I've had these pickups around for awhile and finally got them installed. Now after spending some time with them I'd thought I'd give a review. They went into a '97 American Standard Strat with maple fret board. I did use standard Fender 5 way pickup switching along with both tone controls (it's my understanding that YJM uses a 3 way switch and volume control only, tones disconnected). Pickups were tested mostly on a Fender Supersonic (also on Mesa Dual Rec). I’ve played them at moderate volume (what I’d use at a full band practice) but not ear bleeding levels.
In terms of tones, these pickups have impressed me.
When used totally clean, they don't have the 'chimey' Strat pickup character that you'll find in true singles, much like their DiMarzio counterparts. However, add any processing at all, like a chorus or delay and these pickups shine...they retain definition and punch. Unlike the DiMarzio set, these do not seem to have a built in compressor either...much more responsive to pick attack. Trills and legato are a piece of cake on these pickups. The 2 and 4 positions are VERY nice...these positions sounded poor (IMO) on the DiMarzio sets. I'd feel pretty comfortable at a country gig with these pups.
When distorted, these Fury pup's take it to the next level. They are very pick responsive and will totally out you if you're not playing cleanly; even with a good amount of gain they retain definition (much like a Full Shred). In comparison to the DiMarzio HS's I perceive more output. Distorted tones are smooth. Also, the Furys really 'sing' and sustain more than the DiMarzio's which is great for my style. These pickups are quiet when you’re not playing.
One of the negatives that I have noticed is that the bridge pickup can be a tad bright. Using the bridge tone control on 8-9 really smoothes the tone out though. Also, as previously noted, the pickups do sound a little flat when totally clean, but that’s not the intended application either.
In short I tried these pickups because I was very happy with the new SD STK S4 stacks in another Strat but wanted a voicing that was more conducive to rock/hard rock distorted tones. These pickups sound fantastic for what I’m doing and are a great choice if you’re looking for a humbucking but single coil voiced pickup for rock/hard rock.
In terms of tones, these pickups have impressed me.
When used totally clean, they don't have the 'chimey' Strat pickup character that you'll find in true singles, much like their DiMarzio counterparts. However, add any processing at all, like a chorus or delay and these pickups shine...they retain definition and punch. Unlike the DiMarzio set, these do not seem to have a built in compressor either...much more responsive to pick attack. Trills and legato are a piece of cake on these pickups. The 2 and 4 positions are VERY nice...these positions sounded poor (IMO) on the DiMarzio sets. I'd feel pretty comfortable at a country gig with these pups.
When distorted, these Fury pup's take it to the next level. They are very pick responsive and will totally out you if you're not playing cleanly; even with a good amount of gain they retain definition (much like a Full Shred). In comparison to the DiMarzio HS's I perceive more output. Distorted tones are smooth. Also, the Furys really 'sing' and sustain more than the DiMarzio's which is great for my style. These pickups are quiet when you’re not playing.
One of the negatives that I have noticed is that the bridge pickup can be a tad bright. Using the bridge tone control on 8-9 really smoothes the tone out though. Also, as previously noted, the pickups do sound a little flat when totally clean, but that’s not the intended application either.
In short I tried these pickups because I was very happy with the new SD STK S4 stacks in another Strat but wanted a voicing that was more conducive to rock/hard rock distorted tones. These pickups sound fantastic for what I’m doing and are a great choice if you’re looking for a humbucking but single coil voiced pickup for rock/hard rock.
