Controlling midrange spike on DiMarzio Fast Track 2???

[Despised]

I just installed a set of DiMarzio pickups - a Fast Track 2 & 2x SDS-1's - into an LTD ST-213 Strat. The issue I'm finding is that the Fast Track 2 has a good bit more of a midrange spike compared to the Hot Rails. It sounds kinda almost thin/tinny as a single coil, or like a Wah is on in the all the way down position... (I have the Hot Rails loaded in another ST-213 - same Alder body, but with a maple fingerboard. The ST-213 with the F.T.2 has a rosewood fingerboard. But when comparing the two, the HR seems to be a bit tighter, more focused and a little more scooped than the F.T.2 ...)

For a better understanding on what else the guitar has for a control pattern: Oak-Grigsby 5-way switch w/ std. 5-way switching pattern, mini 3-way toggle for series/outside coil split/parallel modes for the F.T.2, single volume & single tone controls. The mini toggle is wired correctly, as I can distinctly hear the difference in all 3 modes in both clean and distorted modes...

So far I have been able to tame it a bit by rolling the tone about halfway down & dialing back the presence control on the amp from 5 to about 3.5. DiMarzio recommend using 500K pots to help "open it up", but:

*I'm wondering if switching back to a set of 250K would help tame it a bit better... My only concern with doing that is it makes the pickups too dark...

*I've also thought about changing the value of the cap on the tone pot, but think that it would be too much and too thick too soon... The current cap (unknown value, whatever was on there from whatever those pots came out of...) has a bit more of a subtle - yet still very noticeable difference in the sound, and it starts really taking shape at around 6...

*I thought quickly about something like a treble bleed cap like what is typically found on a lot of Ibanez stuff, but remembered that that mainly applies when your rolling the volume pot down...

*Or should I just leave it be, and tweak the controls like I currently am - as well as possibly tweak the graphic EQ in the effects loop to help compensate a little bit more/better??

Any other ideas/suggestions to help tame the midrange spike a bit more/better???

Thanks again all!

[Teleplayer]

Rather than changing the control pots, it might be better to install a fixed resistor load on the bridge pickup. It can be wired between the Red hot wire on the FT-2 and ground, so it dosen't affect the tone of the other pickups. 510k ohm resistor is the value I installed with Chopper and FT1, although I have no experience with FT-2. Your comments give the impression this pickup might not be the right one for you, but perhaps you can EQ to get the tone you are ok with.

[Despised]

Rather than changing the control pots, it might be better to install a fixed resistor load on the bridge pickup. It can be wired between the Red hot wire on the FT-2 and ground, so it dosen't affect the tone of the other pickups. 510k ohm resistor is the value I installed with Chopper and FT1, although I have no experience with FT-2.

that's interesting, I'll have to check into that! Did you have the same midrange spike issue with the Chopper & FT1???

Your comments give the impression this pickup might not be the right one for you, but perhaps you can EQ to get the tone you are ok with.

I mean, I'm kinda content with the overall tone by rolling the tone back and dialing back the Presence on the amp... I adjust the high, Presence and Resonance on the amp between a few guitars to keep them in similar general range, so it's not all that bad... But the odd thing is: when playing it on the clean channel, it sounds okay...

Perhaps a call to DiMarzio and explaining the situation and see what they say - and maybe they refund me for the pickup and I can send it back...


And another thought I had when I initially posted the main post: perhaps it's the guitar itself... I know that no 2 of the exact same guitars will play or sound the same, so I'm wondering if this particular one happens to be the oddity in the tone dept... And if that's the case, then perhaps I could look into keeping the bridge on this one an actual single coil...

[Blille]

Pushing down the pickup may help tame the mids. I would give that a try first.

[Demanic]

I would run it in parallel.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

[Mincer]

Parallel is what I would try first before giving up on the pickup.

[Teleplayer]

that's interesting, I'll have to check into that! Did you have the same midrange spike issue with the Chopper & FT1???

IMO the Chopper has more of a broad midrange with plenty of harmonic overtones. With 500k controls I found it was a bit bright, so the 510k load resistor was a help to take the edge off it. The FT-1 is similar to the chopper, but lower output. Neither of them really have a midrange spike IMO.

As the other poster wrote, you can tame the mids by lowering the height. Its not a bad idea, as it doesn't kill the top-end brightness as much as parrallel load resistor idea.

Maybe the dmz customer service people can advise you whether an Air Norton S might suit your needs, or otherwise a Chopper. Since either of these are basically a brighter pickup than the FT-2 you have already, you may need to add the 510k parallel resistor or change to a 250k tone control if you go ahead with the change.

[hamerfan]

510k might be a little to low. The OP thought a 250k vol might be too warm and wooly. I think a 1.5 meg resistor might do the trick being overall 375k.

[Despised]

Pushing down the pickup may help tame the mids. I would give that a try first.

Playing with the height is the first thing I do with any new pickup install. The issue I find when I lower it is it loses some of its bite (output) and it loses some of it's low end... I haven't physically measured the height, but its in the average height range recommendations for a passive...

[Despised]

I would run it in parallel.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

It's wired to a mini 3-way toggle for series/outside coil split/parallel before it goes to the 5-way switch... I can try playing it in parallel mode a bit more and see what that yields...

[Despised]

Parallel is what I would try first before giving up on the pickup.

As I replied to Demanic, it's wired to a mini 3-way toggle for series/outside coil split/parallel modes before going to the 5-way. I will try playing it in parallel mode to see what that yields & if that helps...

[Despised]

IMO the Chopper has more of a broad midrange with plenty of harmonic overtones. With 500k controls I found it was a bit bright, so the 510k load resistor was a help to take the edge off it. The FT-1 is similar to the chopper, but lower output. Neither of them really have a midrange spike IMO.

As the other poster wrote, you can tame the mids by lowering the height. Its not a bad idea, as it doesn't kill the top-end brightness as much as parrallel load resistor idea.

Maybe the dmz customer service people can advise you whether an Air Norton S might suit your needs, or otherwise a Chopper. Since either of these are basically a brighter pickup than the FT-2 you have already, you may need to add the 510k parallel resistor or change to a 250k tone control if you go ahead with the change.

Again, interesting to hear and know this! This is why I love forums like this, for guys like you that have or had similar experiences, even with similar model pickups...

And funny you mention a 250k tone pot... In A few of the diagrams DiMarzio has, it shows a 500k volume pot, but running a 250k tone pot... I was curious of this as well, instead of switching both over to a 250k... I'll ask DiMarzio today and see what they say, and reply back here when I do.

Thanks again man!!