Help Choosing Pickups for Basswood Rg

[Tony]

It's a sweeter and more aggressive '59... they pair really well together.

As far as DiMarzio goes... you would LOVE an AT-1 in the bridge of that guitar.

The neck '59 responds awesomely to magnet swaps like A4 or even A3 too.

How would be the response with an A4?

Cheers.

[UberMetalDood]

The duncans you listed, how much they will liking basswood?

Do you the CC would have a good amount of bass since it´s EQ on the chart is low on bass? B:3 M:7 T:7

Thanks.

They're all great in basswood. The JB and FS are kind of like a Tone Zone/PAF Pro. They're versatile and high performance. The Custom Custom has enough bass so I wouldn't worry about it. To me , the Custom Custom is more like 4/7/6 eq in basswood. It makes an awesone Ibanez bridge pickup.

[Tony]

They're all great in basswood. The JB and FS are kind of like a Tone Zone/PAF Pro. They're versatile and high performance. The Custom Custom has enough bass so I wouldn't worry about it. To me , the Custom Custom is more like 4/7/6 eq in basswood. It makes an awesone Ibanez bridge pickup.

I think the jb will be richer and cleaner soundig than tone zone, isn´t it? I want something fatter but not so much as a tone zone. I heard that the CC is smooth and has a lot of cream sounding character, right? Since my guitar is bright and snaps a lot-to the point that she screams and it doesn´t sound dull with coated strings- CC sounds like a smooth option.

Do you mean B:4 M:7 T:6 or T:4 M:7 B:6?

[UberMetalDood]

I think the jb will be richer and cleaner soundig than tone zone, isn´t it? I want something fatter but not so much as a tone zone. I heard that the CC is smooth and has a lot of cream sounding character, right? Since my guitar is bright and snaps a lot-to the point that she screams and it doesn´t sound dull with coated strings- CC sounds like a smooth option.

Not really. The Tone Zone, JB and CC all have strong upper mids. There ars too many misconceptions about the Tone Zone and that probably has to do with Harmony-Central metal players who chug out the same sterile riffs on PODs and know nothing about tone. The CC is pretty aggressive so I wouldn't call it "smooth" and "creamy." They can all be smooth and creamy if you dial in the right gear. Also keep in mind that basswood tends to dampen some of the high frequencies. Woods like ash and maple accentuate highs. The pickups i mentioned all have characteristics that get along great with basswood.

[Tony]

Not really. The Tone Zone, JB and CC all have strong upper mids. There ars too many misconceptions about the Tone Zone and that probably has to do with Harmony-Central metal players who chug out the same sterile riffs on PODs and know nothing about tone. The CC is pretty aggressive so I wouldn't call it "smooth" and "creamy." They can all be smooth and creamy if you dial in the right gear. Also keep in mind that basswood tends to dampen some of the high frequencies. Woods like ash and maple accentuate highs. The pickups i mentioned all have characteristics that get along great with basswood.

I realized that, it seems that basswood it´s defined or straight but lacks somethings and is what you said, basswood dampens those freqs. I suppose those pickups you mentioned brings basswood to live.

I as thinking of the CC as a not agressive pup because of the specifications on the chart, it seems that is a pup that got much more to show. How kind of sound gives the A2 to the CC? I´m interesting on CC.

I got a pair of 59´s installed now i feel they sucked my tone but this is because of the scooped mids right? How do you think a guy like me with that 59´model experience could feel the jb, CC,? Am i rigth if i say that the tone suck i felt could dissapear? And get a fuller tone?

They can be agressive but i suppose that not so much as the dimebucker, invader, sh-6 or something like that.

[Rowz]

Hi guys Im newby around here.
Tony im in the same situation like you, my guitar is an Ibanez JS-600 with a basswood body and maple/rosewood neck and always looking the perfect match for the bridge which most of pickups I tried sounds thin to me. I tried the JB and I hate that pickup in that guitar it sounds thin and sterile for my taste, the SH-15 sounds a bit better, really great with dist but still thin in clean sound, now I got an Jazz on neck and a SH-14 on bridge the neck sounds good not complains but I would like to try the APH1N and the 59 to know how they sounds, the SH-14 sounds a bit better but still a bit thin and I want some more fat for the bridge I got an SH-11 which is recommend for bright guitar and maybe that will have the sound that I wanted but I still not tried it, I got one on a PRS with rosewood neck I need to take off from the PRS and put on the IBanez to know but i dont have the time now that is why i didnt do it yet

[Tony]

... I got an SH-11 which is recommend for bright guitar and maybe that will have the sound that I wanted but I still not tried it, I got one on a PRS with rosewood neck I need to take off from the PRS and put on the IBanez to know but i dont have the time now that is why i didnt do it yet

Hey man i wish you good luck in your tone quest.

