Qns regarding amps and pick ups

[imkeith]

Hi fellow softies,

I was searching up vids/websites for a desired set of pick ups that fits my liking for my Ibanez guitar.
Until a question really struck me, do you really need a killer amp bring out your new pups potential?
I know alot of people have been mentioning tube amps but at the moment i really dont see it as an possibility as i believe they cost a hell lot. Do solid state amps suck that much ?
Other than watching vids to judge how the tone would turn out i really dont know of any other way, but really at times reviews cant be trusted and fellow softies always like to say go down to the shop and try it first hand, but the thing is im pretty sure u cant do that in this case with pick ups.
So i was thinking if i could gather a list of pick ups from the more experienced softies so that it would really narrow my search down.
I was actually thinking of Emg actives but i heard that it's really troublesome and the tone kinda dies with the batteries?
or dirmarzio tone zone or x2n they sound decent to me, but there were reviews saying that they sound muddy on certain wood, and i did go to the dimarzio site to listen to the sample but they dont really have a full sample with ibanez samples, im not really sure how tone would defer from the different built guitars hence would someone clarify with this.
You see i've nvr change pick ups before so it's really brain wrecking at this point, so guys come share some recommendations or experience would be of great help to me

Fyi, im using a
IbanezRG
tremolo sys
5way selector switch
HSH

would be great to recommend some choices for the neck's humbuckle, altho i dont use the single coil much but it'd be nice for some info too

 

[eclipze]

use amps that has 12" speaker... solid state amp that's ok ... no need to go for tube amp since its too pricey
if u use a training amp 15 watt ... ull never hear a good sound even though u change ur PUps many times

BTW whats your amp?
dimarzio paf pro... air norton, the breed r good

EMGs active .... personally i dont like the sound ... everybody has different taste

 

[imkeith]

im using a laney LG20R
ohh heard of norton and breed the vai one?
12'speakers? pardon me i dont really know much bout amps

 

[Adawang]

Im using LX20D, can tell the difference with pickup change
pickups SD Lil59, Tesla VR1 & SD Classic Stack in HSH combination

 

[imkeith]

ohh mike from sv recommended me the vr1
btw how does the vr1 sound? good for classic rock/ heavier / trashy kinda stuff?
but im alil more worried for the better pick ups
im just afraid if i spend so much on the pick ups and in the end my amp cant do crap

 

[Adawang]

ohh mike from sv recommended me the vr1
btw how does the vr1 sound? good for classic rock/ heavier / trashy kinda stuff?
but im alil more worried for the better pick ups
im just afraid if i spend so much on the pick ups and in the end my amp cant do crap

vR1 are ok, using for the middle, i am not good at describing the sound .
you can go Tesla webby http://www.teslapickups.com/audioto hear for yourself

 

[junkiemanxl]

dude,

I used to think that amps were not really an important factor in tone quest. IMHO, they do play a very big part in tone. solid state amps are not "bad". they are just a little different from those tube amps. Each has their own pro's and con's

I would say invest in a good amp if your wallet permits you. Some 15-30 watters can produce some good tones. You just need to know which one suits your needs. I'll recommend you the vox valvetronix amps. they are pretty affordable and has some serious tones to offer. Very versatile too.

As for pups, if you are looking for a dimarzio combo for your RG, try the tonezone and air norton. I've used this combo before. They go quite well together on an RG type guitar. Either that or you can opt for some SD's. 59's and JB's.

It's really a matter of preference and i bet there will be people who will agree and disagree on different combos. It's best to slow down and try them if you can. See which one works out for you.

 

[Breen]

Amps do make a difference. Although you can luck out and have a decent practice amp that somehow ages well. My Marshall MG15 is nothing spectacular, but I can tahan playing tru it after so many years.

My advice is get some upgrades in your guitar if you really want a change, and grab a good distortion like a Crunchbox or Fulltone GT500, something that would make your amp bark. Then you will be happy till you know its time to step up on getting a good quality amp, transistor or tube.

 

[imkeith]

dude,

I used to think that amps were not really an important factor in tone quest. IMHO, they do play a very big part in tone. solid state amps are not "bad". they are just a little different from those tube amps. Each has their own pro's and con's

I would say invest in a good amp if your wallet permits you. Some 15-30 watters can produce some good tones. You just need to know which one suits your needs. I'll recommend you the vox valvetronix amps. they are pretty affordable and has some serious tones to offer. Very versatile too.

As for pups, if you are looking for a dimarzio combo for your RG, try the tonezone and air norton. I've used this combo before. They go quite well together on an RG type guitar. Either that or you can opt for some SD's. 59's and JB's.

It's really a matter of preference and i bet there will be people who will agree and disagree on different combos. It's best to slow down and try them if you can. See which one works out for you.

well i've heard about the tonezone and norton combo before
hmm anyone owns a dimarzio x2n?

btw i heard alil on combining amps or something like that anyone more experience care to share?

