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The Pickup Place / Re: Dimarzio FS-1 upside down (Hendrix Style)

« on: June 24, 2020, 01:09:36 PM »

Yeah, I know it is not an usual setup, but I did with the pickups I had in hand.

The SSL-5 is notably hotter than the FS-1, although the resistance of the FS-1 is slightly higher. So, based on how hot the pickups are, my current setup is ok, the bridge pickup (SSL-5) being the hottest.

The FS-1 in the middle is quite interesting, as it gives a warmer option to the true velvet, for an increased versatility of the guitar without being too far away tonewise. And there is the SSL-5 for distorted tones and total fuzz mayhem. 

The height of the FS-1 is currently 7mm from the low E pole and 5mm from the High E pole when I press down the strings on the last fret. Is it somewhat akin to your own setup?

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The Pickup Place / Re: Dimarzio FS-1 upside down (Hendrix Style)

« on: June 20, 2020, 01:18:35 PM »

Finally, I decided to put back the SSL-5 in the bridge position and I moved the FS-1 in the middle position. Together, they are in phase and hum cancelling (nice!). The True Velvet is RWRP so it is hum cancelling with the FS-1. Nice setup in the end!

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The Pickup Place / Re: Dimarzio FS-1 upside down (Hendrix Style)

« on: June 10, 2020, 09:41:54 PM »

With the set of pickups you have I would probably go (from bridge to neck) SSL-5, FS-1, TV.

Exactly the next setup I plan to try!

Looking at the height of the magnet on the FS-1, the only possible effect would be the B and high E to be a tad louder and the lower E and A to be a tad softer. The stagger is nearly symmetrical. A rotated SSL-5 (or TV) might have more effect on balance between strings.

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The Pickup Place / Dimarzio FS-1 upside down (Hendrix Style)

« on: June 08, 2020, 09:23:09 PM »

Hi!

I am having fun switching around pickups on the same guitar. I have a SSL-5, a FS-1 and a True Velvet. Just to hear what they do at different places.

At the neck position, the FS-1 shows more bass and more treble and less mids than the SSL5, which seems to be all mids. But I would not say that the FS-1 is mid scooped, there is still a lot of mids, compared to a more traditional strat pickup, like the true velvet for example, which at the neck position sounds quite a bit mid scooped. All three sound good at the neck position, but I prefer the kind of snarl you get from the FS-1 when you dig hard on the strings. So, at the neck, my preference is FS-1 for lead, True Velvet for rhythm (and you can always kick in the tubescreamer for lead stuff with the True Velvet).

At the middle position, I have yet to try the SSL-5 and they FS-1.

At the bridge, well, here is where I have questions for you folks. The way the wood is cut on my guitar makes it impossible for the wires to exit the pickup towards the bridge, since the pickup must be installed flush to the wood. No problem with the SSL-5, whose wires come out from under the pickup and whose base plate is symmetrical and flush with the plastic cover. But, with the FS-1, the baseplate is not symmetrical and the wires should normally come out on the bridge side when the pickup is in the right orientation. Because of the way the wood is cut, like I said above, I have no choice but to install the FS-1 on the wrong side, or Hendrix style like I prefer to say . Anyone knows, ideally from experience, how this affects the sound of the FS-1?

Otherwise, the FS-1 installed Hendrix style is clearly less hot than the SSL-5. The SSL-5 calls for total fuzz mayhem! . Which is how David Gilmour uses it most of the time anyway. The FS-1 retains a more straty feeling than the SSL-5 overall. Up to now I have the feeling that the FS-1 is more versatile than the SSL-5.

Any thoughts? 

Thanks!

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The Pickup Place / Re: Winding and polarity of Dimarzio and SD single coils

« on: November 02, 2019, 07:37:30 PM »

So the True Velvet Middle is installed and fully working. I installed it following Dimarzio's instructions. I did not try to swap wires or else, I installed it as it is intended to be in the first place.

The True Velvet and the SSL-5 in neck position are in phase, but they are not hum-cancelling. This means, if I am not mistaken, that the polarity and the winding direction are the same. I conclude that Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan are using opposite ways to build single coil pickups. So, I should have ordered a True Velvet Neck instead to get the humcancelling effect with the SSL-5. Not a big thing in my opinion, I am already used to the hum when playing with single coils...

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The Pickup Place / Re: Winding and polarity of Dimarzio and SD single coils

« on: October 17, 2019, 05:29:44 PM »

The true velvet middle was already ordered when I posted in the first place. I shall receive it soon, probably next week, or even tomorrow if I am lucky. I will keep you informed how it works with the SSL-5.

I will probably try the FS-1. I have been for the SSL-5 for its Gilmourish sound, but the guy also used a FS-1 on Animals and The Wall.

In the meantime, thanks for the feedbacks!

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The Pickup Place / Winding and polarity of Dimarzio and SD single coils

« on: October 13, 2019, 10:35:34 AM »

Hi!

I was wondering about the polarity and the winding of Dimarzio's single coils. I already have a SD SSL-5 in a stratlike guitar, and I was planning to pair it with True Velvet pickups. So, a SSL-5 with a RWRP True Velvet should provide a hum cancelling combination, except if for some reason Seymour Duncan and Dimarzio use different polarity orientations and winding directions.

I have found on Seymour Duncan's website that the SSL-5 is south, top going. On the Dimarzio website, I have found concerning the True Velvet middle : "For technically-minded players, reverse polarity on our true single-coil Strat® replacements is south up." Do I understand that the SSL-5 and the True Velvet Middle have the same polarity and winding, hence once paired they are not hum cancelling?

Besides, anyone has experience in pairing Seymour Duncan and Dimarzio single coils?

Thanks!

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The Pickup Place / Re: Dimarzio "equivalent" to the SD SH-5 custom?

« on: October 06, 2019, 07:20:42 PM »

In the ballpark is very good!

What would you see (hear?) in the ballpark?

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The Pickup Place / Dimarzio "equivalent" to the SD SH-5 custom?

« on: October 06, 2019, 09:32:05 AM »

Hi!

This one is mainly for the sake of curiosity...

I have a Godin XTSA (mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard and silvered maple body with poplar wings, which to the best of my knowledge is somewhat similar to a mahogany body, maybe a bit brighter IMO) and I am looking to swap the stock bridge pickup with a SD SH-5 custom. Something not too hot, to play a bit of everything from blues to thrash/doom/black metal stuff. Clean and high gain stuff...

Someone has any experience with Dimarzio pickups that could be "equivalent" to the SH-5? Yeah, I am aware they will not be identical, take note of the quotation marks... 

Thanks!