I'll be honest! Ive bought at least 3 pickups based on your videos Kenny! And they sound great; but ur fingers and feel really add the magic!!! U got exquisite tone in ur fingers brother!!
Hey Fasel, great to hear from you brother. Truly appreciate your support and kind words. I believe tone is 50% gear and 50% technique as you mentioned. I’ve tried to make rigs sound like some of my favorite players in the past but only to find non matter what I do . I end uo sounding like me lol. We all have our own touch and I'm greatful you appreciate mine. Lastly, try Ernie Ball Rock n Roll 10s, Dunlop 1.25 Delrin picks, and maybe e flat tuning and see if that gets you closer. Stay safe my brother 🙏
The 54 pro really sings in the neck but I love the clarity of the Area 61 much better in the neck. Still, the warm juicy brown-ish sag of the 54 is pretty damn sweet. Great demo good sir!
Sounds amazing. So why do you gravitate towards the late 60s/70s strats? Is it the neck shapes or larger headstocks you like? Also do you prefer 9.5 radius on your strats? Thx
Thanks Brother. Well its a Hendrix/Blackmore, Malmsteen influence. I do like the U shape neck however I now use the newest custom shop big head stock neck. Its a 63 large C shape with 6100 frets and 9.5 radius. Really dig them
Really nice playing Kenny. I watched most of your strat videos with dimarzios since I own 3 strats dimarzio loaded as well. I just put in my #1 strat a 54 pro in themiddle . I have an Injector in the bridge and a red velvet in the neck. I m considering changing the red velvet in the neck slot. Its nice specially for jazzy clean staff. It somehow tames the highs ,like having a pillow filter, and i would like some more snap in there. Specially when rocking out. How would you compare the 54 pro to the Area 61 in the neck of a rosewood strat? I m considering one of those. My other two strats have the HS2 wired as single in the neck which I love but i m thinking to try something different this time.
Hello Marios, I have a Eric Johnson Strat that has a Area 61 neck, 54 Pro Middle and Virtual Solo Bridge. The Area 61 has that perfect 61 through 63 hot Strat tone that works amazing in the neck position. Especially works well with rosewood necks. It will brighten up the loe frequency notes and define them when used with overdrive. Also getting the proper height is key. I run mine pretty hot. Definitely worth the try in my opinion
replacing an ssl 3 in the neck position with this pickup. Not sure how the output would compare but I really like the tone so decided it would be worth it to try and swap it out. Do you think this would be worth swapping out? The guitar is an LTD ssh strat type with alder body.
Honestly you might have a output balance issue by doing that. The SSL from what I remember are pretty hot. The 54 Pro is hotter than a standard Strat pickup however is not an aggressive pickup in my opinion. The good news is the neck position will always be hotter than the middle and bridge so try it and dial in your height. You may find that running the bridge and middle a little lower and your neck slightly higher might work in this case. You may also try a Heavy Blues 2 in the neck. That would work well with your SSL setup. Hope this helps..
@@KennyShipman Thank you for the reply Kenny. Great advice. Maybe I can buy the Heavy blues 2 as well and use it as a middle pickup. I'm running through a carving Bel Air which is not a hi gain amp so my hope is that going with a less hot pickup set will let me crank the carvin a bit more (can't crank it all the way in an apartment complex) and get more tube saturation. Thanks again for the reply!
Hello, i love your demo with HS and HS4. I have the virtual solo in bridge and HS4 in neck. Il lried love the 54 pro in middle. It is enormous with virtual solo but don't like it with HS4(single coil). It seems to me DP 408 come only in stacked. Have you it 54 pro in single coil?
I have never tried the HS models with other stacked models. Becuase of the organic natural hot single coil tone the HS models produce. I honestly dont want to unbalance a good thing. The best stacked setup I used in the past was Heavy Blues with Virtual Solo. I still have a Strat wired that way however my top 5 Strats are all HS pickups now. Sorry I never tried the 54 in single coil mode. Cheers!!
