Neck Pickup Shootout | Dimarzio Cruiser VS Single Coil
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2024
- #dimarziocruiser #cruiserpickup #neckpickupdemo
This week I'm playing the Dimarzio Cruiser pickup in the neck position of my late 90's Fender Stratocaster. This is actually the Dimarzio Cruiser DP187, which is the bridge version of the pickup, the same way Andy Timmons uses this pickup to get those magical tones of his. I'm using the Dimarzio Cruiser with 500K Volume & Tone pots to get a nice, bright sound. Later in the video, I compare the Dimarzio Cruiser to a Fender Custom Shop Texas Special neck pickup, which is a true sing coil. Which do you prefer?! Let me know in the comments and please consider liking and subscribing!
*TIME STAMPS*
00:00 - Intro
02:04 - Clean Sound
03:22 - Mid Gain Demo
04:15 - High Gain Demo
05:41 - High Gain - Lower Notes
06:06 - Dislikes
07:36 - Dimarzio Cruiser VS Single Coli Comparison Section
07:49 - Dimarzio Cruiser Clean
08:00 - Fender CS Texas Special Clean
08:28 - Fender CS Texas Special Slight Breakup
08:48 - Dimarzio Cruiser SLight Breakup Single Lead
08:58 - Fender CS Texas Special Slight Breakup Lead
09:08 - Dimarzio Cruiser Mid Gain
09:31 - Dimarzio Cruiser High Gain
09:43 - Fender CS Texas Special High Gain
09:56 - Dimarzio Cruiser High Gain Lead
10:20 - Fender CS Texas Special High Gain Lead
10:45 - Impressions
11:44 - Noise Factor
12:59 - More Leads!
13:22 - Closing Thoughts
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1997 USA Fender Stratocaster with Dimarzio Cruiser DP187 Pickup
1994 USA Fender Stratocaster with Fender Custom Shop Texas Special Pickups
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Man, this was a terrific review and comparison! But more than that, there are so many great licks that I could call this a strat lesson. Congrats and thanks!
Wow, thank you so much! Great to hear you enjoyed it!
Holy Crap... This is incredibly comprehensive!! A++ and thank you sir!!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Wow. The Cruiser really opens up & sings! So happy I found this video. Thank you!
Indeed it does! Glad this was helpful!
I love to hear Andy Timmons in your playing! I became interested in the dimarzio from his rig rundown
Love those Andy Timmons tones! Some of the best tones around in my humble opinion!
This a fantastic demo!
They both sound great in different ways. I might need an AT1/Cruiser/Cruiser set!
Converted to single humbuckers in 2021. Haven't looked back. Using Seymours but looking into the Cruiser for next install. Thank you for the great A/B demo. A great service to players. Best Regards and Best Wishes!
Thanks for the comment! Which Seymour’s did you go with? Highly recommend the Cruiser. In my opinion, they sound way better with 250K pots. I used 500K in this video and that’s why that sort of plastic like sound was more present.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar Hey! Lil 59, Cool Rails and Distortion (neck, mid, bridge). I am looking at same setup for new minus the Lil 59. Great sound but a bit tamer than I want. I like Andy Timmons' tone which why looking at Cruiser for some added bite in neck. I need to look at the git and see what K value I have. I would have assumed 500K but your experience is cause for thought. Why do you think 250 is better than 500? Thanks for info and Best Regards!
Sounds like a sweet combo! Regarding the pot value, 500K is best for humbuckers with medium to high output. The Cruiser is only 5.75 Kohm resistance so 500k pots just make that pickup sound a little offensive in the upper mids/highs. That is, in my humble opinion. It’s a fairly easy thing to swap out pots so I say try both!
@@ColinGaileyGuitar Thank you for the information! Best Regards!
I love that the cruiser retains the single coil sound yet still does high gain really well.
Thankyou for the very helpful detailed comparison. I've been looking at getting a Cruiser, but years of playing single coils and being into SRV have me leaning toward the bite and response of theTexas Special. I can see where the Cruiser would have practical advantages, though, as well as its own sonic character. Subscribed!
My pleasure! I too have always gravitated towards the character of true single coils, but lately I’ve been pleasantly surprised by some noiseless options. So far, I’ve been most impressed with the Fender Hot Noiseless pickups. They’re the closest I’ve heard to single coils so far and very quiet. That being said, noise gate technology has really improved over the years so, you can definitely get away with the real deal most of the time using a gate.