I will thank if you tell me how the thing is goging with the CC. The Duncans arrive my town until september but, if you want i can tell you my experiencie when the final installation be done. Any way i don´t choose anything yet.

Any how you can ask to the guys that actually answered my post because they have experience and knowlegde with many pups and knows about basswood and overall they are kind people.

Cheers.

[zenmindbeginner]

They're all great in basswood. The JB and FS are kind of like a Tone Zone/PAF Pro. They're versatile and high performance. The Custom Custom has enough bass so I wouldn't worry about it. To me , the Custom Custom is more like 4/7/6 eq in basswood. It makes an awesone Ibanez bridge pickup.

Hey UberMetalDude, you got some clips for us of any of these pickups for Tony to hear? I pulled your AWESOME clip of the DIMarzio AT-1 from a Google search.

Have you got a Custom Custom clip too or any more with the AT-1?

You sir, are really good.

[UberMetalDood]

Hey UberMetalDude, you got some clips for us of any of these pickups for Tony to hear? I pulled your AWESOME clip of the DIMarzio AT-1 from a Google search.

Have you got a Custom Custom clip too or any more with the AT-1?

You sir, are really good.

Thanks man but you give me far too much credit. I'm just a noodler. I have a few recordings laying around, but nothing near professional quality.

Custom Custom in a through a Mini Rect

Seth Lover through an Engl Raider

Ibanez RG with a Gibson 57 Classic/57 Classic+ set through an Engl Raider

Dimarzio Norton through an Engl Screamer

Dimarzio D-Sonic (poles toward bridge)

Ibanez RG with Tone Zone/Air Norton

Dimarzio Norton through Engl Powerball

Dimarzio Norton through Marshall DSL50

Dimarzio Norton through Elmwood Modena (Hotel California Solo)

[Tony]

Thanks man but you give me far too much credit. I'm just a noodler. I have a few recordings laying around, but nothing near professional quality.

Custom Custom in a through a Mini Rect

Seth Lover through an Engl Raider

Ibanez RG with a Gibson 57 Classic/57 Classic+ set through an Engl Raider

Dimarzio Norton through an Engl Screamer

Dimarzio D-Sonic (poles toward bridge)

Ibanez RG with Tone Zone/Air Norton

Dimarzio Norton through Engl Powerball

Dimarzio Norton through Marshall DSL50

Dimarzio Norton through Elmwood Modena (Hotel California Solo)

Thanks for the clips guys. I like every pup on different way they all are great but the at-1 and norton are my favorite. This is really helpful.


do any of you have a demo with the dimarzio super dist and prof on the bridge of a basswood ibanez?

Many gear here. You play great, really. Congrats.

[Tony]

Hey UberMetalDude, you got some clips for us of any of these pickups for Tony to hear? I pulled your AWESOME clip of the DIMarzio AT-1 from a Google search.

Have you got a Custom Custom clip too or any more with the AT-1?

You sir, are really good.

Hey man, i will get -for sure- the AT-1 for bridge and a 36thPaf(bridge) or the air classic for neck. How do you think?

Maybe i will change the DSD on my Godin for a Norton.

[UberMetalDood]

Hey man, i will get -for sure- the AT-1 for bridge and a 36thPaf(bridge) or the air classic for neck. How do you think?

Maybe i will change the DSD on my Godin for a Norton.

I'd try the Norton first if I were you. If you like the tone, then try the AT-1. I think the AT-1 needs a bit more acquired taste than the Norton.

[darthphineas]

If you want Duncan, then JB/Full Shred or Custom Custom/Jazz.

excellent suggestions.

the JB/FSn was my stock set up for many, many years in my hum/hum sonfig guitars. until I fell in to swapping mags and making hybrids. lol! put a JB/FSn in a guitar and wire then to split and you are in for some good clean hard-rockin' fun.

[Tony]

excellent suggestions.

the JB/FSn was my stock set up for many, many years in my hum/hum sonfig guitars. until I fell in to swapping mags and making hybrids. lol! put a JB/FSn in a guitar and wire then to split and you are in for some good clean hard-rockin' fun.

