Ibanez Artcore AGS83 semi hollow pickup swap

[infrared72]

I have this Ibanez Ags83 Artcore guitar that I really like. The size of the instrument and the fit for me is just right. The one thing I don't really care for is the stock pickups. I might be able to live with the bridge, but the neck pickup just sucks. When you put the 3 way switch in the middle position, these things are just lifeless and anemic sounding. There is just WAY to much bass on the neck pickup. Now I know that neck pickups tend to be more bassy than the bridge, but this thing is just over the top bassy. Even when i turn the Bass down to 2 or 3 on my clean channel, there is still way too much bass.

So I'm looking for replacements that will allow for versatile tone with this guitar. I'm learning to play some jazz stuff, and trying to play more chord and lead lines with my fingers. I don't mind if the pickups are brighter than what I have, so long as they can be tamed with either the guitar's tone controls along with the treble on my Rebel 30 head. One thing I'm sure of is that I definitely want humbuckers. I already have another guitar with P-Rails, so those are out. I was considering the Alnico II Pro humbucker set, but since I've never tried those on ANY guitar I have no idea what to expect.

[MojoMonster]

I had an AS83, ES335 style, that I loved and would still be playing if I hadn't found an old Carvin SH225 I'd been lusting after for 20 years.

In the AS83, I put a Jazz in the neck and a Pearly Gates in the bridge and did the 4 push/pulls JP mod.

The stock electronics suck. Get new pots and a good 3-way switch while you're at it.
I recommend the appropriate RSGuitarworks kit, actually.
That's what I put into the Carvin.

If you want more versatility, add a couple of SD Triple Shots for series/parallel/coil split.
Use 2 push/pulls for series/parallel for the pickups and a phase switch and you've got the JP mod.

That said, you might want to look at a Pearly Gates neck which I've heard really good things about.

If you're really adventurous try a Phat Cat set or in the neck position.

Either way, good luck.
MM

[blueman335]

If you're really adventurous try a Phat Cat set or in the neck position.

Not so fast. Unless you swap magents, you don't want a Phat Cat in the neck of a 'bassy' guitar. The twin A2's in Phat Cats give you a pile of mids & low end, with almost no treble. But put in a couple A5's, and it'll sound bright, clear, & open.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Appologies for bringing this old one back . . .


. . . but i have a PhatCat question :


There is a used red AGS83 (slightly bigger than LP) semi, w f-foles in my local store that i might get, but that is beside the point !

Do you guys think that the stock NECK PhatCat is warmer/bassier than a neck A2P ?

Thanks !

[blueman335]

i have a PhatCat question :


There is a used red AGS83 (slightly bigger than LP) semi, w f-foles in my local store that i might get, but that is beside the point !

Do you guys think that the stock NECK PhatCat is warmer/bassier than a neck A2P ?

Thanks !

Yes. The twin A2's in Phat Cats kill off almost all the treble. Another problem being they're wound too hot for dark magnets; Zhang took off about 1K of winding on his Phat CatN. My A2PN is a great PU, clear and biting. A stock Phat Cat neck is dark and muffled. But it's easy enough to change mags in a Phat Cat. A5/A5, A5/A4, and A5/A3 all are a big improvement. Really open up the sound.

If you get that AGS83, put in some PAF's, you'll get the benefit of teh acoustic overtones. I have an AF105 hollowbody; it came stock with ceramic HB's! OMG. I put in a pair of '59's, with an UOA5 in the bridge, and it sounds great, much better than stock.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Yes. The twin A2's in Phat Cats kill off almost all the treble. Another problem being they're wound too hot for dark magnets; Zhang took off about 1K of winding on his Phat CatN. My A2PN is a great PU, clear and biting. A stock Phat Cat neck is dark and muffled. But it's easy enough to change mags in a Phat Cat. A5/A5, A5/A4, and A5/A3 all are a big improvement. Really open up the sound.

If you get that AGS83, put in some PAF's, you'll get the benefit of teh acoustic overtones. I have an AF105 hollowbody; it came stock with ceramic HB's! OMG. I put in a pair of '59's, with an UOA5 in the bridge, and it sounds great, much better than stock.

Thanks Blueman.

Here is the AGS83 in question.
It is slightly bigger than a Les Paul, and slightly thicker in body depth.

http://static.musiciansfriend.com/de...e_red_flat.jpg

http://www.paperpickle.com/guitar/ags83/ - the one i can get has more of a wood grain thing going on under the red'ish tint, and not a flamed top.

http://www.ibanezcollectors.com/disc...16/1002320.jpg - much more like this finnish ! (so no "flame" at all)

Looking more into it, i believe the one i can get is actually an AGS73B

Like so :

It just feels good in my hands : weight, size, body thickness, neck - it just sems to work !

[9fingers]

I have a very nice Asian semi-hollow (Washburn HB 35) that came with decent but not exceptional stock pickups. I put a set of DiMarzio PAF Classics in it and it totally came alive. (The DiMarzio 36th Anni are the newer version of the PAF Classics). It is everything I ever wanted in a semi-hollow now. It is warm but with cut & definition, has very complex tone in all 3 positions, and sustains literally forever. It has completely cured my 335 GAS.
I took the lazy man's way & pulled the old pickups out, cut the leads & soldered & shrink wrapped the new leads to the cut parts of the old, rather than mess around fishing wires around inside a semi-hollow. I thought I would eventually go back and replace the pots & switch & rewire but it sounds so good I'm leaving it as is. If it ain't broke ----.

[blueman335]

I took the lazy man's way & pulled the old pickups out, cut the leads & soldered & shrink wrapped the new leads to the cut parts of the old, rather than mess around fishing wires around inside a semi-hollow. I thought I would eventually go back and replace the pots & switch & rewire but it sounds so good I'm leaving it as is. If it ain't broke ----.

No need for that. You can easily get the pots back in with either a stiff plastic coated wire or a piece of aquarium tubing. The first rewiring I ever did was putting two push-pulls in a Hamer Echotone 335, took everything out and laid it on a towel on top of the guitar. Did my soldering, leaving extra slack in the wires, tested it thru an amp, and got it all back in a few minutes with a stiff wire (pulling the neck tonepot shaft up into the hole), holding it with a 6" curved forcept while I put the nut and washer on. For the 3 pots closer to the F hole, I used the forcept to lift them into place from underneath. I figured this out on my first time, and have done it this way for several dozen PU/rewirings in F hole guitars. It's 5 minutes getting everything back in. No big deal.

[LtKojak]

I have this Ibanez Ags83 Artcore guitar that I really like. So I'm looking for replacements that will allow for versatile tone with this guitar. I'm learning to play some jazz stuff, and trying to play more chord and lead lines with my fingers. I don't mind if the pickups are brighter than what I have, so long as they can be tamed with either the guitar's tone controls along with the treble on my Rebel 30 head

The Seth Lover set is what you want. It just doesn't get any better for what you're looking for. If while you're at it, you decide to change the harness to a good quality one, that guitar will be just perfect.

HTH,