If you go and watch the Captain and Danish Pete with Anderson's vid that compares the player series vs the player plus with the noiseless p/us ...and you can hear the huge fullness difference between the player and the new noiseless p/us ..I was so shocked that on the strat the player sounded better (more full and more life) !!!amazed me....BUT the player plus Tele sounded better than the player. So GO FIGURE??...haha.....what about the newer Seymour Duncan Red Devils or the little 59' or pearly gates????
Great comparison and playing! Love the Rage Against the Machine riff slipped in there.
Thanks Nick! I’ll take any excuse to play some Rage riffs!
Great video man🤘
Thanks glad you enjoyed it!
Lol i think i need 1 more strat.haha both pick ups are great great video man just got a tone zone and was planning for a cruiser.
Right?! Haha. Cruiser would be a great match with the tone zone!
I must admit, I like the cruiser more. You are right about midrange.
I used to be a die hard true single coil nut but The Cruiser has really won me over. Pairing with 250k pots really delivers everything I wanted. 95% single coil tone, zero hum!
I have the cruiser dp187 in neck of my MiM player strat but i kinda like that texas special more, it has that ''throaty''(?) vintage sound to it. I think I'm gonna replace it sooner or later with something more vintage sounding. Good demo.
I totally agree! It definitely has a throaty, tubular kind of a sound to it. I really like how it sits in a mix too. The Texas specials are always present and don’t have the ice pick treble frequencies that some single coils are notorious for.
Thanks for the best ever demo of the cruiser. You got some great tones out of both pickups. I know what you mean about plastic tone, so IMO the Cruiser clean tone isn't as good as real single coils. The Cruiser has a bit of compression which takes away slightly from the dynamics for crunch tones. When you demoed the high gain lead tone, I much preferred the cruiser as it has a lot of bite and definition. I think its pretty clear where the cruiser performs best. The cruiser has less magnetic pull on the strings which is attractive to me.
Thanks, stoked it was helpful! I totally agree. That compression, bite, and definition sounds and feels great. I don’t miss the dynamic range on the crunchier stuff, but definitely on the clean sounds. FWIW, I’ve also noticed the cruiser pairs best with darker amps and tone settings. Too much presence brings the “plastic” tone to the surface.
This is probably why Andy Timmons is using a compressor for his cleans
@@nikbustamante7905 So you mean he is using the Compressor attack setting that will emphasize the pick attack.
@@helixworld yeah most probably. I noticed how he's not using that whenever he switches to his lead tone (exactly where this pickup's tone really shines)
After trying this pickup in two guitars with 500k and 250k pots, I can say hands down the winner is 250k! The complaint I had about too much presence is totally gone with 250k. Even Dimarzio now recommends 250k with it!
Nice playing man!
Yeah, i cant decide either, both have their merits. It wouldve been interesting to hear more clean comparisons, and how the cruiser behaved in pos 4. Its definitely an interesting little unit! I ha e an air norton s in the Bridge of my strat, and singles for M and N. I was considering swapping out the neck but now im not so sure..
Thanks Duke! In my experience, I could not get the Cruiser to sound good in pos 4. I tried mixing with a stock Fender middle single coil as well as a Dimarzio True Velvet. Just didn’t have that classic strat cluck and I found it to be shrill. For what it’s worth, I ended up ditching the Cruiser for Fender Hot Noiseless. They have more of the classic Strat character and their output is easier to match with a humbucker in the bridge.
I've been using the cruiser since 98 in the exact opposite way Andy uses his.
I use the cruiser neck in the bridge position and it sounds glorious!
Awesome! What is your rig like? Do you play through a real amp or a modeler?
@@ColinGaileyGuitar I own a Rivera r55 tube combo but In the last year I've been playing through the Yamaha THR 30 modeler 99% of the time. Best purchase I've made.
Right on! I might just try that Cruiser neck PU in the bridge position 🤔 Very intriguing idea, thanks for sharing!
Smooth playing. Nice! I think I just selected my pickups for a Warmoth Strat build.
Thanks so much! Going with the cruiser or Texas Special?
@@ColinGaileyGuitar I like the Cruisers.
Right on, hope they serve you well!
Nice job Colin! Been eyeballing the cruiser ever since Mark Speer plugged it on his rig rundown...
Thanks Luke! Mark Speer gets some really cool tones with the cruiser. Just goes to show how much ground that pickup can cover. Mark just about set the internet on fire with his comments about hating the SRV tone 🤣
Same! Did Mark put the 186 in the bridge position as well?
