catalog data) – 9/8/8/3.5 (official website data)
Gauss: 180G screws, 200G slug (measured at top center of D&G pole pieces)
Patents: Airbucker & Virtual Vintage
Ambient Measurement Temperature: 28C
As usual, let’s start by taking a look at the pickup from the outside and then move on to its measured values Visually, the AT-1 is a fairly typical humbucker. There is very little to distinguish it from a traditional PAF-style pickup at first glance. Perhaps the only immediately noticeable difference is the length of the pole screws, which are shorter than those usually found on a typical PAF. The AT-1 uses screws similar to those found on models such as the Air Zone and Tone Zone. Like the Transition, it also features a nickel silver baseplate.
DiMarzio AT-1 Review DP224 DiMarzio AT-1 Review DP224 DiMarzio AT-1 Review DP224
Peeling back the protective tape slightly reveals a few more interesting details. Neither the screws nor the slugs actually touch the magnet. The bottom of the slugs is also narrower, which results in a slightly larger gap between the slugs and the magnet. The coils are not completely filled either. Based on their appearance, my guess is that the AT-1 uses 44 AWG wire. I have to admit that I found the individual coil DCR readings a little surprising. As those of you who have followed the measurements on this blog may already know, the slug coil is usually wound with a slight asymmetry compared to the screw coil. In the AT-1, however, the situation appears to be reversed: the screw coil seems to have very slightly more windings than the slug coil.
With a total DC resistance of 16.44K, the AT-1 is also remarkably close to one of the best-known—and arguably most influential—high-output humbuckers in the industry. You probably know exactly which one I mean. I will get to that in a moment. :) Perhaps even more interestingly, its inductance is also surprisingly close to that famous pickup, despite the AT-1 using a humbucker construction with less ferrous material in the magnetic circuit. We can probably thank DiMarzio's Virtual Vintage technology for at least part of that.
DiMarzio AT-1 Review DP224 DiMarzio AT-1 DP224 baseplate DiMarzio AT-1 Review DP224
But the single biggest surprise for me came when I measured the magnetic flux density. I knew the Gauss readings would be relatively low. Considering the construction, that was almost unavoidable. But I honestly did not expect them to be this low. I measured them several times just to make sure. The average readings were around 180–200 Gauss. And yes, I was genuinely surprised. At this point, the AT-1 was already starting to look much more interesting than its fairly conventional appearance would suggest.
First Impressions
I had a lot of ideas in mind regarding the tonal character of the AT-1. First and foremost, as someone who has been listening to Andy Timmons’ music for years, I had a specific tonal form in my head. However, many variables come into play when recording albums. Different guitars are used, overdubs are made, effects, recording techniques, post-recording processing... Ultimately, even though the tone we hear descends from this pickup right here, I was well aware of the high probability that I might not achieve what I heard due to all those parameters I mentioned.
On the other hand, the AT-1 was a pickup I had been aware of and curious about for years. Even setting Andy aside, I already had some information in mind from my own research driven by pure curiosity. But ultimately, those details were coming from secondary sources. Even when the source is solid, such second-hand information is inherently subjective, so how it actually translates to your own experience often turns out quite different
But my first and perhaps most important observation about the AT-1 is this: It has pretty much everything I DO like about The JB—but doesn’t have everything i dislike about the JB :) Of course, there are a few minor perks that the JB possesses which the AT-1 lacks, but you know what they say; exceptions don't break the rule. But the things I don’t like are simply not there. The dynamics, the overall tonal EQ, the tonal character… all of it is exactly where I want it to be.
Therefore, the absolute easiest way to describe the tonal character of the AT-1 is to bring the JB to mind. Do you have the JB in mind? Great. Now, dial back the lows just a little. Good. Tame those excessive, sharp/sharper upper-mids and round off the edges. Let the high end soften a bit. Super. Now, increase the clarity just a touch. You're doing great. Lower the output slightly. Almost there. Boost the dynamics just a little bit, and there you have it—the DiMarzio AT-1. Don’t you believe me? Thanks to www.guitarpickupdatabase.com we have a bode plot of “JB versus AT-1”, see it yourself.
With all that being said, we must keep in mind that the AT-1 is one branch of a family that also includes the Breed, Tone Zone, Air Zone, and Dominion. This information will definitely come in handy when evaluating exactly where the AT-1 fits into the bigger picture.