@@HighPriestVaticanAssasin Ive had the Virtual Solo in a Strat for years and its like having a PAF 59 era in a Strat. Not exact of course but has a lot of similar characters in my opinion
@@HighPriestVaticanAssasin Well its not extremely hot like a Super Distortion or modern day humbucker however it has a cut through the mix EQ with plenty of definition and warm highs.
Kenny, your videos are fantastic! I have a quick question for you. I have a 2012 American Standard strat with a rosewood fretboard. I have never modded it at all. It has the original fat 50's that came in it. I am mostly a rhythm player (worship leader.) I like a well rounded warm sound that is not shrill. These 54s sound amazing! Would you recommend a full set of these for my setup, or areas or a combination? Just wanted your thoughts. Thank you so much for your great videos and incredible playing!
Hello Wes, Thanks for the kind words and listening to my videos. Fat 50s are a well rounded pickup for light breakup or clean tones. With that said, I recommend a set of Are 61 pickups for you're Strat. They are a perfect match for a Rosewood fretboard, especially in the neck position as they add a beautiful amount of sparkle and clarity that doesn't get muddy when driven and compressed. In closing, keep up with leading worship music. You're a blessing to many...
Thanks for the kind words brother. The 54 Pro has a bit more output and has a slighter thicker warmer tone woth a touch more throaty midrange. My favorite of the two
Man, you sound incredible! I've been listening to your posts, especially those concerning Dimarzio pickups as I want to replace my stock Stratocaster neck p/up with a noiseless one. So far I like the sound samples I've heard for the Dimarzio Area 61, the VV Heavy Blues 2 and the VV 54 Pro. I hear a lot of praise for the Area 61's and 58's and while I do love the Strat sparkle, I'm concerned about having a very bright p/up with little bottom end. I play mostly blues and would prefer a neck p/up with good clarity and some sparkle, but can also sound fat, warm and a little nasty when needed. Maybe I'm asking a lot, but can you offer any suggestions?
Hey Joseph, Thanks for the kind words and for taking time to listen. All good with the questions and im happy to help. If your wanting aggressive without losing the Strat sparkle the area 61s are the best choice especially with a rosewood neck. Youll get SRV and Phillip Sayce all day. If your ok with dialing more highs from your amp, id go with the Heavy Blues 2 in the neck. You'll have all the warmth needed and a nasty pickup that will sound amazing when used in a dirty setting. Even high gain works incredibly well with the HB2. If you have a maple neck, you wont need to add too much more treble but thats always subjective to the ear.
@@KennyShipman Thanks so much, Kenny! Looking at the specs, I thought the HB2 might be more evenly balanced while the '61 more spec'd for brightness. But, as it's easier to add dirt than to add clarity, if you think the '61 has a decent enough low end, I'll likely go with that. Thanks again. I look forward to listening to more of your playing!
@@Joseph-so6td Hey Joseph, Yeah the Area 61 is a great neck pickup that is not too compressed and open like a true single coil. Its hot but not too crazy so it remains clear and dynamic. I have it in 2 of the 3 back up Strats. One is a EJ signature and the other is a 70s reissue like the one in this video but rosewood neck. A little brighter than my HS2 number one 69 Strat but easy to adjust on the fly for me. I have the HB2 in my bridge on both back up guitars and they are fantastic! I do have a another Strat with the HB2 in the neck but its my Heavy Rock/Fusion guitar. Its amazing but I do run the treble higher on the amp for that guitar. Id stick to the Area 61 in the neck and you'll definitely be happy. Thanks again for listening..
@@KennyShipman I wholeheartedly trust in your judgement and experience with these p/ups and if you say the '61 is a winner in the neck, then it's a go! If I didn't already have a full humbucker in the bridge, I'd have put an HB2 there as well. I can't thank you enough for your input, Kenny! Keep on making sonic magic!
Hi, I've got a swamp ash strat with maple fingerboard and Virtual Solo as a bridge pickup. The wood itself sounds with a lot of high freqences thats why I've put midrange Virtual Solo as a bridge. Now I try to choose which neck pickup to install that will go well with Virtual solo. I thought about Heavy Bluse 2, but it seems a bit dark as a neck pickup. What do you think of Virtual Vintage Blues DP402? Looks like it has almost the same frequency parametrs as Vintage 54 Pro DP408. I also like demos of area pickups but I am afraid that they can be to high freq with swamp ash body and maple fingerboard. Regards.