Talking about hybrids. I have an idea. Combine one coil from a sh-10n and the other from a jazz model to get articulation plus a bite of FS chunk. Could be work? or will be a bad sounding hybrid?

It´s not that i want a combo like this i´m just throwing ideas.

[UberMetalDood]

What do you mean? Sorry i didn´t understand.

The norton sounded great to me too. I like both. To be tru i would have every pup of all the clips you posted to me. All sounded of my liking. But the limit is not the sky is the money. Step by step i will go.

What I'm saying is that the AT-1 is a unique sound, but the Norton is a little bit more classic. The Norton is kind of like an updated 80's pickup. It's very similar to the AT-1, except a bit more rounded overall. If you don't know the sound you want to achieve then the AT-1 might sound a little bright or thin. It's not a thin sounding pickup, but the way that it emphasizes the lower mids and pulls back on the high mids brings out the presence somehow. I had that impression at first until I recorded it. As you can hear in the audio, it's not a thin sounding pickup.

Where the AT-1 pulls back a bit on the upper mids, the Norton emphasizes it, like the JB. It's as bright as the JB, but maybe not AS bright as the AT-1. Listen to Andy Timmons sound on Super 70's and Electric Gypsy and that will give you exactly what the AT-1 sounds like on most rigs.

What about the Custom Custom? Did you check that one out?

[Rowz]

Hey man i wish you good luck in your tone quest.

I will thank if you tell me how the thing is goging with the CC. The Duncans arrive my town until september but, if you want i can tell you my experiencie when the final installation be done. Any way i don´t choose anything yet.

Any how you can ask to the guys that actually answered my post because they have experience and knowlegde with many pups and knows about basswood and overall they are kind people.

Cheers.

Sure, I just wanted to share my experience with a similar guitar, but you know all a have diferent taste.

[Tony]

Sure, I just wanted to share my experience with a similar guitar, but you know all a have diferent taste.

Many tastes, many recipes and many cooking options here. A plenty menu.

Thanks for share your experience.

[Tony]

What I'm saying is that the AT-1 is a unique sound, but the Norton is a little bit more classic. The Norton is kind of like an updated 80's pickup. It's very similar to the AT-1, except a bit more rounded overall. If you don't know the sound you want to achieve then the AT-1 might sound a little bright or thin. It's not a thin sounding pickup, but the way that it emphasizes the lower mids and pulls back on the high mids brings out the presence somehow. I had that impression at first until I recorded it. As you can hear in the audio, it's not a thin sounding pickup.

Where the AT-1 pulls back a bit on the upper mids, the Norton emphasizes it, like the JB. It's as bright as the JB, but maybe not AS bright as the AT-1. Listen to Andy Timmons sound on Super 70's and Electric Gypsy and that will give you exactly what the AT-1 sounds like on most rigs.

What about the Custom Custom? Did you check that one out?

I already chechk the CC is great, creamy and bitey. To my ears is smooth and i like that. You are right about the Norton. The AT-1 sounded thick and clear on that clip i found it fatter compared to the Norton. I´m thinking again about my options. Tha AT-1 could be great on my godin wich is fatter and warm what do you think?

[Juanhanglo]

I have a norton in the bridge of my rg. It is a mahogany 520. I went from a tone zone (too thick, though probably didn't spend enough time with it), steve's special ( just the opposite, i like the chunk and cleans it had), then lastly, the norton. I have had it in for more than ten years now.
The others have described it well.
Imo, it works well with today's rather bass heavy amps. While it seems more modern sounding, i find that rolloing the volume back ( with a treble bleed circuit) yields decent vintagey type tones.

The lace hemibucker is close to it, with lower output btw

[Tony]

I have a norton in the bridge of my rg. It is a mahogany 520. I went from a tone zone (too thick, though probably didn't spend enough time with it), steve's special ( just the opposite, i like the chunk and cleans it had), then lastly, the norton. I have had it in for more than ten years now.
The others have described it well.
Imo, it works well with today's rather bass heavy amps. While it seems more modern sounding, i find that rolloing the volume back ( with a treble bleed circuit) yields decent vintagey type tones.

The lace hemibucker is close to it, with lower output btw

Thanks a lot for the feedback. I´m between the Norton and the AT-1.
How much differs the sound of a mahogany rg from a basswood one?