Pickups for an Ibanez RG

[AdamBrad]

Basically, as a (hopefully) much clearer form of my previous thread: If I was to buy an RG1570 (or better), what pickups should I install.

I want it capable of all 'metals' (but with a primary focus on the melodic death end of the spectrum instead of the baggy pants and backwards caps end), but also clean passages and maybe rock if I roll off the gain (if that's not asking too much). I already have a JB/59 combo and a Tone Zone/PAF Pro guitar and also this guitar would be drop-tuned, so I want something more extreme, but not so far gone it can't do anything else (or standard tuning).

The body would be Basswood and I'm intrigued by the John Petrucci Dimarzios (Crunch Lab and LiquiFire) and also the Dimebucker or Invader, but want suggestions.

Also the configuration is HSH, so maybe a clean single in the middle? or keep it stock?

What do you think?

[AdamBrad]

Just so a good post isn't lost

PATB-2 Parallel Axis Distortion is awesome, if you are considering the Invader you should consider it as well. Brighter than the Invader but not quite as harsh as the TB-6 Distortion, though you can get there by turning the presence up a notch at the amp. But the TB-6 can't smooth out as well as the PATB-2 can, getting rid of that ceramic rasp is tougher on it.

The PATB-2 solos nearly as well as the JB, riffs like the Invader and thrashes almost as well as the Distortion (more lower mids, bit more growl, a hair less tight, but still far from loose).

I could never get the JB to work in my RG570, I don't know if the TB-6 is as difficult (and it's likely your models have a better grade of basswood so the low end may be less weird). But the Parallel Axis series is as good as many of the DiMarzios for beefing up a superstrat.

In general DiMarzios are popular in Ibanez because more of them just work. But Duncan has a fair number that are great in basswood superstrats too. Anything PATB, Full Shreds, Screamin' Demon, P-Rails, if your dealer will order floor-shop customs, some of the all screw models work great ('59 and Jazz in particular).

PS: I have a PATB-1b in my RG570 now, and it's just amazing for a ridiculous range of sounds. Classic rock to thrash, does it all at least well. If I had another shredstick, I'd have a PATB-2 in one of them.

[Bones]

What do you want this guitar to do that your 3120 cannot do right now?

[AdamBrad]

What do you want this guitar to do that your 3120 cannot do right now?

I'm getting it for Drop Tunings (most often Drop C) and to replace the Dean I have as I don't really like the guitar too much (or the EMGs in it)...

[masta' c]

Get an RG1570, swap the Alnico 5 mag from the V8 bridge pickup into the V7 neck and put the ceramic neck mag or an Alnico 8 back in the bridge...always wondered what that would do for the tone!

[LatsMcGee]

Stock RG right here lower than C, and I think my buddy gets great tone..

[elelpe]

Bridge: Full Shred or Dimebucker
Middle: Li'l Screamin' Demon or stock
Neck: Jazz (bridge)

[John E Rokker]

DiMarzio Steve's Special, F Spaced - Bridge
DiMarzio Air Norton, F Spaced - Neck

[Stef]

l500xl
dimebucker

[AdamBrad]

For those who are interested: If I was to get an RG with Dimarzio/IBZ pickups (which are made in the USA Dimarzios), they're meant to have these characteristics (according to Dimarzio):


Both neck and bridge pickups are high-output models.

The neck pickup is fairly bright-sounding, similar to a Super 2™ (DP104).

The bridge pickup is a little louder and warmer-sounding, and resembles a cross between the Steve Morse Bridge Model™ (DP200) and the Super Distortion® (DP100).

The R1 single-coil is warmer-sounding than a typical vintage single-coil, and was designed to work well with the neck and bridge humbuckers when they are in split mode. It has a sound similar to that of the HS-2™ in split-coil mode.



What does the forum think of those?

[BloodRose]

Interesting. my RG came with R1 and 2 and I thought they were weak.. I have a Duncan 59b in the neck and PATB3 in the bridge and a dimarzio VV blues in the middle. I get a great spectrum of sounds, but I would say the PATB3 is more geared to classic rock, blues rock.. Id go with a Patb1 or 2 for metal. Great pups..

[LatsMcGee]

Try the deactivator or deactivator x set, maybe an X2N,

[AdamBrad]

I was wary of D Activators just because of their overt "metal" branding, but if they can talk the talk on the Dimarzio website then they could be quite a good choice...

[masta' c]

Crunch Lab/Liquifire set

or Screamin' Demon bridge, Jazz neck

or LACE Drop & Gain set

or PA-TB1 or TB2 in bridge w/ PA-TB1n in neck

[Despair]

The PATB-2 Parallel Axis Distortion is killer for all-out metal. Check out daemon barbeque's myspace for some great samples of it (IIRC, Flagolated Demon Cookies is all PATB-2 for the guitar parts), though they are done on an amp sim.

The PATB-1b pulls off low gain a lot more comfortably, and has a clean that's a bit more familiar to a PAF user (though quite not as good for cleans or PAF tones as the PATB-3, it's still pretty solid).

The PATB-1b can also pretty much cover anything the Custom 5 or Custom Custom can, plus a bit of the JB's territory (great harmonics and sustain, but leads and harmonics sing more than scream). Back the volume off ~15% and it's very close to the C5 (but with a bit more mids). Back the tone off 15-20% and it gets very close to the CC.

Being able to wander between such diverse tones without touching the amp, just by altering pick attack and messing with the guitar's knobs, is pretty wild. Can go from a bright crunch to smooth leads without touching a knob, which is even less common.

There's a pile of advantages to the Parallel Axis design, it's very articulate with increased sustain, reduced magnetic pull, enhanced harmonics, ridiculously responsive to pick dynamics, improved string balance and on everything but the PATB-2, high output with a less compressed feel.

There are lots of other great pickups, but the Parallel Axis pickups aren't easy to beat in a superstrat, unless you are looking for a particular sound associated with one of those pickups. If you want an extremely sculptable generalist that still can pull off unique tones of it's own, I'd suggest checking out the PATB-1b [or the PATB-3 if your tastes ran more to low gain].

[TheLivingDead]

Crunch Lab / Liquifire

or

D-Activator X / X2N

[UberMetalDood]

Nothing is better in an Ibanez than a Dimarzio. Right now the pickup I'm really liking is the Mo'Joe. I wish I could kick myself in the rear for not trying a Mo'Joe before. It's a really good pickup. First I had it in my strat then put it in my Musicman Axis. It was perfect in my strat but I wanted to see if it would work with my Axis and it did. I want to know what it would sound like in a Les Paul. I would recommend it above anything else unless you're looking for a more powerful pickup, then the best choice would be a D Sonic.

[Despair]

There are plenty of Seymour Duncans that are great in Ibanez guitars. At least as good as DiMarzio, though often in different ways. Parallel Axis pickups solve many of the same problems that dual screw & dual resonance humbuckers do.

Which is better really depends on the tastes of the player. Until I found the PATB-1b, for shred I generally preferred DiMarzio for leads and Seymour Duncan for rhythm.

[AdamBrad]

An epic metal RG has just turned up on the 'bay but it only has a single humbucker (full shred as stock, which is pretty sweet) and a volume, and I just think that even with a push/pull to split the bucker, it really won't be versatile enough. Any ideas?

[AdamBrad]

An epic metal RG has just turned up on the 'bay but it only has a single humbucker (full shred as stock, which is pretty sweet) and a volume, and I just think that even with a push/pull to split the bucker, it really won't be versatile enough. Any ideas?