Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups - review and question

[grandturk]

I recently picked up a MIJ Foto Flame 54 Reissue strat from a friend. It had a set of Gold Lace Sensors in it, which I've never been a big fan of, so I've been experimenting with pickups. Two days ago I recieved a wired set of Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups from ebay, so in they went.

Its got a VV Blues in the neck, a VV 2.1 in the Middle and a VV Heavy Blues in the bridge. I have a problem figuring out what pickups to match up in strats, so I like getting them as sets. I figured this would be a very Texas Special sounding set, with names like Blues and Heavy Blues. They were wired up to 500k pots, volume & 2 tones including the bridge on the tone circuit, and a treble bypass filter on the volume pot.

I tried them out through my Marshall JTM 60 combo and my POD. I was expecting Texas Special style sounds and the Dimarzio's were not even close. These are all vintage sounding pickups, very bright, clear, open and articulate in all positions, with a little extra girth in the bridge and some nice fatness in the neck. Not what I was expecting at all, given the model names. Through the Marshall, with the clean channel cranked, the sound stayed clean and focused, with lots of shimmer and clang. I tried them with a wah, a Fulltone fuzz and a TS-9 and all sounds were usuable. The fuzz was nice because unlike the Texas Specials in my other strat, the sound stayed really clean until I cranked the fuzz all the way - then it was Hendrix all the way. With the TS-9 adding some mids, some of the shimmer went away and the sound rounded off well, gaining oomph and losing cut.

In A/B comparisons to the Gold Lace Sensors and the Texas Specials, the Dimarzios have a whole lot more character than the Lace Sensors. They sound a whole lot more "real" than the sensors (which was always my problem with lace sensors). No comparision to the Texas Specials - they're my favorite single coil, and they just don't sound the same - that's not a bad thing. The Texas Specials have guts and punch.

If anything, these pickups are too bright. Reading Dimarzio's material, they say to use 500k pots for the most tonal options, but that 250K pots can be used for a warmer sound. I'm a everything on 10 kind of player, so I don't like rolling my tone down to warm up the sound. If I were to keep these pickups, I'd replace the 500K pots with 250K's and remove the treble bleed circuit. I like a certain muddiness when the volume rolls down. I'd have to check, but I'm betting the tone cap values aren't my preference either.

I'm a vintage kind of guy, I like things like 60-cycle hum and cloth wire, so noiseless pickups aren't my preference. These virtual vintages are dead quiet. Really no hum or buzz at all. This is likely a comination of the pickups and a well shielded pickguard. They look like regular single coils - which is a plus to me.

I've got a set of Fender Fat 50's coming today, so with my next string change, I'll put those in.

Anyone else have experience with the Dimarzio Virtual Vintages? What about using 250k pots with them?

[Tele-Bob]

I was considering buying a Strat in NYC a few months ago that sounded really good. Then I saw the price! It was a custom shop Strat that had been altered and was way over priced. The sound was great though. I asked the salesman and he said those are DiMarzio VV p'ups in there. I was impressed.

[chuckocaster]

the only experience i've had with them was in my jazz band i used to play in. the guitar player had a strat with the dimarzios in it. it sounded great, nice and warm (he rolled his tones back though). i think a 250k vol pot would help with the highend. but other than that it won't make them sound like the texas specials. two completely different beasts. the texas specials sound the way they do because they are overwound. the dimarzios aren't. there are a lot of other factors that also play into the pups sound. if your only complaint is that they are too bright, then a 250k vol pot is needed. also check the caps, if you want vintage then put a .05 cap in place of what is in there. if the cap is already a .05, then you could try a .1, but that is a little drastic to me.

[grandturk]

Thanks for the ideas, Chuckocaster. I wasn't really looking for a Texas Special kind of sound - I figure I've already got one strat with those, so I wanted something more classic sounding. I just thought with a name like "Heavy Blues" they'd have that midranch chunk, but I guess not. I think the Dimarzio's have the tone I like, but I still want to try out the Fat 50's. I've found a lot of times "noiseless" pickups just miss that special something in the sound. And if the Fat 50's play great out of the box, I will not have to bother sorting through pots and caps.

[chuckocaster]

cool man, most people don't realize that pups are all different. most think that they can dramatically change the tone of their pups by pots and caps. and sometimes the way pups are labeled is inaccurate, i.e. "heavy blues". hope all goes well for you. have fun.

as for myself, i like the hum. the noiselesses in general sound a little "flat". i've heard some really good ones, but i'll just stick with what i've got, noiseful.