The lows are thick and strong, they tight not spongy character but never as much as the JB. The low-mids are pronounced, mid-mids are present, can be considered fluety, yes. Higher side of the EQ is soft and rounder relatively and not rich much. What about the JB's characteristic upper-mids? They are present too, but never as dominant or as aggressive as they are in the JB. As you know, the JB can get piercing, especially in bright-sounding guitars or mid-heavy amps, particularly past the 12th fret. With the AT-1, I think playing above the 12th fret is a bit more enjoyable. I put the AT-1 in a warm/neutral tone guitar and never felt ear piercing afterall.
There is one thing I have never particularly liked about using typical PAF-style bridge pickups in guitars other than Les Pauls: they often sound a little too bright for my taste. I have mentioned this in several of my previous reviews, so if I am looking for a warm yet clear tone, I usually find myself gravitating toward overwound PAF derivatives in the 9–10K range. But if I want to take things a step further and make the overall sound genuinely fatter and meatier, I tend to move into a different category altogether. In my Air Zone review, I described pickups like this as Fat PAF+ pickups—and I think that definition still works. Pickups such as the Air Zone or Tone Zone fit comfortably into that category: hotter, thicker and more muscular than a traditional PAF, without completely abandoning its basic tonal DNA. Because those pickups are can turn your guitars with 25.5” scale and full of brighter tremolo & made of brighter tonewoods to sound more of a Les Paul-ish kind of fullness or thickness.
Bobbins of DiMarzio AT-1 Bobbins of DiMarzio AT-1 Bobbins of DiMarzio AT-1
The DiMarzio AT-1 sits somewhere around that territory, but it takes a slightly different route. With its moderate-to-high output, naturally warm character and a tonal voice that still retains some of the qualities we tend to associate with older designs, it has a lot of potential as a bridge pickup for a modern Strat-style guitar or a superstrat. It is not trying to turn your guitar into a completely different instrument. Instead, the AT-1 seems to take what is already there and add some weight, warmth and muscle—while still leaving enough clarity and dynamics intact to make the pickup genuinely versatile.
Comparisons
By this point, I have already started comparing the AT-1 with a few other familiar pickups, with the Seymour Duncan JB being the most obvious reference point. So let's take that comparison a little further. Compared to the Tone Zone, I would still describe the TZ as having too much of everything. That is not necessarily a criticism—after all, that larger-than-life character is exactly what made the Tone Zone so popular in the first place. But the difference becomes especially noticeable in the low end. The Tone Zone simply has more of it. More bass, more low-mid thickness, more overall density. The AT-1, on the other hand, feels more dynamic and, at least to my ears, has an advantage when it comes to clarity.
The DiMarzio Breed is a slightly more difficult comparison for me. It has been a very long time since I last played the bridge model, so I would not want to pretend that I remember every detail of its tonal character. But as far as my memory serves me, I remember the Breed as being punchier, with more forward mids than the AT-1. At the time, it also felt somewhat closer to the JB in terms of overall attitude. That leaves the AT-1 occupying a rather good space between these familiar designs. It does not have the excessive low-end weight and overall density of the Tone Zone, nor does it lean into the more aggressive upper-mid character I associate with the JB—or, from what I remember, the Breed. Instead, the AT-1 feels slightly more balanced and refined. By the way, I hear similar things about Suhr's SSH+ model as well. People on forums write that it's clearer and a slightly more refined version of the JB. I’d really love to try one. Who knows, maybe someday...
Dynamics, Compression and Volume Control
Let's move on to one of the things I find particularly important in a pickup: dynamics and compression. With the volume pot fully open, the AT-1 has the amount of natural compression I would expect from a pickup in this output range. It is not exactly an uncompressed, wide-open PAF experience—and I would not expect it to be. However, compared with the Tone Zone and the JB, and even with the Air Zone, I can comfortably say that the AT-1 is noticeably more sensitive to picking dynamics. We are not talking about a night-and-day difference here. But it is definitely there. The difference becomes even more apparent once you start rolling the volume pot back. The AT-1 responds really well to the guitar's volume control. Rolling the volume down doesn't simply make the pickup quieter; it opens up useful shades between full-on saturation and cleaner tones. Getting a genuinely usable semi-clean or lightly driven sound from a pickup in this output class is not always that easy. Some high-output humbuckers simply remain “high-output” no matter how much you turn the volume down. The AT-1 is different in this respect. It cleans up convincingly, while still retaining enough body and character to make the intermediate settings useful rather than merely quieter versions of the full-volume sound. So, if you are looking for a bridge pickup that can deliver plenty of power when you need it, but can also respond effectively to your volume control and picking dynamics, the AT-1 is definitely a pickup worth keeping in mind.
