[LPBII]

Has anybody tried this?

I'm just thinking out loud, but this may be a good way to bump up power without losing the strattyness, or at least you can get it back with the turn of a knob.

What about the EC preamp with true singles? Or would the noise make it unusable once it's boosted?

I still like the tone and response of true singles better when possible, but I haven't gained a lot of experience using Areas.

[gregr]

It’s really no different from using a pedal on the floor.

As far as bumping the output is concerned, the Areas are on par with traditional single coils.

That out of the way, the EC mid boost should work as expected. With the possible exception of the Injector Bridge and perhaps Virtual Solo, the Area/Virtual Vintage pickups already run lean so they might sound a little thin. The HS series is supposed to be fatter sounding and may do better. It has been a long time since I heard that particular circuit so consider this little more than hand-waving.

[LPBII]

Well, I played that strat through a high gain amp with out too much gain dialed in. Never mind. Carry on. LOL