[BlasphemyMadeFlesh]

Hi guys,
I am currently looking for pickups for a HSS alder-bodied Strat that can be used for Fusion and Rock... so far I have decided on the PAF Pro for bridge, and the Injector Neck for (you guessed it) neck. I like brighter tones in general, but the job for this middle coil would be to blend with bridge and neck on positions 2 and 4 to get a nice clean or bluesy tone.

I recently put all EVOs in my RG1570 for thrash/speed metal and shredding. The middle used to be a True Velvet middle in that one. I was thinking of moving the True Velvet middle over to the Strat to meet the guidelines I mentioned before.

What do ya'll think?

[darkbluemurder]

No experience with the True Velvet but since it's a traditional low output single coil it should do the job. Keep in mind though that it is not hum-cancelling and will therefore not give a humcancelling combination with the Injector neck. It may give you a humcancelling combination with the PAF Pro if you split the PAF Pro.

Hum-cancelling pickups that work well in the middle are the Area 58 or the Virtual Vintage 54 Pro. Since you want bright, the Area 58 is what I recommend. The Area 67 would even be brighter but FWIW I preferred the other two.

Cheers Stephan

[RayBarbeeMusic]

According to DiMarzio, the true velvet is roughly equivalent to an Area '61 or 54 Pro, so I'd use one of those to retain hum cancelling.  If you want to split your PAF pro when it's in parallel with the middle pickup, just make sure to use the coil that hum cancels with the Area split.  Areas are South up normally, so your neck side PAF pro coil would be the one that cancels hum.  I find those coils are too close together to quack right, so in those cases I'll reverse the magnet in the humbucker so the bridge side coil is North (white green on a DiMarzio) and hum cancels with the middle.  You could also order a RP Area.

Honesly a PAF pro is a fairly bright bridge, so you may find it sounds fine when in parallel with the middle pickup without having to split either pickup. 

[greenlion]

I don't like the True Velvet nearly as much as the Area 67 and 58.

[RayBarbeeMusic]

I agree.  Used to be, noiseless was a compromise.  Now I like the Area series better than I like any "true" single overall for tone, nevermind that they're noiseless.