Dimarzio VV

[spauldingrules]

Anyone have any experience with the Dimarzio Area '61 or '58?  What about the Heavy Blues, etc. - basically the no-hum single coils?

Thanks!  I am interested in them for my alder warmoth strat.  Any ideas for sets?

 

[jackthehack]

What kind of music do you play? What's your typical effects/amplification setup?

 

[spauldingrules]

I play mostly classic rock type stuff, but I already have a fantastic tele with an HB in the bridge for HB sounds - I want a "strat" sound now for jamming, originals, etc.  I may like something a little hotter, but the classic sound I like as well.  Needs to be noiseless - we practice in a room with several computers and dimmer switches - hence the HB in my tele!  The stock pickup was a nightmare.  I really like the RHCP's guitarist's tones off of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, for hotter stuff - just an example though, that is not necessarily what I am going for.  I play a Vox AC50 amp, normally on a Marshall setting live, but it emulates all kinds of amps.

Basically, I want a strat to hot strat sound.  Thanks for looking!

 

[jackthehack]

Haven't tried the Area58/61; tried the Heavy Blues and didn't like them; were "hot" but sounded "tinny", not "thick" enough at volume, if that description makes any sense.

My first thought would be a set of Fender CS SRV Texas Specials, but they aren't "noiseless" for your environment.

I liked the Lace Arena set of 'buckers I bought for my last build so much, I just got a set of Lace Power Sensors and threw them in "Blackie", my test bed consisting of a scratched up Warmoth black alder strat body and a Fender CBS neck of dubious vintage (was on a 3-bolt at some point, but lacks provenance) and as they are so noise impervious that might just fill your order for vintage/hot sounds while noiseless.

Another tip for bridge pickup is use an SD Lil 59 or JBJr in the bridge position and coil-tap it; tapped it'll give you the vintage sound, untapped you've got a hotter 'bucker sound.

 

[geezerclaypool]

I have Area 58s in the neck and middle, and a 61 in the bridge. For jazz/blues, they are beyond perfect. When I have the mid control at about 5 and the middle and neck in series with the Albert King setting on my amp, the sound is beyond amazing. No hum whatsoever on any setting. They're also good for classic rock. Just don't expect to get any good pinch harmonics or fat tone. But if you're getting single coils, you probably aren't looking for that in the first place. For jazz/blues/classic rock and similar genres, I'd recommend them in a heartbeat.

If you're getting them, let me recommend the Voodoo Tone Monster Strat harness from http://www.guitar-mod.com . That's what I have the pickups in, and I have such tone versatility, and it sounds so, so amazingly clean. I've played my share of Strats, and this beats it all. I also have an alder body, so you probably will have a similar experience. Get 'em.

 

[Xochitl]

Hello,

geezerclaypool (or anyone with experience or smart thoughts about this matter )  > I replaced not so long ago Fender standard single coils on my HSS strat for DM VV2. As it was the first time I did this job, I didn't have the cojones to go beyond just swapping pups. But I find the "11 Sound H-S-S Strat with Dial-A-Tap" really inspiring. I read about it before, but I'm still wondering about the combination of a split hummbucker and a noiseless single coils. Would splitting the HB defeat the noiseless properties of VV2's on positions 2 and 4? Could you share any comments about it?

 

[CD]

Maybe you should think about the Dimarzio Yngwie Malmsteen pickup set even if you don't dig Malmsteen. Just a thought.