Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

[Guitarmusic]

I have an ash body American strat with HSS pickup configuration. It has an AT-1 in the bridge, a Dimarzio Cruiser(bridge) in the mid position and a Satch Track in the neck. The Satch track sounds a little dark in tone when switching from the AT-1 and I was wondering if there is a single coil which delivers A bit more of the strat characteristics while matching the output of a satch track? The difference in tone was tolerable at first but is now wearing on me.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

My first thought is the STK-S4, which sounds very Stratty, but as you go up in output from there, you use Stratty-ness. It is like you have to pick output level or quack. The S4 is a great pickup that mixes well with humbuckers, though.

 

[Hank-]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

From the dimarzio lineup, the cruisers are the most stratty sounding in a rails format. You could try putting one in the neck but its a low output pickup, so you will need to keep the AT1 at a lower height. I've had the cruiser-b, ft1 & chopper in the neck, the ft1 would give you more brightness than the S-Track but i found it less dynamic than the cruiser, whereas the chopper was dull sounding in the neck and not what i wanted.

The injector neck would be able to match the at1 well in terms of the output balance & it will sound more strat like then the S-Track you have in the neck. There is also the area61 that could work well. Look into some clips of those pickups in the neck(search for drew area 61 to find some vids)

 

[Teleplayer]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

The AT-1 will probably work better with its own tone control. Otherwise you could just at a 1M parallel load resistor across the AT-1. Either of these suggestions will help with the balance issues.

I wouldn't be too quick to swap out the Satch track because it offers a pretty good combination of output and brightness IMO. However its much more like a humbucker than a single coil.

 

[Guitarmusic]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

Awesome advice! Thank you! I was curious about the injector and I have a pick guard with another tone control on it. Both of those are great suggestions.

 

[Guitarmusic]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

My first thought is the STK-S4, which sounds very Stratty, but as you go up in output from there, you use Stratty-ness. It is like you have to pick output level or quack. The S4 is a great pickup that mixes well with humbuckers, though.

I've been doing alot of reading on that pickup since you recommended it. Would you have any idea of how the StK4 would sound with the AT-1? Would the tone difference be too drastic?

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

I haven't convinced myself to try the Satch Track in the neck because all the reviews I've seen and DiMarzio's own "tech talk" stated that it's voiced rather warm and not very "Strat"-like at all.

I also don't have a lot of experience with Duncan's stacks in the neck position, so I can't speak to those.

Andy Timmons uses the Cruiser Bridge model in the neck and middle position on his guitars next to the AT-1 and gets a believable "Strat" tone out of them.

The Cruiser Neck is a little brighter and a little more "quacky", but ever-so-slightly lower than the bridge in output...the bridge model in the neck actually balances better for most styles.

For the most authentic "Strat" tones with DiMarzio, the Area 61 or the Injector Neck would be the way to go. Area 61 is the brightest, sort of a "texas hot" sound, with an output similar to the Cruisers, while the Injector is slightly more powerful and a little less snappy than the 61.

That said, I'm looking to score a Zexcoil at some point to try in the neck. From what I understand, they have the Strat thing nailed, but are inherently higher in output due to their design. Just expensive compared to the DiMarzio/Duncan offerings

 

[sedawkgrep]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

Dimarzio heavy blues 2 ?

 

[Guitarmusic]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

Dimarzio heavy blues 2 ?

I was reading about that too on the dimarzio website, i was wondering if it might be too dark?

 

[Hank-]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

HB2 wont be as dark as the STrack. It sounds like this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx7F4u4yyWk

My area67 would overpower the cruiser bridge in any position so much so that i would had to keep the 67 lowered in height. The cruiser is nice but in comparison to the area67 its overall stiff & doesnt mix well with it because agan you will find it dull sounding when switching positions unless you put a resistor across the area pickup so that it sees 250k load while others see 500k. The area61 is brighter than the cruiser but not as bright as the 67. It will work for you for solving the current problem but you might then find wanting yourself trying to get rid of the cruiser as well in the middle. You can try the ft1, it keeps up with a medium output or paf humbucker bridge because it has more midrange than the cruiser bridge but thed highs are different sounding.

