Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

[GilmourD]

I goofed on the title. I meant '67, not '61. D'oh!

OK, so I'm deciding between just these two and I'm just not sure... I like all the demos I hear of the Area '58 and the Area '67

It's an HSS setup on an Alder Strat body with a one-piece maple neck and a non-recessed Floyd setup (old German Floyd from the run they did in the '80s where the bridge plate was a bit thinner). It's going to have 500K volume with a 250K tone each for the neck and middle (no tone on the bridge).

I like my neck pickups bright but still full. I like a lot of quack in the neck/middle combo.

Probably my favorite Strat neck tone is in my Ash hardtail Strat with a real Fender Greybottom in the neck and a 500K volume (another HSS setup). That makes me think '67, but I'm also thinking that the Floyd might reduce the mids a bit so the '58 might compensate for that.

What would you guys go for?

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

'67 middle

'61 neck

For sure.

I have the '67 in the middle of my Ibby RG and I LOVE it.

Paul Gilbert likes it there as well.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

'67 middle

'61 neck

For sure.

I have the '67 in the middle of my Ibby RG and I LOVE it.

Paul Gilbert likes it there as well.

'61 in the neck is actually a bit darker than I would like it to be.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

Duh...

I just realized I put '61 in the title instead of '67...

D'oh!

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

Dual '67's then bro!

The '67 is bright but it has a big ass behind it. I'm positive you'd love it in the neck.

 

[Hank-]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

Yup dual Area 67's or Area 61 neck & 67 middle. I have used the 67 in both the neck & middle positions of my basswood strat copy but i prefer it in the middle mostly. The 61 will be bright too but not as bright as the 67. I think the 58 is the darker one of the three. Right now i'm using 500k pots for volume & tone. What humbucker are you planning to go for? If it's high out then the balancing the sweet spot of the neck 67 with the bridge can be a problem.
I've settled on the Cruiser bridge in the neck of mine & SH14 C5 in the bridge.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

Yup dual Area 67's or Area 61 neck & 67 middle. I have used the 67 in both the neck & middle positions of my basswood strat copy but i prefer it in the middle mostly. The 61 will be bright too but not as bright as the 67. I think the 58 is the darker one of the three. Right now i'm using 500k pots for volume & tone. What humbucker are you planning to go for? If it's high out then the balancing the sweet spot of the neck 67 with the bridge can be a problem.
I've settled on the Cruiser bridge in the neck of mine & SH14 C5 in the bridge.

You know, I'm actually not sure. I was thinking either a GFS VEH I've got or maybe getting a '59/Custom hybrid. I'm still undecided, though. However, I'm absolutely positive on the neck pickup sound I want.

I think you're right about the '67s. Now to find a good deal on a pair of black ones.

 

[tubecrunch]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

Yup. '67's.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

Well, I ordered the '67s. I should have the guitar together in a couple weeks once I get the body and can get it to my buddy's shop to install the Floyd studs.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

Nice! Let us know how you like em. I'm shocked more people don't rave about em. Some of the best noiseless single coils out there.

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

I was a big '67 guy in my #1 for a while but decided that I needed fuller lower mids and eventually went with a '61.

There's a '61 in the neck and an Injector Neck in the middle cranked all of the way down so I can get maximum pick access. I love HSS but the middle usually gets in the way but not with this set-up.

I did however, experience a bit of a loss of power switching from the '67 to the '61... I remember that I was totally expecting the '61 to have more juice but it's was the '67 that has all of that deceptive power under the hood.

The fullest sounding DZ VV stack single coil is the Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 IMHO.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

Oh totally. ^

I've got a VVHB2 in the middle of an HSH mahog superstrat and it is incredibly ballsy. Love it.

 

[appar111]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

Do you guys crank the Area pickups way up close to the strings, or keep them further away like you would normal singles? I know they don't need to be further away, but I'm wondering where they sound best? I've used the VVHB2 and Injectors and they needed to be set pretty close. I never used one in the middle when I had those.

Pick access for the middle pickup would be a bit of an issue for me if they need to be set fairly high.

 

[gvis]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

Do you guys crank the Area pickups way up close to the strings, or keep them further away like you would normal singles? .

I'm running a 67 in the neck and 58 in the middle, in an alder strat with maple neck. Both are really great pups. I like the 67 better in the neck than middle and 58 better in the middle than neck.

I've run them both fairly low and now fairly close, to balance with the norton that's in there now, and it all sounds fine and similar in tone. These pups are quieter than humbuckers and i think they're designed to be able to sit close to the strings with less string pull.

500k volume may be too bright. I'm running 250k for both volume and tone, with a 22 cap, and they're still pretty bright. But I guess it's all in what you like.

I think you're going to be very happy with the 67. I bought based on tons of great web reviews, and they were spot on.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

I've got mine kinda low in the guitar in my sig. Also the treb side is a little higher. Sounds really cool when mixed with the Tone Zone in a clean setting.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Dilemma: Area '58 or Area '61?

The recipient arrives.