I currently have the JB2 up high but the screws are countersunk with the DiMarzio Area staggering. This is the coil I’m using with the middle single. The output of this coil just about matches the middle which is just slightly weaker than the VV54P in the neck. I’m using a standard switch with the standard splitting configuration on the second pole. The VV54P is being split in position 4. I haven’t listened to it split by itself this way but did it in good measure. The wire and terminal are available so why the hell not? Position 4 sounds good.
The controls are 500k (one volume with a Kinman treble bleed and one 22n master tone). The screw coil of the JB is shunted to ground with a 270k resistor in parallel with the series combination of 150k and 470p*. The same is done with the middle and neck pickups though the neck pickup is using 180k instead of 150k. I don’t like the brittleness through a crunchy amp that’s dialed to favor the JB. An Injector Neck or a VVHB2 are warmer and fatter, but I want the lower relative output I’m getting with the VV54P (thank you @greenlion ).
I’ m still interested in the HS-3 or YJM Fury which don’t appear to have the airy top end of a traditional single (or that of an Area). Please correct me if I’m wrong on this. I heard a comparison video between an HS-4 and an Injector neck and prefer the HS-4 for this project, despite the Injector having much more clarity.
https://youtu.be/N8jKiTgdcb0I will still be removing the JB2 eventually once I land on a bridge pickup that I like**. I appreciate the FRED recommendation but it’s not my cup of tea. I love Satch though. Who doesn’t?
(*) 390p with a lower value series resistor would have been better optimized but I don’t have any on hand. Still, the difference would only be subtle. Also, the effects of this network hardwired to the screw coil of the JB are negligible when run as a series humbucker.
(**) Evolution neck in an HSS? C’mon, someone has tried this!