DiMarzio DP217 YJM Single-Coil Pickup

You might not realize it from his music, but Yngwie Malmsteen is a vintage Strat® collector, and he swears by his 50s and 60s axes. He also swears by DiMarzio's HS-3™, and he's always wanted a vintage magnet-stagger version to go with his best guitars. While there is still a strong resemblance to the HS-3™, the YJM™ has more presence and brilliance, particularly on the high strings, and still no 60-cycle hum. Yngwie uses it in the neck position of his main guitars, and it's also the standard neck pickup on his signature model Strat¨.

Recommended For: All positions.

Tech Talk: Works well in all 3 positions for slightly warmer than usual Strat sound. The vintage 50's magnet stagger is a subtle change from the standard HS-3™. It alters the overall tonal balance so there's a little more clarity and string definition, and highs cut through, particularly higher up the neck. Most recently, Yngwie has been using the YJM™ in the middle and neck position, with the HS-3™ in the bridge position.

Technical Info

Wiring: 4 conductor

Magnet: AlNiCo 5

Output: 93

DC Resistance: 23.5

Year of introduction: 1995

Patent#: 4442749