Not sure about that one. Check out the Premiere Guitar Rig Run Down for Mark Speer here on UA-cam, I think they cover that.
@@szrnkabela in the brige it is the 187
Great comparison! I had never considered the Texas Specials but after hearing them, I think I'll buy a set. All 5 of my guitars have humbuckers but the older I get, I find myself less into hard rock. The cruiser sounds great but I think in all of the clips, I preferred the Texas Specials just a little bit more.
Great playing by the way. I love what you played around 10:00. Sounds so cool.
Hey Brad, thanks a bunch! The Texas Special pickups are hard to beat for classic Strat tones. They’re surprisingly good for high gain lead tones as well IMHO. I must confess, lately I’ve been hooked on the Cruiser pickup. Recently paired it up with 250K pots (it was 500K in the comparison), that was a game changer! 250K is a much better match for those, took out all the harshness I was complaining about. My recommendation at this point, TS If you want classic Strat tones, Cruiser if you want something that’s 95% there, no noise, and a bit more pick attack.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar Thanks for the reply! I might have to try the Cruisers with 250K pots. They really do sound great. I'll probably try them both at some point but it makes sense to me to try the cruisers first and cut out a lot of the noise.
Right on, let me know how it goes!
Fine playing sir. Nice comparison of the two , I like both.
Thank you Daryl! I like both as well. Personally I like the cruiser just a bit more for saturated tones. The Texas Special have that clean classic strat chime that’s hard to beat though.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar I agree the cruiser has a slightly fuller tone but still sounds straty which I love Andy Timmons tone is sweet lol now yours it too. I have a delos from Keisel coming at the end of this month I watched your vid on yours then this one. Cheers !
Yes sir that Andy Timmons sound is a thing of beauty! Congrats on your Delos! What kind of options did you go with?
@@ColinGaileyGuitar purple stain white pickguard hss with cream pickups fixed bridge burilium pickups gold hardware and their version I guess of the banana pointy 80's headstock and satin finish white dot inlays and abalone metal knobs Oh and ebony fretboard soooo looking forward to it. I don't ever get gold hardware cause I never liked it but I figured I'm going all out so I'm sure it will grow on me. Its kinda pimped out lol.
Wowww that’s gonna be an amazing instrument!
Ok… this is the demo I needed to finally pull the trigger on the cruiser. Going to put a set in my prs silver sky se
Right on! I must add that I ended up liking The Cruiser sound even more after pairing with 250k pots. Even more of that single coil sound I was after. I also ended up trading out the bridge version of the pickup for the actual neck model. The difference is very subtle but I really like it.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar interesting! Does it take away some of the shrillness of the bridge pickup?
You made both sound incredible. That Cruiser sounds good though, and is what brought me here. I have the regular Vintage Noiseless in a Strat, but they are so quiet compared to my other humbucker equipped guitars. Does the Cruiser have a higher output compared to the singles or did you adjust the levels to match during filming?
Thanks man! The cruiser has a very low output, even lower than some single coils. I really struggled to get the cruiser to balance out with the humbucker. It always sounded like I was switching amp channels or stepping on an overdrive going from cruiser neck to bridge humbucker which was the Dimarzio AT-1. Ultimately I chose to abandon the cruiser in favor of the Fender Hot Noiseless. They give the single coil flavor and balance with the humbucker much better for my taste. I do love the sound of the cruiser though! Paired with the right mid-low output humbucker makes for a versatile guitar with tones for days.
Fully agree with the opinions here, had the (now discontinued) 920D Andy Timmons pickguard and felt the neck pickup gave the strings a "rubbery" sound. Works amazing for high gain though vs a hot single coil, where the noise can be overwhelming even with a gate during sustained notes.
So far, Lace sensor is king with the noiseless stuff, especially since they're 2 conductor and technically "true" single coils. They still sound a little plastic on clean settings (the emerald might be the most realistic of the bunch) but under gain they are superior in every way.
Great video to me the cruiser sounds a lot smoother and more refined than the fender pickup
Very good review!
I wonder if there would be “gains” in lowering the Cruiser away from the strings?
Ultimately I paired the Cruiser with 250k pots and that solved my issue of too much presence. Absolutely love the sound now!
Great skills and explanation. Gotta say that for the cleaner stuff, the specials still takes the cake. As you crank the gain up, the cruiser takes on that characteristic DiMarzio silky smooth compressed tone while the specials gets a bit more throaty but starts to lose definition. I like both, but the cruiser is the better trade off in most situations IMO.
