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The Pickup Place / Should I swap out my Air Zone in my strat?

« on: April 28, 2016, 11:41:42 PM »

Hi all!

In my American Standard fat strat, I have an Air Zone bridge bucker, and two Fast tracks. The two tone pots are 250k and the volume pot is 500k. Oddly, my one tone knob goes to the Air Zone bridge bucker. Maybe I forget that I moved one tone to the bridge.

Just a few things.

I have the AZ tweaked fairly well but I keep feeling it could be a little brighter, a little punchier and a touch more output.

Since it would be a drop in swap, I am thinking of the Steve's Special or Breed bridge bucker.

Thoughts on these and my thoughts?

Finally, how would you guys set the tone pots? I really have no need for a tone pot on the neck pickup so maybe keep that one open. Or, is it best to open up the AZ by removing the tone pot connection.
And, any really benefit changing the tone pots to 500k even though I am pretty much a all pots on 10 guy.

Thanks!!!

Rich

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The Pickup Place / Advice and opinions on what to do with my Air Zone loaded in my strat?

« on: April 28, 2016, 11:39:10 PM »

Hi all!

In my American Standard fat strat, I have an Air Zone bridge bucker, and two Fast tracks. The two tone pots are 250k and the volume pot is 500k. Oddly, my one tone knob goes to the Air Zone bridge bucker. Maybe I forget that I moved one tone to the bridge.

Just a few things.

I have the AZ tweaked fairly well but I keep feeling it could be a little brighter, a little punchier and a touch more output.

Since it would be a drop in swap, I am thinking of the Steve's Special or Breed bridge bucker.

Thoughts on these and my thoughts?

Finally, how would you guys set the tone pots? I really have no need for a tone pot on the neck pickup so maybe keep that one open. Or, is it best to open up the AZ by removing the tone pot connection.
And, any really benefit changing the tone pots to 500k even though I am pretty much a all pots on 10 guy.

Thanks!!!

Rich

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The Pickup Place / Re: Which pickup works best with Air Zone and FT1?

« on: July 04, 2015, 04:27:42 PM »

Thanks,

I ended up with 2 Fast Track 1s along with the AZ.

The 54 Pro was way to thin, weak and I didn't like playing them at all.

I also may end up going with the AZ and 2 Satch Tracks.

I never us the inbetween strat positions, except once in a while.

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The Pickup Place / Which pickup works best with Air Zone and FT1?

« on: June 07, 2015, 11:42:09 AM »

Hi guys,

I don't like the 54 Pros in my strat so I am replacing them. I just swapped a guy, one of my 54 Pros for his Fast Track 1.
I an AZ bridge and one FT1. I am not sure what other noiseless single to get nor where to place it.
I love Andy Timmons tone but I find the Cruisers too weak.
So I am hoping the Fast Tracks do me better.

What do you all recomend - another FT1? A Satch Track or Chopper? Which for middle and which for neck?

I know many times guys will use a weaker pickup in the middle. For me, I like using the middle sometimes alone, so I would think it should be hotter than normal.
I hear guys using Chopper middle and Fast Track 1 neck.

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The Pickup Place / Re: HSS rock pickups for hi gain and QUACK!

« on: May 16, 2015, 04:57:26 PM »

I have the 54 Pro in the middle and it is so weak and thin compared to my Air Zone. I would personally go injectors or Fast Track middle. I really hate weak thin singles, I come from always using humbuckers so if I switch to a single or in between position, I tend to drop out of the mix cause my output and volume drops so much, especially being a hard rock or metal guy. I will only use powerful singles that can hang with humbuckers. I am going Chopper, Fast Track, and or Satch Track or Injectors. My 54 Pros would not keep up and neither would my Fender high output noiseless. So far my favorite single coil sized pickup is the Chopper and the Duncan Little 59. However, these don't sound much like single coils but under gain and clean, they will be cleaner than a typical humbucker and that is all I really want out of so gle coil sized pickups. I can't change my style. Even Hendrix, I always played on my LP Standard. Haha.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Stacked or Rails? Big difference? Suggestions?

« on: May 15, 2015, 08:04:23 AM »

Thanks. I assumed that was what you meant but I wanted to be certain. In this scenatio, I prefer a hotter middle pickup than the neck pickup. I really want to try the injector set but it is often recommended to use two Injector neck pickups. Why not have an Injector bridge pickup in the middle?

