Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

Gr8Scott

Gr8Scott

Wookieologist
I bought a complete set to try out. Thus far I'm liking them. They sound pretty darned good at first blush. Mounted them with the "v" shaped portion of the pickup facing the bridge and the taller pole pieces are on the side of the heavier strings (the low E etc) instead of the lighter strings. Looks backwards to me from the outside and I perceive a volume difference as well. I might have to take them out and swap them round once this set of strings wears out.
 
Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

I love the Area series; especially the '67. How are you liking positions 2 and 4? They sound so damn good there.
 
Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

I only got to check out the bridge and the neck pickups in the very brief time I had with them. I also had to check out the new Big Muff Pi Tone Wicker pedal to make sure it functioned as well. Then I had to walk the dog and fix supper. Too late to plug in and play now, but I'll give everything another go tomorrow.
 
Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

I wanted bright and that is what I got. I'm digging the tone thus far.

One thing other than the backwards polepiece deal though... The wires are completely unshielded for some reason. Why would they have unshielded wiring exactly? Seems kinda cheap if you ask me to have unshielded wires for a noiseless pickup IMHO. My guitar is fairly well shielded, but if not for that I'd be very pissed off about it...
 
Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

Gr8Scott said:
I bought a complete set to try out. Thus far I'm liking them. They sound pretty darned good at first blush. Mounted them with the "v" shaped portion of the pickup facing the bridge and the taller pole pieces are on the side of the heavier strings (the low E etc) instead of the lighter strings. Looks backwards to me from the outside and I perceive a volume difference as well. I might have to take them out and swap them round once this set of strings wears out.
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Isn't that how they're supposed to be mounted? With the v shaped portion of the pickup facing the bridge?
 
Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

appar111 said:
Isn't that how they're supposed to be mounted? With the v shaped portion of the pickup facing the bridge?
Click to expand...

That's what I've always thought myself. That is why I mounted them that way. Then I look at the polepieces and they look "wrong" for lack of a better term. They look like they should be swapped when looking at the top of the pickguard. It seems like the bassier strings have polepieces that are longer/closer to them while the higher and thinner strings have polepieces that are flat with the plastic. Just looks weird to me...
 
Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

Gr8Scott said:
It seems like the bassier strings have polepieces that are longer/closer to them while the higher and thinner strings have polepieces that are flat with the plastic. Just looks weird to me...
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I'm pretty sure that's how it's supposed to be. I have Area '54s in a Strat, and that's how they are. If the '58s are anything like the '54s, you should be able to adjust them to be pretty close to the strings. If you hear a volume difference, just raise that side of the pickup a bit. The '54s are super sensitive to height adjustments.

I'm pretty sure putting the tall polepieces under the high strings would simulate the Hendrix-style flip. I've never tried it myself though.
 
Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

Thanks for the reassurance Razix. Do yours like to be really close to the strings or do they like a little room to breathe?
 
Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

Well, I've been pondering options for a neck pickup and this might be the one. I've played a late 50's Strat and it was THE BEST sounding Strat and every one since has left me cold in comparison. If these are like late-50's pups, I'm sold.
 
Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

Gr8Scott said:
Thanks for the reassurance Razix. Do yours like to be really close to the strings or do they like a little room to breathe?
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I just checked, and mine are super close to the strings.

On the neck pup, there is enough clearance to fit a dime comfortably between the string and the polepieces on both the treble and bass sides (with the strings fretted on 22 fret). I have the middle adjusted quite a bit lower... I would say about a nickel and a dime of clearance. I do this in order to get a better "quack" in the notch positions and in order to keep the mid pup out of the way when I am strumming.

I have a Heavy Blues 2 in the bridge, and I'm finally starting to get along with it. I don't like it as much as the '54s. It seems to sound best with about a dime of clearance under the strings as well. If I set it any lower it just sounds bright and empty.

I know these measurements probably sound a little crazy. I never really bothered to check how close I actually had the pups to the strings on this guitar until now. i just kept raising the pups until I got the best sound that I could. I don't notice any weird overtones clean or distorted and the sustain seems normal, so I'm guessing these use pretty weak magnets.
 
Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

interesting to see this thread as i have been considering getting a pickguard made up to easily swap a complete set of noiseless pickups into my EJ strat ... i heard a demo of the dmz areas and was kinda blown away ... i think it was a mixed set of 58, 61, and 67 ... for me, i'd want to recreate this as close as i can with the duncan classic stacks ... so many to choose from to know which compare most closely

good luck and let us know how you dig them when you get it dialed in
 
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Re: Tried out the Area 58 noisless strat pups...

I have mine set pretty close as well and haven't noticed any drop in sustain etc. I think that is how they sound their best IMHO.

I hope your strat is well shielded T4D. I really don't dig the unshielded wire thing. That would be a real problem for me on any other guitar.

I can't say that they sound like a 50's era strat pickup per se, but I think they sound pretty good. Far superior to the Bill Lawrence Wilde LS-200's I have in my other strat.
 
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