[Tele-Bob]

I never would have believed that a noiseless p'up could sound good but, man the Kinmans in my Strat sound incredible!

[grandturk]

Well, that didn't last long. I popped in the Fat 50's and they've already outed the Dimarzios from consideration. I'll post a review of them when I get some more time with them, if anyone's interested.

[rosssurf]

Well, that didn't last long. I popped in the Fat 50's and they've already outed the Dimarzios from consideration. I'll post a review of them when I get some more time with them, if anyone's interested.

Hello Grandturk! I was wondering if you could compare the Fat 50's to the V V set you had.

[thegeezer]

I have a set of V V s and can't say that I am crazy about the highs, I found them to be ice-picky and don't break up well.

[refin]

I have a homebrew Esquire made with a FotoFlame body----the pickup is a V V,and it sounds amazing.Great highs,drive,clarity,spank.....and NO noise.I've had it in another Esquire with the same results.


BTW,those big red knobs were changed yesterday.

[thegeezer]

Nice playing, Refine!

[refin]

Wow,thanks------appreciate the kind words.

I found a track with the above guitar----
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=7099393

[Custom 5]

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!

This is an oldie and I agree that the DiMarzio V V pickups do sound terrific!

[thegeezer]

Refin, what kind of amp do you use? I am wondering if I change the speaker in my DRRI to a Weber 12A150 it would match the VV pickups better.

[refin]

Refin, what kind of amp do you use? I am wondering if I change the speaker in my DRRI to a Weber 12A150 it would match the VV pickups better.

My "amp"-----
The previous track was through my trusty J-Station direct-inject...I use it alot on my recordings.

[thegeezer]

Fooled me, I guess I'll take my guitar with V Vs in it to my friends and see how it sounds through his DR with a 12A150 in it.

[refin]

My V V sounds great through any amp----it is a real good noiseless pup.

[elicross]

Sounds fantastic, refin! I'm reminded of great session sounds like the Rockford Files and Simon & Simon themes.

Makes me wonder if I should replace the Fender VNs in my Deluxe Player with VVs. I'm sure that would immediately allow me to sound as good as you.

[thegeezer]

The V Vs are not the best pickup and may be the lest liked pickup I have used. They so don't bind with the amp like a SC pup does. Just my humble opinion.

[refin]

Found another one---
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...songID=4317903

[thegeezer]

I guess it's a matter of taste and feel, we can agree that we each deserve to have a point of view without ridicule, I like the song.

[refin]

Yeh,I agree.My favorite tele pup is my handwound Zhangliqun PB wind;but for noiseless sound and being about to crank a little with no hum,I like the V V.

[thegeezer]

That's why I got some for the real noisy clubs we play at with all the neon lights and all.

[refin]

I had my V V bridge pup in tandem with a Fender Noiseless neck,and they sounded really good together---man,I hate places with rheostats and dimmers!

[grandturk]

Wow this is an old thread - imagine my surprise seeing it after not being back here for quite some time.

Here's how it all worked out - I ditched the VV's and kept the Custom Shop 50's for a good long time. I'm in the process of rebuilding the guitar as well.

I had replaced the fotoflame body with a light ash from Warmoth in vintage white. I'm having the neck refretted with some jumbo wire and I'm going to get a black body routed out the body for humbuckers. I'm going to build up a Dave Murray style strat while I'm waiting for Jackson to build my Adrian Smith. This way, if I want to go back to a regular strat, I can just switch out the bodies (or buy another neck - more likely!)

[Zhangliqun]

I had a VV set in a Strat about 15 years ago. They were much better than the stocks and I also liked them better than the Texas Specials I tried. I used two Heavy Blues and a VV Solo for the bridge so it was a heavier overall set than the original poster's. I kept the stock 250k's and I didn't have any problem with them being overly bright at all, they were certainly less ice-picky than the stocks, and no more so than the TS's. But again, higher output + stock 250k pots would make a big difference there.

[Nairbr]

I never would have believed that a noiseless p'up could sound good but, man the Kinmans in my Strat sound incredible!

I had a tried a set of Kinman Woodstock Plus pickups in my L series strat.

I liked the sound of them but I ended up selling them because they were too hot for the sound I was after, I shouldn't of been so greedy and gone for the Traditionals or Hank Marvins, but they are the best sounding noiseless pickups around