You can try the hb2, injector neck or the ft1, each of those will be brighter than the Strack.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

I have an Ibanez AT-10, and the Cruiser bridge model pups in the middle and neck see the work fine with the DiMarzio AT-1. They might be just a hair more quiet, but not enough to really matter. And yeah, they aren't a single coil, but their tone is in that vein.

 

[Guitarmusic]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

HB2 wont be as dark as the STrack. It sounds like this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx7F4u4yyWk

My area67 would overpower the cruiser bridge in any position so much so that i would had to keep the 67 lowered in height. The cruiser is nice but in comparison to the area67 its overall stiff & doesnt mix well with it because agan you will find it dull sounding when switching positions unless you put a resistor across the area pickup so that it sees 250k load while others see 500k. The area61 is brighter than the cruiser but not as bright as the 67. It will work for you for solving the current problem but you might then find wanting yourself trying to get rid of the cruiser as well in the middle. You can try the ft1, it keeps up with a medium output or paf humbucker bridge because it has more midrange than the cruiser bridge but thed highs are different sounding.

You can try the hb2, injector neck or the ft1, each of those will be brighter than the Strack.

That was a cool video, thanks!!

 

[donaldr]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

The AT-1 will probably work better with its own tone control. Otherwise you could just at a 1M parallel load resistor across the AT-1. Either of these suggestions will help with the balance issues.

+1 and cost (almost) nothing. That's what I do with a STK-S7 neck and Screaming Demon bridge.

 

[Guitarmusic]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

The AT-1 will probably work better with its own tone control. Otherwise you could just at a 1M parallel load resistor across the AT-1. Either of these suggestions will help with the balance issues.

I wouldn't be too quick to swap out the Satch track because it offers a pretty good combination of output and brightness IMO. However its much more like a humbucker than a single coil.

I have never done anything like that before, would I solder the resistor to the volume pot?

 

[Guitarmusic]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

does the STK-7 overpower the Screamin Demon? Or is it the other way around?

 

[Teleplayer]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

I think its a good time to ask you about the controls on the guitar. Can you confirm:
1) Have both controls been changed to 500k?
2) Is the tone control setup as master Tone for both pickups?

 

[Guitarmusic]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

I think its a good time to ask you about the controls on the guitar. Can you confirm:
1) Have both controls been changed to 500k?
2) Is the tone control setup as master Tone for both pickups?

Both controls are 500K and the tone works for all pickups. I don't use the tone knob very much at all though really.

I also did some reading on the 1M ohm resistor and learned how to put it in there on a Fralin pickups website. Thank you for the idea, I had never considered that before.

 

[Teleplayer]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

Adding the 1M resistor across the AT-1 give a warmer tone, which is equivalent to setting your existing tone control to 8/10 for the AT-1, while the neck pickup will still have the tone on 10/10. My thinking was your effects and amp settings can be EQ'd to give a better overall balance with more brightness for the neck pickup. Alternatively if you don't want to change the EQ of your signal chain, you can swap the master tone control for a 1M control - That would leave the tone of the bridge pickup the same as it was previously with tone on 10.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

I did not read all of the replies, so I apologize if this has been stated.

Try disconnecting the neck & middle pickups from the tone control. They'll sound a little brighter, and you can dial in the amp around your neck pickup, then use the tone control to take the edge off the bridge pickup.

 

[donaldr]

Re: Single coil pickup which matches Dimarzio AT-1?

does the STK-7 overpower the Screamin Demon? Or is it the other way around?

STK-S7 overpowering the Screamin Demon. I have to lower the STK-S7 and raise the TB12. STK-S7 is darker in the necK (originally designed as a bridge pickup) and TB12 is bright. I have no middle pickup and 3-way switch, surprisingly they sound very good toghether.