The DiMarzio HS-2 has history behind it. It was the first humbucking Strat replacement pickup we made, in the early 1980's. Since then, it's become popular for two distinct qualities: in humbucking mode, it's got a solid, natural sound that's cleaner and brighter than a conventional humbucker, while single-coil mode creates one of the best vintage tones around, Because of its patented design, single-coil mode is not as noisy as a standard single-coil pickup. Taken together with the dead-quiet humbucking mode, this is an excellent pickup to use with rack systems and high-gain amps.