 

[eclipze]

i think ur looking for PUps with an aggressive character

try a breed on bridge... its raw ... cool raw tone
u have heard of air norton and tonezone before? what do u think?

if u want a X2n... try it man...

but be4 that u better change ur amp man... its worth investment ...

actually .... u can shape the sound via pedals... if u need more gain/overdrive...boost the main dist pedals using booster such as tube screamer or any overdrive pedal, ... shaping the equalizer use EQ pedals ... etc....

heheh.....
there's lot stuff to buy
PUps , amp, and several pedals

 

[imkeith]

cause i feel that whats important is the pups first
i feel its pointless getting pedals at the moment because your tone will change drastically after u get new pick ups so i rather do it step by step instead of jumping straight into a hell hole haha
oh man anyway what would be catagorized as a decent amp? 50w? and i believe brands do play a part again eh ?
erm as for norton and the tonezone i heard of the combo but nvr really heard on an ibanez, or a guitar of similiar composure as mine
and yea i do think x2n sound great but my worries are it wouldnt sound the same when i install it in my axe
and this whole trial an error proccess is real painful $_$ haha

 

[Breen]

Bro, don't be so Singaporean and just leap for it!

No no what I mean is don't worry so much till one day you realize you like Teles. Save up, have the money, think what you want in your guitar, youtube and what not it, then just take the ride it gives you. You got much information from the pickup companies about their output and resistance and what not, just give it a go~ You have a decent guitar, work out what your guitar fundamentally sounds like and feel in your soul when you play what would make it better.

Chill man. Music can be cheap, it can be expensive. You got Seasick Steve, then you got Petrucci. Don't rush things if your not comfortable doing it. Research more and just work on your playing rather then what gear you need until your ready to get them.

Their are a literal UNIVERSE of options, and if we start fretting about everything, nothing would be done ain't it?

A decent amp can be a 5watt MiniZ. It can be a 30watt AC30, it can be a 5W Blackheart, a 4W AC4TV, 200W Marshall Major. Basically bro, the wattage is just very basically how powerful it is and how much headroom it could give you. But a 5W MiniZ miked up can sound as much as MesaBoogie cranked. So its not about wattage. And there are decent solid state amps out there, but usually the price you pay means its big and loud and you should just as well go for a small tube amp.

 

[imkeith]

ok i kinda get what your saying just that i really dont very much understand the amp part
i know lower watt=lower max volume but need not nesc mutiply according to amp's wattage ratio increase.
But volume and tone got link ? ehh?

 

[eclipze]

bigger the wattage louder the volume... wider the range of the tone... bass mid treble freq... u can hear the low the mid and hi freq clearly

if u want to hear it ... try ur axe on 15watt solid state amp... and compare it when u try ur axe on 50 watt-above solid state amp ... u'll notice the difference
tube amps r dangerous G.A.S ... stay out from it for now he he he

 

[imkeith]

lol haha hmm as for tubes am i safe to say all tube amps are decent ? or are there various recommended brands? mesa boggie? or suggested wattage?30w abve?

 

[Breen]

Take a step back and learn first man. Ok I'm no expert, what I can tell you is brands will not give you a better amp or not. There are thousand of amp makers in the world. There are the few most people know such as your Marshall, Vox, Mesa/Boogie, Fender etc. So if your looking for a brand, a laymen could point to a Marshall stack, whereas others would show you a Ceriatone or Fuchs. It wont end bro. Best way is to go into the world and take your time and hear and see what the world has to offer.

Not all tube means its good. A tube sounds better, to most people, because of what a tube circuitry in essence does. I can't explain it to you on HOW it may sound better to most, I suggest you take the time at google.com. Great musicians such as Pat Methany, Mike Stern, Allan Holdsworth or the late Dimebag has been know to utilize solid state onstage as well as in the studio. There are pros and cons in the tube vs solid state debate. If not, wouldnt everyone be producing tube amps rather then giving you a transistor option?

At the recent Nashville Amp Show. A 5 Watter or 15 watter I cant remember, was recorded at 131 decibels max. The loudest was at 137 decibels by a substantially bigger amplifier. Learning something already padawan?

And finally tone and volume does not necessarily link. Some has said that the brain recognize higher frequencies as more pleasant thus an amp that is louder may give you more of that frequencies. In the end all of this is subjective to the individual, or you as a guitar player.

bro. google.com. Information's all there.

 

[Whitestrat]

bigger the wattage louder the volume...

Not entirely true hor... (just for discussion's sake) a 30W class A amp will be softer than a 30W class AB amp. Technically speaking.

 

[Whitestrat]

A 5 Watter or 15 watter I cant remember, was recorded at 131 decibels max.

Was it a class D?:twisted: But also don't forget, dBs are exponential units...

 

[Ized]

I'd recommend the Vox AC4TV if you'r looking for a small tube combo...it gets pretty loud at home ( I dont use it more than 1 watt unless i feel like annoying the neighbours) and it gives you the flexibility between choosing 1/4 watts, 1 watt or the full 4 watts.

Its a rather underated amp IMO and it'd beat other tube amps in its class and size like the blackheart or epiphone VJ. Takes pedals like a charm. The best part? Its only 300 bucks

 

[ShredCow]

I was actually thinking of Emg actives but i heard that it's really troublesome and the tone kinda dies with the batteries?

That is my beef with EMGs. They are not consistent as the batteries die. It was really annoying because the change in tone and feel was very obvious.

That said - EMGs have a certain sound and feel. If you LIKE the sound of bands that use EMGs, its tough to get that sound from passive pickups.

Check this guy out. http://www.youtube.com/user/diobolic5150 He uses a POD XT Live. The tone is killing. Notice he is mainly EMGs... but that Agile Intrepid (the blue 8 string) he uses has passives - Note the tone difference.