# Good middle position single coil??? (DiMarzio content)



## eight_strings_bro (Mar 18, 2013)

So I'm overhauling (basically completely rebuilding) an old MIM Strat. Long story short, I'm going with the HSH configuration, just because you can get SO MANY different tones, especially with a coil tap, which I plan on installing.

I've narrowed my selection of H's down to the tried-and-true combo of DiMarzio Air Norton and Tone Zone.

My question is:

What middle pickup sounds the best with those?? I'm not as familiar with DM single coils as with their humbuckers. I want something with plenty of meat to sound good in conjunction with the bridge, coil-tapped (essentially position 4 on a normal Strat), but also clarity, to add some articulation to position 2.

What would be ideal for this?

Edit: PLEASE don't suggest other brands. I know there are PLENTY of better pup companies than DiMarzio, but it just, I dunno... feels weird.. to have different brands of pups in the same guitar.


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## Whammy (Mar 18, 2013)

On higher end Ibanez guitars that have the Tone Zone / Air Norton combo they usually use a True Velvet Middle DP275s.

Seems like a tried and tested combination.


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## tedtan (Mar 18, 2013)

I have the AN TV TZ combo in one of my guitars and like it, but I want to point out that the TV is a vintage type Strat pickup. If you want something fatter than that, you might want to look at the Cruiser, Chopper or HS3.


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## yellowv (Mar 18, 2013)

I would go true velvet for vintagey vibe or chopper if you want more output.


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## Jzbass25 (Mar 18, 2013)

Anyone try the heavy blues 2?


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## yellowv (Mar 18, 2013)

Jzbass25 said:


> Anyone try the heavy blues 2?



Great pickup. I love it in the neck. Never tried it in the middle.


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## Jzbass25 (Mar 18, 2013)

yellowv said:


> Great pickup. I love it in the neck. Never tried it in the middle.



Hmm I have been thinking about doing the heavy blues 2 in mid, if I do I'll post in this thread. But I may monitor where this thread goes before I make a purchase... 

One thing to keep in mind for the op is that the true single coils usually just come in creme, white and black and not any other colors if colors are anything in consideration

Dimarzio told me to try a red velvet for SRV type tones in my Evo/Gravity storm equipped basswood jem but I really want a red pickup to match my jem and the red velvet doesn't come in any special colors. Hence why I was looking at things like the heavy blues 2 and other hum cancelling dimarzios


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## tedtan (Mar 19, 2013)

^ Jzbass25

Try either of these. I can't say for sure that they fit the Red Velvet, but its a standard single coil sized pickup, so it probably fits.

Stratocaster Pickup Covers Red | Allparts.com


Guitar Parts Resource: Strat Covers (scroll down)


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## eight_strings_bro (Mar 19, 2013)

tedtan said:


> I have the AN TV TZ combo in one of my guitars and like it, but I want to point out that the TV is a vintage type Strat pickup. If you want something fatter than that, you might want to look at the Cruiser, Chopper or HS3.



Yeah, I was looking at the HSs, I like the HS2 & 3 in the neck position of a normal Strat, but I cant find any clips of either in the middle.


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## eight_strings_bro (Mar 19, 2013)

Jzbass25 said:


> One thing to keep in mind for the op is that the true single coils usually just come in creme, white and black and not any other colors if colors are anything in consideration



That's actually what I was planning on (either creme or black), no crazy colors. But I do know that DiMarzio sells individual covers in all different colors through (cant remember seller  ) on eBay.


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## meambobbo (Mar 19, 2013)

i was looking at these - it seems the dimarzio has most of them listed as hum-cancelling. I noticed the dual-rail ones also show the normal 4-wire connections - so they're mini-humbuckers. Do the ones with the standard single row of pole pieces have 2 separate coils and 4-wires as well? Any disadvantage of a mini-humbucker as opposed to a regular single coil? I would probably wire it up in parallel anyway.


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## Jzbass25 (Mar 19, 2013)

eight_strings_bro said:


> That's actually what I was planning on (either creme or black), no crazy colors. But I do know that DiMarzio sells individual covers in all different colors through (cant remember seller  ) on eBay.



The vintage styles don't come in any other colors, the covers sold from dimarzio in colors are the "tall" covers for stacked humbuckers which are things like the heavy blues 2 and fender sized covers don't fit dimarzio pups because pole spacing at least from what I've read. 

I'd look into the true velvet or red velvet for you.


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## eight_strings_bro (Apr 1, 2013)

Thanks guys! Sorry I haven't been on in forever, my phone broke a few weeks back, so I've been without a way to get on here. ):

And the general concensus seems the Velvets are the way to go. It's funny because those are some of DiMarzio's most prominent single coils and yet somehow I completely overlooked them.  I'll check them out.


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## Whammy (Apr 1, 2013)

If you are interested in the HS-2 model but would prefer a true single coil then maybe the "ISCV2" might interest you.

It's Steve Vai's middle pickup which is supposed to be very close to the HS-2.

Details:
Name - Evolution Middle
Model - ISCV2
DC Resistance - 12.54K
Output - 160mv
Magnet - Alnico V
RWRP

It seems you can get it in a good few colors.

This is the only information that DiMarzio give on their page about the pickup


DiMarzio said:


> Evolution® Middle single-coils that come on the Ibanez JEM are not ordinarily stocked at retail outlets, though some online dealers carry this model as the ISCV2. You can achieve a similar result by wiring an HS-2 for single-coil operation only: black wire hot, red and bare wires ground, green and white not connected.


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