The guitar in this video is swamp with a maple board like yours. You honestly can't go wrong with 54 pro or HB2 in the neck. The trick is all in the height adjustment with the HB2. I run the treble side pretty high and bass low of course. Adjusting to taste and amp set-up but I would say HB2 would fatten up your neck tone and give your amp enough drive to beeak things up earlier if you like that kinda thing? Either pickup is a great choice.
@@KennyShipman thanx for the reply. And what about middle pickup? What would fit the best in the middle with setup like this: swamp ash body, maple fingerboard, Virtual Solo - bridge, Heavy blues2 or Virtual Vintage Pro 54 - neck, middle -?
@@Torus1Knot1 no problem, glad to help. The 54 pro in the middle adds that quack in the 2&4 position but no over the top. Nicely balanced set. HB2 neck, 54 Pro middle, Virtual Solo bridge. Trust me you will dig it. Just remember height adjustments are everything
@@KennyShipman can you give me advice, do I need to use dimarzio EP1112 5-way Multipole switch with Virtual pickups series to coilsplit pickups in 2nd and 4th positions since these pickups are essentially humbuckers?
Hey I’ve been watching your demos to get a good idea of which Dimarzio pickups to order. Thanks for the great demos. I just ordered the Virtual vintage 54 pro. Got one for the neck and one for the middle. Would you say that it still preserves the traditional strat chime/quack? Thanks
Out of all the Virtual Series The 54 Pro is the closest thing to chime and quack of an old vintage pickup with a bit more output and tonal balence. The 67s are also very chiming and glassy as well. Great choice for Bluesy style music and they can Rock if pushed through a nice JTM 45..
Hi Kenny , love the impros and the pickup demos, thank you for taking the time to do it. did you ever tried the 54 pro in the bridge? thanks in advance.
Thank you so much for listening and of course the nice compliment. Sorry. I've never tried it in the bridge. I'm more of a hot bridge player. From my understanding it's great in the bridge for a slightly warmer strat tone but retains the classic woody chime that vintage style guys look for. Sounds great on spec but I'm a HS4, HB2, & Virtual Solo Bridge kinda guy.
I have tried the area '58, '61, '67, Virtual Solo pro, Tone Zone, JB jr, ( wired parallel & in series ) Silver, Gold, Blue, Purple, Emerald, Light Blue & Red Lace Sensors, Joe Barden & virtually every other pickup in the Bridge. I greatly prefer the '54 pro.
John Williams Thanks for listening. The amp model is a tweaked Hot Rod Plexi on the Pod XL. The Dimarzio 54 Pros really drive the tone but in the end, its all in the soup.
Honestly that would be very tricky. The 54 pro would over power the HS models unless you wire them in non humbucker mode. Meaning the HS models are low output in non single coil wiring. If you wire them single coil it would be a closer balance and the 54 would be fine. The idea is to have close and even output when you move through the pickups. Hope that helps
@@ajackfees319 I only use HS models in all my Strats. HS2 in the neck and HS4 in middle and Bridge. Some have HS3 in bridge of all wired in single coil mode. In this video however was a 54 pro neck an Area 61 in middle and Heavy Blues 2 in bridge.
Great tone and playing! Can the 54 pro balance with a humbucker in bridge (Duncan '59 Custom Hybrid, slightly hotter than a PAF but not 'high gain')? Thank you in advance!
Well I may take some heat for this reply but in my opinion. No... The 54 Pro is better balanced based on output with a DiMarzio Heavy Blues 2 or if a Humbucker is involved. Try the DiMarzio AT1 with a 54Pro in the neck . Trust me it will be worth replacing the Duncan. It's Andy Timmons tone we with a bit of spice in the neck. Disclosure: no offense to Seymour Duncan.
@@KennyShipman Thanks for the response! I'm still considering. Will be a H-S pickup configuration 'superstrat' (not metal oriented, more pop-rock, blues and classic rock). I think the Duncan '59 too thin, but like the tone signature, so the hybrid. I think the AT-1 sounds too smooth. Maybe the Di Marzio 36th Any can be the ticket?
