DiMarzio DP175 True Velvet Neck

The DiMarzio True Velvet Neck is part of a trio of single coil pickups that DiMarzio developed for the strat. They are all true single coils, so they have a vintage pole piece stagger, Alnico 5 magnets and two conductor wiring.

The goal of the True Velvet series was to develop a pickup that could have that single coil spank without sounding overly harsh in the upper registers. These actually replace the old Blue Velvet pickups that DiMarzio used to offer. Why they decided to drop those, I’m not exactly sure. They were pretty good pickups, just like this.

Because this pickup was designed for the neck, the bass is pushed back a bit to prevent it from getting muddy. The treble is extended quite a bit, so it’s a pretty bright and clear pickup. Midrange is fairly even to maybe slightly pushed back to keep everything clear. As this is a true single coil, it will produce hum, so keep that in mind.

DiMarzio says that this pickup will work for any position, and while it probably will, it’s most likely best suited for the neck due to the EQ curve and its low output. It’ll work in most woods out there, but I’d be cautious with harder woods like maple or walnut which can possibly hype the high end too much.

If you’re looking for a single coil pickup for your strat, this is a decent pickup to look into. However, I really feel the Area series is much better. Not only are they quiet, they just sound a bit more vintage-esque to me for whatever reason. Just keep in mind that the Area series do not sound 100% like the old school pickups. Some people complain about treble loss, and if you’re one of those people, this pickup is probably for you.