Thinking of loading my SSS strat with Dimarzio pickups(neck:HS3, middle:injector neck, bridge: red velvet)
Any thoughts?

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Fender Standard Stratocaster
Maton ER90C

The HS3 is a very weak output pickup with a flat response; the Injector will noticeably overpower the other two pickups with volume and midrange; the Red Velvet will be very similar to an American Standard Strat bridge pickup with maybe a hair more guts and volume.

Of note is the fact that only the HS3 is humbucking which may or may not cause amp/pedal setting conflicts.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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I have true velvets in a G&L Legacy. You will like them. They are sweet and vintage. They are not that hot. They sound great.

I'm looking at the Area set for my strat.

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Those are nice!

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

Thanks for the feedback

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Fender Standard Stratocaster
Maton ER90C

I have the Area 58 neck/67 middle/61bridge in one of my Strats and they sound pretty good...

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These would be my choice but with the 58 and 67 reversed.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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Ignoring the noiseless factor, Martian, how do the Dimarzio Areas compare to the Duncan SSLs tonewise, etc?

My disclaimer: Remember, tone is subjective and anything I have to say on this subject would be merely IMO where YMMV.

Having said the above and without compiling a treatise regarding the intrinsicalities among the different years of Pre-CBS pickups as a probable reference point, your question is really too general for you are asking me to compare an entire pickup line against another. Which pickup(s) specifically are you asking me to compare and contrast?

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Area 67/58/61 combo (neck/mid /bridge) compared to SSL2/6/3 combo.

The SSL2 is closest to a an Area 61 with less volume. The SSL6 is closest to an Area 58 with more volume. The SSL-3 is unlike any of the Area pickups.

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What do you compromise when you go with the DM set described above instead of the SD SSL2/6/3 combo? (I'm guessing you give up something when you go with a noiseless pickup.) What tonal differences would there be between the two sets? Which set most accurately reproduces the vintage Strat tones? I'm guessing we're talking about more than one "vintage Strat tone" since the DM Areas are tagged as "67, 58, and 61"..

Actually, the compromise is small. The Areas mimic the tonality and output of the specific years of the Strat pickups they are named after by like, 95%. In other words, they deliver in an overwhelming majority as advertised. Now if I was going for a Pre-CBS pickup packaged Strat but HB as I have in the past, the aforementioned DiMarzio combo is without hesitation, the way I did go and still would go. Currently however, I wanted more than what Pre-CBS Strat pickup parameters could offer as I only own one guitar and needless to say, this guitar must be as versatile as possible. I chose the SSL-2 because I still wanted a Pre-CBS Strat pickup's characteristics in the neck. The SSL-6 in the middle, I wanted enhanced power and midrange beyond Pre-CBS Strat pickup's characteristics to balance both power and tonality wise between the bridge and and the neck; I also wanted that 'clankiness' to disappear which is characteristic of so many middle position Strat pickups. The SSL-3 in the bridge, I was outright going for a P-90 tonality which is certainly not found in any OEM Pre-CBS Strat pickup's characteristics. As to the whole HB vs single coil thing, frequency response will always be better with single coils. This is what I was implying with my above "95%" remark. Of note is the fact that I am not afraid of single coil hum. Most of my playing career has been with Strats way before Strat slotted HBs existed. And admittedly, yes, I have been in many situations where I wished my pickups were HBs but I always managed. FWIW, I made a calibrated dummy coil I could install in minutes where again, I'd get 95% of everything without the hum. I doubt very strongly that I'll ever use it though.

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+1000

If I buy something that does not live up to its promises, I'll not purchase it again. In the case of the Virtual Vintage DiMarzio's, I put them in two guitars after the first set performed so impressively. And I'm strongly leaning towards getting a third set to replace the Fender 57/62's in my CAR '62 clone.

The DiMarzio's have spoiled me!



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