Virtual Vintage Blues or Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2

[NoOnesFang13]

I have an Ibanez RT450, really bright Alder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard. I currently have an Area '61 in the middle posistion and it sounds terrible. The '61 is just to bright, which was the reason i didnt go with the '58. The guy at Dimarzio told me to try the next step up in warmness, which would be the VVBlues. But he said if that didnt work just go with the VVHeavy Blues. Honestly my guitar is super bright so i would think the VVHeavy Blues is for me, not to mention i found alot more reviews about it on this forum. Just wanting some input... Thanks

[Rick1114]

The VV Blues is pretty dark so it will be ideal for taming highs - the solo is pretty dark too. Once I played the Areas I couldn't go back to the older Dimarzio VV pups. The Heavy Blues uses the newer "area" technology but I think a few people think this pup is just too much output for some applications, so it may not be your solution....

I'd look outside of the VV Line if the VV Blues or Solo didn't work...

[NoOnesFang13]

thanks alot what other pickups would you suggest?

[blueman335]

Rather than buying PU's as a first step, try a magnet swap or two. I was buying new PU's all the time...then I learned how to change a HB's EQ with magnets. Now I'm buying $5 magnets instead of $100 PU's There are warm magnets, bright magnets, and a magnet with a balanced EQ. There are 7 magnets in general use in guitars, which means every HB is really 7 different PU's (talk about multiple personalities).

The main thing to decide is the output & resistance level you want to get your desired tones for the bridge & the neck. Get high quality PU's made in America or Europe. If the tone turns out to be not quite what you wanted, try another magnet. The next PU you buy (that someone recommended) may not be any better in your guitar, thru your amp. Keep your money in you wallet.

[NoOnesFang13]

The area '61 is a stacked single coil with a2 pole pieces, i guess is should have mentioned that

[frankfalbo]

The magnet swap isn't really a good solution for a stacked single. The Dimarzio magnets will pull out of the bobbin. They don't wind over the magnet like a traditional single coil, they have formed plastic bobbins so the magnets are free to come out without disturbing the coil wire, but all you can do is swap between A2 and A5, and with the loading in the bottom coil and the stack configuration, it won't be a big payoff. Actually, maybe a cool 5/2 configuration would be interesting.

Have you tried an HS-3? The old HS stacks from Dimarzio are kind of soft sounding to my ears. They don't have the cut or bite of a traditional single coil, and maybe that's part of your trouble. If the guitar is bright, perhaps you're going about it from the wrong angle. Instead of a stack, maybe try one of their rails pickups. The rails configuration hears a little wider aperture and can shave a little top end off, although the Cruisers and Fast Track 1 are pretty bright. Maybe a Chopper?

[B2D]

I used to have two VV Heavy Blue pickups in my strat, and it's a fairly bright strat as strats go. Those pickups gave it a little more of a ballsy, crunchy sound. I liked 'em a lot actually.