SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

[Quicksilver689]

Does anyone have any experience with SD Stack PLUS pu's vs DiMarzio Area's? I will have a brand new Carvin Bolt with 3 stock AP11 single-coils in about a week or so, and if I don't like the stock pu's, I'm examining alternatives ahead of time. I really like what I've heard from the DiMarzio Area 58-58-61 combo so far, but I'm now wanting to gather whatever info I can about other pickups too.

I've listened to a bunch of Andy Timmons and Marco Sfogli's playing using the DiMarzio Cruisers, and although I love that pickup, I don't know for sure that it's what I'm looking for. I've also checked out the Everything Axe Set on Youtube clips and the sound clips here at the SD site for those pickups, but I don't know that they give the tone I'm looking for either. with all these mentions, I don't know if it's the ceramic magnet in them vs. alnico, but something just doesn't seem quite right.

I'm looking for pu's that will deliver fairly "authentic" single-coil tone, but it doesn't have to be 100% exactly-vintage-correct, if you know what I mean. I'd like the output souped up just a little bit too, and definitely looking for noiseless options. While I definitely want a good amount of treble detail, I'm also trying to avoid "ice picks in the forehead"...heheheh

I've tried researching the newer SD Stack pu's debuted at Summer NAMM '09, but I'm not finding any real sound clips of them. Anyone have any experience with those?

While I continue investigating, listening, and learning, I'd appreciate any input you guys might have as well. TIA!

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

frankfalbo - any feedback or sound clips you may have would greatly be appreciated if you read this.

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

bump

 

[tone4days]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

honestly, i've heard really very happening tone from both (as much as it kills me to say anything nice about dmz) ... one of their endorsees posted some links over at thegearpage a year or so back and they were really really good strat clean tones - just very very authentic tones in all 5 positions ... but the variety available in the duncan classic stack plus line is definitely "look no further' quality ... one of these days i am gonna load up a pickguard with a set for my EJ strat to be able to go back and forth as needed

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

Thx Tone4days, I'd love to hear what a Vintage Hot(N)/Classic (M)/Hot (B) combo of the Stack Plus pu's sounds like, I bet it'd be awesome though!

 

[Fikealox]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

I have had a classic stack set in a strat before, and I have to say they sounded exactly like SSL1s without the hum (that is, exactly like vintage true singles minus hum). Accordingly, the bridge did sound too bright and thin for my tastes, but I'd imagine the hot stack would fix that.

 

[LobsterSausage]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

I play the Area 58/61/67 in my strat and I have to say that I like them a lot. They are glassy without being thin and noiseless as far as I can tell (I've cranked up my amp and nary a hiss was heard). Of course, it all depends on your tastes, acoustic tone of your guitar, etc. Basically, I've found that they allow my guitar to show through without coloring the sound too much (all pickups will add their own flavor, otherwise why would they make different types?). They are Alnico 2 (58 and 61 for sure, but I'd have to check their site to confirm the 67).

I can't wait to get home and re-aquaint myself with the beauty of my strat.

Good luck with your search. I understand the quandry of trying to find just what you want within a budget.

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

Thx for the feedback...anyone else have anything, especially sound clips? I'd love to hear what the Vintage Hot, Classic, Hot, and Custom Stack Plus pu's sound like.

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

 

[tc]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

I really like the DMZ Area 58/67/61 combo and from what I hear the Virtual Solo would be great in the bridge as well.

I just want to add, since well SD does have a new artist haha....

There's also a new stack pickup out, the Seymour Duncan YJM Fury!

I know on this board you'll find some DiMarzio haters, but to be honest, you can't go wrong either way.

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

Thx for the vid link, tc...I should have specified that I'm looking at the newer Stack PLUS pu's, and not the older Stack models...I appreciate your help though.

So I see that you're in San Jose, Costa Rica...cool...my wife is just outside of Los Anonos right now on a mission trip with a team from our church.

 

[Schappy]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

I have the Hot Stack Plus in the bridge of my Strat along with Area 58(N), and Area 61(M).

The Hot Stack Plus is a fantastic pickup. Its a firebreather though.
It definitely warms up the bridge of a Strat but also takes most of the "Strat" tone away.

You might want to check out the Custom Stack Plus.

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

Thx Schappy...I'll keep that in mind. I've been checking out a LOT of clips over the long weekend, particularly SSL-1 vs. SSL-5 vs. SSL-3 (which are hopefully close enough to their Stack Plus counterparts for comparison's sake, though I couldn't really say), and there are BIG differences.

