DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

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benvigil

New member
Does DiMarzio make something equivalent to the Quarter Pound?

I've already tried the FS-1 (way too upper middy, nasal) and SDS-1 (sounds basically like a humbucker, no #2 quack).

I'm looking for a beefy single-coil for my G&L Legacy, but the QP only comes in black. I also either need the RWRP version (more $$), or I'll have to swap the neck/middle pups in the G&L so the polarities work as intended.

QP = more work, wrong color... which leads me to my original question :)
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

I would have suggested looking into the Dark Matter 2 Middle, but there's probably going to be a color issue again.

Perhaps the Injector Neck or Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2, though they are stacked, after that you begin to lose brightness unless you go with ceramic-loaded side-by-side designs. I'm assuming you want the same amount of output as the Quarter pound, or I'd suggest looking at other stacked designs.
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

A Strat cover fits over a QP, right? Also, right now there are some Jaguar neck model (RWRP) QPs on eBay and Reverb... A Strat cover of any color should fit on those too.
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

Silence Kid said:
A Strat cover fits over a QP, right? Also, right now there are some Jaguar neck model (RWRP) QPs on eBay and Reverb... A Strat cover of any color should fit on those too.
Click to expand...
I saw a post on here that the QP bobbin is the same size as the outer dimensions of a standard strat pup, so no, it won't take a cover. I could be wrong, or remembering wrong.

Found info here: TGP Post
 
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Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

gregory said:
I would have suggested looking into the Dark Matter 2 Middle, but there's probably going to be a color issue again.

Perhaps the Injector Neck or Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2, though they are stacked, after that you begin to lose brightness unless you go with ceramic-loaded side-by-side designs. I'm assuming you want the same amount of output as the Quarter pound, or I'd suggest looking at other stacked designs.
Click to expand...
Those are all noiseless stacked humbuckers. I'm looking specifically for a true single coil so I don't have to deal with splitting a HB to avoid phase issues.

This is for a G&L Legacy. The stock pups are hotter than I realized, because as an experiment, I put the Classic Stack STK-S1 (the original version, neck wind) in there and tonally it's pretty much spot on what I want. It's very balanced in the bridge position and not ice picky. Oddly, it isn't as loud (at DCR 18.3k) as the stock G&L pups (DCR 5.9k). I can match the volume by bringing the p/u really close to the strings but then it starts getting woofy and mushed.

I already tried the DiMarzio SDS-1 (woof, woof) and FS-1 (nasal), and was hoping the Quarter Pound would end my search.

I'm tempted to scrap them all and toss a Injector/Area67/Injector set in there, but the neck and middle pups sound SO GOOD in this guitar.
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

benvigil said:
I saw a post on here that the QP bobbin is the same size as the outer dimensions of a standard strat pup, so no, it won't take a cover. I could be wrong, or remembering wrong.

Found info here: TGP Post
Click to expand...

Ah, got you. But back to the Jaguar solution... I believe a cover will fit over the Jaguar QPs as long as it's not a staggered model. Or I should say, at least a Jaguar cover will fit on a Jaguar pickup; I don't know that a Strat cover is smaller in dimensions but that would be worth checking.

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums//viewtopic.php?t=61758
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKt-R6Xa6dw
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

You could always ask the Custom Shop if they can fabricate a cover for a QP in the right color. They do all kinds of crazy things, so the worst they can say is no.
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

the qp (with no cover) is the size of a normal strat pup with cover so if you put a cover on the qp it wouldnt fit a normal strat pup size hole. the qp doesnt really quack much either. the ssl5 is about as far as you can go and retain any quack, its similar to the fs1 in some ways but voiced differently
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

I've seen the HS-3 recommended in split mode (top coil active), but honestly I don't think you're going to get QP tone from a DiMarzio pickup. The SDS-1 is probably the closest one.

You can always shoot an email to the DiMarzio tech detailing what you're looking for.
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

@gregory, based on you mentioning the Area/Injectors way up above, I'm seriously considering pulling all the G&L pups and installing a set of those. The reviews on the Areas are 20:1 positively glowing.
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

If you still want something Statty with glassy highs in all positions I'd probably avoid the Injector Bridge.