Thanks! Well put and I agree for the most part. Personally, I don’t find the TS lose definition in higher gain settings. That said, the Cruiser seems to have a bit more pick attack in their sound so, perhaps that’s the definition you’re hearing.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar I am not the greatest at explaining tone, so I don't just want to say that the TS are "warmer". if I have to break it down a bit, I think I just prefer the "smoother" breakup characteristics of the cruiser, I am not sure if it's because of a stronger emphasis on the fundamental note. The specials has "grit", that big Texas in your face kind of thing. I have a feeling the TS is a bit bolder and more pronounced on the lower mids. All things equal, It's almost like having a dumble against a tweed sound.
I have a set of hand-wound ones on my main guitar, but I find I am slowly gravitating towards the likes of the cruiser a bit more these days.
I think you’re right on, the Cruiser does have a smoother breakup. Did you notice any of that sort of “plastic” sound that I mentioned in the video?
@@ColinGaileyGuitar I am trying to kind of think about what you mean there. I am assuming it's that Fender Vintage Noiseless Pickup-like sound? Like you were saying the "fake wanna be single coil" type of sound? I find that exists in anything not actually a true single coil, and gets more pronounced as the strings get shorter. Probabaly just the nature of the beast. I don't mind it too much, but don't like them either - speaking as someone with EC signature (Vint. Noiseless), 1 deluxe with SCN, 2 deluxe more with N3, and another one slightly newer one with that gen 4 or something or was it hot noiseless (haven't even looked at that guitar in years). Maybe one day I will have the time to put all the replacement sets thats been sitting in storage in LOL... When the kids leave the house :(.
I think the sound I’m referring to is sort of a double edged sword. On one hand, I think that frequency is what helps give the definition and articulate sound with higher gain. On the other hand, it’s very noticeable to me in clean-mid gain tones. And you’re right, other noiseless pickups have some of that. Although, I don’t notice it with the Fender Hot Noiseless. Those have really grown on me.
Thanks for this! I have been contemplating a cruiser bridge model for the neck pickup of a guitar with a hot vintage bridge humbucker. A question: how does the cruiser sound when you roll off a bit of the tone knob and play some clean blues?
You’re welcome! The cruiser is really responsive to changes in both volume and tone. Personally, I think it’s a great choice for blues. It can do SRV, Jimi, and that Clapton “woman tone” with the tone knob down. My only complaint is that on super clean settings it can sound a little sterile. Depending on what your playing through, you might not even notice that.
with a treble bleed it sounds great when you roll off volume
Yes it does! Andy Timmons uses these pickups with a treble bleed and gets that magical, on the edge of breakup tone.
All Dimarzio singles seem to do that thing around the 12th fret. I've had Cruiser Bridge, Area Pickups etc. It's kinda woody.. high mids scooped out I guess.. You go back to to normal single coils and there's this midrange presence and jangle that feels like home - Texas Specials are my all time favourite. I'm biased!
My thoughts exactly!
Love how mellow and delicious sounds the TX and your beautiful melodic play makes it even sounding better !
I stick to my TX set .. but I think to change the bridge to the Dimarzio fast track 2 .. it may sounds better !
Any thoughts ?
Thank you my friend! Personally, I like a pickup with higher output than traditional single coils in the bridge position so, the fast track could work well there if you prefer a big jump in gain. Just know that the Fast Track 2 has a LOT more output than the TS. The TS have a DC resistance of about 6.5K, the Fast Track 2 has a resistance of about 18K! If you want a balanced sound between all pickup positions you might consider something with lower output like the Tone Zone S. It all depends on the style you’re going for. Hope that helps, let me know if I can answer any other questions!
@@ColinGaileyGuitar thanks Collin ! Yeah I’m not decided yet I’m still looking for something balanced with the middle àd which can keep the Strat spirit while it handles better the high gain tones .. I’m doing Prog Rock and blues Rock stuff ..
I’ll try the Tone Zone S.. i thoughts it is hotter than the fast track .. there’s also the pro track which seems good !
I checked out the DiMarzio official site saw lot of things to consider like the HS2 or HS3 .. also some vintages single coil which if they render properly things like a Proco rat etc .. that would be my go for pickups !! The only thing I understood that the DiMarzio’s don’t change considerably the Strat timbre .. which is great ..
Right on! Dimarzio has great customer service so I’d recommend getting in touch and describing what you are going for. I’m sure they’ll be able to point you to a good match!
