Larry DiMarzio, DiMarzio Inc.’s founder and namesake, first introduced the Super Distortion and Dual Sound pickups in 1971. These pickups were the first mass market replacement pickups, launching a generation of guitar tinkering that's still strong today. Thirty plus years later, his company produces almost 200 pick-up models, all coming from a nondescript factory on the industrial north shore of Staten Island.
DiMarzio first created the now famous Super Distortion while seeking a better sound from his guitar, but recognizing the limited availability of hardware for the average consumer to use. Influenced by Bill Lawrence, who created True-Sound pickups in the mid-'60s, DiMarzio sought to make custom parts more readily available for those who wanted to shape their sound, and push their guitars to the sonic limits. As the company’s website says about the Super Distortion, “…this pickup started a sound revolution. Replacement pickups simply didn’t exist before the invention of the Super Distortion in the early Seventies.”
DiMarzio pickups are world famous – powering the sounds of famous virtuosos Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and bands like Boston, Motorhead, Megadeth, Dream Theater, Def Leppard and more. In a 2010 article, Premier Guitar said that the company “boasts a who’s who list of endorsers that includes notable guitarists and outright guitar gods.”