Ahh...i see why two Injector neck pickups are recommended. The will be more single coil like. I am willing to give singles one more try. However, my experience with 54 Pros and stock Fenders and Fender High Output noiseless singles could not keep up with my humbuckers.
Many times I would pickup a strat and people say I drop from the mix.
If the Injectors can't do it, I will just stick to rails like the Choppers, Fast Tracks and Satch Tracks. I know the Chopper rocks and keeps up with full size humbuckers but they don't sound much like singles.
That is fine cause I want my single coil size pickups to be like my humbuckers but better clean and maybe cleaner and clearer under gain but plenty fat and powerful. The quack is not a big deal to me. To me the notch positions on a strat always have this haze or fuzzy quality I never like. Maybe that is because most of the music I play is either clean or rock, hard rock or heavy high gain.

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The Pickup Place / Re: One year with the Air Zone and 54 Pros = :(

« on: May 15, 2015, 07:58:12 AM »

Good point. I haven't played this guitar in a long time and recently picked it up and realized I need to yank out these 54 Pros.

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The Pickup Place / Re: One year with the Air Zone and 54 Pros = :(

« on: May 14, 2015, 12:43:02 PM »

Maybe I can make the 54 Pros work by raising them higher since andy Timmons is able to use Cruisers with his signature HB.

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The Pickup Place / Re: Stacked or Rails? Big difference? Suggestions?

« on: May 12, 2015, 03:21:18 PM »

If you don't have a use for the #2 and #4 positions consider a H-S set up (one bridge humbucker  and one  neck single coil). More oomph at the bridge where it's needed and more clarity in the neck where it is needed, too - really the best of both worlds. I could imagine that Air Zone and Satch Track would be a great combination.

Stacked is not a bad design in itself. There are better stacked designs with respect to the goal to make the pickup humcancelling and still have it sound like a single coil. Since that is not what you want, a rail design may suit you better. 

Cheers Stephan

Thanks Stephan! Are you recommending I rewire for the HB and single with no middle, and a new pick guard? How is that more powerful? How does that equate to more bridge umph and neck clarity?

Also, I am not apposed to giving noiseless single one more chance. Maybe two Injectors.
How about an Injector bridge in the middle?

I also use a 500K volume and 250K stock tones.

I was told a fantastic set up for strat is Air Zone bridge, Chopper middle and Fast Track neck!

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The Pickup Place / Re: Stacked or Rails? Big difference? Suggestions?

« on: May 11, 2015, 05:16:59 PM »

Hi-fi as in clinical, the opposite of warm.
I was thinking of the Injectors, but why not an Injector bridge in the middle. Since I am not a single coil fan, I sometimes just think of getting mini humbuckers for all slots and I would just have a different flavor of humbucker in the middle.
What exactly is quack? I have never liked single coils because I just can;t play them. I am like Chris Shiffel who has a signature Tele where he uses only humbuckers because he doesn't get along with singles, I am the same way.
Maybe I will try a Chopper in the middle and Satch Track in the neck. Or, Fast Track center and Satch neck or vice versa. I prefer the weakest pickup in the neck.
I am trying to get used to single coils more and take advantage of what they can bring to the table, so maybe I try the Injector neck pickups. I will just have to lower the neck pickup moire to balance volume.
Regarding strats, I never found a use for the 2 and 4 positions - always seemed to lack tightness.
Only volume is 500K!

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The Pickup Place / Stacked or Rails? Big difference? Suggestions?

« on: May 07, 2015, 11:28:29 AM »

Sorry to bring this up again, but this is the last time before I take the plunge!

I guess that is the issue with me - I am not, nor have I ever been a fan of single coil pickups. I hate playing them. I am not a fan of quack. Maybe I would prefer my middle and neck pickups be a mix of single and humbucker, but more humbucker-ish, maybe even P90-ish?

Now I often hear that stacked is a bad design and also sound more single coil than rail pickups. I hear rails are more humbucker than single.

I use a 500K volume and two stock 250 tone pots.

I do not like anything to sound hi-fi. That has been keeping me away from the Cruiser and Fast Track. I am thinking of a newer rail design like the DiMarzio Satch Track or the Chopper.

Maybe the bridge Air Zone, which I have - will work well with a Chopper and Satch Track.
Not being a single coil fan and actually tend to prefer the warmer split tones I get out of my PRS CE-22, than any singles I have had in my strats. If I can find the perfect P90 type stacked or rail pickups or the perfect blend of humbucker and single coil.

I don't like a weak pickup in the middle, like some players. I am not a fan of in between position tones, unless I am playing a Gibson or two humbucking guitar - then I enjoy the middle inbetween tones. I like having the bridwe - middle - neck, all being a bit different proving different tones. I know the position alone will impart its tonal character, so I am really saying that I only use those 3 positions on a strat. I tend to prefer hot bridge, lower output middle and lowest output neck. Having the same output or identical pickups in the middle and neck is fine as well!

I like the middle pickup to be slightly less output than the bridge pickup and the neck to be less output than the middle pickup. I like to be able to use all 3 pickups for clean to mean!

