Installing a Dimarzio fs-1 in a Fender Strat

splawner

splawner

Well-known member
I’m putting a Dimarzio fs-1 single coil in the bridge position on a Fender strat. On Dimarzio wiring diagram it is saying white is hot and black is ground. The middle and neck pickups are Fender. Does any one know if I would have to reverse the wiring to black is hot and white is ground? Thanks
 
The real answer is that it depends on exactly what single coils you have in the guitar currently. Fender isn't consistent across their entire line of pickups. It's easy enough to swap around if the current wiring diagram doesn't work. If the position with the bridge and middle sounds extremely thin, reverse the white and black on the bridge.
 
SpiderWars said:
And for some reason Dimarzio has different polarity with their blade single coils and pole single coils.
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This seems to be true as I put an Area 61 in the neck of my Warmoth build according to the wiring diagram and it's out of phase with my bridge humbucker in the middle position. Sounds kinda cool though :cool:
 
Findthetone1 said:
This seems to be true as I put an Area 61 in the neck of my Warmoth build according to the wiring diagram and it's out of phase with my bridge humbucker in the middle position. Sounds kinda cool though :cool:
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Depending on what wires are available sometimes the best fix is to flip the magnet in the humbucker. You don’t want to flip the wires if one of them is also ground for the case/baseplate/etc.
 
SpiderWars said:
Depending on what wires are available sometimes the best fix is to flip the magnet in the humbucker. You don’t want to flip the wires if one of them is also ground for the case/baseplate/etc.
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Good to know. I have one of those pickup polarity testers. Guess I should dig it out and go from there.
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
How does it sound? I have wanted to try an FS-1 in one of my strats.
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I actually was blown away. Big thumbs up. Still retains the single coil vibe but with much more gain than a vintage single….I’m new to single coil pickups but this is a one and done. Can easily do every 80’s tones with ease…very tight and balanced. I actually like it more than my Hum pickups…definitely grab one!!
 
splawner said:
I actually was blown away. Big thumbs up. Still retains the single coil vibe but with much more gain than a vintage single….I’m new to single coil pickups but this is a one and done. Can easily do every 80’s tones with ease…very tight and balanced. I actually like it more than my Hum pickups…definitely grab one!!
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Did you have to reverse the wires from the normal color codes, or did it go in no problem with black to ground and white to hot?
 
I have FS-1's in the middle and neck of one of my Charvel parts'o'casters and like them quite a bit. They do have the noise, which is a downside, but sound good otherwise. I'm definitely not a single coil connoisseur, so take it for what you will. I have a Tone Zone in the bridge of that guitar. Seems to all work reasonable well with crunch to higher gain, though I've been thinking about pulling the TZ for something else, but haven't decided yet.
 
David Gilmour, Johnny Ramone, John Norum, Mark Knopfler, The Edge and Yngwie used the FS-1. Norum still uses them. They are stock in Fender's Edge Strat.

Did Seymour design the SSL-5 to replace Gilmour's DiMarzio FS-1?
 
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