The Super 58 is the pickup that comes in the high end Artcore guitars, correct?

 

They also come in the things like the solidbody Ibanez Artist AR325, too which is pretty much the opposite of a hollow guitar on many levels. I don't suspect it would be in any RGs though but I may be wrong. The Super 58s may only come in Gibson style spacing more aligned with the Artist and the whole Artcore line.

My metal friends just don't get me with my like for vintage gear. It's not that it's vintage in this case but low resistance stuff like the Super 58 or late50s-'62 Gibson PAF and Duncan '59s are actually good for hard rock/punk/metal, even djent. They have the vintage sound but can do more. That statement is for another thread though.

But that being said I still want to own an X2N, Super Distortion, and Duncan Black Winter. They are for sure great for harder and heavier but the vintage stuff can do more moderate styles of music and with right settings get the loud stuff, too. If I was just a metal guy and nothing else and wanted to sound like Metallica I would shell out the extra few bucks and get a JH EMG set and call it a day and then focus on amps and effects and actually playing the guitar.

 

I really like the Super 58. It's Alnico III (at least the old ones are, not sure if the new ones or the Super 58 Custom are Alnico V), and I can't think of anything else in the Ibanez line that sounds quite like it. INF is Ceramic and a very different-sounding pickup.

 

Are all INFs ceramic?

I know in a lot of RGs Ibanez has one ceramic humbucker and one alnico one. Usually the neck humbucker is ceramic to make notes tighter. The opposing bridge pickup is alnico. Then there are the dual ceramic humbucker model Ibanezes.

My stock artcore humbuckers are ceramic but due to their moderate output they are closer to my old Gibson PAF than any modern hot rodded alnico or hot rodded ceramic pickup. The old PAF being a weak alnico has better single note definition than anything out there when played in a chord when played clean. The ceramic tends to melt them together more. For distorted power chords the ceramics are heavier of course. But if I play a whole chord and want to hear the high e and b strings then I prefer alnico.

Ibanez must have an alnico stock humbucker that sounds like a Super 58.

 

I think my AF105NT has two Custom 58s in it.
I'm not sure what the diff is???