Malmsteen tone in...an Ibanez RG??

[Fang]

I'm replacing the pickups in my RGT42DXFM. The guitar has a mahagony body/flame maple top, with a maple/walnut neck thru. I like a lot of shred like Malmsteen, Vai, Dragonforce, etc. I'm thinking of putting an Evo2 in the bridge, but I'm not sure if it will work well in my guitar. I'm also looking for a neck pickup, I was thinking of the Evo neck, but not sure if the "compressed" sound will be a problem, or if it even will sound good in my guitar. My favorite guitar tone at the moment would have to be Malmsteen's, and my RG is VERY different from his Stratocaster obviously. But I was wondering if anybody had a suggestion to achieve a tone close to that with any specific pups?

Oh yeah, I have a 5 way switch on my guitar too, that might help.

[rty13ibz98]

air norton and tone zone. wire it up to the 5 way like the diagram for the 1999 rg3120 to get a true single coil out of the air norton. this will get you your YJM tone.

http://ibanez.com/wiring/wire.asp?y=1999&w=RG3120

rich

[Lefty Robb]

I think in order to really get a good glassy malmsteen tone your going to need single coils like the HS-3.

[Fang]

I'm mostly looking for an increase in the high end/treble. Mahogany is not as great in that area as alder body guitars. What pickup would do that/Malmsteen tone?

[Demogorgos]

Originally Posted by Fang

I'm mostly looking for an increase in the high end/treble. Mahogany is not as great in that area as alder body guitars. What pickup would do that/Malmsteen tone?

you're going to need single coils (like the HS-3) in bridge & neck positions

[C.Thep]

Malmsteen, Vai, and Dragonforce have completely different sounds, you will not be able to capture the tones with a single guitar or amp no matter what pickup you get.

You can shred with any pickups. Having certain pickups will not make you shred, it is your skill. Why in the world would you want dragonforce tones anyway?

[SonataGuitarist]

^ Actually both Dforce and Vai use Evos and I find I both of their tones quite accessible with it, actually I can get Yng's bridge sound too. I just love Evo.

But yeah as far as his neck tone, gotta get that single coil

[RSVampire]

Get a set of Evo's and coil split them for the malmsteen tone.... done and done

[crevis]

Originally Posted by rty13ibz98

air norton and tone zone. wire it up to the 5 way like the diagram for the 1999 rg3120 to get a true single coil out of the air norton. this will get you your YJM tone.

http://ibanez.com/wiring/wire.asp?y=1999&w=RG3120

rich

This is your best bet, just put alot reverb on when youre in single coil mode like malmsteen does.

[Thrash]

Evo's are awesome. Use the Evo 2 in the bridge and coil split the neck pup. Just get a Megaswitch selector, splits the bridge and neck in the 2 and 4 position. Evo's are way more versitile than given credit for. Plus 95% of the tone comes from you own hands.

If you don't want to tap and want a single coil tone get a Humbucker from Hell for the neck, it's designed to sound like a single coil.

Do you think the Evo neck pup is compressed sounding? I don't think so, anyone else chime in on this.

[Shreddy Krueger]

I put a PAF PRO & a Humbucker From Hell in this guitar & I think it nails the sound you are going after pretty well...the scallops probably don't hurt to complete the overall "Yngwie" vibe.

I pretty much put this together because I was jonesing hardcore for a Fender Malmsteen but I refused to drop the $1000 on one.

However you have to contend with the mahogany body & the rosewood board on the RGT, so I'm not sure how it would sound in your guitar..

I personally think the TZ/Norton combo with a 5 way way switch is probably the best bet...

IMO anyway..

[HermanBlows]

Originally Posted by C.Thep

Why in the world would you want dragonforce tones anyway?

Too true...Herman's tone sucks. Sorry, but that is my honest opinion.

[-Rhaab]

herman and vai do use evos, but mohogany and alder sound different. i was wondering the same thing about malmsteens tone and dimarzio said the chopper has a similar tone but with more output as its a mini humbucker. i would say that or a yjm in the neck, if you have a pickguard you can put in in and a dummy beside it

[Lefty Robb]

if a pickguard RG, just get a new guard with HHH and put YJM's in it and scallop the board.

[Shreddy Krueger]

Actually i had an RG 560 with a YJM in the neck & that absoluetly nailed it.