decision time: dual FS-1's or dual Choppers?

[9fingers]

Re: decision time: dual FS-1's or dual Choppers?

I have tried virtually all the Dimarzio rails. They are great noise free pickups with a huge variety of tones. From what the OP described, I would start with a Cruiser bridge in the neck and a Chopper in the bridge. Second choice would be Fast Track 1 in the neck. True, the Chopper is fatter than any true single coil but that seems to be the idea here. Though Significantly fatter than a single, it is very unlike any PAF I have played - it cuts and responds very differently. I would hesitate to put the Chopper into either "strat" or "gibby" category. It is an excellent bridge pickup in it's own way. The Pro Track is much more PAF territory.

If you want something really "stratty" but bigger, Barden S-Deluxes kill!!

As far as looks go, I have come to actually prefer the rail look but do prefer to have all rails. DiMarzio has lots of great colors available in covers. The "Fast Track" covers fit all their rails and all their rails have removable covers.

 

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Re: decision time: dual FS-1's or dual Choppers?

If you've already tried the injectors and didn't care for them, I'd say go to the site and look at the output/tone chart for the rails and Area/VV series and see what makes sense given what you didn't like about the Injector Neck.

What I've found to be inaccurate about their tone charts for those things is this: All the slug pole type noiseless have more true "strat bite" and tight low end, basically what you'd expect from a single. All the rail types have less of that focused resonant peak bite and also a more thumpy low end that what you'd expect from a single, especially if you are comparing a rail type and a alnico slug type with basically the same tone chart and output specs. For instance, a Virtual Solo still sounds more like a real single coil than a Fast Track 1, tone chart be damned.

Sort of like, the Tone Zone tone chart has the high end all rolled off, but we all know the Tone Zone has a screaming high presence thing going on. 3 numbers isn't a very accurate way to describe a pickup's tone, it would probably be better if they posted actual frequency spectrum data, but they don't.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of overwound pickups in the neck, given the neck position is already going to be loud and bassy due to where the string is being sampled. If the injectors didn't have enough bite, you might find a lower output/brighter pickup to work better there in the neck, and something hotter/darker better in the bridge.


Oh while I'm thinking about it, go to www.zexcoil.com and check his stuff out. Totally new design, and the guy is a Ph.d. from MIT and he goes way into the technical side of things, showing frequency and output charts for his stuff vs. various commercial humbuckers and singles. I met him at the amp show last year and bought a set then and there, they are very, very cool pickups that cover everything from vintage strat tones to hot PAF tones and everything in between using a single coil sized pickup. Real nice guy to. Check them out they might be just what you need. I'm using a Vintage 5 neck and Middle with a Juicer Bucker that splits (still noiseless) in position 2 when it is in parallel with the middle, and it just smokes.

 

[JeffB]

Re: decision time: dual FS-1's or dual Choppers?

Ray have you given the VV heavy blues2 and 54 pros a whirl?

Im not a fan of noiseless in general. But the Areas are probably my faves of those I have played around with..

 

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Re: decision time: dual FS-1's or dual Choppers?

I have but it's been a while. If you are looking for a still-stratty sounding pickup with more oomph and output in the bridge, then they are worth a shot. I've just found that I'm a humbucker bridge guy through and through, even with the over wound singles in the bridge I ended up always running them in series with the middle pickup to get more chunk out of them. Same with the Kinman HX85, just still too bright for me in the bridge. I'm exactly oposite in neck/middle, I like very bright/tight and nothing overwound, I dont even care for under wound PAFs in the neck much, still too dark on the low notes.

Just depends on how much you like the standard single coil bridge tone, and how much icepick you can put up with there.

The Fast Track 1 and chopper on the other hand don't offend my ears at all in the bridge position, but as I noted elsewhere, they do not sound like traditional single coils, even over wound ones.

 

[JeffB]

Re: decision time: dual FS-1's or dual Choppers?

Thanks. Definitely want something still in the strat realm. I may give them a whirl in the near future.

 

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Re: decision time: dual FS-1's or dual Choppers?

You could always start with the Vitual Solo in the bridge, it doesnt get much more ballsy than that while still retaining strat qualities. If that is too much for you, decide how far into the 'too much' range it is and take another guess, also give the tech line a call and go over it with them. They are very cool about the 30 day return, I typically push that a bit and they've never given me grief over it, so you can keep exchanging til you find the one that works for you. You'll spend a few extra $ buying new vs. used, but that exchange policy is well worth it if you aren't sure exactly what you want.

 

[Aceman]

Re: decision time: dual FS-1's or dual Choppers?

Oh - he said FS-1

I was thinking Fast Tracks....not FS -1's....

And I like the Fast Track neck middle with Chopper Bridge in that case.

Also, I had Choppers in the middle/Neck positions. Paired nicely with an X2N!