Advice for Pickups for RG550

[I_M_Ken]

Hello guys,
Been a long while sincei'm actually active here again.
Anyway i kinda lost touch with duncan pups, coz i was exploring dimarzio's stuff, apparently i don't really fancy Dimarzio stuff anymore so im back into exploring Duncans.

So i just need some advice on pups to get for my Ibanez RG550 (basswood)

Ibanez RG550 (Basswood)
Bridge: Empty
Neck: Air Norton
Mid: Lace Blue

Ok so i need a bridge pup to match the Air Norton. Apparently JB would actually be a little too much on the treble side for this guitar, so would the Custom. Tried a PATB-2 as well, didnt like it too.

Any ideas what else i can throw in? Looking for a tight bottom end, smooth highs. Was thinking, Custom 5, hmm..how does that sound?

Thanks

[bloodswords]

i'd actually recommend the Custom for that 'tight bottom end, smooth highs'...

[I_M_Ken]

i'd actually recommend the Custom for that 'tight bottom end, smooth highs'...

Aiight, cool... hmm.
any other suggestions from the other forumers?

[Mike_D.]

Custom 5 would be a good choice. If you want smooth highs, a Custom Custom might not be bad either. Buy one or the other and then you can switch magnets and try three different pickups for barely over the price of one.

If you want to get really out there, try one of WCR's offerings. I am personally a fan of the Fillmore but a Goodwood or Shredder might be cool as well depending on the kind of output you like from a pickup.

[I_M_Ken]

Custom 5 would be a good choice. If you want smooth highs, a Custom Custom might not be bad either. Buy one or the other and then you can switch magnets and try three different pickups for barely over the price of one.

If you want to get really out there, try one of WCR's offerings. I am personally a fan of the Fillmore but a Goodwood or Shredder might be cool as well depending on the kind of output you like from a pickup.

yeah im more keen on the Custom 5 coz if the A5 magnet, not really into really high mids like the CC. Tried the Custom and JB, but it was alittle bright for the guitar. The C5's tone chart seemed to be what i was looking for in a pup for the guitar.

I also actually wanted to try a PATB-3 Blues Saraceno, however my Air Norton in neck will drown it.. heh...

[smegolas]

Ive got a JB in my basswood Ibanez and it sounds great. How do you like your Air Norton and/or your Virtual PAF??

[Mike_D.]

yeah im more keen on the Custom 5 coz if the A5 magnet, not really into really high mids like the CC. Tried the Custom and JB, but it was alittle bright for the guitar. The C5's tone chart seemed to be what i was looking for in a pup for the guitar.

I also actually wanted to try a PATB-3 Blues Saraceno, however my Air Norton in neck will drown it.. heh...

That's interesting. I could see the high mids from the Custom, but not the Custom Custom. The Custom Custom I have has extremely smooth high mids due to the A2 magnet. It's more of a low mid or straight mid to my ears. I was pleasently surprised that the lows were fairly present also. Still tight but thick.

[I_M_Ken]

That's interesting. I could see the high mids from the Custom, but not the Custom Custom. The Custom Custom I have has extremely smooth high mids due to the A2 magnet. It's more of a low mid or straight mid to my ears. I was pleasently surprised that the lows were fairly present also. Still tight but thick.

oh, then i think i got them mixed up.
never had any experience with the CC or C5, but i know the Custom is not for me. haha.

Smegolas: i love those 2 pickups. Air Norton gives good amount of mids and a 'round' tone, its awesome as a neck pickup for soloing. As for the V-PAF, i put it in a LP bridge and it gives me great cleans with a slight vintage tone. works pretty well for hard rock stuff too.

the JB in my RG550 sounds alittle bright for me. possibly my amp as well. Anyway its back in my Jackson KE, where it works great.

[Mephis]

JB bright in a basswood guitar? Sorry I don't see that. I can see that there would be a massive unbarable high mid spike that would rape your ears though. I had a JB in my all maple guitar, it was dark but the high mid spike was just flat painful and I couldn't get a smooth lead tone out of it for anything.

I love my screamin demon, it is more present sounding than the JB but it doesn't have as much of a high mid spike and the highs are rounder. It's also lower output and not compressed sounding at all. Not sure how it would match with a norton but you could just back the norton off.

[Orange]

I own an IBANEZ RG 550. I've tried many pickups that just didn't sound right, because of the combination of Maple /basswood. By that i mean that it doesn't have much bass. And if you try to add bass using a bassy pickup yo just end up sounding DULL.

So after month of trying and many deceptions,
i am finally 100% happy with my setup and my RG 550 became my FAVOURIET guitar.

Di Marzio Evolution (neck) - Dimarzio HS1 - Di Marzio EVO 2

This combination is really adapted to the natural sound of this guitar and is far more versatile that what6 people might believe.
And be aware that the EVO2 is not the Evolution......

If i had to choose Duncans for the same guitar i'll go either for Demon or a distortion.
If it's too trely change the pot for a 250k.

Don't be affraid of having a trebly guitar. the RG 550 IS trebly, don't try to make it sound different, trebly doesn't always mean ICE PICKY or EAR PIERCING HIGHS. It's just trebly that's good, especially for 80's metal, funk, classic rock, pop and fast soloing.
The EVO 2 does a danm good jopb in these styles, and unexdpectedly gives you a kiler crunch in a vintage style amp (vox, orange etc...)

[Brewtone]

I just put a Full Shred pair in my RG550 (replacing a DImarzio Breed and PAF pro) and I love it.

The guitar just seems so much more alive now, and screams like a *$%king banshee, I love it!!!! BTW I have the stock Ibby single coil in the middle but it's not wired up.

I'll have to record some clips in the next few days.

[I_M_Ken]

very nice.
i've actually decided to put in the AirZone in the bridge of my RG550. i've used the AZ before and i find that it would very well match the Air Norton plus it adds lots of depth and mids/low boost

[Metalblaze]

I had the AZ in my low-badget Ibanez RG and was a very good match. A very classic rock sound if you like that.
Now I have the C5 and I like it a lot. It suits me better.
I never worried about the EQ of the pickup but most about its tone and distortion texture it provides. The EQ is highly adjustable. I had a good amount of pups and never had problems with that.

Make your pups sound like you and don't have the pups make you sound like them.

[Moonsorrow]

very nice.
i've actually decided to put in the AirZone in the bridge of my RG550. i've used the AZ before and i find that it would very well match the Air Norton plus it adds lots of depth and mids/low boost

Good choice!!! I had the same guitar and had a Tone Zone installed in the bridge and it ruled!!! The Air Zone will kick ass in there as well!! I like Duncans too but DiMarzio always seems to be the better fit for me!!!!