These are my thoughts - Bridge - Middle - Neck:

Air Zone - Chopper - Fast Track 1
Air Zone - Chopper - Satch Track
Air Zone - Satch Track - Fast Track 1
Air Zone - Satch Track - Satch Track
Air Zone - Injector bridge or Neck - Injector Neck

Suggestions or opinions?

Thanks!

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The Pickup Place / Re: One year with the Air Zone and 54 Pros = :(

« on: April 16, 2015, 07:39:15 PM »

You see, I hate that quak you speak of with singles. I always hated those tones!

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The Pickup Place / Re: One year with the Air Zone and 54 Pros = :(

« on: April 16, 2015, 08:27:05 AM »

Hi Ray (your name?),

I am confused about output cause most stock guitars will have the same singles in middle and neck. However, many state the middle pickup should be the weakest? Finally, I know guys who prefer the middle hotter and the neck pickup the weakest.
An example is a guy I know using the Air Zone, with a Chopper middle and Fast Track 1 neck. He says the in between tones are good even though logic would tell you the fast track should be in the middle for this?

So confusing. Like Timmons and others I know just use two cruiser pickups or one chopper or Fast Track thrown in. Ugh, the output confuses me. To me it makes sense that the pickups get weaker the closer to the neck....so something like Air Zone, Chopper and Fast Track or Air Zone, Fast Track, Cruiser.
Keep in mind, only my vol is 500k. Tone pots are stock Fender 250k.

Signing off now as completely confused....

Rich

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The Pickup Place / Re: One year with the Air Zone and 54 Pros = :(

« on: April 15, 2015, 03:22:01 PM »

I was referring to the Area series, the Injector being the only one that I think works well with 500k.  If you're using a rail type in neck or middle, definitely use 500k.

OK, thanks. The Area series are those that look like real singles? What is the rail series called? The Cruiser series? Interesting how DiMarzio in their explainations will often say how this pickup is an improvement over this other pickup or an enhancement or progression in the series such as Cruiser -> Chopper -> etc.....and Area -> and so on...What are the main characteristic differences? I am a humbucker guy and use singles sparingly and prefer to never, LOL. I don't want this strat to sound like my humbucker guitars but I still much prefer either full humbucker, mini HBs, and I loved the Chopper in the bridge and to be honest, it seemed like a full on HB.

So I am looking at the Injectors, Satch track and maybe the Corgan pickups or the Chopper. I saw a few reviews of the Injectors where guys who were hardcore heavy humbucker users claimed the Injectors were some of the first noiseless singles they could live with and I am tempted to try those with my Air Zone. My Air Zone and 500K volume is eating the Virtual 54 singles for lunch. They are going up for sale soon.

Maybe an Injector in the neck and keep a 54 Pro but raise it much higher in the middle? It would be cool to at least have a more pure single coil clean or solo voice if ever needed. Who knows. Maybe I could learn to love it, LOL.
Another thought was the Satch Track neck and maybe a Cruiser middle? I find the Cruicer sound crazy good for clean and gain anyway. Maybe a Fast Track 1 in the middle and the Satch in the neck?
One thing I must emphasize.....I want my single coil tones to be able to hang with my humbuckers in output and volume. Therefore, they can be big and muscular......keep in mind, I have been using mostly humbucker tones (clean and dirty) for 30 years so I am used to it. I don't want to have to adjust the amp or a pedal to account for a quiet and weak single coil for a song or part of a song. They have to hang with the Air Zone. The 54 Pros are not hanging!

Thanks for the Norton advice. I know the Norton is well loved in the neck of humbucker guitars. I do hear guys loving it in  the bridge of a strat. What to expect over my current Air Zone......which I love with the 500k volume by the way.

DiMarzio tech has told me on several occassions, to not change out the 250k tone pots. They say to leave those be - since I will not notice a big difference with these pickups.

Thanks!

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The Pickup Place / Re: One year with the Air Zone and 54 Pros = :(

« on: April 13, 2015, 04:57:43 PM »

You could try:

1) 500k pot but instead of running at 500k, try various resistors across it (1M, 2.2M, 3.3M, 10M) and see which gives you a nice increase in openness without sounding too bright. 

2) If you go 500k full on for the air zone (not a bad idea) use Injector necks in the other two positions.  They work great with 500k pots.  54s might be too shrill.

3) keep the 250k or try some combination of (1) and, as suggested above, pop a Norton in the bridge.  I recently put one in the bridge of a strat in similar circumstance and like it a lot there, whereas I pretty much hated it in other circumstances.  It comes alive in that application.

Hi, I am going with all 250K pots, except the volume at 500K. Is the Injector the only one you suggest? What about Choppers or Satch Tracks?