Musicians Roadhouse

Any VM Strat players out there ?
I have Bulldog Formvar 50's in my USA Deluxe Strat and they don't really have enough output to drive the VM low dynamic range hard enough.
I can use the S1 settings which are good but I wondered if anyone had any suggestions for a top notch set of high output single coils ?
I've been looking at the Seymour Duncan "Everything Axe" set - does anyone have any experience with these please ?
Thanks.

If you want to preserve most of the Strat sound I'd recommend

DiMarzio Virtual Solo (Bridge)
DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues II (Middle or Neck)
DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Blues (Middle or Neck)

I have all of them and they're my preferred pups in my main Strat at the moment. Sounds awesome with the VM.

Tony, those are all noiseless as well aren't they?

slowpokerhino wrote:Tony, those are all noiseless as well aren't they?

Yes they are. They're kind of stacked humbuckers but designed to still have the characteristic core single coil sound, but quite fatter and hotter. They don't sound like humbuckers at all. I feel like a sinner leaving my Fender 57/62s behind, but I actually surrendered to these pickups.

musicman wrote:Any VM Strat players out there ?
I have Bulldog Formvar 50's in my USA Deluxe Strat and they don't really have enough output to drive the VM low dynamic range hard enough.
I can use the S1 settings which are good but I wondered if anyone had any suggestions for a top notch set of high output single coils ?
I've been looking at the Seymour Duncan "Everything Axe" set - does anyone have any experience with these please ?
Thanks.

Bare Knuckle Pickups - Irish Tours

Just put some of these in my Mex Deluxe Strat. Pulled it out last night at rehearsal to start us off with 'Pride and Joy' and the rest of the band were like:



I really can't recommend these enough.

what about putting an active mid boost like clapton does? that is how he overdrives his amps...no pedals

http://www.aampselectricguitarstore.com ... t_kit.html

The Carvin twin blades pup sounds great thru my vm
not a true single coil, but it sounds like one, lets me dial up to get a nice overdriven sound, and roll back to 8 or so and its all the srv goodness I can handle.
http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/group.php?cid=81

a soapbar in my 78 lester pro also kicks major ass thru that amp,

Thanks guys - plenty of food for thought.
I've only had the amp a few weeks & am still experimenting.
I haven't totally decided whether I prefer low or high dynamic range yet but am drawn to the low range on 10 rather than the high range on 4.
The other guitarists LP standard sounds really good through the low range, the hotter pups seem to work really well.
Thing is I don't want another LP - they do my back in !
I also like the V neck on my strat and I have fitted a Fishman piezo bridge.
I'm going to try a couple of Mullard 12AX7's in v1 & v4 as these might have a bit more output.
Also going to try a friends Tokai strat with a hot rails at the bridge position.
More suggestions wellcome.

musicman wrote:Thanks guys - plenty of food for thought.
I've only had the amp a few weeks & am still experimenting.
I haven't totally decided whether I prefer low or high dynamic range yet but am drawn to the low range on 10 rather than the high range on 4.
The other guitarists LP standard sounds really good through the low range, the hotter pups seem to work really well.
Thing is I don't want another LP - they do my back in !
I also like the V neck on my strat and I have fitted a Fishman piezo bridge.
I'm going to try a couple of Mullard 12AX7's in v1 & v4 as these might have a bit more output.
Also going to try a friends Tokai strat with a hot rails at the bridge position.
More suggestions wellcome.

Hot Rails are essentially humbuckers. I had them a while back and they never worked as a single coil pickup.

kissfanps wrote:what about putting an active mid boost like clapton does? that is how he overdrives his amps...no pedals

http://www.aampselectricguitarstore.com ... t_kit.html

Had it in one of my strats. Sounded horrid with my Twin and at the time that was all I had so I got rid of it. Would probably work better with the VM in low range.

Id recommend Texas Specials any day. Ive had them years and love them to bits.

I believe the BK Irish Tours are pretty similar, maybe a little hotter. Ive heard great things about them. Texas Specials are cheaper though...

Could anyone enlighten me about the figures that are quoted for resistance etc for pups and how this translates into "umph" if you know what I mean !

Still trying various options !
I also have a tele partscaster - started life as a Baja but I changed the body to an ash thinline & have done away with the S1 switching & added a tbx tone control.
The bridge pup measures about 9.5k ohms & sounds really good through the VM low dynamic range.
Anyone have any experience of strat pups with this sort of resistance please ?