This is the second Area T (DP418) I've bought - the first one has served me well in my main stage Tele for the last 5 years. Originally purchased as I needed a noise-free pickup set for a tour with a mostly acoustic band where extraneous buzz and hum would have been a real problem on stage, I've stuck with the Area T since then because it sounds great in just about any musical setting. The output can be quite high if you adjust the pickup close to the strings, but you can back it off for a more vintage style sound if that's what you need - it only takes a minute with a screw driver to dial it in. I've used it live in a straight up rock setting, a folk-rock group, a Ska band and Blues gigs, and recording projects from Soul to Metal - it handles it all. This new one is for the bridge position of an Esquire - so far it's really delivering the goods!
Pros: Clear, balanced, bright and punchy tone with as much output as you'll ever need from a Tele. Pretty much noiseless (assuming the rest of your rig is sorted of course), but still sounds like a Tele bridge p'up should - can handle really high gain better than a true single coil too. Never struggles to cut through the mix on stage or i recordings. Responds really well to changes in pick attack. Has been completely reliable for years.
Cons: Output wires a a little flimsy compared to competitors, maybe a little bit 'polite' sounding compared with the best vintage style single coil examples (IMHO worth the trade off for the lack of noise)...
Would I buy it again? Definitely - I just did!
