DiMarzio's Area pickups - suck!
- Thread starter Anficht
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KeeperOS
Active member
Re: DiMarzio's Area pickups - suck!
If you liked those A2s so much then why won't you just do a 180 and go get Suhr's SSC backplate?
AFAICT It looks like an ordinary backplate that injects reversed hum to real SCs so as to rob the hum without robbing any of the tone.
Normally I wouldn't be so quick to believe such a claim but it is Suhr after all and one 70s Strat that the local Suhr Dealer had installed it in sounded phenomenal and as real as any SC but without the slightest bit of hum...
Do note though that it's quite pricey...
If you liked those A2s so much then why won't you just do a 180 and go get Suhr's SSC backplate?
AFAICT It looks like an ordinary backplate that injects reversed hum to real SCs so as to rob the hum without robbing any of the tone.
Normally I wouldn't be so quick to believe such a claim but it is Suhr after all and one 70s Strat that the local Suhr Dealer had installed it in sounded phenomenal and as real as any SC but without the slightest bit of hum...
Do note though that it's quite pricey...
uOpt
Something Cool
Re: DiMarzio's Area pickups - suck!
I wonder how Lew can like the Stack so much more than I do
I tried it in a very warm guitar where it as killed by ASP2 and SSL1. He compared it to Antiquity Strat pickups. So I guess the stack is just very warm and doesn't suck in a brighter guitar?
I wonder how Lew can like the Stack so much more than I do
I tried it in a very warm guitar where it as killed by ASP2 and SSL1. He compared it to Antiquity Strat pickups. So I guess the stack is just very warm and doesn't suck in a brighter guitar?
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uOpt
Something Cool
Re: DiMarzio's Area pickups - suck!
Hm. I heard a Duncan employee say you won't hear the difference easily and that's why they don't offer both.
Hm. I heard a Duncan employee say you won't hear the difference easily and that's why they don't offer both.
frankfalbo
In Fluence Y'all
Re: DiMarzio's Area pickups - suck!
To me, it's more like "you won't hear anything that makes you want the old ones more."
I have three guitars with the old Classic Stacks in the middle. I like them a lot as middles, but not as neck and bridge pickups. The CS Plus is a great in all three positions. As a matter of fact, I have a strat with all three loaded and it's great. I also have the coil cut on there so I can get just the top coils, and surprising to me is that there's very little difference in tone. Mostly you can hear a little output increase, but it's almost inaudible. That's living proof that the bottom coil is simply cancelling hum, and not messing with the tone as much. The old Classic Stacks, as well as all the Dimarzios I've used, sound very different when you're using the top coil by itself.
The CS Plus is really for the vintage single coil lover. I have tons of Ibanez' that came with the IBZUSA Dimarzio stacks (HS-2 variants) and I don't find them good for much of anything. The only ones I leave in are the guitars I want to keep "stock." I've got a set of Virtual Vintage singles in an H/S/S superstrat. (VV 2.1 middle and VV heavy blues in the neck I think) To me they're a little "hyperexcited" sounding in the treble and bass, making for a juicy midrange that tends to be better for shredding and soloing. They're definitely not an authentic blues pickup. I actually have the same exact guitar with two CS+ neck and middle. One day I'll get them both strung up with fresh strings and A/B them.
To me, it's more like "you won't hear anything that makes you want the old ones more."
I have three guitars with the old Classic Stacks in the middle. I like them a lot as middles, but not as neck and bridge pickups. The CS Plus is a great in all three positions. As a matter of fact, I have a strat with all three loaded and it's great. I also have the coil cut on there so I can get just the top coils, and surprising to me is that there's very little difference in tone. Mostly you can hear a little output increase, but it's almost inaudible. That's living proof that the bottom coil is simply cancelling hum, and not messing with the tone as much. The old Classic Stacks, as well as all the Dimarzios I've used, sound very different when you're using the top coil by itself.
The CS Plus is really for the vintage single coil lover. I have tons of Ibanez' that came with the IBZUSA Dimarzio stacks (HS-2 variants) and I don't find them good for much of anything. The only ones I leave in are the guitars I want to keep "stock." I've got a set of Virtual Vintage singles in an H/S/S superstrat. (VV 2.1 middle and VV heavy blues in the neck I think) To me they're a little "hyperexcited" sounding in the treble and bass, making for a juicy midrange that tends to be better for shredding and soloing. They're definitely not an authentic blues pickup. I actually have the same exact guitar with two CS+ neck and middle. One day I'll get them both strung up with fresh strings and A/B them.
Anficht
Member
Re: DiMarzio's Area pickups - suck!
Ok, SD Classic Stack Plus pickups are here and installed.
Played around with them the whole morning now.
First impression:
neck pickup is better than Area '58 in that it doesn't have those weird mid-frequencies. I have a feeling that the Area tracked faster though...
I'm not loving the neck pickup so far, still experimenting with pickup height etc.
bridge pickup is GREAT!!!! This one will definitely stay.
Tough, very good output, focused, great for rock, Blues, and a great lead sound aswell. Loving it so far.
Take this "review" with a grain of salt, as these are first impressions and also note that I'm reviewing overdriven/distorted tones, not clean ones.
Right now, I'm thinking of moving the bridge pickup to the neck position and see how this one sounds there... The neck pickup is not what I had hoped
Ok, SD Classic Stack Plus pickups are here and installed.
Played around with them the whole morning now.
First impression:
neck pickup is better than Area '58 in that it doesn't have those weird mid-frequencies. I have a feeling that the Area tracked faster though...
I'm not loving the neck pickup so far, still experimenting with pickup height etc.
bridge pickup is GREAT!!!! This one will definitely stay.
Tough, very good output, focused, great for rock, Blues, and a great lead sound aswell. Loving it so far.
Take this "review" with a grain of salt, as these are first impressions and also note that I'm reviewing overdriven/distorted tones, not clean ones.
Right now, I'm thinking of moving the bridge pickup to the neck position and see how this one sounds there... The neck pickup is not what I had hoped
