RG2027 PLAYERS - What pickups are good stock replacements

ALLTOOHUMAN · #1 03-22-2001, 12:16 AM

I am curious if Dimarzio has made a STEVES SPECIAL or AIR NORTON for 7 string. With the advent of Petruccis ERNIE BALL im sure they are out there. I have JPM P1 and adore the neck pickup and the sweet bell-like humcanceling clean tones it delivers. I wonder if I can setup my 7 like the JPM? I am also saddened to hear about the EVO's. That would have been my first choice. Im curois to know what Petrucci is using on his 7's??
* * I am also curious as to the horror stories I have heard regarding the RG2027 and changing out the pickups. I have heard the piezo pickups has made this a pretty precarious task. *Any help would be great cause im sure the stock pickups are coming out immediatly! haha

Exotic Shredding · #2 03-22-2001, 12:30 AM

Hey man-
* * * * *2027 is an awesome axe... *I'm waiting on my Tone Zone 7 and Air Norton 7 to get here. *Yes, both of those are now officially in production. *I dont think the wiring should be too crazy.... everything is sequenced in wiring, just switch the pickup direct the way it is already. *Shouldn't be a problem.

Todd Crawford · #3 03-22-2001, 12:30 AM

They do have Air Norton 7's, but no Steves Special 7's yet. That is the exact combo I want to put in my RG7-CT, so I e-mailed DiMarzio asking if and when they planned on doing Steves Special 7's, the exact reply I got was.."The Tone Zone 7 is very similar to a Steve's Special". Well, thanks, but thats not what I asked!!!.

I dont know what to tell you about the horror of changing the pickups. I am VERY satisfied with the pickups that came in the RG7-CST(which I still cant get a 100% positive answer on what they are), but in modifying the wiring for a KJG Wiring set-up, I would say that it would look like a nightmare of a job.

(Edited by Todd Crawford at 11:31 pm on Mar. 21, 2001)

ChrisReedSmith · #4 03-22-2001, 12:38 AM

(This is NOT fact, this is my GUESS, could be completely wrong as I am pulling this out of my ass)-
When Steve created the "Steve's Special" he made it into a pickup that really fit him. When it came time to make a 7-string pickup for his Universe guitars, he wanted the same propertys as the Steve's Special to go into his 7 strings too. Thus the "Blaze II'. Which basically IS a Steve's Special 7 string. It is not exactly the same since it was designed to handle the low B better then a 6 string pickup tuned down with a low B. But they are basically the same. Weather or not the Blaze II's really WERE modeled after the S. special doesnt matter really, but they are very alike.

I believe John used Blaze's in his JPM 7's.

I'm not sure about the Air Nortan 7, I thought they were making them with the introduction of the Tone Zone but I dont see it on the website. Also I remember someone mentioning talking to DiMarzio themselves and asking about a Nortan 7 and how it "wasn't even on the drawing board". But that was quite a while ago, and I also heard MANY people say that DiMarzio will try to make 7 string versions of all their pickups in the near future. (Probably depends on where 7-string sales go from here...)

jay ratkowski · #5 03-22-2001, 01:26 AM

Just to clarify... the "Steve's Special" is not designed by Steve Vai. *It's a pickup for Steve Bluscher (sp? sorry) who is one of the good guys at DiMarzio. *Sorry, I don't know everything about Steve's job over there... but he's a smart guy, and it's a good pickup. *

ryan · #6 03-22-2001, 08:47 AM

yeah, what those guys said...

The Steve's Special is, without a doubt, the best pickup I've ever played.

The Blaze II is a close 2nd, but it just sounds different -- actually when you listen un-amplified, my 7's sound different than my 6's, so perhaps the pickups are more similar than they seem.

Anyhow, I've dropped a Blaze II into all my 7-string guitars and I don't have to futz with any of my amp settingts when switching from Steve's Special to Blaze II equipped guitars.

Also -- Whoever told you the Tone Zone 7 is similar to the Steve's Special needs to be smacked.

tagg 7 · #7 03-22-2001, 10:16 AM

I had My 2020 taken in to get new pickups, but when it came time to change my 2027 I wanted to myself. The wiring just looks a little odd because of the different selector switch inside it. Just be percise as you can and its no biggie. You cant however just pull out the old put in the new. The stock pu's have only 3 wires (hot/neutral/ground) you will find the Dimarzio's have 5 comming out, but just read the directions to figure out which ones combine together. No biggie.
Now if you want to do Kevans design thats a whole new deal.
You will find that Steve, John, and even Korn have used the Blaze's, but hey there wasnt much out there befor.

buzz

ryan · #8 03-22-2001, 11:29 AM

Yes, I forgot to mention that as well.

The wiring is no different from any other Ibanez 5-way selector. *

There are EXTRA wires, but you don't need to mess with them unless you're mag+piezo obsessed.

ALLTOOHUMAN · #9 03-22-2001, 11:35 AM

What is KEVANS wiring design everyone keeps talking about?
Honeslty guys I am going for Petrucci's tone on the AWAKE CD....so im hoping to find out whatever he used on that CD.....and what pickups are in his new ERNIE BALL?????

Tsorovan · #10 03-22-2001, 02:47 PM

1) http://jemsiteforum.com/discus/messa...html?975935453

2) My best guess is Blaze IIs in the 7string and of course the Steve's Special/Air Norton JPM combo

3) I believe the EB/MM JPMs have custom DiMarzios.

I could however be wrong, it has happened before

bammbamm · #11 03-26-2001, 11:03 PM

The major difference in the 7 string pickups vs. the 6 string, is the gauge of wire on one of the coils. The 1st coil is wound with say 4800 turns of 48 AWG magnet wire and then 4800 turns of 44 or 42 AWG mag wire on the second one. The larger gauge rolls off the lower frequencies produced by the extra string much like that of a choke coil in a crossover for a speaker system. *You can look up the patent info based on the numbers provided by the Dimarzio website.

Bamm