@@FelipeSantos1000 fair enough. The AT1 is smooth but works great when driven with high gain. Very focused and balanced but again tone is always subjective. The Evolution is slightly darker with a bit more output than the AT1. That's worth considering in my opinion.
@@KennyShipman Thank you again for the feedback. I think I will end with the Duncan Pearly Gates 'plus'. It's clearer than AT-1 and punchier that traditional PAF's. A '59 with a touch more mids and bark. One step in the JB direction but still mainly a PAF. There's some cheap PG 'plus' pulled from HSS Fenders in the used market (essentially PG 'trembuckers' with alnico 5 instead of two, to give more bite and work better in strats with singles). Love the VV 54 pro in the neck. It's clear and delicate when played soft and fat and punchy when 'digged'. Nice!
Skills! Came for the pickup, stayed for the playing 👍
Thanks Daniel! Appreciate the kind words
I'll be honest! Ive bought at least 3 pickups based on your videos Kenny! And they sound great; but ur fingers and feel really add the magic!!! U got exquisite tone in ur fingers brother!!
Hey Fasel, great to hear from you brother. Truly appreciate your support and kind words. I believe tone is 50% gear and 50% technique as you mentioned. I’ve tried to make rigs sound like some of my favorite players in the past but only to find non matter what I do . I end uo sounding like me lol. We all have our own touch and I'm greatful you appreciate mine. Lastly, try Ernie Ball Rock n Roll 10s, Dunlop 1.25 Delrin picks, and maybe e flat tuning and see if that gets you closer. Stay safe my brother 🙏
The 54 pro really sings in the neck but I love the clarity of the Area 61 much better in the neck. Still, the warm juicy brown-ish sag of the 54 is pretty damn sweet. Great demo good sir!
I have the 54 Pro in the middle position and it’s absolutely insane. It’s my favorite lead pickup by far.
Yes! The '54 in the neck! I have the early "non-pro" version. Even more smokey and woody!
Yeah ive heard they were a little more woody as well.
Sounds amazing. So why do you gravitate towards the late 60s/70s strats? Is it the neck shapes or larger headstocks you like? Also do you prefer 9.5 radius on your strats? Thx
Thanks Brother. Well its a Hendrix/Blackmore, Malmsteen influence. I do like the U shape neck however I now use the newest custom shop big head stock neck. Its a 63 large C shape with 6100 frets and 9.5 radius. Really dig them
@@KennyShipman Nice! You should make a video where you show off/demo all your strats. That would be great!
@@nathansterrett3054 Thought about doing an in depth tone video of my amps, pedals and Strats. Just haven't got around to it. Hopefully soon..
Really nice playing Kenny. I watched most of your strat videos with dimarzios since I own 3 strats dimarzio loaded as well. I just put in my #1 strat a 54 pro in themiddle . I have an Injector in the bridge and a red velvet in the neck. I m considering changing the red velvet in the neck slot. Its nice specially for jazzy clean staff. It somehow tames the highs ,like having a pillow filter, and i would like some more snap in there. Specially when rocking out. How would you compare the 54 pro to the Area 61 in the neck of a rosewood strat? I m considering one of those. My other two strats have the HS2 wired as single in the neck which I love but i m thinking to try something different this time.
Hello Marios, I have a Eric Johnson Strat that has a Area 61 neck, 54 Pro Middle and Virtual Solo Bridge. The Area 61 has that perfect 61 through 63 hot Strat tone that works amazing in the neck position. Especially works well with rosewood necks. It will brighten up the loe frequency notes and define them when used with overdrive. Also getting the proper height is key. I run mine pretty hot. Definitely worth the try in my opinion
@@KennyShipman thank you for the info ! I ll try the 61 then. cheers
@@Unknownn_nx3 ua-cam.com/video/grESkEK9RI4/v-deo.html
Hey Ivan, this is a video demo I did that was played with HS2 on a Maple board.
replacing an ssl 3 in the neck position with this pickup. Not sure how the output would compare but I really like the tone so decided it would be worth it to try and swap it out. Do you think this would be worth swapping out? The guitar is an LTD ssh strat type with alder body.