I'm really not a Strat guy but have been helping a friend with his, which was, IMHO, an abomination (Fast Track 2, Lace Blue (w/TBX) and Lace Gold). We eventually put my SSL-6 in the bridge and my SSL-2 in the middle. Aside from the TBX still being in there and connected to the middle and bridge, and the hum when the middle and neck are combined, the thing sounds better than it ever has; but it's still a work in progress.

If I could change all three and was solely interested in stacks and wanted something still Stratty, these would be what I'd try (bridge, middle, neck):

From Duncan:
STK-S6, STK-S4m, STK-S4n (or STK-S4b for hotter output)

From DiMarzio:
Injector Neck, Area 67, Area 67 (or Area 61 for hotter output)

I have no idea about the DiMarzios, but the Duncans are supposed to work very well in split mode (at least the S4s, hence the S4m version which is RW/RP, for that very purpose).
 
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Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

There is no such thing as "dimarzio equivalent" just like there is no kosher bacon and beef curry.

Established brands develop their own recipes, which is one of the ways they keep their identity.
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

It might be possible to paint a QP. Not an ideal solution but...

Have you considered any of the P90-style Strat pickups? They look very much like a conventional Strat pickup except for having adjustable polepieces and they sound pretty close to the QP in my experience. Harmonic Design, Vintage Vibe, and BG all make that kind. I'm very happy with my set of Vintage Vibe SP90s.

Another option would be to go with one of the Strat pickups that's wound on an extra deep bobbin; those would fit okay under any standard cover. I don't think either DiMarzio or Duncan make one like that but Rio Grande and several others do.
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

vinta9e said:
There is no such thing as "dimarzio equivalent" just like there is no kosher bacon and beef curry.

Established brands develop their own recipes, which is one of the ways they keep their identity.
Click to expand...
Yet, they all make some variation of a "PAF", or "Vintage" single-coils... they all pay homage to history and sometimes they do it in similar ways.

Yet, I think everyone here will probably agree with you, including me. IOW, I think you were stating the obvious.
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

eclecticsynergy said:
Have you considered any of the P90-style Strat pickups? They look very much like a conventional Strat pickup except for having adjustable polepieces and they sound pretty close to the QP in my experience. Harmonic Design, Vintage Vibe, and BG all make that kind. I'm very happy with my set of Vintage Vibe SP90s.
Click to expand...
Yes, I have considered a P-90-ish option. But then I get into option overload. I love my P-90 guitar but there are so many opinions on every pickup out there that I can't keep experimenting with pup after pup after pup. Maybe it will sound fantastic in the bridge, but then #2 quack is gone, or maybe... or maybe... that's where I'm at right now.
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

gregory said:
If you still want something Statty with glassy highs in all positions I'd probably avoid the Injector Bridge.
Click to expand...

Curious if you've ever tried splitting the 67/Injector in position #2. Supposedly, it evens out the volume drop in #2/4 positions and has better quack because dropping the dummy coil will make the p/u brighter and louder. The install PDF for the Areas has this little nugget: "Single-coil mode will produce a slightly brighter and louder sound than series hum canceling mode, as long as the coil closest to the strings (the one with red and black wires) remains on."

I'm not religious about the quack but this demo sounded pretty good:
 
Re: DiMarzio equivalent to Quarter Pound?

I think the most significant difference between a stack and a true single happens when you are playing clean without combining pickups. From demos of the 67, I think they sound better by themselves in the neck position than they do in the middle position. Maybe the 61 would do better in the middle, but I haven't heard any demos. If I went with a 61 in the middle then I'd also go with a 61 in the neck or bump the neck up to a VV54Pro.

I don't own any stacked singles, so I can't really tell you anything about them from personal experience. FWIW, I don't believe DiMarzio makes RW/RP models for their middles, so I doubt many people are going to run them split; whereas Duncan does specifically so they can be split. Duncan didn't offer an RW/RP model originally, but decided to do so. I doubt DiMarzio will follow suit.

There are quite a few really good discussions about stacked singles with a wide variety of opinions and experiences that pay more justice to the subject than I ever could.
 
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