Hey great review and playing. You asked if it sounds like a singlecoil, and i'm curious if it plays like a singlecoil. I've noticed single coils have a large dynamic range and they capture the "snap" and the note clarity well. Hubuckers drop the "snap" and taper off the attack when you dig hard, giving a more consistant note but it feels like it comes at the cost of chime, which again is most noticable when playing very dynamically. I would say andy timmons plays with dynamics alot and i'm curious you feel about the differences.
Thanks! I concur with how you described the differences. I would also add that single coils tend to have better clarity overall. I’ve found a great balance between a humbucker and single coil to be the Dimarzio Cruiser neck pickup. I actually like it a lot better than the bridge version. Perfect combination of clarity, atttack, and character.
I was planning to put cruisers on my Fender Am Ultra but this has changed my mind. They sound great but what I dislike about the Ultra noiseless is also present in the Dimarzios. Some times you hit some bends, some notes and the sound feels "capped" or fake.
As good as noiseless pickups have gotten, they still can’t capture 100% of that magic single coil sound. For what it’s worth, I’ve found that my favorite combination is a Cruiser Neck pickup, a true single coil in the middle position (I’m using the Suhr V60LP), and a low output humbucker like a PAF in the bridge. Super versatile setup and you still get great single coil sounds. Also, I’ve found the Cruiser to be best paired with 250k pots. More true to single coil dynamics and feel. Anyway, just my two cents. Best of luck on your journey to tonal Nirvana.
Dimarzio for me. I like your playing. I am going to learn your licks.
Right on, thanks so much!
Your playing is very good!!
Please, what do you think about cruiser in bridge position? In the neck also cruiser
Thank you! Personally, I didn’t like The Cruiser in the bridge position. Too thin for my taste.
Two factors you could also experiment with is how a rail pickup gets closer to single coil territory when you 1) wire them in parallel sacrificing 30% output for more clarity and a more chime/focused sound.2) Adding in a 1 meg volume pot to rail picks also pushes them in sound and EQ like a single coil but much louder than passives on 25k pots.
Great suggestion, thanks!
Thank you!
You’re quite welcome!
Hate to be that guy but the intro, what song is that? Absolutely sick, have to learn it. Just bought a cruiser thanks to your video.
They both sound awesome. For me it’s the Texas specials, but the cruiser is not slouch either. I guess this means I’ll have to have two strats. Oh well :P
Haha my thoughts exactly!
I am considering a Fender Mustang with a humbucker on the bridge and a hot rail in the neck. I like this model a lot, works nice with cleans and distortion.
Right on! What kind of humbuckers are you considering?
@@ColinGaileyGuitar a PAF style humbucker. They retain a lot of clarity and definition even with high gain! Maybe a Seymour duncan SH1 or a Di marzio 36 anniversary PAF. I also like archtops... 😂 I already have a telecaster that I'll mod to a Nashville tele.
The Cruiser sounds great but the Texas Specials just have that special character I love. It's not purely about "true Single Coil" - it's this very set I really love. But then the Cruiser has a slightly bigger sound that I could easily live with on a more versatile guitar and for more gain sounds wehereas I prefer the Texas Specials up to a medium gain crunch sound.
The Cruiser is definitely beefier. More lows and a generally thicker sound. Sounds great with gain but it’s output is surprisingly low for a hum canceling pickup. Found it very hard to get it to balance with a hot humbucker in the bridge. Paired with a medium/low output humbucker that would make a very versatile instrument!
I have the cruisers on a schecter. They are nice. I seem to prefer the texas specials, they seem to have more presence , rock more and grab you by the poo poo. I think I detected a hint of a Rage riff there.
My thoughts exactly. The Texas Special have that extra zing in the high mids. Good catch on the Rage riff! That’s from “Bombtrack”.
What would be better to use in the neck for an HSS with a JB ? Cruiser neck model or Cruise bridge model?
I think the Cruiser bridge model would balance better with the JB.
I have The Chopper T in my Tele and have not noticed any of the downsides mentioned here.
Hello, I'd like to thank you for all information you've provided (including pots values, for instance... I don't see people mentioning that very much). I have a challenge, and I'd like to ask some help: I have a hand crafted ThinLine-like, designed and built with single coil pickups - the neck one, strat-size; I love the way it sounds with low and medium gain drives, but for solos, I feel a lack of punch on high frets... I'm looking for a replacement pickup that could keep the single coil brightness, hum-cancelling and that sounds good in this semi-hollowed guitar... do you think this one is a suitable choice?
Hi Leonardo, so glad you found this helpful! As for your semi-hollow guitar, it really depends on what you’re going for. What’s your primary style? Can you give me some examples of tones you like? I’ll be able to give a better answer knowing those things.