Honestly you might have a output balance issue by doing that. The SSL from what I remember are pretty hot. The 54 Pro is hotter than a standard Strat pickup however is not an aggressive pickup in my opinion. The good news is the neck position will always be hotter than the middle and bridge so try it and dial in your height. You may find that running the bridge and middle a little lower and your neck slightly higher might work in this case. You may also try a Heavy Blues 2 in the neck. That would work well with your SSL setup. Hope this helps..
@@KennyShipman Thank you for the reply Kenny. Great advice. Maybe I can buy the Heavy blues 2 as well and use it as a middle pickup. I'm running through a carving Bel Air which is not a hi gain amp so my hope is that going with a less hot pickup set will let me crank the carvin a bit more (can't crank it all the way in an apartment complex) and get more tube saturation. Thanks again for the reply!
Hello, i love your demo with HS and HS4. I have the virtual solo in bridge and HS4 in neck. Il lried love the 54 pro in middle. It is enormous with virtual solo but don't like it with HS4(single coil). It seems to me DP 408 come only in stacked. Have you it 54 pro in single coil?
I have never tried the HS models with other stacked models. Becuase of the organic natural hot single coil tone the HS models produce. I honestly dont want to unbalance a good thing. The best stacked setup I used in the past was Heavy Blues with Virtual Solo. I still have a Strat wired that way however my top 5 Strats are all HS pickups now. Sorry I never tried the 54 in single coil mode. Cheers!!
Can you comment on the virtual solo? Looking to try it in the bridge@@KennyShipman
@@HighPriestVaticanAssasin Ive had the Virtual Solo in a Strat for years and its like having a PAF 59 era in a Strat. Not exact of course but has a lot of similar characters in my opinion
I am hoping for a nice hot lead tone, harmonically rich with some strong top end.@@KennyShipman
@@HighPriestVaticanAssasin Well its not extremely hot like a Super Distortion or modern day humbucker however it has a cut through the mix EQ with plenty of definition and warm highs.
Kenny, your videos are fantastic! I have a quick question for you. I have a 2012 American Standard strat with a rosewood fretboard. I have never modded it at all. It has the original fat 50's that came in it. I am mostly a rhythm player (worship leader.) I like a well rounded warm sound that is not shrill. These 54s sound amazing! Would you recommend a full set of these for my setup, or areas or a combination? Just wanted your thoughts. Thank you so much for your great videos and incredible playing!
Hello Wes,
Thanks for the kind words and listening to my videos. Fat 50s are a well rounded pickup for light breakup or clean tones. With that said, I recommend a set of Are 61 pickups for you're Strat. They are a perfect match for a Rosewood fretboard, especially in the neck position as they add a beautiful amount of sparkle and clarity that doesn't get muddy when driven and compressed. In closing, keep up with leading worship music. You're a blessing to many...
@@KennyShipman Thank you sir!
Amazing play and tone bro! Do you know the diffferenc between Area 58 to 54 pro in neck position? Tks :)
Thanks for the kind words brother. The 54 Pro has a bit more output and has a slighter thicker warmer tone woth a touch more throaty midrange. My favorite of the two
You're burning me Kenny..That was bad to the bone!!!!
Hey Chris! Long time no talk but hope your doing well. Thanks for digging this improv. I need to make it a track? As always thanks for the kind words.
Man, you sound incredible! I've been listening to your posts, especially those concerning Dimarzio pickups as I want to replace my stock Stratocaster neck p/up with a noiseless one. So far I like the sound samples I've heard for the Dimarzio Area 61, the VV Heavy Blues 2 and the VV 54 Pro. I hear a lot of praise for the Area 61's and 58's and while I do love the Strat sparkle, I'm concerned about having a very bright p/up with little bottom end. I play mostly blues and would prefer a neck p/up with good clarity and some sparkle, but can also sound fat, warm and a little nasty when needed. Maybe I'm asking a lot, but can you offer any suggestions?