Do have any clips by chance?

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

That's a Hot Stack in the bridge/DMZ HS-1 middle and HS-3 in the neck through a JCM 900.

I don't care for the PUs, but if it is you who play, it's awesome and very impressive to my ears.I like those harmonics a lot, and the expressive/percussive playing!:friday:

 

[Schappy]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

I dont have any clips.

I would say go with the Custom Stack Plus(SSL-5) if you arent going to do any
real heavy rock.

If you do play hard rock and metal go for the Hot Stack Plus(SSL-3).

I love the Hot Stack Plus but it doesnt sound very Stratty. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

Frank Falbo says the stacks are pretty darn close to their single coil counterparts.

One thing to remember with the single coils, especially the hot ones, you can get them tapped so you can split them.

Cant do that with the stacks but I dont like hum from pickups.

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

Cool...Thx Schappy. I do play hard rock to a degree, but I also want to maintain enough of a "Strat-iness" to my tone, so I'm thinking that a Vintage Hot(N)/Classic(M)/Custom(B) set of Stack Plus pu's will do nicely.

I know that this is not an apples-to-apples comparison, but I look at it this way: if I like the way that a Dimarzio Area 58/58/61 combo sounds (which rocks but still maintains a Strat-y kind of sound - just check out Lincoln Brewster's playing), I most likely will like the combo stated above. But PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong...still thinking about just getting the Hot model in the bridge instead of the Custom, but I'm not sure just yet...

 

[tc]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

I don't care for the PUs, but if it is you who play, it's awesome and very impressive to my ears.I like those harmonics a lot, and the expressive/percussive playing!:friday:

Oh guys I can't believe it...I was so friggin out of my mind!

I got it wrong that's a Classic Stack Bridge.

For some reason I remember very well that the description used to say "Hot stack bridge, HS-1 middle and HS-3 neck."

Well that's a big big D'oh on my behalf! Sorry!

You can always look up the "noisy" equivalent of the pickup you're interested in. For example if it's hard to find Classic Stack Plus clips look for SSL-1 clips (Juanes, a singer/songwriter uses the Classic Stack Plus pickups in his Strats from what I know BTW), then if you're interested in the Custom Stack Plus then look for SSL-5 clips (Geoff Wells and David Gilmour. I'm not even going to get into the whole "Did Gilmour use the SSL-5 or not" debate with anyone so p!ss off) and so forth.

Maybe they won't be 100% spot on, but I'm sure they are very close. Anyways I've always felt noiseless pickups like the Area's and the Stacks have the tone, they just lack the feel





And of course it's not me in the video. I wish I had any chops of any sort :lol:.

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

You can always look up the "noisy" equivalent of the pickup you're interested in. For example if it's hard to find Classic Stack Plus clips look for SSL-1 clips (Juanes, a singer/songwriter uses the Classic Stack Plus pickups in his Strats from what I know BTW), then if you're interested in the Custom Stack Plus then look for SSL-5 clips (Geoff Wells and David Gilmour. I'm not even going to get into the whole "Did Gilmour use the SSL-5 or not" debate with anyone so p!ss off) and so forth.

Maybe they won't be 100% spot on, but I'm sure they are very close. Anyways I've always felt noiseless pickups like the Area's and the Stacks have the tone, they just lack the feel.

Funny you should say that...that's exactly what I've been doing with the SSL-1, SSL-5, SSL-3, as well as the older Classic and Hot Stack models. I've spent the last several days od'g on mp3 clips of them...lol...

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Schappy]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

You cant go wrong with Hot, Custom , SSl-3 or SSL-5.

 

[bryvincent]

Re: SD Stack pu's vs DiMarzio Area's?

I dont have any clips.

I would say go with the Custom Stack Plus(SSL-5) if you arent going to do any
real heavy rock.

If you do play hard rock and metal go for the Hot Stack Plus(SSL-3).

I love the Hot Stack Plus but it doesnt sound very Stratty. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

Frank Falbo says the stacks are pretty darn close to their single coil counterparts.

One thing to remember with the single coils, especially the hot ones, you can get them tapped so you can split them.

Cant do that with the stacks but I dont like hum from pickups.

i'm considering buying a stack plus set and i just want to ask if you connected the tone control on your Hot Stack Plus. the diagram on the website didn't connect the bridge pup to the tone control.
also, an alternate diagram on the website shows the stack pluses can be split to a single coil.