What pickups for my Ibanez RG 550? Mid and Neck?

DotNetTim · #1 05-06-2005, 09:57 AM

Hi folks.. I have my RG 550 on the way, and I've got a Duncan Distortion pickup I'm going to try in the bridge.. This guitar is a 98 with a maple neck.. Wondering what pickups you folks would recommend for this guitar? I play mostly rock and metal, but blues too sometimes.. I need something versatile.. I love the Duncan Distortion in most guitars, but I've not tried it yet in this guitar, but will in the bridge,.. If I like it, I'll keep it.. Then that leaves the neck and the mid single coil.. I'm thinking I'll try a PAF Pro in the neck maybe, or a Duncan Pearly Gates, but I've never bought a new single coil, so any help in that department would be great.. I'd like to stick with Duncans or Dimarzio's..Some of the music I play would be: Jackyl, Ted Nugent, Lynard Skynard, Ozzy, Paul Gilbert, Guns and Roses, Black Sabbath, Racer X, etc, etc, etc..

Thanks a million.. This board rocks!
Tim (Happy new RG550 owner)..

Kontalonis · #2 05-06-2005, 10:38 AM

If you want duncan you might could try: Jazz or '59 in the neck, SSL-1 Vintage Staggered or the SSL-4 Quarter-Pound Flat in the mid

If you want dimarzio you might could try: Paf pro or Air norton in the neck, blue velvet or HS-2 in the mid

Seymour Duncan has sound clips on their website so you might wanna check that out.

kennydoe · #3 05-06-2005, 05:22 PM

i like PAF neck and Virtual 2 bridge model in the middle position.
~K

lyconxero · #4 05-06-2005, 06:46 PM

Definitely go for a PAF Pro or maybe even a Fred for the neck. As for the single coil, if you want to stick with a traditional single coil then definitely go for the blue velvet. But if you want your guitar to have some serious sonic diversity, then you should do what I did to my guitar (install a multi-pole switch and go for either a Chopper or Fast Track pickup in the middle and wire the guitar in a 3 humbucker 5 way switch config to have a guitar that's hum-cancelling in all 5 positions).

frankfalbo · #5 05-06-2005, 06:53 PM

I would recommend the Duncan Full Shred neck. It's poorly named, because it's really a fantastic sweet bluesy pickup, and can sound a lot like the Duncan Jazz, too.

The Duncan Classic Stack is a great middle pickup.

germX · #6 05-06-2005, 10:43 PM

i have Duncan Distortion too in my RG, but in the neck... i like single note definition when i solo, the Distortion gives me just that. if you are into high gain, the Distortion is a rewarding neck pickup.

i also have the Full Shred in another Ibanez, my S540. it's another worthy neck pickup if you are into high gain, maintains clarity under loads of drive.

if your life depends on an overall versatile neck humbucker, something that'll give you nice blues crunch & performs well when you turn up the drive, the Alnico II Pro is a good candidate. i have it in my Ibanez SZ320 & it sings

Uthark · #7 05-06-2005, 11:41 PM

The Duncan Distortion is a very powerful pickup; you should match it with pickups like the JB, Air Zone, FRED or Breed for example.

DotNetTim · #8 05-07-2005, 04:22 AM

germX
You say you have the distortion in your RG? If so, may I ask what model, and what kinda neck / fretboard, etc, and how do you like it? What do you have in the bridge may I ask if you have the distortion in the neck?
Thanks man.
Tim