Cleans? Much better than i could think and sweet. I am the right expert to say solid words about it but i could achieved typical sweet clean tones.
Who Is the DiMarzio AT-1 For?
So, what kind of guitar—and what kind of guitarist—is the DiMarzio AT-1 really suited for? As I mentioned earlier, if you have a bright Stratocaster or a superstrat and you are looking for a bridge pickup with enough power to sound full, but without becoming excessively dense or muddy, I think you will like the AT-1. It gives you a meaty, well-rounded tone. There is enough output to make the bridge position feel substantial, but the overall density remains under control. Add its good response to the volume pot and relatively healthy dynamics, and you get a pickup that can cover a surprisingly wide range of territory without constantly fighting the guitar.
There is another group of players I would point toward the AT-1: those who already like the Seymour Duncan JB but sometimes wish a few aspects of its personality could be toned down. Do you like what the JB does, but find its upper mids a little too aggressive? Would you prefer slightly softer highs, a somewhat more controlled low end, and a touch more clarity and refinement? Then the AT-1 may be exactly what you are looking for. In fact, I would go one step further. If the JB works well for you in a Les Paul, I can easily imagine the AT-1 working at least as well—or perhaps even better in some cases—thanks to its slight advantage in clarity. That said, I would still be a little cautious about recommending it blindly for every Les Paul. Its softer high end may not always suit the extra well that some darker-sounding LPs need from a bridge pickup.
In my own HSS Strat, however, the AT-1 worked really well. It gave the bridge position the extra weight and authority I wanted without overwhelming the guitar's natural character. And perhaps more importantly, it remained responsive enough to the volume control and picking dynamics to make the bridge pickup genuinely useful for more than just high-gain sounds. For me, that is ultimately what makes the AT-1 interesting: it is powerful enough to sound like a serious rock bridge pickup, but restrained enough to let the guitar—and the player—remain in control.
Conclusion
The DiMarzio AT-1 turned out to be a rather interesting pickup. I went into this review expecting a capable high-output signature humbucker, but what I found was something more versatile than its 16.5K DCR might suggest.
If I had to summarize its character in one sentence, I would say that the AT-1 takes the familiar strengths of the Seymour Duncan JB, smooths out some of its more aggressive characteristics, adds a little more clarity and dynamics, and puts everything into a warmer and more controlled package.
It has enough output to deliver a substantial, saturated bridge tone, but it does not become excessively dense or muddy. The low end has weight without taking over, the upper mids remain present without becoming piercing, and the softer treble gives the pickup a smoother overall character. More importantly, the Dimarzio AT-1 responds relatively well to picking dynamics and to the guitar's volume control for a pickup in this DCR range. That makes it much more versatile than simply being another “leave it on 10” rock pickup.
For me, this makes the AT-1 especially compelling in a bright Strat or superstrat where you want more fatness and authority from the bridge without losing the guitar's inherent clarity. And if you already like the JB but have always wished it were slightly smoother, more controlled and a little less aggressive, the AT-1 deserves serious consideration.
I was particularly happy with it in my HSS Strat. It gave me the meat and power I wanted from the bridge while still allowing the guitar to breathe—and, perhaps most importantly, allowing me to remain in control.
For my taste, the AT-1 is one of those pickups that gets the balance right. It gives you enough muscle for serious rock tones without asking you to sacrifice dynamics, clarity or versatility to get there.
Pros
· Warm, meaty and articulate tonal character
· Powerful output without excessive density
· A bit less prounced lows and smoother uppermids than a JB
· Better picking dynamics for its output or DCR level
· Good response to the guitar's volume control
· Particularly well suited to bright Strat-style guitars and superstrats
Cons
· Softer high end may not provide enough bite for some darker Les Paul-style guitars
· Not as punchy or aggressive as the JB or Breed
· Players looking for the huge, dense character of the Tone Zone may find it somewhat restrained
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