BACKGROUND: I have a 1999 Standard MIM Strat, with alder body and maple neck. It's completely stock (SSS configuration) and I'm the original owner. I've owned the guitar since '99 but really only began playing actively 2 years ago. Lots and lots to learn still. That said, I've decided it's time to upgrade the stock pickups with something a little more lively. I've sought out help on this forum in other threads regarding some pickguard and accent color changes and in that thread, my pickup mod came up. So rather than discuss it there, I've brought it here....a new thread.

My music tastes are pretty much squarely in the classic rock genre with my favorite artist/group being David Gilmour/Pink Floyd. Throw in Zep, The Who, Frampton, Hendrix, Kravitz, Beatles, Bon Jovi, SRV, Van Halen, Santana, Pearl Jam, STP, Dire Straits - pretty much all over the 60s-90s rock spectrum. Throw in some James Brown type funk now and then and I'm happy. I play rhythm in a cover band just for kicks with an occasional live gig thrown in every few months. My band plays pretty much the above-mentioned types of music.

My pedalboard consists of a ProCo Rat2 distortion, Bad Monkey overdrive, Bad Horsie 2 wah.

My other guitars are a music man with a HSS set-and a Dean MLX with dual HBs but I'm selling that one (another story)). Right now, I'm just looking to upgrade the strat....the music man perhaps at some point in the future.

THE QUESTIONS:
I've been considering/researching/asking opinions about the following options for pickup upgrades: EMG DG-20s, Fender Hot Noiseless, Fender Texas Specials. I was then pretty much decided on the DiMarzio Area Set ('58/'67/'61) but then I came up with the following DiMarzio configuration using the DiMarzio pickup picker (pretty cool tool):
Neck: Area '58
Middle: Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2
Bridge: Chopper

I'm thinking this final configuration is going to give me the most options and some pretty cool tones and variety.

BUT - I'm looking to the wise ones on this board to guide me with their own experiences. Does anybody have any experience with this exact (or even a similar) type of configuration? What do you think about this combo? If not these, then which pups would you say I should put it? Price point is sub $200.
Thanks in advance!

bump.

anybody have anything for me?

You´re searching a tone yourself don´t even know what yet. The undying quest for tone. Forget all about pickup brands you know.

http://www.kleinpickups.com/

Choose your style, buy, install and be happy. If either of the pickups suits you, call Chris, he will be pleased to handwound the exact pickups you want.

http://www.dallenpickups.com/

You might wanna take look at David Allen also, great pickups.

Myself, but thats my taste, Texas Specials, cause I dont need anything but that for Blues and Classic Rock.

But yourself as a more demanding customer, you wont be fully happy with aftermarket pickups, you will always need something else, then handwound custom pickups is your way 2 go !

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated! I will check all of them out!

If you are looking for a Gilmour tone, check out www.Gilmourish.com

The general consensus there is Custom shop 69 or 54 in the neck and middle, with a Seymour Duncan SSL5 in the bridge. Dimarzio FS-1 is another choice for the bridge. I believe Knopfler used an FS-1 in the neck position.

Personally I've found happiness with two area 67 pickups in neck and middle, and a virtual solo in the bridge. Really good classic strat tone with a more bluesy sound out of the bridge.

Just my .02
-Dino

To be fair, its a FAT50 on the neck, CS69 middle and SSL5 bridge.
Chris Klein make a set based on the black strat too, with a AlnicoII bridge, claiming for a warmer tone under heavy overdrive/fuzz.

D.allen standard JM Rock & blues pup's all the way..
I put a set of these in my mim strat & it is now hard to put this strat down.

try em you won't regret it!!

FWIW - the fine tech folks over at DiMarzio, when presented with the same question had this to say: "You might try a Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 (DP409) in the neck, an Area 67 (DP419) in the middle and a Chopper (DP184) in the bridge. See attached wiring diagram. I can't promise this (or any) set of pickups will do everything you want, but it will produce a wide range of tones I think you'll find useful."

"D.allen standard JM Rock & blues pup's all the way.." - Well ya see, I have this in-house credit at MF which drops my cost to basically half so I'm going to be sticking to whatever brands MF sells (SD, DM, Lace, EMG, etc).

If/When I upgrade the pups in my music man at some point in the future, I might go with the D. Allens or Kleins.

This confuses me, is it MIA or MIM?

With the Rat, Monkey and Vai pedal, I think I'd go with Fender Hot Noiseless...they're great if you ever want to record with it too.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Woops! You are absolutely correct. I fixed the description. I hope I haven't offended anyone.

You could try Bare Knuckle Pickups, I heard people talking about it on the forums, and apparently, some Fender has some sets coming their way from them on certain guitars.

If I recall correctly, Nikininja has a set of them and he loves them.

_________________
1987 Fender Squier Strat - Lake Placid Blue
1981 Yamaha Eterna Folk Acoustic
2006 Peavey Bandit 112
2007 Roland HP-207 Piano

Seymour Duncan tech suggested the following combo: STK-S4 in neck and middle and SL-59 1B in bridge. Thoughts on that setup?

I've seen several people getting a Gilmourish sound with an SSL 5 (bridge/neck). I really like that idea. Saw some youtube videos with that pup. sounded sweet.

What about a combo of any of above?
Better still, how about - VVHB2 neck, area 67 mid, SSL-5 in bridge? What would that be like?

I get what I consider a very good Gilmour tone with the Dimarzio pickups.

I have the VV Heavy Blues 2 in the bridge position. To me this is a much more appropriate position since it tends to be too bassy in other positions. I would suggest this OR the VV Solo for the bridge.

I use the area 67 in the neck position. This does make it more sparkley than you might be used to but damn it sounds good. In that position it gives you a very good mid-scooped tone which sounds very Hendrixy as well.

In the middle I have gone back and fourth between an Area 61 and Area 58.
I tend to like my pickups to go from scooped at the neck to middy at the bridge and control what treble I want with the tone control.

One advantage with the Area line of pickups over the CS 69 and CS 54 is you can use more compression (i'm thinking Gilmour tone) without the hum.

You music taste sounds VERY similar to mine and i'm very happy with this combination (especially when playing floyd)

I asked Dimarzio what the closest they had to a noiseless FS-1 was and the tech said the Heavy Blues 2, so that is right up the alley. I wish I had ordered that one but I already had the virtual solo. All in all I can't complain about it, I'm very happy with the sound.

When I spoke with my guitar guy about the combo that the DiMarzio tech people suggested (Chopper-bridge, Area 67 -mid, DP409 - neck), his opinion was the the DP409 might be a little too dark and muddy. He suggested that I consider the Interceptor for the neck instead. So I re-presented to the DiMarzio tech people (who have been stellar and responsive - I might add, even emailing on Saturday and Sunday....talk about great customer service!!). The DiMarzio tech person held firm to the idea of the DP409 being the pickup I should use in the neck. This is consistent with what the DiMarzio Pickup Picker tool suggested for the most varieties of tones as well.

So I know that this is all very subjective and opinions are like bellybuttons (everybody's got one), but it's hard to argue with the pros at DiMarzio about the setup and combination of their own products. That said, I most definitely equally value and respect the opinions of you folks on this forum as well as the guy that's going to be installing the pup in my strat. What do do...what to do??

The good news is, I'm closer to deciding on the more important color combo of my pickguard/knobs/pickups, etc.