fdesalvo
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I never ever get excited about domestic pickups. Well, never ever is an exaggeration, but it's been a solid 5 years of loyalty and patronage with Bare Knuckles. I scoffed and mocked Dimarzio. I chuckled at Duncan behind his back. I farted in their general directions.
But now - a gamble has payed off in dividends well beyond my expectations and hopes! This is a revelation for me!
BBQ Floyd has the following pickups installed and wired to a traditional 5-way strat configuration with an SPST switch added to ground a bridge coil:
Bridge: Breed
Middle: Area 67
Neck: Virtual Vintage 54 Pro
Note! I planned on "getting by" with these and swapping in my BKs or Duncan Antiquity Texas Hots later down the line, but that will not be!
These all play so well together and as individuals. Completely noise-free and full of sparkle, grit, and tone! All of my favorite Strat sounds are there - all the classics without hum.
The Breed is really balanced in this guitar - it's fat and smooth with nice bite. No papery or honking mids. Not a H.O. pickup by any stretch - just a nice overwound PAF that's just got a touch of compression and it splits beautifully into a jangly and dynamic single coil tone without losing volume. Doesn't sound like Vai. Excellent notch sounds in the #4 position with the Area 67.
The Area 67 is known for producing bright and sparkling single coil tones - and it's lives up to its reputation. It's pure hum-free "The Sky is Crying" tone. Not too bright in my guitar - just the right amount of cut with no piercing tones. Output really balances well with bridge for no perceived loss of volume. Really plays well with the VV 54 Pro.
The Virtual Vintage line was succeeded by the Area products, but it's not for lack of tone. The VV 54 Pro is often used in the bridge position, where a fatter, more rounded tone is needed. I took a gamble using it in the neck slot after reading the remarks of a few pioneers who did just that with good results. How's it sound in my guitar?
Amazing! It's woody with a lovely sparkle to the edge - like a good single coil would have. There's a chewy and smokey smear to the tone with a little drive that puts it right into the TX Blues camp, but it's no one trick pony. It sounds great dead clean, too.
I'll post up some tones soon. I can't believe I'm in love with stacked single coils. To make a direct comparison with the Bare Knuckles and Duncan Antiquities in my other guitar(s), I'd say these are more powerful than the Duncans and they do a much better job of balancing with a humbucker. The Duncans have a low-output sweetness that is unmatched by many, but there's nothing pulling me away from these Dimarzios in this application.
The Dimarzios directly compare to a blend of BK Mother's Milk and 63 Veneer sets, being a bit closer to the latter from an apparent EQ perspective. That said, I've never fallen in love with any BK middle pickup - it's always been about the neck. I LOVE the Area 67 in the middle. For the first time in all my years as a Strat guy, every position on the switch is utterly usable and toneful.
I'm very excited about this guitar. It's the total package in my mind: weight, balance, tone, feel, sustain, tuning stability, aesthetics, and playability live in the same instrument!
As an aside, in another post I mentioned the lack of dynamics. The issue ended up being a poor quality volume pot. The volume taper is terrible, so it will be replaced at some point. Shame on you, Bourns!
But now - a gamble has payed off in dividends well beyond my expectations and hopes! This is a revelation for me!
BBQ Floyd has the following pickups installed and wired to a traditional 5-way strat configuration with an SPST switch added to ground a bridge coil:
Bridge: Breed
Middle: Area 67
Neck: Virtual Vintage 54 Pro
Note! I planned on "getting by" with these and swapping in my BKs or Duncan Antiquity Texas Hots later down the line, but that will not be!
These all play so well together and as individuals. Completely noise-free and full of sparkle, grit, and tone! All of my favorite Strat sounds are there - all the classics without hum.
The Breed is really balanced in this guitar - it's fat and smooth with nice bite. No papery or honking mids. Not a H.O. pickup by any stretch - just a nice overwound PAF that's just got a touch of compression and it splits beautifully into a jangly and dynamic single coil tone without losing volume. Doesn't sound like Vai. Excellent notch sounds in the #4 position with the Area 67.
The Area 67 is known for producing bright and sparkling single coil tones - and it's lives up to its reputation. It's pure hum-free "The Sky is Crying" tone. Not too bright in my guitar - just the right amount of cut with no piercing tones. Output really balances well with bridge for no perceived loss of volume. Really plays well with the VV 54 Pro.
The Virtual Vintage line was succeeded by the Area products, but it's not for lack of tone. The VV 54 Pro is often used in the bridge position, where a fatter, more rounded tone is needed. I took a gamble using it in the neck slot after reading the remarks of a few pioneers who did just that with good results. How's it sound in my guitar?
Amazing! It's woody with a lovely sparkle to the edge - like a good single coil would have. There's a chewy and smokey smear to the tone with a little drive that puts it right into the TX Blues camp, but it's no one trick pony. It sounds great dead clean, too.
I'll post up some tones soon. I can't believe I'm in love with stacked single coils. To make a direct comparison with the Bare Knuckles and Duncan Antiquities in my other guitar(s), I'd say these are more powerful than the Duncans and they do a much better job of balancing with a humbucker. The Duncans have a low-output sweetness that is unmatched by many, but there's nothing pulling me away from these Dimarzios in this application.
The Dimarzios directly compare to a blend of BK Mother's Milk and 63 Veneer sets, being a bit closer to the latter from an apparent EQ perspective. That said, I've never fallen in love with any BK middle pickup - it's always been about the neck. I LOVE the Area 67 in the middle. For the first time in all my years as a Strat guy, every position on the switch is utterly usable and toneful.
I'm very excited about this guitar. It's the total package in my mind: weight, balance, tone, feel, sustain, tuning stability, aesthetics, and playability live in the same instrument!
As an aside, in another post I mentioned the lack of dynamics. The issue ended up being a poor quality volume pot. The volume taper is terrible, so it will be replaced at some point. Shame on you, Bourns!