I used to play in a Whitesnake Tribute and I like their 70's tones... recently, I'm inclined to the 80's... my main guitar is a Tagima T-635 Strat-like with a Seymour Duncan set (JB Jr; Vintage Flat; Hot Stack)... for this one, I'm thinking about something more bluesy...
Right on. For those sounds, I think the Cruiser would be a bit too low output. If you like the sort of character the Cruiser has, the Dimarzio Fast Track 1 would be similar but bigger sounding. It’s got more output yet, still has that nice bluesy single coil sound when the gain is dialed back.
I just forgot to mention that I'll combine the selected pickup with a Chopper-T for there bridge position... thanks for your time and support!
I think the combo of a Chopper T and Fast Track 1 would work really well. The outputs are complimentary so it’d be a versatile setup. Happy to help with anything I can! Let me know how it all works out.
great job I've been eyeing the cruiser too for the neck for my HSS I just got the Mo Joe just trying to pair with neck and middle
Thanks for watching! I’ve been curious about the Mo Joe myself. Was a big fan of the Dimarzio Fred that Satch used for years. He has great taste in pickups!
@@ColinGaileyGuitar I just don't know what to pair it with neck and mid and pots I have a Nick Johnson HSS with a pull pot and I'm just not sure what I need to do suggestions ?
What styles do you want to cover? Do you like the more traditional sound of single coil pickups or are you more into stacked humbuckers? Dimarzio has a great selection of single coil sized pickups that cover a wide range of styles. Personally, I’ve been loving the Fender hot noiseless pickups in the neck and middle. They sound more traditional with a little extra output.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar I can tell you I love very clean chiming 2nd and 4rth positions but when I use the neck I want it to sound like a cowbell if that makes sense. Too many to choose from between area 58 mid to 61 neck I just want to the bridge and all positions to switch without much of a change between pickups
I hear ya. It can definitely be a tricky thing getting all the pickups to sound cohesive and not wildly different. I’d recommend checking the output value of the Mo Joe on the Dimarzio site and then taking a look at some of their single coils that have a bit more output. Also, check out the video I did comparing the Fender Hot Noiseless to the Texas Special. See if the noiseless have enough of the chime and character you’re after. Their output would match well with the Mo Joe.
Both good.but in diferent way .nice sound by the cruiser but texas special are killer for me , my favourite pickups.perhaps a bridge humbukers for texas special , i dont know if a cruiser or if a real humbuker, perhaps a pearly gates
I’m with ya, the Texas Special is currently my favorite single coil. I couldn’t gel with the pearly gates humbucker. I had it in the bridge of a different strat and swapped it out for a Dimarzio AT-1. That’s more to my liking but just a bit mid heavy and nasally for my taste. The tone chase continues haha.
Which cruiser model do you have in the neck and middle position? A Cruiser Bridge or Neck version?
In this video it’s the bridge version of the Cruiser in the neck position. I’ve since switched to the actual neck version paired with 250K pots. I’m happier with the tones, much closer to a traditional single coil, and I find the lows to be less flubby.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar thank you!
should i get dimarzio cruiser or SD hotrails? any infos plss
The Dimarzio Crusier is a low output pickup and the SD Hotrails are high output. If you’re going for a sound that’s about 90% traditional strat sound, I’d recommend the Cruiser. If you play heavier styles or just like a more aggressive, high gain sound, go with the Hotrails.
wow i expected the texas special to sound much better than the cruiser, but the cruiser sounded way better in my opinion
Personally, I feel the Texas Special are hard to beat for those classic Strat tones. That said, The Cruiser is more diverse and really sounds best with 250k pots. I used 500k in this video and that’s why I had that complaint of the “plastic” like tonal quality. I’ve been addicted to The Cruiser since I swapped the pot values!
Put it even lower in the pick guard to minimize that "weirdness". I'm using .11-49 gauge string so there is still enough volume to get there.
Thanks for the comment! I did like the sound of it better lower but then it wouldn’t balance with the humbucker in the bridge. Are you combining it with a humbucker? If so, which one?
