Help with RG560 pickups and wiring please

[narmo]

Hello everybody,

i need some advice with my Ibanez RG560.

First;
it has a H-S-S configuration. I have a Tonezone in the Bridge which is OK. Then i got the stock S1 pickups in both singlecoil positions. All three together sound balanced which is what i like, but the singlecoils sound pretty boring. Any suggestions what pickups to use here?

For the record; i have tried YJM in the neck position but it just did nothing for me. Also i have tried a X2N in the bridge position but it just doesnt fit in a basswood guitar IMO. I hope this helps to clarify what kind of sounds im looking for in this guitar.

Second;
there is a black wire nailed to the wood under both singlecoils. It goes to ground(soldered on the back of a potentiometer). Is there any harm if i remove this wire alltogether?

Third question;
the RG560 has a tone and a volume pot. The tone spectrum is amazingly boring. I compare this to the tone-pot on my Burny LP copy; it is very useful. I also appreciate the tonepot on a Telecaster a lot.. so much to choose from right there. Is there something i could do to the electrics on a RG560 to get more juice out of the tone control?

Bonus question; if somebody can tell me where to get genuine spareparts or similar(but working) parts for the Edge intonation lock screws, i'd be grateful. The fear of those screws going hmm.. unusable is my biggest motivator in selling this guitar and getting something else.

Thank you,

Jarmo

[Stygian]

I own an RG560 as well, in black. I've tried a Dimarzio X2N in mine too, and I agree it doesn't work well in this guitar; I thought it was too muddy without a tight enough bass end. I like the stock single coil tone though, they're very clear and snappy sounding pickups with the right amp. Mine don't have the S1 logo though (maybe your guitar is a 90s model?), in fact mine are not S1 pickups, they are wound with more coil and sound fatter.

Anyways, I can answer your question about the ground wire. No it won't harm anything if you remove it, but I recommend leaving it, since its purpose is to cut down on noise and hum from your single coils.

You can change the capacitor value on the tone knob, if you feel like soldering. Or put in a Black Ice Overdrive if you like that, it'll change the function of your tone knob. I dunno, I never touch mine, it's always on 10.

I tried a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge position, which is brighter and much clearer than the X2N was. It's high-medium output. What kind of sound are you looking for, in the bridge and in the single coils?

[narmo]

Thank you for your reply Stygian;

the singlecoils; I'd like a fatter, more humbucker-like tone. I'd like it to sound clear at the neck. I dont want a very high output pickup in this guitar, in any position(at least trying the X2N told me so).

The S1's(at least the cover is labeled S1) sound like 'blah' to me. I cant really bash them, but cant find them very useful either..they sound so thin. I could live with the middle pickup, but the neck one i could definitely replace.

I find it hard to describe what kind of sound I'd like from this guitar. I dont want it extremely tight; i'd like it to be broad overall, and a bit chunkier than TZ at the bridge(i dont find the TZ at bridge very chunky at all). And if possible, somewhat balanced output from all three. It seems i have so many ideas about what this guitar should sound like, that maybe another guitar would be in order

My RG560 is also black, from 1989.
I guess I will be leaving the ground wire where it is, but i definitely have to do something about the tone because its pretty useless as it is.

Jarmo