NGD: Fender American Deluxe Vai Stratocaster

[Kruegmeister]

So I could never find a Strat the way I Wanted/Needed it.
So I bought all US American made Fender Pieces and put it together myself.

1998 Fender Deluxe American made Rosewood Neck with Locking Tuners.
Tremolo with the Solid Saddles.
Olympic White 2013 Body.
Pearl Pickguard loaded with Steve Vai Pickups mostly cause I like the specs on them not cause the Name:
Dimarzio DP161 Steve's Special - Neck (This ones not a Vai actually)
Dimarzio ISCV2 Evoluton - middle
Dimarzio DP166 Breed - Bridge (Tons of Mids)

Plays and sounds great, can't wait to spin it at Band Practice Tomorrow.

 

[snowdog]

Looks Nice.


The "Steve's Special" refers to the designer at DiMarzio-Steve Blucher...as far as I know Vai never used it, Petrucci did back around the Awake album.

It is usually used as a bridge pickup, how does is sound in the neck ?

 

[barnesjd]

Very cool! I feel the same way about Strats. I'll have to build one to be completely happy with it. I love the HSH configuration. Did you have to rout the pickup cavities? I want to build a very similar Strat, except I want mine to be a string-thru hardtail.

 

[Kruegmeister]

Very cool! I feel the same way about Strats. I'll have to build one to be completely happy with it. I love the HSH configuration. Did you have to rout the pickup cavities? I want to build a very similar Strat, except I want mine to be a string-thru hardtail.

The Body was already an HSH.
The Steve's Special yes it is for Steve Blucher the main designer part owner of dimarzio inc.
I didn't know this till now...
No matter, I liked the Pickups for their specs and no so much the Name on them.
I liked that the breed had a ton of Mids and Lows with a Hot, but not over the top output.
I like the Steve's Special because of the scooped Mids to help it clean up.
I think this combo will make the Guitar most useable for myself and my style as I tend to gravitate to Les Paul's, so I wanted a Strat that had a thick sound in the Bridge, able to clean up at the Neck and able to get that Strat Bluesy Sound in the 4 Position and I think this pickup combo will hit it. At the house it was sounding like a winner, I'll report more after spinning in the Mix with the Band tonight.