Pickup Replacement Suggestions

[zimmelman]

Hello,

I have an Ibanez SA160. I lilke the feel and the neck, but the sound is really weak. It has single coil neck and middle with standard wide bridge humbucker.

I play a lot of blues, jazz, and a bit of country.

I'd like to put something like a hot-rail in neck position.

Which pickups would be best?

TIA,
-Steve-

[Benjy_26]

Welcome to the forum.

First off, what does your guitar sound like unplugged, what do you want to change or enhance of its natural tone, and what amp are you playing through?

[zimmelman]

Thanks.

Well, unplugged it sounds pretty clean and light. It has a mahogany body, maple neck and rosewood fret board; pretty standard stuff.

The single coils are noisy, and overall the guitar seems to lack punch. It comes across pretty thin. But then I didn't expect that a lower end ax would sound like a Les Paul. ;-)

I tested out an old strat with a similar pickup configuration, and it sounded smooth, bight, and clean. With the same settings, same amp, I play the SA160, and the bridge pickup was not bright, and anything but clean and crisp.

I use an old peavey special 130 (12" spkr, 130 watts). I bought it new about 25 yrs ago. But it still kicks.

[BG00]

Well do you want higher or lower output pickups and what style of music do you focus on?

[Benjy_26]

I would personally get a new 250k CTS volume pot, 250k push/pull pot, Orange Drop cap, and a Switchcraft switch and jack. This is just to give your new pickups a quality base to start with

I would then get a JB for the bridge and a pair of Classic Stack + pickups. I would then use the push/pull pot to switch the JB from series to parallel. This will get you great notch tones and pretty good spank from the bridge for chicken pickin'.

[zimmelman]

Well do you want higher or lower output pickups and what style of music do you focus on?

I play a lot of blues, jazz, some Rock, and a bit of country.

I'd like cleaner and hotter output.

[zimmelman]

I would personally get a new 250k CTS volume pot, 250k push/pull pot, Orange Drop cap, and a Switchcraft switch and jack. This is just to give your new pickups a quality base to start with

I would then get a JB for the bridge and a pair of Classic Stack + pickups. I would then use the push/pull pot to switch the JB from series to parallel. This will get you great notch tones and pretty good spank from the bridge for chicken pickin'.

Good advice about replacing the pots.

Would something like the TB4 JB at the bridge and SL591 Little 59 for neck and middle do it?

[gripweed]

I play a lot of blues, jazz, some Rock, and a bit of country.

I'd like cleaner and hotter output.

I don't think that the Hot Rails will work with your style of music. It isn't clean enough. If it were me I'd go with a Cool Rails neck instead, or the Classic Stack Plus if you want a more traditional single coil type tone. I think I'd go for the C5 for the bridge. Nice cleans and does a pretty decent vintage type tone with a hotter output.

[tone4days]

parallel axis set

mo beef !!

t4d

[Benjy_26]

Good advice about replacing the pots.

Would something like the TB4 JB at the bridge and SL591 Little 59 for neck and middle do it?

I wouldn't go with the Lil 59's in both the neck and mid. They're a bit too middy for my taste and really compromise the sparkle and chime that I feel is needed for good #2 and #4 switch positions.

Besides, i don't like the way the small polepieces interact with the strings. If you want something a bit hotter in the neck and mid than the Classic Stack + pickups, you can go with a pair of Hot Stacks or even a pair of Cool Rails. The CR's are very similar to Lil 59's, but due to their blade polepieces are more sensitive to string movement and are a touch brighter.

[SFW]

For the styles that you mentioned, I recomend a TB59 in the bridge, and two APS-1s for the neck and middle positions. Perhaps a JB for the bridge, although for your style it may be too much.

[zimmelman]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate your input.

[zimmelman]

Ok, I've done a bit more homework, and decided on a JB for the bridge.

But I'm still undecided on the neck and mid.

The SVR-1's sound great, but I'm afraid that in real life they may not be warm enough. I can't seem to find any sound bytes on Classic Stack +, although the specs look pretty good.

Does anyone have any experience between these 2? SVR-1 Or Classic Stack +?

Thanks again!

[LesStrat]

Don't know those. I am rather fond of the Cool Rails, though. That's what LesStrat has in the mid-position.

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