@@ColinGaileyGuitar 🙋♂️ hi, I’m combining with a Dimarzio Gravity Storm at the Bridge which I also have low. Although the output balance is not perfect if you compare them in something like direct into the input of a mixing console, the “perceived” volume difference is not that big going into the amp, specially with some dirty over it. In that setup I found the bass content of the Cruiser in the Neck helps fool your ears. Also combined with the fact that the Gravity Storm has so many mids that usually the frequencies in the upper registries, where you would note more differences in output, are tamed and somewhat compress so that extra output the Gravity Storms gives you feels more like turning on an overdrive pedal instead of a huge volume boost. Probably In a very clean amp with lots of head room the difference would be more noticeable but I rarely use very clean setups.
Sounds like an awesome set up! Would love to hear it in action. Any audio or video clips up that I can check out?
Actually Andy's guitar has another 500k volume pot for Cruiser neck pickup. So cruiser see master 500k volume and 2nd 500k volume wiring in parallel which equivalent to 250k.
Oh interesting thanks for sharing! About 6 months after this video I paired the cruiser with 250k pots and I like their tone a LOT more. Much of the classic single coil character, little more beef in the lows, less harsh treble. Quite happy with the Cruiser in the neck position. Oh and I actually like the Cruiser neck Dimarzio DP186 even better than having the bridge version of it in the neck position. Highly recommend!
@@ColinGaileyGuitar Thanks for sharing. I have cruiser neck version and will give it a try.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar just put the cruiser neck pickup and the result is pretty good and pair well with paf type bridge pickup. Thank you.
@kerrygets Great to hear! I have a very similar setup. PAF style humbucker, true single coil in the middle (Suhr V60LP), Cruiser in the neck. Closest I’ve come to tonal bliss!
If the Cruiser isn't exactly what you're looking for or too far from traditional...give the Dimarzio Area 58 a try in the neck. That would be a nice shootout vs the TX Special. Area 58 is more traditional single coil, but without the hum. Shootout vs the Fender Noiseless, too.
Thanks for the suggestion, John! I hope to get my hands on an Area 58 in the not too distant future.
The Area 58 is a great pickup. I love it in the middle position. The Virtual Vintage 54 Pro is another. I have one in the neck with a Area 58 in the middle and a Seymour Duncan Lil’ Screamin’ Demon in the bridge. Thinning out the 54 Pro with a treble bleed brings it in line with a skinnier single coil and brings out the top-end chime that still exists in this pickup. It’s a bit compressed but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Great to know, thanks for sharing!
Hi, great sound, what's the song played at 8:28 ?
Thanks for the comment! That’s an original tune of mine called “To My Knees”. Don’t have an official recording of it yet but will more than likely release one in the not too distant future.
Is the pickguard and cavity shielded? I’ve had no issues with hum using the Cruiser or any of the other DMZ rail pickups that I’ve tried. I have had the same issue with gain and guitar orientation however and have solved it through shielding.
Yes, it’s fully shielded. Oddly enough, I put the cruiser in another guitar, same shielding but it’s a lot quieter. Haven’t been able to figure out why.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar Yeah, that is strange. The DMZ rail pickups don’t have baseplates so they are more susceptible to noise than other pickups that have them. The only other thing to check is whether the cavity shielding makes electrical contact with the shielding on the pickguard. I’ll run a couple of tabs under the screw holes of the pickguard so they get tightened down.
Great demo BTW. Lots of great information and superb playing!
Good call on the cavity shielding making contact! I just solved that issue in my main guitar by soldering a tiny piece of wire to the body cavity.
Many thanks Greg!
maybe I missed it what is the bridge humbucker here collin
It’s a Dimarzio AT-1
I dig it
Which one?
@@ColinGaileyGuitar the playing!
both pups sound good, I wouldnt care which ones you play, just play
Very kind of you, many thanks!
The Cruiser is the Best Pickups of all times !!! 👉🇧🇷🎸🎵👏👏
Definitely right up there with the best of them!
@@ColinGaileyGuitar 🎯🎸🎵
I actually liked Cruiser more, it's rounder, warmer, more bassy and punchy and overall nice sounding.
Would you say the dimarzio has more output, same or less?
The Dimarzio has less output. 5.75 Kohm resistance. The Texas Special range from 6.2-6.7 Kohm depending on position.
Great review! riff is played at 9:31?
Thanks! That’s Bombtrack by Rage Against The Machine.
@@ColinGaileyGuitarthat's why it felt so familiar! cheers, you are too kind!
@@ColinGaileyGuitar thank you, I thought i heard it somewhere!
Texas special has so much more character. Just pulled out a cruiser neck of my warmoth strat and put a kinman avn69v2 to get that traditional strat tone but still noiseless. Worked a treat. Cruiser was nice but lacked character.
Lovely playing by the way.
