So I just finished doing a whole rewire on my strat, getting it ready for it's eventual new home of the strat im building. I put in a Stellar Tonestyler master tone knob. Wow, what a UNBELIEVABLE DRAMATIC improvement on the guitars tonal options, but overall tone as well. I cant rave enouh about it. So im going to be changing my pickups, i currently have Dimarzio area 58/58/61, which I still after a year and a half LOVE, but i want a little more beef. SO Im going to put the 61@ the neck, put one of the 58's to the side for another loaded pickguard to replace the one im taking off my strat now, and put something hotter in the bridge. Im kind of leaning to the Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues, or Virtual Solo. I want to retain some spank when i want it, but i want to be able to have smooth bridge overdrive when i want it too (the new tone cucuit helps anyway). While i do use Tube screamer, and Ive been having fun with a Fat Sandwich I picked up, i prefer to get my OD the old fashioned way, but pushing the front of the amp. SO i think a hotter bridge will help. ANy opinions? ANyone who has, or has tried one of the/se too, please give my your observations, ESPECIALY if you've used the Area 58/91's since if you were able to compare to those, id probably pick it up better. Thanks in advance.

Go with the VV heavy blues it will match up better with the area 61 and area 58. Same magnet as the area pickups and same output. I have a guitar with an area 67 in the neck and an area 58 in the middle which had a virtual solo in the bridge. The solo output and sound over powered the other two pickups. Put a DiMarzio classic paf humbucker in the bridge with the 67 & 58. I moved the solo to the bridge of my highway one because I did not like the bridge in the highway one the sound and output matched up better.

I have two Strats configured with Area61/Area58/Virtual Vintage Solo Pro (N/M/B) and they absolutely scream with a vintage tube Fender amp and a Fulltone OCD.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

HTH

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

would love to hear samples of that.

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

I'm pretty sure DiMarzio has a 30 day return policy. So if you do not like your first choice you can return it for your second choice.