What mods pups/hardware to make RG520QS more personal?

JMack · #1 03-25-2003, 09:18 AM

Yep, I feel its dress up time for my RG 520QS.

Right now it is 100% stock and seeing as how I love the feel, neck and playability of this guitar I would like to know what some of the common mode would be that I could do to this guitar.

The first thing I want to do is swap out the pups, I need something passive in the bridge that would handle all the gain my Mesa Single Recto can give it. I am really into brutal, thick, deep distortion and I need a nice pup that would give that.

For the neck I would like something that could give me some nice cleans and bluesy stuff.

After that, I dont know what, if anything I can do for cosmetics. One thing I would love is a nice scratch plate, like a pearloid ot something but I dont know how that would look on a aqua blue/green quilted top. Keep in mind that the quilt is so damn dark that is look almost black if the light hits it the right way.

Help me out, where can I check out modded RG500's and what can you guys tell me to push me in the right direction?

Up until now I have been only, and I mean only playing my Gibson Les Paul. The RG has just been so muchg fun to play that I feel the need to make it into something a little more.

Thanks a million all you Ibanez freaks, your info is much appreciated.

Jason

JMack · #2 03-25-2003, 10:52 AM

Well, either my thread completely bores you that you do not feel the need to reply.

Or.......................

My Newbie status on the forum excludes me from good replys.

Or.......................

This board moves much slower than the others that I frequesnt.

You are the Ibanez gurus so your help and info would be greatly appreciated. I have a fear of asking this question on another board only to be told to by a PRS instead. We all know how that goes.

Take pride in your Ibanez brotherhood and help a guy out.

Jason

**jemsite** · #3 03-25-2003, 10:54 AM

i think you need more than 90 minutes for RG-modders to visit and post... especially considering west coast it's about 7am

Patience young Jedi

The most common mods you mentioned.... pickups, customized wiring, maybe a new pickguard and/or spring for a custom inlayed neck... glen

gkelm · #4 03-25-2003, 11:54 AM

That's a great guitar for the $. One Jemsiter stripped the finish on his and did it in tung oil (I think it was Todd, whom I have not seen post in quite a while)...it turned out lovely...the grain came to life. That may be a bit too extreme. As far as pups, you could not go wrong with the Tone Zone/Air Norton combo.
Greg

PS - May the Force be with you.

gtrcollectr · #5 03-25-2003, 11:56 AM

I am with you Jmack.....My 520 was so dark that you could not even see the quilt. So I stripped mine, it is down to bare wood right now and I am deciding haw I want to finish it. As for mods go with pickups first thing they will significantly improve your tone and you might want to talk to Jeremy at LGM and do an inlay but this is around $400 dollars ballpark. I am in the same situation as you and have no idea what pickups to choose so if you get some good recommendation pass them along.

Todd

JMack · #6 03-25-2003, 05:52 PM

First off, what does the wood grain under the sapele top of the 520QS look like? Is it solid wood with nice grain or some type of layered wood like if you were to sand down an Epiphone?

I know that the body is mahogany but is their anything else under that sapele top? or is that just a very thin veneer covering the mahogany that would be easy to sand through?

BIG QUESTION!

Has anybody here ever added a scratch plate to a similar guitar that does not have pre drilled holes to accompany the scratch plate?

I would assume its easy enough, if you have doen it, what screws did you use and where did you buy your scratch plate? Also, what scratch plate do you think would look good on the quilted sapele top of the 520QS?

Thanks a million guys.

Jason

**jono** · #7 03-25-2003, 06:30 PM

I can't help with the Scratchplate issure, but I will say that I tend to prefer RGs with them rather than without them. What would put me off doing this on the RG520QS is that I'd really love to see a white pearloid guard on there, but it would clash with the headstock in its black livery

Pickup wise (and as a fellow boogie player) I think you've got a good range to choose from. Personally I go for less output from a pickup for ultra heavy tones. I like the Fred in the bridge of my JS 6 through a cranked Mesa, it lets the amp do a lot of the work so keeps the inherent tightness of the amp without getting muddy and undefined at all.

If you fancy something popular yet truly unique you could maybe go for a swirl or a refinish into your favourite guitar colour?

gkelm · #8 03-25-2003, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtrcollectr

I am with you Jmack.....My 520 was so dark that you could not even see the quilt. So I stripped mine, it is down to bare wood right now and I am deciding haw I want to finish it. As for mods go with pickups first thing they will significantly improve your tone and you might want to talk to Jeremy at LGM and do an inlay but this is around $400 dollars ballpark. I am in the same situation as you and have no idea what pickups to choose so if you get some good recommendation pass them along.

Todd

Looks like we have another Todd 520SQ owner (and a neighbor of mine as well...I'm in Garland)!