DotNetTim · #9 05-07-2005, 04:25 AM

Frankfalbo

What do you have in the bridge may I ask if you are using the full shred for the neck? Just curious.. For that matter, what does everyone here have in their RG bridge pickup? What do you like about it, and what do you not like? I want a bridge pickup that's powerful, articulate, but something I can use the volume knob to turn down the gain a little and volume and clean up a little.. I also want something that doesn't muddy up when I turn down the volume.. Anyone want to take a stab at that? I know it's probably asking the impossible, but if I don't like the Distortion which I always thought of as a medium to high output pickup, then I thought I'd look at something like the Air Zone or Air Classic or PAF Pro, etc, for the bridge and maybe a Air Norton for the neck or something.. I also thought about the Fred and Norton for the bridge, but I don't know how powerful they are, and how well they clean up? Anyone?
Thanks a bunch guys.. You guys rock..
Tim

lyconxero · #10 05-07-2005, 02:36 PM

I have the Air Zone in the bridge of my RG370DX and it totally rocks. It's a very versatile pickup with great sustain due to the lower string pull. It's also very articulate for that same reason and you can adjust the pickup closer to the strings without it getting muddy (a downfall of the Tone Zone IMO). This pickup matches well with the PAF Pro I have in the neck and the Chopper that I have in the middle.

fettouhi · #11 05-07-2005, 05:49 PM

I hate to get old fashioned here but the Tone Zone/Air Norton combo rocks

.

Regards

André

tone_connoisseur · #12 05-07-2005, 06:25 PM

I have a mahogany body and a Pearly Gates in the neck, and it sounds a little too dark and thick. I end up splitting the coils of the bridge and neck to get it to sound a little thinner, and it's just about perfect.

It would be nice to have a system where you can choose the type of wood your guitar is contructed out of, and then choose what pickup you want for a certain tone, and hearing samples, instead of buying a pickup, installing it and then not liking it. I'm sure with today's technology they could come up with such a system.

lyconxero · #13 05-08-2005, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tone_connoisseur

I have a mahogany body and a Pearly Gates in the neck, and it sounds a little too dark and thick. I end up splitting the coils of the bridge and neck to get it to sound a little thinner, and it's just about perfect.

It would be nice to have a system where you can choose the type of wood your guitar is contructed out of, and then choose what pickup you want for a certain tone, and hearing samples, instead of buying a pickup, installing it and then not liking it. I'm sure with today's technology they could come up with such a system.

That might be a little hard just because every piece of wood is different, as well as every pickup. You could have two identical guitars with identical pickups playing through identical amps and they could still sound different.

DotNetTim · #14 05-08-2005, 02:16 AM

I'm thinking hard about the Air Zone for the bridge and the Humbucker from Hell for the neck.. and then whatever for the mid.. I don't use it a lot, but probably would if it were quiet and sounded good.. hehe..
Thanks a bunch.. If you have any sound files, and don't mind, send me one just to let me hear it. I'd love to hear what it sounded like with that pickup! I've not heard it yet.. I had the tone zone and I thought it was too harsh most of the time.. It didn't seem to have a lot of room for volume control, and was a tad bassy, but I had the trem blocked, so that could have done it. I'm not going to block the edge trem on this guitar, so it might work better, but I like the whole idea of more sustain with the Air Zone and that I can use the volume knob, etc..
Thanks again man..
Tim

germX · #15 05-08-2005, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DotNetTim

germX
You say you have the distortion in your RG? If so, may I ask what model, and what kinda neck / fretboard, etc, and how do you like it? What do you have in the bridge may I ask if you have the distortion in the neck?
Thanks man.
Tim

hi Tim,

my RG is the discontinued 1550, basswood body + maple fretboard (not to be confused with a maple neck- which Ibanez RG isn't maple necked?).

the Distortion neck is coupled with the Duncan Screamin Demon in the bridge. i left the mid single coil stock, not a big fan of Ibanez single coil, i have my Fenders to handle immaculate single coil tones... the demon is there because it gives off this growling lower midrange which i like, especially when it addresses my black metal tones very well (george lynch has got nothing to do with the purchase but he remains as one of my fav player). it's not a one-trick pony, the same guitar also handles my fusion tones.

the tone zone didn't appeal to me, i used to have it in another Ibanez, RG560 & it sounded very compressed at high gain settings, but it's a wonderful pickup in a lighter bodied guitar which lacks bass- my RX-40...