Noiseless Strat Pickups

[Strat Avenger]

Heck I even like Duncan, Gibson, Dimarzio, Carvin, and other pickups as well. Old Larry even worked under Bill Lawrence for a time. Many great PU's out there.

All my full-size humbuckers are Seymour Duncan (except for two EMG passive humbuckers). I'm not a Dimarzio fan boy; I love lots of different brands. When it comes to "noiseless single coils", Dimarzio Area series are the shiznit. Everytime I mention that, as sure as death & taxes, people want to argue about it. How about actually trying them in the positions I suggest and using the pots I suggest. You may just be surprised.

 

[rockandroller]

 

[Strat Avenger]

I'd also like to add that it's not an "opinion" that the Area 61 and 67 have the steely, glassy chime associated with vintage Fender single coil pickups. It's just an absolute fact. This is due in part to the use of AlNiCo 2 magnets. Most other brands still use AlNiCo 5 in their versions. Yes, the true single coils will always have just a little bit more, which is why they are typically used with 250k pots, and some of that "glass" is a bit too much and needs to be backed off with the Tone controls.
35 years ago, I put Dimarzio HS-3 pickups in my Strat (with HS-2 in the middle). They were AlNiCo 5. Those pickups were incredibly weak in terms of output, and severely lacking in high frequencies. I couldn't get any "quack" from the 2 & 4 positions.
I really tried to like them (after spending all that money) but I finally ended up getting rid of them.
Dimarzio made great progress with the Area series. Night & Day difference. They sound better than the Fender "noiseless" which were designed by Bill Lawrence (no disrespect to Bill; his humbuckers are some of the best ever).

 

[Verne Bunsen]

View attachment 68133

 

[Spud]

I'd also like to add that it's not an "opinion" that the Area 61 and 67 have the steely, glassy chime associated with vintage Fender single coil pickups. It's just an absolute fact. This is due in part to the use of AlNiCo 2 magnets. Most other brands still use AlNiCo 5 in their versions. Yes, the true single coils will always have just a little bit more, which is why they are typically used with 250k pots, and some of that "glass" is a bit too much and needs to be backed off with the Tone controls.
35 years ago, I put Dimarzio HS-3 pickups in my Strat (with HS-2 in the middle). They were AlNiCo 5. Those pickups were incredibly weak in terms of output, and severely lacking in high frequencies. I couldn't get any "quack" from the 2 & 4 positions.
I really tried to like them (after spending all that money) but I finally ended up getting rid of them.
Dimarzio made great progress with the Area series. Night & Day difference. They sound better than the Fender "noiseless" which were designed by Bill Lawrence (no disrespect to Bill; his humbuckers are some of the best ever).

Good grief bro now you are weaving in construction facts with your opinion. However, it is still an opinion. I am not saying they are bad pickups they may be great. You may be confused yourself which is which.

 

[Spud]

Spud out.

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

Apparently if you measure the magnetic flux density on the poles of Dimarzio Area 67, it reads like Alnico 5 magnets, not A2.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Good grief bro now you are weaving in construction facts with your opinion. However, it is still an opinion. I am not saying they are bad pickups they may be great. You may be confused yourself which is which.

It's not an opinion. An opinion would be "this sounds better than that", because that is subjective. It's a matter of personal taste. What I am referring to is how well the Area series mimics a vintage single coil compared to other brands.
Everything I said is true.

 

[Bob Hoover Ross]

Not strictly a "single-coil" but fwiw I've been using three Seymour Duncan Vintage Rails in my Strat clone for the past ~30 years, and they are indeed A) noiseless; and B) everything I could want from a Strat pickup sound-wise.

They're going to get moved to my Warmoth All-Padauk Tele build as soon as I finish that guitar.

 

[Spud]

"What I am referring to is how well the Area series mimics a vintage single coil compared to other brands"


Opinion.

 

[Spud]

Lastly,

 

[Strat Avenger]

"What I am referring to is how well the Area series mimics a vintage single coil compared to other brands"


Opinion.

Fact. I have them, so I know.

 

[Spud]

As you say “they are the best bar none”

I am happy you like them enough to strongly share your opinion.

 

[PFDarkside]

I’ve got the Injectors (Injector Bridge, 67, Injextor Neck) and they sound great. Like fat and silent Strat pickups. (The 67 middle is very bright, and allows the 2/4 to sound Stratty combined with the hotter bridge/neck).

They sound far better than any of the Fender noiseless singles. I want to replace the CS69s I have with a 67/67/61 set and do a 54/54/Heavy Blues in the one that’s all SSL-1s.

I’ve heard great things about the Duncan Stack Plus as well, and this video is a great ad for them:

 

[Spud]

 

[PFDarkside]

These are more like enhanced EMGs. The originals are the Strat style ones.

 

[rauchman]

I have experience with the Lace Sensor Golds for noiseless. At the time they came out, I believe they were considered a "go to" for noiseless. While I like their tones (a lot acutally), they are not totally noiseless though.

No experience with the Bill Lawrence 280's and the like, but do use their L45 Strat sized pup as the neck pup in a W Tele, along with their T48 for the bridge. Love them. While the L45 is Stratty, I'm not sure it is "the" Strat sound though.

One noiseless Strat option I've seen pop up lately, is the Tonerider Apex Classic. I've listened to a few clips, and have to say they sound really good, and like the Bill Lawrence pups, they are cheap.

Tonerider Apex Classic Noiseless Strat single coils

 

[aarontunes]

We all know if someone asks a guitar forum what pickups they should get, it’s just going to be a list of things guys already sank money into/they’ve heard their heroes endorse. Let’s play nice

Here, here! Intelligent people can disagree and still be friends.

Of the noiseless Strat pickups I have tried, the Wilde L290/L280 set I tried in the video @Spud posted is my favorite. I've tried lots of others, including some DiMarzios way, way back in the day. I think they were just called Virtual Vintage back then, and I absolutely hated them. I would really like to try the modern Areas, but haven't had the chance yet.

When it comes to pickups (and lots of other things) it shouldn't be about being right or wrong. We are all a bunch of blind men feeling different parts of the elephant, with much to teach and learn from one another.

 

[Strat Avenger]

As you say “they are the best bar none”

I am happy you like them enough to strongly share your opinion.

I probably should have said "they're the best so far, until something even better is developed". I challenge anyone to show me a better performing pickup for the intended purpose.

 

[Strat Avenger]

And they require batteties.