I agree the Texas Special is just more complex in a delightful way. I really loved the Cruiser for mid-high gain stuff but I just couldn’t gel with it for cleans. Especially didn’t like the sound of it split in position 4. Even tried pairing it up with a true single in the middle and still missed the real strat quack. I’ve been so curious about the Kinman’s! How do they compare to the Texas Special? And thanks for for the kind words!
Did you change the tone pots or are they original 250K pots?
The red strat with the cruiser pickup has 500K and the white strat has 250K.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar Thanks
Any time!
U arr using the dp187 on the neck?
Yes, I was inspired to try it this way because this is the way Andy Timmons does it. I’ve always loved those neck pickup tones of his!
Andy Timmons!
250k or 500k pot for the cruiser??
500k in this one. I tried both and found the cruiser wasn’t bright enough with 250k.
Wow, no.... if you compare it to even the injector, its way more humbucker. Clean it has a certain sparkle, but gain, it is muffled.
The strat in comparsion is a "texes strat"? Not very sparkly?
But in your video, the cruiser did excellent. But injector is more single coil, and tha "area" series should do even better.
The intro is excellent by the way
I hear what you’re saying. IMO, I didn’t quite approach the tones in this one as well as I could have. What I’ve learned is the Cruiser actually sounds more single coil like with 250K pots and adjusting for more treble on the amp. I’ve also just recently discovered I like the neck pickup version much better. The Strat I compared with is a late 90’s American standard I put Texas Specials in. It can be quite sparkly in position 1-4 but the neck is a bit on the darker side. Playing live I’ve actually enjoyed that because it sits well in the mix without any harshness. Stoked to hear you liked the intro, thanks! And thanks for taking the time to leave your comments!
Can't The Cruiser be split?
Good question. Yes it can but I found it lost too much volume. Wasn’t able to get the output balanced with other positions. It sounds fantastic in parallel with an actual single coil!
They made my life harder with this pickup. Now I cannot make a choice between this one and Area 58
Haha I know how difficult these choices can be! Was it the Cruiser you liked or the Texas Special?
@@ColinGaileyGuitar Ah!.. Sure, that was about Cruiser. The same EQ for both Area 58 and Cruiser. I like how they both sound, but as I'm noob yet, I have no idea what I will like in the future. I like to play some blues, and both can play it. I like to play some prog rock, and again they both can play it. I only think that I will finally purchase HH Ibanez in few years (to get rid of a mid), and Cruiser could be a better start in this case. Later I could use a full size "humbucker from hell" or "air classic neck", or "ej custom neck"
Understood! In my humble opinion, The Cruiser is the more diverse pickup. If you want more dead on vintage sounds the Area 58 does that well. The Cruiser is about 95% there but also adds some nice characteristics that those traditional voicings lack. If you do go with The Cruiser I’d recommend 250K pots. Otherwise that “plastic like tone” is slightly off putting. Your mileage may vary. Best of luck in your pursuit of tone!
@@ColinGaileyGuitar Thank you, Sir! I tended to think in the same way. Nice to get yet more "pro" from a professional.
Happy to help! Let me know how it goes!
Ehmm..i choose?? Confoused #"!
Which one did you like more?
@@ColinGaileyGuitarehm...Texas special
TS is my favorite but now the Shur V60LP is giving it some stiff competition!
I think dp186 much closer to stratty sound than the Dp187.
Interesting perspective! Curious what value pots did you use with the DP186? I’ve tried both and just recently realized that can make quite a difference. The first time I tried the DP187 was with 500K pots and I found the pickup to be kind of unpleasant in the higher frequencies on cleaner tones. Most recently I switched to 250K pots and that made all the difference. Really stoked on their sound now! Very strat like and I really like the sting balance. Little beefier on the low end and it seems to my ear there’s a bit more sustain on the top end. Anyway, just my two cents.
You already figure it out. 250k pot would really suit both Dp186 and dp187. Dp186 is much lower output.
Spot on!
This is what I am looking for. Tired of the too bity sound of singles.
If you find true singles are too harsh, the cruiser is definitely a good alternative. Smoother highs, comparable output, and they sit in a mix really well.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar Would you know of another alternative for the same purpose?
Dimarzio has several other “rail hum canceling pickups” that would produce less bite. If you want more output and less highs, look into the Fast Track 2. If you want output similar to a single, the Pro Track could do it. Check out Dimarzio’s website for more options.
@@ColinGaileyGuitar thanks for the info
Anytime! If you get a chance, let me know what you end up with and how you like it.