Any Ibanez pickup experts out there? - Questions about my ne

[jallen]

I just joined the ranks of Ibanez players when I picked up a RBM1 (black) the other day. *It is in great shape and I'm really digging it! *Not a Jem, but I have always loved the Voyager body style, and a Jem isn't in the budget right now. My only question is about the pickups. *It has the Ibanez SB1 in the neck and mid and a HB2 in the bridge. * I know they were "USA Designed" pickups, but what does that really mean? *The catalog says made and/or designed in the USA, but I am not sure what to think about that. *Was Dimarzio involved, or is this clever marketing? *If anybody could let me know anything about these guys, I would really appreciate it.

[jem7vwh]

basically, these are going to be cheap pickups sponsored, designed or in some way related to DiMarzio. *They rarely sound like anything other than ass and I recommend a pickup change as soon as poosible.

[jay ratkowski]

I always thought they were actually made by DiMarzio. *Doesn't mean they are good, but decide for yourself.

[JESTER700]

I always liked the F pups, and the top half of the C pups...

And the V pups in the 620...

[jono]

As far as I know the "American Designed Series" of pickups are just that. Pickups designed in the USA but manufactured in the far east.

The ones that were actually designed AND manufactured in the USA by DiMarzio are the IBZ/USA series such as the F1 - F4 humbuckers and the C1 - C3 single coil sized units.

Wild speculation would lead me to predict that the HB2 in the RBM (and I believe stock in the RG565) is probably a pickup made in the far east to the design specifications of the DiMarzio "Megadrive".

[jallen]

Cool..Thanks for all of the responses. *The pickups are OK, but not great- *I have replaced many pickups in the past and I think some new Dimarzios are going to find their way into the RBM soon. *Thanks again for all the great info!

[babahi]

I have a RBM400 with Seymour Duncans in it... it wails! One of the best sounding guitars I own. The stock pickups really do suck, you're doing the right thing by changing them.


As for the F series of pickups, I had a stock F3 in my 540PII that absolutely smoked. I wonder if I can get another one of those...

And, as some may already know, the sound from the stock V6 humbucker and S2 and S3 in my 442R is my number one sound. Where did these pickups come from? Needless to say, I'm looking for another 442R...
Eric

[nuno]

Eric,
I just love your red Rebby!
As for the 540PII... *hehe, you already know! But what does it mean 'smoked' referred to a pick-up?

nuno (from Bologna)

[babahi]

La chitarra non e rubata! "Smoking" in Inglese vuole dire che
il suono e unico!

Sorry for everybody else reading this, but the only way is to translate it directly!
Eric