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The Pickup Place / Re: Neck Position: Fast Track 1 vs. Injector bridge vs. Virtual Solo

« Last post by Schneidas on December 18, 2025, 06:20:14 AM »

To push back a bit on the Satch Track sounding “too fat,” it’s actually pretty tight, the problem is that it’s dull.

There is one easy fix for a dull pickup - it's disconnecting the neck tone pot.
It was the cure for a Steve Morse neck Humbucker, which was super warm and dull. Upon disconnecting its tone pot, it became a totally articulate and clear Humbucker for me.
Try it for the Satch Track and it will totally transform it.

If you're set on trying other Pickups, the Fast track 1 is definitely great, nicely bright and sounds like a cross between a humbucker and Singlecoil. I love it in the neck and it balances great with hotter Humbuckers. I ran mine with a Breed Neck model (which I use in the bridge) or with a SuperD.

The Cruiser Bridge is another great option for the neck for brightness but if you play a lot of cleans, there is definitely a big volume spike when switching from the Cruiser Bridge in the neck spot to a hotter bridge Humbucker.
I wish the Cruiser Bridge was louder, it would be one of the best Single Coil replacement pickups in the neck spot IMO.
It balances fine with a Humbucker up to PAF Pro hotness, but nothing hotter than that IME.

12

The Pickup Place / Re: Can anyone identify this old 80s stacked single?

« Last post by nienturi on December 16, 2025, 05:45:01 AM »

My pickup was like this.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Can anyone identify this old 80s stacked single?

« Last post by darkbluemurder on December 16, 2025, 05:08:26 AM »

Actually the Virtual Vintage single coil series were only released in the mid 90s so if the Seller says he bought the pickup in the mid 80s it is impossible that it is one of those. So if it has pole pieces it is most certainly a HS-1. If it does not have polepieces it could be a Shock Wave - this was a set developed for the use with a preamp but it works passively as well, sounds quite good but is low output as well.

Personally I would go straight to the Areas as IMHO they have a convincing single coil tone paired with healthy output.

Cheers Stephan

14

The Pickup Place / Re: Can anyone identify this old 80s stacked single?

« Last post by nienturi on December 16, 2025, 01:21:06 AM »

I had once a HS-1 from mid or late 80s. Its DCR was 10.63K. But old catalogs says for HS-1, it was wound 14.97K. But that pickup is very similar to my HS-1

15

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The Pickup Place / Re: Neck Position: Fast Track 1 vs. Injector bridge vs. Virtual Solo

« Last post by gregr on December 15, 2025, 04:30:25 PM »

My concern about pairing a Fast Track 1 with a fat bridge humbucker is about it lacking body, not so much about it lacking output. The limiting factor of it not sounding “humbuckery enough” has more to do with the aperture than the wind and this issue still exists with the hotter rail pickups, IME. In my SSS with an Area 61 in the middle and Injector Neck in the neck, the Fast Track 1 sounds very much like a humbucker, though I’m shaving off a bit of top end and am using a larger tone cap dedicated to position 1 in order to give it the appearance of sounding fatter. Likewise, in my HSS I’m sculpting the Fast Track 1 in the neck position to have more of a single coil tonality in position 4 and more of a humhucker tonality in position 5 (positions 4 and 5 are both neck-only). Context is everything. So with all that out of the way I say go ahead and give it a shot.

To push back a bit on the Satch Track sounding “too fat,” it’s actually pretty tight, the problem is that it’s dull. It’s great with a lot of distortion where the distortion is filling out the top end. Cleans are perhaps better suited for jazz, though it still lacks too much articulation for my taste. Perhaps I’d be more ok with it in a 24-fret guitar that is naturally bright.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Can anyone identify this old 80s stacked single?

« Last post by headcrash on December 15, 2025, 03:25:57 PM »

Hey Stephan, thanks a lot for your thoughts on this!
Please don’t make any efforts, I was just curious with that pickup.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Neck Position: Fast Track 1 vs. Injector bridge vs. Virtual Solo

« Last post by headcrash on December 15, 2025, 03:23:20 PM »

Thanks guys for your reply!

I should‘ve added, that I already had a Pro Track (too loud , too fat) and a Satch Track (still quite a bit too loud and too fat) in that guitar on the neck spot.
Good advice concerning string pull with the Virtual Solo, Stephan!

I wouldn’t necessarily want that pickup to sound like a PAF. That’s what I have my double humbucker guitars.
Also I think with the Satch Track I already ruled out the weakest of the dual blade PAF variants.
TBH, most of the attributes, gregr is pointing out with the Fast Track 1 make me want to try one, despite of the possibility it sounding not humbuckery enough, and being (too) quiet.
Maybe I should have an eye on the used market for a FT1…

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The Pickup Place / Re: Neck Position: Fast Track 1 vs. Injector bridge vs. Virtual Solo

« Last post by darkbluemurder on December 15, 2025, 04:20:22 AM »

I would be cautious about the Virtual Solo in the neck position as it has Alnico 5 magnets which have more string pull than the other models mentioned. Anything else fine - Chopper and Satch Track would be the closest to the humbucker camp.

Cheers Stephan

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The Pickup Place / Re: Can anyone identify this old 80s stacked single?

« Last post by darkbluemurder on December 15, 2025, 04:18:15 AM »

In the 80s DiMarzio had the HS-1, HS-2 and HS-3 models but I believe they were all higher DC resistance. Even though their output was rather low - even lower than standard single coils. I guess they had to use very thin wire to get enough turns on both coils.

I have to check the old catalogue whether this could be one of the Virtual Vintage models which are now discontinued in favor of the Area series.

Cheers Stephan