As every experienced Strat player knows, magnet pull is both a problem and a fact of life. Alnico 5 rod magnets exert a strong influence on guitar strings. If they get too close, you'll lose sustain and have tuning problems. Even so, Alnico 5 is part of the essential Strat sound of the 50s and 60s. DiMarzio wanted to retain the sound and reduce the problem, and the VirtuAL 2® series is the result. All VirtuAL 2® models use a special precision-ground Alnico 2 alloy with 45% less magnet pull than Alnico 5 magnets and Virtual Vintage® technology to eliminate noise.

The VirtuAL 2® neck model has warm lows, open mids and transparent highs. The low magnetic field gives a feeling of 'air' around the sound, which is particularly striking for chords and clean tones. Distorted tones have more enhanced harmonics and a singing quality on high notes.

Recommended For:

Highly recommended for neck position on all Strats with light strings, high-gain amps and/or distortion pedals. Also effective in middle & bridge positions for classic Strat sound.

Tech Talk:

Although Alnico 2 has much less magnetic strength than Alnico 5, the VirtuAL 2® is not weaker than standard Alnico 5-equipped pickups. Actually, the VirtuAL 2® has more useable power because it can be adjusted closer to the strings with no ill effects. This quality also allows the VirtuAL 2® to be combined easily with all other Virtual Vintage® models.

Specifications:

Wiring Standard four conductor
Magnet Alnico 2
Output 128mV
DC Resistance 6.98K
Year of introduction 1999
Patent # 4,442,749 & 5,811,710 & 5,908,998