DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

[jrbowen81]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

its probably just the way the ft2 sounds through your rig. its pretty middy and your amp has some pretty cutting upper mids (not a bad thing).

two tone controls? how are they setup? i might put one on the bridge by itself so you can leave it rolled off some

Actually my 2nd tone is bridge only. I suppose I can just find a spot on that control where it sounds better with my rig for now.

Speaking of tone pots, mine sound kind of "dirty" when rolled down past, say, 2 or 1. Like it adds a bit of distortion. Is that unusual?

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

Still thinking I might try getting a hold of a Tone Zone S or BC-2, just to see what happens. I really don't think it's the brightness bugging me so much as the perceived lack of low end.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

On what precise model of Stratocaster are you working? Materials and hardware could be having an adverse effect on the overall tone.

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

On what precise model of Stratocaster are you working? Materials and hardware could be having an adverse effect on the overall tone.

2004 Standard (MIM) Strat, alder body, stock bridge, Warmoth Pro maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, SS jumbo frets.

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

Two questions:
1) Are you certain that the body is alder rather than poplar?
2) Does the guitar have the Sung-Il vibrato bridge with the skinny, tapered sustain block?

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

Two questions:
1) Are you certain that the body is alder rather than poplar?
2) Does the guitar have the skinny, tapered Sung-Il sustain block on the vibrato bridge?

Not 100% certain, no. Just gathered from research I've done on these. Supposedly they used poplar up until 2000 and switched to alder after that. No guarantee though, and not really any way for me to tell, I suppose.

It has the thin, crappy zinc block that came on the MIM bridges. The bridge is the next on my list of parts to replace anyway. I'm sure it's not helping my tone.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

http://www.callahamguitars.com/upgrades.htm

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

http://www.callahamguitars.com/upgrades.htm

That's one of the main ones I'd like to get. Either that one, the Babicz Full Contact, or a Hipshot. Unfortunately... Money is, in fact, an object at this time. Lol

 

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

try lowering the FT2 in small amounts?

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

Just got home and decided to try something really obvious. Since nobody else is home yet, I turned my amp up a lot more than I normally would, which is something I almost never get to do. I forgot how much low end I was losing just from playing at "bedroom" volumes. This pickup definitely sounds bigger when being played louder. Of course 90% of the time I actually get to play guitar at home is when the baby's asleep. I should have known. My Les Paul sounds plenty huge at pretty much any volume, but this Strat needs a little more help moving some air.

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

I do have a little more peace now that I know what it sounds like cranked up. Just wish I could actually turn it up on a regular basis! All in all, this still makes me even more intrigued at the idea of trying one or more different DiMarzio rails in the bridge. This guitar may just continually evolve through different configurations of these. Collect 'em all! Lol

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

Just got home and decided to try something really obvious. Since nobody else is home yet, I turned my amp up a lot more than I normally would, which is something I almost never get to do. I forgot how much low end I was losing just from playing at "bedroom" volumes. This pickup definitely sounds bigger when being played louder. Of course 90% of the time I actually get to play guitar at home is when the baby's asleep. I should have known. My Les Paul sounds plenty huge at pretty much any volume, but this Strat needs a little more help moving some air.

I'm just going to post this to myself because I deserve it. Lol...

 

[jrbowen81]

Re: DiMarzio Fast Track 2: Does mine sound right?

One other thing I've noticed, now that I know this pickup sounds way better with the amp turned up, is that the Fast Track 2 is FAR more sensitive to changes in my pick attack than anything I've ever used before. I definitely wasn't prepared for that, but it's a good thing! It's causing me to refine the way I play this guitar.