Here's the one i was thinking of...

http://www.mindspring.com/~tpc01/rg520qstol.html

...actually, his may have been stock with that finish. Poke around on his site...he has a stripped RG2020 that looks sweet too.
Greg

sniperfrommars1 · #9 03-25-2003, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jono

I can't help with the Scratchplate issure, but I will say that I tend to prefer RGs with them rather than without them. What would put me off doing this on the RG520QS is that I'd really love to see a white pearloid guard on there, but it would clash with the headstock in its black livery

Pickup wise (and as a fellow boogie player) I think you've got a good range to choose from. Personally I go for less output from a pickup for ultra heavy tones. I like the Fred in the bridge of my JS 6 through a cranked Mesa, it lets the amp do a lot of the work so keeps the inherent tightness of the amp without getting muddy and undefined at all.

If you fancy something popular yet truly unique you could maybe go for a swirl or a refinish into your favourite guitar colour?

I think that pearloid would look really nice on the 520 personally and I dont think it would clash with the headstock, heck you could get a nice mathcing pearloid truss rod cover to match, and matching black plates. If anyone has a vwh could you show us what that would look like on a 520? or maybe on a all black rg, since the top is so dark. Ive personally modded my 520, with a seymour duncan dimebucker, and a duncan 59, which sounds like the tone your going for. The duncan dimebucker gets harmonics easier than "any" pickup ive ever used

JMack · #10 03-26-2003, 09:05 AM

Guys, this is all great information.

I feel like I am rediscovering guitar, or atleast trying it from a different angle. See, I own a PRS McCarty, about 9 months ago I bought my second Les Paul Classic. The Les Paul has long been my standard of playing.

Then this past weekend I was bord so I dug out the old 520, it was sitting for months in its case so I figured I would throw a new set of strings on it. Played it for a while, got excited due to the change and freash feel of a new guitar. That being said I am now led to this, to wanting to personalize the guitar a little bit.

Jano,

That white perloid scratch plate sounds like it could be very nice, I was also thinking of that greyish colored (lack of technical name) perloid scratch plate. Do you think the darker one would go well with all the black chrome hardware on the guitar? Or would the white perloid bring out a nice contrast from the very dark top?

Does anybody here have guitars of a similar color scheem with similar mods with pictures they could share?

Also, you mentioned you liked the lower output Fred for your heavy tones. Now, would that work well on a Mesa Rectos modern/red channel at low bedroom volume levels? See, I want to get some heavy tones but I rarely (unless the wife is out) get the chance to crank my Mesa which is 50 watts of all tube and you know how that goes.

So, will these lower output pups give that ability to get great distortion at lo volume levels?

LAST.............................................. .....

Where is the best place for me to buy scratch plates, truss rod covers or anything else I might want to look at? GC has every possible thing imaginable for Gibson and Fender guitars but I never noticed any Ibanez stuff. However, that could be because I wasnt looking for them.

Thanks a million for all of your help thus far, you have a top notch site here guys.

Jason

sniperfrommars1 · #11 03-26-2003, 09:53 AM

Go to jeannie pickguards for a scratch plate for you ibanez. They will make just about anything. Also Im not sure but I think jeremy and eddie make them or at least can get you some info on how to aquire them. The fred pickup is a modified paf pro, designed for joe satriani to have more harmonic response. It is not a truly high output pickup in my opinion but then again I do use the duncan dimebucker. If gain is what your looking for at low volumes I suggest the seymour duncan dimebucker and 59er ala, dimebag darrell, nuno bettencourt and countless other players. The pickguard color you were asking about is black pearloid like on the black jem 555. ANything else we can help you with?"

darren wilson · #12 03-26-2003, 10:29 AM

Personally, i don't like pickguards, and i think it would spoil the look of the 520. I think stripping it and going with an oiled mahogany finish would look sweet.

If you are totally hooked on doing a pickguard, I think a black or dark blue pearloid would look better on the dark blue body.

If you do go with white, though, don't worry about it not matching the headstock. While i prefer headstocks that match the body finish, it's so far away from the body and so comparatively small that black is a nice neutral option. Matching the pickguard would look odd, and white truss rod cover on a black headstock just looks goofy to me.

If you're looking for other ideas on how to personalize it a bit, i think chrome hardware and white pickups/knobs would be a really nice touch as well, whether you keep the stock finish or strip it.

gitarrero · #13 03-26-2003, 10:36 AM

How about installing new knobs with a custom top? A company called Q-Parts makes very nice knobs and I especially dig their colored abalone shell tops. Here's the link to their website.

**jono** · #14 03-26-2003, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMack

Also, you mentioned you liked the lower output Fred for your heavy tones. Now, would that work well on a Mesa Rectos modern/red channel at low bedroom volume levels? See, I want to get some heavy tones but I rarely (unless the wife is out) get the chance to crank my Mesa which is 50 watts of all tube and you know how that goes.

So, will these lower output pups give that ability to get great distortion at lo volume levels?

In short, "yes". I'm a home hobbyist these days and I'm quite satisfied with my tone at family friendly volumes. yes it gets better as it gets louder, but that's sort of a fact of life with valve amps so to speak. Having less pickup output seems to keep things more defined to my ears and thus lets you get heavier, without getting mushier.

Does that make sense?

As for the pickguard, I think the "black pearloid" for want of a better term, I think we're both on about the same stuff, would look a bit better and match the hardware better than a stark white guard. Just make sure that you know your colour scheme when you order your pickups, OR that you match your pickups to your colour scheme