Rg2550egk Pickup confusion

KrazyKris24 · #1 12-18-2005, 05:35 PM

I am gettin a rg2550egk and am going to change the pickups. I was wondering about some pickup suggestions if i wanted to get a wider vaiety of tones.

I mean i wanna sometimes get a chili peppers tone but sometimes a vai and sometimes and old metallica-esque tone

Algiman · #2 12-18-2005, 05:37 PM

Then buy more guitars.

KrazyKris24 · #3 12-18-2005, 05:44 PM

I would but at 15 i got kinda a small income so i was just wondering if i could get any kinda pickup combonation that would sound close to those

Algiman · #4 12-18-2005, 05:57 PM

Sorry, tongue in cheek answer.

Probably Evos as they are high enough output to get close to Metallica but coil tapped you can still get a strat like tone for Chilis. Vai would go without saying for evos!

You are after very different sounds though, so anything will be a big compromise.

KrazyKris24 · #5 12-18-2005, 06:00 PM

Yea i knew i wouldn't get every style i wanted, but mostly with me and my friend's we do little to none distortion but i still in my off time like just playing around i'd like to get some decent distortion

KrazyKris24 · #6 12-18-2005, 06:02 PM

also i had thought about evo's but do they sound ok with chording as well as solos, also does anyone have a suggestion for the single coil in the middle

Also i've heard evo's don't sound good in basswood but i don't have any experience with evo's so yea

rgr · #7 12-18-2005, 06:28 PM

The 2550s have DiMarzio/IBZ pickups, so you already have some nice pickups in your guitar.

From DiMarzio's website, even though the 2550 isn't listed, these should be the same pickpus:
"DiMarzio®/IBZ pickups
The DiMarzio®/IBZ pickups in the Ibanez RG2120 and RG2570EX are specifically designed and manufactured by DiMarzio® for Ibanez, and they are not available separately. Like all DiMarzio® pickups, they are made in our New York factory. Both neck and bridge pickups are high-output models. The neck pickup is fairly bright-sounding, similar to a Super 2™ (DP104). The bridge pickup is a little louder and warmer-sounding, and resembles a cross between the Steve Morse Bridge Model™ (DP200) and the Super Distortion® (DP100). The R1 single-coil is warmer-sounding than a typical vintage single-coil, and was designed to work well with the neck and bridge humbuckers when they are in split mode. It has a sound similar to that of the HS-2™ in split-coil mode. "

So, you can change the tone with different pickups, but will they be "better", debateable. For the CP sound, use positions 2, 3, or 4, for the full on stuff use 1 or 5. For Metallica, you are probably as close as you'll get without going to EMGs.

Hope this helps, maybe invest in some pedals instead of pickups(?)

I think Vai is using Breeds and Evo 2s as much as Evos nowadays.

Roger

KrazyKris24 · #8 12-18-2005, 06:35 PM

yea i was already gonna get some pedals so the metallica isn't THAT big of a deal but i wanted some pickups that would sound good with good clean chords and solos as well as distorted/overdriven solos and chords

also does anyone have any experience with breeds just wonderin

rgr · #9 12-19-2005, 12:27 PM

Breeds are nice, "polite" sounding actually, not real aggressive, more vintage-y sounding. Great pickups! For the sounds you are looking for, I would probably go with a Steve's Special in the bridge and a PAF Joe in the neck. I have this setup on a 550EXGK and it's really nice. The SS will get you close to the sounds you are looking for in the bridge and with it's slightly scooped mids tone, it will get you close to the Metallica tone, supposedly it is a 6 string version of the Blaze, which Vai used for most of PAW, so, it's got that tone too. If you back off the volume, it cleans up nicely so it may do the CP tones pretty well to, you really need a single coil for those tones, hence positions 2, 3, or 4 should work pretty well for those.

Again, your guitar should have pretty good pickups in it already, so the difference won't be night and day. Also, for clean chording, backing off your volume control can do wonders, too many players use the volume control as an on/off switch and miss all the in between stuff. Your amp will be as important, actually more so, than pickups in getting these tones too.

If you do have the DiMarzio/IBZs, judging by the description, try lowering the neck pickup, that may help with the clean chording.

$0.02 and change,
Roger

KrazyKris24 · #10 12-19-2005, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgr

Breeds are nice, "polite" sounding actually, not real aggressive, more vintage-y sounding. Great pickups! For the sounds you are looking for, I would probably go with a Steve's Special in the bridge and a PAF Joe in the neck. I have this setup on a 550EXGK and it's really nice. The SS will get you close to the sounds you are looking for in the bridge and with it's slightly scooped mids tone, it will get you close to the Metallica tone, supposedly it is a 6 string version of the Blaze, which Vai used for most of PAW, so, it's got that tone too. If you back off the volume, it cleans up nicely so it may do the CP tones pretty well to, you really need a single coil for those tones, hence positions 2, 3, or 4 should work pretty well for those.

Again, your guitar should have pretty good pickups in it already, so the difference won't be night and day. Also, for clean chording, backing off your volume control can do wonders, too many players use the volume control as an on/off switch and miss all the in between stuff. Your amp will be as important, actually more so, than pickups in getting these tones too.

If you do have the DiMarzio/IBZs, judging by the description, try lowering the neck pickup, that may help with the clean chording.

$0.02 and change,
Roger

If i went with the JOE/S/Steve Special setup can i get harmonics pretty easy cause i like to mess around with those

rgr · #11 12-19-2005, 03:09 PM

That's more of a technique thing than pickup thing, but yeah.

KrazyKris24 · #12 12-19-2005, 03:44 PM

How is the PAF Joe's tonality

rgr · #13 12-19-2005, 05:05 PM

It sounds good, PAF-ish, good clarity, brighter than an Air Norton.

KrazyKris24 · #14 12-19-2005, 07:22 PM

K thanks for everything everybody i'll probably end up going with the PAF JOE/Keep the single the same or change to YJM/Steve Special, that sounds like a good all around thing

rgr · #15 12-21-2005, 07:53 PM

I just re-read your first post, after seeing some questions of yours in some other areas. You haven't even got the guitar yet and are worried about changing the pickups? I'd really give the stock ones a shot, they are made at the DiMarzio plant just like the other ones you are thinking about. From their descriptions, I would guess they sound great.

<$0.02,
Roger