Just wanted to share how HAPPY I am. :)

MicJustMic · #1 04-09-2003, 06:16 PM

I recently bought a NEW/OLD RG 520QSTB (1999 model) this past January.

While I've always thought the V7 and V8 pickups aren't "bad", I've never thought they were that good either.

I recently had my 13 year old RG 550 out and cranked, and had forgotten how much I LOVE the Dimarzio P.A.F. Pro in the neck, and the vintage Super Distortion in the bridge.

So today after work I stopped at Sam Ash and picked up a P.A.F. Pro and an Evolution bridge pickup, popped them in my 520 and YEEEE!!!!! HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!

I used this http://www.ibanez.com/wiring/wire.asp?y=2002&w=RG7620 wiring, so that none of the positions hum but I can still get some pretty nice “Strat Like” tones out of it.

To keep on topic for this part of the forum, I HIGHLY recommend this combination and wiring if you have a guitar with only two humbuckers, like a 520, 320, and so on.

And DAMN those Evolutions are LOUD! LOL :P

Mic

kennydoe · #2 04-09-2003, 06:55 PM

more proof of what I've been saying all along:

1. The V pickups don't sound that bad until you hear 'real' dimarzios
2. The PAF-EVo combination is a winning one

MicJustMic · #3 04-09-2003, 07:16 PM

Yep, the V pups really aren't bad at all, they blow away the "Powersound" pickups for sure, but they just don't compare to, as you say, "real" pups.

Not that I wouldn't gig with the V's, I have, but things sound SO much better now.

Mic

Champagne Mist · #4 04-09-2003, 10:08 PM

Yeah man!! Thats the exact combo i've got in my 550. Great sounds. It really breathes new life into an already kick-ass guitar.

MicJustMic · #5 04-09-2003, 11:01 PM

I wasn't too sure about the Evolution, I've only really heard them on Vai's CD's and live recordings, and he could play through a 20 year old K-Mart Harmony and sound like himself.

P.A.F. Pros, on the other hand, to me anyway, are the best over all pickups for everything from clean to crunch to searing leads and the best, in my opinion, neck position pickup ever, in the bridge they are a little bright, but still really sweet.

Nice that Dimarzio has that return policy, but I like the Evolution, even through my Digitech RP200 and headphones it sounds wonderful.

Next I MUST get a decent amp, but that's another board.

Mic

frankfalbo · #6 04-10-2003, 12:13 AM

For years I was anti-PAF Pro, and I think it was just because I never spent enough time with them. I like a very bluesy neck pickup and always went for Duncans or Bartolinis. The PAF Pro to me was like a generic sound. But now, I have a couple, and it was playing older Jems that really convinced me. And they don't have a "Vai" sound. Rather, Steve has a "Vai" sound because of the way he plays. But one conclusion I came to was that they are one of the best neck pickups for a 24 fret guitar. The pickup location changes things a lot and I never had 24 fret guitars, so I think that's another reason I stayed away from them. But they really do work well. For 22 fretters I still like vintage replicas and progressive techno monsters like the Bartolinis, plus I'm a real big neck single coil guy, so over half my guitars are singles. But this huge rant is really just to confirm to anyone that in a 24 fret guitar, you really can't go wrong with a PAF Pro.

MicJustMic · #7 04-10-2003, 12:23 AM

I agree, I used to add a coil splitter to any guitar I had with a bucker in the neck to get that single coil Strat sound, but with 24 frets you just can't do it . . . BUT . . . the way they wire these, so that in position 2 (or 4, depending on your point of view) puts the neck coils in parallel instead of series, and you get a NICE, ALMOST single coil Strat sound, even with 24 frets.

Not QUITE there, but enough that you can fool yourself a bit about it.

Oh, and with anything BUT a PAF Pro, it's REALLY not even ALMOST, just doesn't seem to cut it, in my opinion.

Mic

MicJustMic · #8 05-21-2003, 10:14 PM

Just wanted to update . . . like anyone cares. :P

I was having problems with the PAF Pro in the neck position, getting fuzzy, cutting out, etc.

After much rewiring and a new switch I finally came to grips with the fact that the pup was fubar . . . ordered a new Evo Neck Position for it and . . .

HOLY STUFF!!!

I'm glad the PAF Pro went south, I'm amazed at the sound and response of the Evo Neck.

Mic