DiMarzio Chopper and Cruiser love?

[papersoul]

Hello guys,

I have a 2003 Highway One strat that is the most alive and vibrant strat I have owned. I installed a DiMarzio Chopper in the bridge and swapped in a master 500K volume pot.

I am going to order two Dimarzio Cruisers, either 2 Cruiser neck pickups or a neck pickup and a Cruiser bridge pickup for the middle. I am going tro use all 500K pots and wire it so that I have a tone control on the bridge Chopper and a tone control on the middle Cruiser.

Any of you guys have experience with the Cruiser? If they are anywhere near as good as my Chopper, I will love it.

As a side note, my Telecaster has a Duncan Lil' 59 and Vintage stack neck. Love!

[Lazer111]

Re: DiMarzio Chopper and Cruiser love?

I'm interested in this as well. I have a chopper in the bridge of a G&L legacy special and I am experimenting with a fast track 1 in the middle and neck but I'm not sure if it is quite there. I'd like more glass and output which the g and l stock blades are doing a bit better since I followed you lead in old posts and installed a 500k pot.

Chopper is awesome! So much punch. Not all that different than stock g and l powerblade, but the power blade is a little more hollow and more glass in case your interested.

I'd love to try the cruisers but after my fast track experience I'm not sure if they would be powerful enough. Don't get me wrong, the fast track is a fine pickup, I just think the g and l has a tiny bit more glass and output. Honestly, I'm undecided and don't know what to do they are both really good just not sure I want to spend money for little benefit... I hope this contributed to your topic, no hijack intended

Would love to know more about the cruisers...

Cheers!

[papersoul]

Re: DiMarzio Chopper and Cruiser love?

I really want to check out the DM Injector pickups as well!

[papersoul]

Re: DiMarzio Chopper and Cruiser love?

I posted this elsewhere:

I wanted to ask a final question about pickups for my strat. I am a hard rock guy and play in a 90s rock and grunge band. This is my only strat and while I want it to sound like a strat, I want it to be able to handle high gain as well as handle gorgeous cleans. Keep in mind, I am not a strat or single coil purest. I do however want this strat to sound very different than my PRS and Gibsons. I also have a Fender American Standard Tele with a Duncan Little 59 bridge and Duncan Vintage stack neck.

For my Strat I am looking at some possible configurations. I was hoping to get your opinion of both and what wiring scheme you would recommend as well as potentiometer value like all 500Ks or 250Ks, etc.
Looking at:
Chopper bridge - Area 67 middle - Injector neck
or
Injector bridge - Area 67 middle - Injector neck
or
Chopper - Fast Track - Fast Track
or
Chopper - Cruiser - Cruiser
or
Chopper - Cruiser - Fast Track

Suggestions?

Thanks all!

[Lazer111]

Re: DiMarzio Chopper and Cruiser love?

Well I decided to keep the FT1, although there might be something better it's pretty damn good... I've spend too much time A/B'ing with the stockers and I'm sick of obsessing, I really should actually, like, move on and practice or something...

Ordered a bridge cruiser, I think I'd like something a little brighter than FT1 in the middle, but I dunno, FT1 isn't bad at all... we'll see when the cruiser arrives and the journey continues... the GandL pickups really are good, but giving the Dimarzio's a go because they have a little more compression and strattiness... I need to hear them on a stage methinks.

Anyways, here's some clips if it helps. Sounds like we on a similar mission. 1st clip is clean through pos 1, 2, 5, then overdriven. My band plays lots of country so it's compressed through a boss cs-3. Overdrive is a Barber 1/2 Gainer. (awesome OD btw) 2nd clip is blues vamp to hear some rhythm, low strings, and some chords. All clean. Should give you some reference since the chopper is represented here. I only have 1 FT1, but clips represent bridge/mid/neck = chopper/ft1/ft1

Good luck!

[Hank-]

Re: DiMarzio Chopper and Cruiser love?

Looking at:
Chopper bridge - Area 67 middle - Injector neck
or
Injector bridge - Area 67 middle - Injector neck
or
Chopper - Fast Track - Fast Track
or
Chopper - Cruiser - Cruiser
or
Chopper - Cruiser - Fast Track

Suggestions?

Thanks all!

I have experience with the Cruiser bridge in the neck position, with Area 67 middle. I find that the 67 can overpower the cruiser if I were to raise it to the same height. IOW the Cruiser doesn't have a lot of gain to it & the sound is also not very vintage strat like but more of a modern strat sound. The Area 67 also sounds clearer with high gain. Listen to Andy Timmon's Prayer/Answer song on the Resolution CD, that's basically what the Cruiser sounds like clean. The Area 67 sounds very much like in this vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-oVl3nmP8Y

[papersoul]

Re: DiMarzio Chopper and Cruiser love?

I am most likely doing a new Injector set, a Dimarzio loaded pickguard.....or if I stay with the Chopper (which I love!) I will do a Cruiser middle and Fast Track neck. However, I think pickups should get progressively weaker from bridge to neck....so, not sure.

The Chopper sounds so good, I hate to replace it, so just need to find the right neck and middle pickup. Dimarzio recommended two Injector pickups to go with the Chopper because they say they have amazing clarity.