Hey Joseph,
Thanks for the kind words and for taking time to listen. All good with the questions and im happy to help. If your wanting aggressive without losing the Strat sparkle the area 61s are the best choice especially with a rosewood neck. Youll get SRV and Phillip Sayce all day. If your ok with dialing more highs from your amp, id go with the Heavy Blues 2 in the neck. You'll have all the warmth needed and a nasty pickup that will sound amazing when used in a dirty setting. Even high gain works incredibly well with the HB2. If you have a maple neck, you wont need to add too much more treble but thats always subjective to the ear.
@@KennyShipman Thanks so much, Kenny! Looking at the specs, I thought the HB2 might be more evenly balanced while the '61 more spec'd for brightness. But, as it's easier to add dirt than to add clarity, if you think the '61 has a decent enough low end, I'll likely go with that. Thanks again. I look forward to listening to more of your playing!
@@Joseph-so6td Hey Joseph,
Yeah the Area 61 is a great neck pickup that is not too compressed and open like a true single coil. Its hot but not too crazy so it remains clear and dynamic. I have it in 2 of the 3 back up Strats. One is a EJ signature and the other is a 70s reissue like the one in this video but rosewood neck. A little brighter than my HS2 number one 69 Strat but easy to adjust on the fly for me. I have the HB2 in my bridge on both back up guitars and they are fantastic! I do have a another Strat with the HB2 in the neck but its my Heavy Rock/Fusion guitar. Its amazing but I do run the treble higher on the amp for that guitar.
Id stick to the Area 61 in the neck and you'll definitely be happy.
Thanks again for listening..
@@KennyShipman I wholeheartedly trust in your judgement and experience with these p/ups and if you say the '61 is a winner in the neck, then it's a go! If I didn't already have a full humbucker in the bridge, I'd have put an HB2 there as well. I can't thank you enough for your input, Kenny! Keep on making sonic magic!
Hi, I've got a swamp ash strat with maple fingerboard and Virtual Solo as a bridge pickup. The wood itself sounds with a lot of high freqences thats why I've put midrange Virtual Solo as a bridge. Now I try to choose which neck pickup to install that will go well with Virtual solo. I thought about Heavy Bluse 2, but it seems a bit dark as a neck pickup. What do you think of Virtual Vintage Blues DP402? Looks like it has almost the same frequency parametrs as Vintage 54 Pro DP408. I also like demos of area pickups but I am afraid that they can be to high freq with swamp ash body and maple fingerboard. Regards.
The guitar in this video is swamp with a maple board like yours. You honestly can't go wrong with 54 pro or HB2 in the neck. The trick is all in the height adjustment with the HB2. I run the treble side pretty high and bass low of course. Adjusting to taste and amp set-up but I would say HB2 would fatten up your neck tone and give your amp enough drive to beeak things up earlier if you like that kinda thing? Either pickup is a great choice.
@@KennyShipman thanx for the reply. And what about middle pickup? What would fit the best in the middle with setup like this: swamp ash body, maple fingerboard, Virtual Solo - bridge, Heavy blues2 or Virtual Vintage Pro 54 - neck, middle -?
@@Torus1Knot1 no problem, glad to help. The 54 pro in the middle adds that quack in the 2&4 position but no over the top. Nicely balanced set. HB2 neck, 54 Pro middle, Virtual Solo bridge. Trust me you will dig it. Just remember height adjustments are everything
@@KennyShipman can you give me advice, do I need to use dimarzio EP1112 5-way Multipole switch with Virtual pickups series to coilsplit pickups in 2nd and 4th positions since these pickups are essentially humbuckers?
Nice job son
Hey I’ve been watching your demos to get a good idea of which Dimarzio pickups to order. Thanks for the great demos. I just ordered the Virtual vintage 54 pro. Got one for the neck and one for the middle. Would you say that it still preserves the traditional strat chime/quack? Thanks
Out of all the Virtual Series The 54 Pro is the closest thing to chime and quack of an old vintage pickup with a bit more output and tonal balence. The 67s are also very chiming and glassy as well. Great choice for Bluesy style music and they can Rock if pushed through a nice JTM 45..
Hi Kenny , love the impros and the pickup demos, thank you for taking the time to do it. did you ever tried the 54 pro in the bridge? thanks in advance.
