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The Pickup Place / Strat pickup heights

« on: April 21, 2017, 01:20:16 PM »

Curious as to what y'all are using as a starting point for pickup heights. The guy who did the installation in my Strat left them very low and I don't feel they are optimized tonally (he likes them down there - I don't). I know string pull is low, etc. Like I said, just looking for a starting point from those who have gone before.

Pickups are Heavy Blues 2 neck and bridge, Area 58 middle.

Thanks!

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The Pickup Place / Experience/opinions wanted - Strat

« on: March 27, 2017, 08:53:52 AM »

Is anyone running a Virtual Solo in the neck position? Thoughts? I have an extra one and want to not waste it.

One choice - h/s/s Strat running a Suhr Thornbucker in the neck, thinking the VS might match up nicely. A "vintage" Strat neck pickup can be too strident for what I play.

Another choice - VS in the middle of my s/s/s Strat (Heavy Blues 2 in the bridge). I still want some quack but am okay with it not being purely vintage-sounding.

I bought a Virtual Vintage 54 Pro. Choices are either neck or middle position of a s/s/s Strat. I'm thinking the 54 might enhance quack a bit in the middle to make up for the non-vintage bridge pickups.

I have an Area 67 in the middle of my h/s/s Strat and like it. What changes can I expect if I replace it with the 54?

Is the Area 67 a good choice in the neck? Or would you use the 54 there?

Lots of questions but figured it was best to combine. All comments welcome.

The facts - I'm not looking for vintage tones and prefer a VS or HB2 in the bridge (tonally). Please keep recommendations to DiMarzio silent pickups. Lots to choose from and I'm very loyal and happy with these products. Style is a mix of several - pop, new country, classic rock, blues. No metal. I do use high-gain tones but spend 95% of my time with club clean and light crunch tones.

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The Pickup Place / Successful Strat extreme makeover

« on: March 17, 2017, 10:51:59 AM »

As mentioned earlier, my height adjustment progressed to a need for pickup surgery! My Melancon Pro Artist was running DiMarzio Areas - 61 in the bridge, 58s neck and middle. These had served me well for several years.

But something was driving me to make a change. I just could not find ear-pleasing tones any longer. This is the best Strat I've ever played - not the guitar's fault. And it has seen several pickup swaps (including a h/s/s pickguard - Melancon 'guards are a 10-hole pattern, not Fender compatible).

Last night, the Area 61 gave way to a DiMarzio Virtual Solo. The neck Area 58 gave way to a Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2. Both changes were made after asking a lot of questions and listening to countless demos.

Frankly, I think I just needed a change. But man! I got this one WAY right! The Virtual Solo seems to lie somewhere between a hot Strat and a humbucker. Maybe even a touch of Tele bridge in there. Whatever, I can now play it clean without rolling off the tone (wired directly to the bridge). And under gain, it sings wonderfully. Most thrilling to my ear bones!

The Heavy Blues 2, originally bought for the bridge, ended up in the neck. It is sublime! Hard to describe. More polite than the typical Strat neck pickup (always a great tone), warmer with a feathery edge that shimmers without being overly bright. Yeah, need more words for this one.

Other positions also benefit from these changes. In short, it's a new guitar! I haven't yet run it hard - will fix that starting after work and the weekend - but the hour I did run it (and heard it played by my friend who did the wiring) definitely thrilled me.

I have used DiMarzios for a long time now and decided to stick with them (I had looked at others, like MojoTones, Kinmans, and others) this time around. For me, this was a great decision to stay with the family.

More changes are coming. Virtual Vintage 54 Pro for the middle of the Melancon and my h/s/s Warmoth Strat. Maybe another for the neck of the Warmoth. My friend has his h/s/s Melancon set up with 54s neck and middle and I played that for a few minutes, then handed the guitar back and mumbled something about having to order more pickups.

Any thoughts? Will be selling some very nice Areas probably. Before I buy/build more guitars to re-home them.

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The Pickup Place / DiMarzio pickup advice - Strat

« on: March 03, 2017, 08:44:41 AM »

Guitar is a Melancon Pro Artist S, chambered. Despite that, the guitar sounds pretty vintage-y. Music style is p&w, so think rock/pop/blues/country (we cover a lot of stuff).

Current setup for many years - Area 61 bridge, Area 58 neck/middle. 7-tone wiring, tone control wired directly to bridge (this is a 2-knob guitar).

These have served me well, but I am feeling the need to make a change. I'm looking to go warmer, maybe more bluesy. I really don't run pristine cleans - club clean and light crunch are used the most, but also higher-gain tones are needed at times. I'm mainly a Fender amp sort of guy (Axe-Fx II).

On hand is a VV Heavy Blues 2 (just purchased) that I was going to put into the bridge. But YT demos have me thinking, as a couple used the HB2 in the neck and the tones were amazing! Yesterday I ordered a Virtual Solo thinking that will go into the bridge instead.

Current thoughts - HB2 neck, Area 58 middle, and VSolo bridge. I do like some quack but not going for vintage. Definitely want some fatness and warmth from the bridge and am not after a vintage voicing there. I do have an Area 61 that could go in the middle, not sure how much that will cost me in "quack."

Current pots are 250K. Guitar is a touch dark - would I be better served switching these out? Answers to this question seem to go both ways, but I'll gladly switch them given good reason. I guess I wonder if the change is needed if all I need to do is turn up the treble or presence a bit. Am I missing something in this process?

I'd appreciate any thoughts and advice.