Pickups Need -YOUR- opinion

[Praetorian]

Okay guys, here's the situation.

I'm getting my pickups changed in my Ibanez RG1550. Alder body, maple neck.

I'm looking for something that has deep throated distortion, warm, slightly crunchy, heavy as hell. Two possibly pickup combinations are:

H-S-H B/C/N

Seymour Duncan Invader - Seymour Duncan Hot Rails - Seymour Duncan JB

EMG-60 - EMG-SA - EMG-85

What do you think?

 

[subversion]

bro- the RG1550 is either basswood/ mahogany... which model is yours exactly?

i have the following pickups in my 1550: Screamin Demon (B) + Stock Mid + Distortion (N), depicted here:

the guitar basically covers high gain & some nice fusion drive as weel. as i am the type who solos in the neck, i have a particular preference for clear, individual notes, hence the Distortion in the neck.

your Invader choice for the bridge is a fine selection, especially for deep, distorted low end. i have this pickup in my other Ibanez, S540 & it's a menace. it seems that you are going for a humbucker in the mid position too, i suggest you keep it pure single coil in there for versatility... i'm not one who dwells too much in the single coil tone when it comes to Ibanez, i prefer letting my Fenders handle this kinda tone...

juz my thoughts... :smt035

 

[Praetorian]

I apologise, it's Basswood. I don't know WHAT I was typing =P

I honestly don't know what to put it for the Single Coil middle position. I wanted something a little more mild mannered than my humbuckers, so I'm considering a lil '59 w/ coil tapping.

Thanks for the info, bro. Much appreciated. rayer:

 

[Prataz]

if you wan, i get sell u cheaply an emg 60 and emg sa

pm me k?

 

[Vaiyen]

Hi Subversion, how much did you get your George Lynch Screaming Demon for? Do you know if it's still in production?

also, how do you think an Air Norton will sound in the neck position of a basswood guitar? Any good for shredding leads?

 

[subversion]

hi bro...

the Screamin' Demon was $130 but that was a while back. music plaza ceased bringing in the Trembucker versions, if you want one, you can get it from gain10 8) : www.gain10music.com

the Screamin Demon is actually a modded '59- less bottom end, more midrange but nothing excessive like the JB. the top end is also more rounded & less intrusive. i love it to bits! no, i didn't buy it because of George Lynch, although i am a fan...

for Dimarzio necks humbuckers, i only adore 2 models: Super2 & Breed. the Super2 is no longer a production model, strictly custom shop offering. it is Dimarzio's interpretation of a Duncan Distortion neck unit, although Dimarzio already have the Distortion neck model per se. i believe the Super2 has more cut to it. the Breed is actually a very under-rated model, never mind if it has its Vai affiliation. it's very smooth & warm, no susprise because it was modelled after a Gibson PAF- Vai wanted it that way... 8)

 

[stillwater]

Hello Vaiyen, of cos my name doesn't look like Subversion :lol: but well, lately i've been to music plaza and yes, i saw the screaming demon pickup is available. I believe it is still in production as it is still under the product list in www.seymourduncan.com

Well, as for whether Air Norton sounds good in the neck position of a bassword(-bodied) guitar, listen to all the earlier Dream Theater Albums... FYI, the ibanez JPM is a basswood guitar equipped with Air Norton and Steve's Special. :wink:

 

[subversion]

Hello Vaiyen, of cos my name doesn't look like Subversion :lol: but well, lately i've been to music plaza and yes, i saw the screaming demon pickup is available. I believe it is still in production as it is still under the product list in www.seymourduncan.com

yup, the Screamin' Demon humbucker is available @ music plaza, but it's not the trembucker version, it's regular spaced. for the RG1550 depicted above, i have a trembucker model for it 8)

 

[stillwater]

Oh i didn't realize that... thanks bro

 

[Vaiyen]

Yo Sub, I gotta agree with you about The Breed! I have it in the neck of my guitar and its so buttery smooth and warm...I simply adore the tone. The other little fact that Vai uses it gives it even more cred!

I think I'll get the Screamin Demon for the bridge of my next guitar, seeing how strongly you endose it =) The sound clip on the SD website tickled my fancy too.


Stillwater, thanks for the info! I'll go dig up my old DT albums now =)

Thanks Guys for helping out!

 

[stillwater]

U're welcome Vaiyen, glad I could be of some help

 

[subversion]

anytime bro!

the Breed wasn't conceived before Vai, he actually specified the pickup for one of the JEM's release (JEM7B), so there you have it, something useful for players in general, despite the artiste specifications. the neck unit get my thumbs up definitely, but the bridge version, well, there are other more appealing Dimarzios for that matter.

the Screamin' Demon is an identity crisis pickup, it's ferocious by name but not overwhelming, definitely... 8)

 

[slasher_inc]

emgs or seymours!!! hahah

 

[Praetorian]

Yayyyyy!!!

I got new pickups!

Seymour Duncan Invader (Neck) in the neck, Seymour Duncan Lil '59 (Bridge) in center and Seymour Duncan JB (Bridge) at the bridge.

All three pickups are coil tapped

Excellent combination. Heavy for the hums, while middle is a little more mild mannered. Coil tapping gives me a huge variety of tone, 16 in all. From the classic strat sound to in-your-face distortion. Unfortunately Yamaha ran out of Invader (Bridge) and JB (Neck), which was my first choice. Oh well, works good enough.

Oh, by the way, anybody wanna buy an Ibanez set of pickups? V-series, H-S-H, $50 =x =x =x

 

[subversion]

Unfortunately Yamaha ran out of Invader (Bridge) and JB (Neck), which was my first choice. Oh well, works good enough.

did you check with gain10 for the availability of those? the JB isn't offered as a neck version, if anyone told you that, ask them why they said so...

 

[Praetorian]

I'm not sure if they ran out or are simply out of stock. What they told me "no more" Lol.

 

[teleholic]

well that's wierd cos there's no neck model for JB..just a thought sub..ever thought about mixing and matching duncans and dimarzios? say a breed in the neck and screamin' demon in the bridge..haha..wonder how it'll look or sound..

 

[subversion]

oh- i did that 8) look at my Ibanez RG560 here:

neck: Duncan Lil '59
mid: Dimarzio Fast Track 2
bridge: Dimarzio PAF

i love this combo- won't ever change

 

[teleholic]

wow..that is so 80's..i know you won't ever touch that

 

[subversion]

yeah, i got the guitar early '90s, still influenced by Ritchie Kotzen's Ibanez back then- neon colours 8) i'll leave it be because it sounds good this way, not because i'm preserving a dinosour...