Annonces DiMarzio DP117 HS-3
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The Former Yngwie signature pickup
Published on 11/20/11 at 08:15
Unleash the Fury!
Published on 04/18/11 at 18:02Being a longtime fan of Yngwie's, I decided around December of 2007 to build a project Strat in homage to him. I knew that I wanted to use DiMarzio pickups, so when a deal came up locally for a loaded Strat pickguard with two DiMarzio HS-3 pickups (the same configuration that Yngwie used up until the development of his YJM signature pickup from DiMarzio), I jumped on...…
Being a longtime fan of Yngwie's, I decided around December of 2007 to build a project Strat in homage to him. I knew that I wanted to use DiMarzio pickups, so when a deal came up locally for a loaded Strat pickguard with two DiMarzio HS-3 pickups (the same configuration that Yngwie used up until the development of his YJM signature pickup from DiMarzio), I jumped on it. I spent the next few months sourcing and building the guitar. Sadly, it didn't turn out very well. However, the one aspect that blew me away was the tone. The DiMarzio HS-3 pickups were exactly what I was looking for in a punchy pickup... perfect for the neoclassical shred I was aspiring to play at the time.
I had two of them installed, one at the neck position and one at the bridge, with a dummy coil in the center. Of the two, I definitely preferred the bridge pickup. It was very responsive to pick attack and dynamics, and though it didn't have a whole lot of output, it took to high gain settings quite well and produced a thick yet biting rhythm and solo tone that cut through very well in the shred project I was playing in at the time. The neck pickup had the same sort of thick yet biting characteristic to it. At first I really liked this, but once I got a chance to try the YJM, my opinion did change and I realized why the Maestro had switched to this combination. I find that the HS-3 in the neck position is almost a little bit TOO trebley and harsh. It can be tamed but it's worth noting that the YJM in the neck provides a much better contrast to the HS-3, at least in my opinion.
All in all I feel that this is a killer pickup that does the neoclassical vibe quite well. Because of its lower output nature, it does work great for classic rock and blues too. Definitely worth looking into if you want a killer sounding noiseless Strat pickup that will cut through the mix, or even if you're just a fan of Yngwie's early tone and want a piece of the fury.

The Yngwie sound ... kinda
Published on 03/23/11 at 08:55The DiMarzio HS-3 is a very low output pickup that is hum-canceling. It’s somewhat smooth, quiet and mostly “even” sounding. It features four conductor wiring to split it, but I can’t really recommend it. If you split it, it sounds pretty thin. On its own, it’s really lacking in most everything, despite that...…
The DiMarzio HS-3 is a very low output pickup that is hum-canceling. It’s somewhat smooth, quiet and mostly “even” sounding. It features four conductor wiring to split it, but I can’t really recommend it. If you split it, it sounds pretty thin. On its own, it’s really lacking in most everything, despite that DiMarzio says.
The pickup got its notoriety thanks to Yngwie and his clones. The pickup does sound similar to Yngwie’s signature tone, but it doesn’t sound like a single coil. It’s almost like some sort of quasi-hybrid pickup that was created. The aggression and overtones of single coils are lost, and the power of humbuckers is also gone. The cleans on this are fairly dismal, which is surprising considering how low output this pickup actually is. The high gain tones sound somewhat open, and the notes are fairly clear. However, I didn’t feel it brought much to the table in terms of overall tone.
If you’re looking for a single coil pickup for metal, I recommend checking out the DiMarzio Virtual Solo or something like that. It has way more character than this pickup, and it actually sounds like a single coil. If you’re looking for a humbucker in a single coil size, check out the Chopper or other single coil sized humbuckers that DiMarzio offers. This is one of the few pickups that DiMarzio offers that I’m just not a fan of, despite being a huge fan of Yngwie.

I think this is an insane value for the price. If you can't get a great heavy sound out of this.. get rid of your amp. Or maybe get a guitar that is not made of concrete. Get a wooden one.
I will always have a guitar with this pickup in it. I give it a "9" because I need it for my tone. It allows me to achieve heavy heavy sounds.. but not at the expense of detail.
Tech. sheet
- Manufacturer: DiMarzio
- Model: DP117 HS-3
- Series: Stacked Hum Canceling Strat
- Category: Stratocaster guitar pickups
- Added in our database on: 07/08/2012
We have no technical specifications for this product
but your help will be much welcomed
Other categories in Guitar Pickups
Other names: DP117, DP117AW. DP117W, DP117BK, DP117C, DP117CM, DP117CR, DP117GN, DP117MG, DP117RD, DP117PK, DP117Y, DP117BL