Thank you so much for listening and of course the nice compliment. Sorry. I've never tried it in the bridge. I'm more of a hot bridge player. From my understanding it's great in the bridge for a slightly warmer strat tone but retains the classic woody chime that vintage style guys look for. Sounds great on spec but I'm a HS4, HB2, & Virtual Solo Bridge kinda guy.
I have tried the area '58, '61, '67, Virtual Solo pro, Tone Zone, JB jr, ( wired parallel & in series ) Silver, Gold, Blue, Purple, Emerald, Light Blue & Red Lace Sensors, Joe Barden & virtually every other pickup in the Bridge. I greatly prefer the '54 pro.
@@ericwalters5382 Wow! That's some trial and error. Guess I'll try it in the bridge position.
@@ericwalters5382 Have you tried it in the neck position?
Can the 54 pro balance with a PAF style humbucker in bridge? Thank you in advance!
@@FelipeSantos1000 no l haven't. Would imagine it would sound great in any position
Wow! The best demo of the Dimarzio 54 pro I've ever seen. Is the pot of your guitar 500k or 250k?
I'm humbled by your kind words, thank you very much. I'm using 250k pots.
Thanks for the answer! Probably I will buy this Pickuo because this video. Best regards.
@@Julione7 I'm truly honored. Thank you and best wishes
What amp or amp model are you using in this video? Sounds great! Those pickups are very nice.
John Williams Thanks for listening. The amp model is a tweaked Hot Rod Plexi on the Pod XL. The Dimarzio 54 Pros really drive the tone but in the end, its all in the soup.
hi any recommenned if my guitar put the pickup in dimarzio 54 neck ,middle hs4 , and hs3?
Honestly that would be very tricky. The 54 pro would over power the HS models unless you wire them in non humbucker mode. Meaning the HS models are low output in non single coil wiring. If you wire them single coil it would be a closer balance and the 54 would be fine. The idea is to have close and even output when you move through the pickups. Hope that helps
@@KennyShipman noted. may i know what is ur middle and bridge pickup?
@@ajackfees319 I only use HS models in all my Strats. HS2 in the neck and HS4 in middle and Bridge. Some have HS3 in bridge of all wired in single coil mode. In this video however was a 54 pro neck an Area 61 in middle and Heavy Blues 2 in bridge.
@@KennyShipman thank u bro
@@ajackfees319 My pleasure
Great tone and playing!
Can the 54 pro balance with a humbucker in bridge (Duncan '59 Custom Hybrid, slightly hotter than a PAF but not 'high gain')? Thank you in advance!
Well I may take some heat for this reply but in my opinion. No... The 54 Pro is better balanced based on output with a DiMarzio Heavy Blues 2 or if a Humbucker is involved. Try the DiMarzio AT1 with a 54Pro in the neck . Trust me it will be worth replacing the Duncan. It's Andy Timmons tone we with a bit of spice in the neck. Disclosure: no offense to Seymour Duncan.
@@KennyShipman Thanks for the response! I'm still considering. Will be a H-S pickup configuration 'superstrat' (not metal oriented, more pop-rock, blues and classic rock).
I think the Duncan '59 too thin, but like the tone signature, so the hybrid. I think the AT-1 sounds too smooth. Maybe the Di Marzio 36th Any can be the ticket?
@@FelipeSantos1000 fair enough. The AT1 is smooth but works great when driven with high gain. Very focused and balanced but again tone is always subjective. The Evolution is slightly darker with a bit more output than the AT1. That's worth considering in my opinion.
@@KennyShipman Thank you again for the feedback. I think I will end with the Duncan Pearly Gates 'plus'. It's clearer than AT-1 and punchier that traditional PAF's. A '59 with a touch more mids and bark. One step in the JB direction but still mainly a PAF.
There's some cheap PG 'plus' pulled from HSS Fenders in the used market (essentially PG 'trembuckers' with alnico 5 instead of two, to give more bite and work better in strats with singles).
Love the VV 54 pro in the neck. It's clear and delicate when played soft and fat and punchy when 'digged'. Nice!
@@FelipeSantos1000 How did you go with this in the end Felipe?
Keen to hear what you got to!