To change or not to change...

[The Hiryuu]

I just got an RG7620 for christmas, and I absolutely love it...except the distortion is a bit on the weak side for my tastes (I guess I'm too used to my Wolfgang's biting crunch...)

The obvious solution would be to change the pickups. And I was considering that...until I played clean. The clean tone in the (second?) position is just godly. And I REALLY don't want to give that up. But I could really use a better distorted tone (After all, I DO play metal.) I'd hate myself for giving up that great clean tone, though (It sounds infinitely better than my Wolfgang clean)...

[Two hands31]

I guess the first question to ask is this: would you be doing more live playing or studio recording with it? If it's studio, keep the pickups because you can always get nice distortion from the Wolf, and you'll still get that nice clean from the 7620. If you'll be doing more live playing with it, clean tones usually sound crappy live anyways, so I'd say ditch the pickups for more power (unless you plan on playing anything other than metal, of course). It is possible to get pickups with both really really nice clean tone and really hot distortion, but it'll take a while to get the right combination for you, so this is just a basic starting point for deciding which you're more willing to sacrifice while you're coming up with a more final solution.

Heck, Korn uses Strats and Teles on occasion for overdubs in the studio (clean/effects stuff mostly I think) and used somewhat modded 7620s live for years.

[toshiro]

I think that specific clean tone has more to do with the wiring, than the pickups.

If you're counting 1-2-3-etc from the bridge position, #2 would be the inside coils tapped, a fav. clean tone for a lot of people. If it's the other way around(neck = #1) then you're using the neck pickup in parrallel, which is sorta sinigle-coily(for lack of a better term)... Either way, these are (somewhat) odd wirings for humbuckers..

You might find you like other pickups wired the same way, that sound better to you in other positions. I personally love that inside-coil clean sound on all my guitars, and each have very different pickups..

I'll tell you, I was pretty depressed with the tone of my RG7620, untill I dropped an Evo7 and Air Norton7 into it. Now, I love the thing(just need to save some money up for neck binding and a new finish. )...

[darren wilson]

A humbucker in parallel mode is one of my favourite tones.

On my Dean, the neck '59 sounds very strattish in parallel mode, and the bridge JB sounds almost tele-ish. Very versatile and lots of fun to play with, and parallel humbuckers are still hum-cancelling.

I have 8 tonal options with two humbuckers, a three-way toggle and push/pull pots for series/parallel on each pickup. And every one of those options is hum-cancelling.

[The Hiryuu]

Originally Posted by toshiro

I think that specific clean tone has more to do with the wiring, than the pickups.

If you're counting 1-2-3-etc from the bridge position, #2 would be the inside coils tapped, a fav. clean tone for a lot of people. If it's the other way around(neck = #1) then you're using the neck pickup in parrallel, which is sorta sinigle-coily(for lack of a better term)... Either way, these are (somewhat) odd wirings for humbuckers..

You might find you like other pickups wired the same way, that sound better to you in other positions. I personally love that inside-coil clean sound on all my guitars, and each have very different pickups..

I'll tell you, I was pretty depressed with the tone of my RG7620, untill I dropped an Evo7 and Air Norton7 into it. Now, I love the thing(just need to save some money up for neck binding and a new finish. )...

Yeah, it's #2 from the bridge. I really don't want to sacrifice it...

I'll be using it for both live and studio.

If I could get that #2 from the bridge clean tone in a neck pickup somehow, I'd just pop an Evo in the bridge no problem.

[Ice]

Get some good dimarzios like PAF's and then coil tap it you'll have all the good sounds you'll ever need. Just use a push pull on the tone to turn the tap off/on.

[Two hands31]

No need for push-pull or anything. Just get new pickups that suit your needs (PAFs will not give you the distortion you're looking for IMHO) and wire them up like your stock pickups are already wired up. It's a simple wiring job, just put the new wires exactly where the old ones were (someone else will have to help you with what each colour wire is if they're not the same between the stocks and whatever you end up with). As for pickups, I'd say the DiMarzio EVO7 would be a good one to try for the bridge spot, and if you want to change the neck pickup too, try the Air Norton 7, as Toshiro suggested, but really, pickup choice is a personal preference type thing, there's no right or wrong answer.

[Ice]

Not give you distortion?? Thats funny I guess korn and all the bands he plays don't use distortion. If you have a guitar that's low tuned you don't want higher output or it makes it muddy and dirty killing your clean. Paf is perfect rounded to give you the amazing clean and kill distortion. I also like Tone Zone and Air Norton. My 6's have air norton and steve's special, or Multi buckers or X2Ns.

[sam669]

PAF for metal really... it sounds cool if you want that round type of sound korn has (especially in mahogany). but for raw metal, and even for "heavy-rock" kind of sounds (think spiritual beggars or lynch), its way too buttery imo. nothing like an evo7! this thing spits!

[The Hiryuu]

Why the hell does Korn keep getting dragged into this? I said I play metal, not mallcore.

</flame bait>

In all seriousness, Korn isn't anywhere near what I'm going for...think more along the lines of Dream Theater, Nevermore, Arch Enemy, Carcass...

[Ice]

Sounds like you need EMG 707's if you're doing that sort of metal. Aside from the dream theater and once again John petrucci had PAF's in his 7 string Ibanez.

[The Dark Wolf]

Then get the EVO7. It sounds freakin' fine split, (which is your precious #2 position) and it has a ton of balls.

And no, the PAF does NOT rip for 'metal.' Korn wanted them so they could have a cleaner sound. Mahogany has a tendency to get muddy as s#!t in the lower registers. I know! My guitar IS a mahogany 7 string (I like the sound myself, and I have ways to keep it clean and tight, but basswood it ain't.)

[Ice]

that's exactly what I just said.. PAF=lower output for lower tuning so not muddy and better clean sound.

I like the sound to be smooth and not grity especially when doing shredding/sweeping.

[7 Dying Trees]

Evo7 in my 2027 gives it all the definition I want in the lower registers, and it's got more balls than a PAF7. I really don't like the PAF7 in the neck, it has no grit...

I'd say get an Evo7 in the bridge, or something like a tone zone/air norton jobby

Also, the JB7(Seymour Duncan) is supposed to be very very nice

[sam669]

and no... JP's 7string Ibbies didnt have PAFs anywhere.