Prepare to be surprised by the tone of the Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 pickup. You have heard the old cliche that Alnico 2 means warm, soft sound, but the DiMarzio DP409 is not a polite pickup. The closer it's adjusted to the strings, the more raw it gets. In particular, the Alnico 2 magnetic field opens up all of the attack and definition of the low strings. It's a hot pickup with a strong attack in the bridge position, and its Alnico 2 magnets allow it to work very well in the neck position as well, for players who want a very warm, round sound. If you want an in-your-face-and-proud-of-it sound, the Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 is the top pick.
DiMarzio DP409 Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 Tone Guide
- Treble: 6.5
- Mid: 7.0
- Bass: 6.0
The DP409 pickup is recommended for the bridge position but can be used in neck and middle.
Tech Talk
The same technology that allowed DiMarzio to create the pure vintage Strat sound of the Area 58 can also be used to design a much heavier pickup. The Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues 2 has more mids and lows while still possessing outstanding pick attack. This also makes it an excellent pickup for the arpeggios and sweep picking classical metal players prefer, because it does not become muddy even with high gain.